For quite some time now I’ve been making my own tabletop games – from boardgame to cardgame depending on the theme and idea. It’s been a long time coming that I finish one but with being the only one working on it you can imagine it takes a lot of time. From concept to making the rules, creating all the designs and illustrations, exporting it all so and finally importing it back into The GameCrafter is quite the time-consuming endeavor.
Finally however I was able to upload a few and found the funds to buy myself a couple of “prototypes on steroids”. I know a normal prototype is pen and paper only but I wanted to have something more tangible, something people would actually attempt to play with me instead of laughing away the scribbles on paper (been there, done that).
I’m glad to say that the first three prototypes are complete and although it still needs a lot of playtesting and some changes here and there I can gladly present these to you.
The Pickpockets box, rules and cards.
The Pickpockets
The first one is a small card game called The Pickpockets where you play a pickpocket walking around picking unsuspecting victims’ pockets. Unlucky for you the others are pickpockets as well!
Each round players will fill their pockets with stolen items coming from either their Surroundings or each other. Every player can hold an item in each hand and pockets (totaling 4 items) and will need to manage these while pickpocketing others.
The game ends when 2 cards pop up and are used (either a police or a gun-card) after which the players tally up the items they are holding. The one with the most points is the winner.
Game Components: 1 box, rulebook, 70 cards.
Manges Toutes
Manges Toutes was the first game I tried to design and maybe one of the more ambitious ones. In Manges Toutes you play an alien visiting earth discovering all the wonderful foods earth has to offer. They are very hungry however and eager to try everything. Food will fall from the sky and can be selected by the player and seeing the alien has 3 stomachs all types of combinations can be made. Each successful combination is worth points. Beware of certain foods and combinations however because they might create blockages, expulsions or worse! There’s also fridges to store food and seagulls that steal!
The winner of the game is the first one to reach a pre-defined amount of points – between 25 and 100 according to my personal rules.
Manges Toutes is a simple tetris-light like combination game for young and old. The rules are simple and, due to the nature of food, very open. There’s enough skill and strategy involved to keep all ages invested.
Manges Toutes is a big game and the prototype has some elements that need to be changed. I used chits instead of thick cardboard items to reduce initial cost. Other elements can be made a little bit more fancy too depending on production cost.
Game Components: Rulebook – X Character, Trash, Level and Player Boards – Stomach, Point, Score, Trash and Birdy Tokens – Loads of Food Tokens – Special Ability Cards
De Bokkerijders / The Buckriders
Finally we have De Bokkerijders, a two-player game that’s pretty much an elaborate mix between worker-placement and checkers. In the 18th century the area I was born was plagued by a gang of robbers called “The Buckriders”. They were named as such cause it was rumored that they sold their souls to the devil and rode bucks across the sky in order to steal from the rich and the corrupt church. Then still under Spanish rule and amidst the period of the inquisition many suspected members were tortured and killed to try to stop the robbers. History keeps the almost legend that the Buckriders were either Robin Hoods or merely Brigands, it’s very likely it was both since several groups of robbers were active over several time periods and places.
In the game you will play either as the Serf (civilian class, amongst them Buckriders) and Ruling class. Both players will walk across the board using the locations to gain benefits. Certain locations are specific for each players and the player can decide how to react in that location. A ruling player will actively have to hunt the Serf player and bring them to justice for the deeds they have done… Unless you arrested only Citizens and thus torture and condemn innocent people. The serf player will try to avoid the ruling player merely dealing a blow to their ego’s as much as they can which will be much to the amusement of the already overtaxed population.
Players not only chase these benefits to fill their coffers but also to change the will of the people. Get the people on your side and you will go into history as the good guys, have the people against you and you will be condemned as Satan worshipping criminals for the rest of time.
I made a slight mistake ordering this by buying 36 16mm discs instead of 25mm discs but that isn’t a big deal. My idea for the hidden treasure chest (which can be robbed) can be re-evaluated later as The GameCrafter ofcourse doesn’t give me custom-made prints (yet). The small treasure chest is fun but doesn’t really fit the rest of the game as it is.
Game Components: 25 Red & Blue Discs with accompanying stickers – 2 Player Screens – 45 Witch, Seer and Event cards – 60 Resource, Coin and Trial Tokens – 3 Bags – Rulebook – Game Board
What’s next?
Hopefully more playtesting and not too many changes. After that I think the GameCrafter will do fine for the moment. I don’t expect to be picked up though it would be nice. Going to conventions and the likes is a bit difficult seeing several circumstances but we’ll see.
I’m still trying to finish other games but with all the things I’m doing I have to pick and choose which ones to do first besides my channel and my stores. The next games I would like to see finished – and are closest to be – are Soda Wars, The Conclave, High Noon, The Rejects, Bad/Solid State, The Grift and Evil Genius. I really want to finish Super Bus but I have not found the time to illustrate 300+ cards yet. Exorcismus is also one I’m eager to finish and The Heist is a promising boardgame/RPG hybrid I want to get working on some more.
With thanks to The GameCrafter where you will be able to create your own games and sell them. Keep a look out for my games to come out there as well.
