Hollandazed: Thoughts, Ideas, and Miscellany — game design

THREE SUBCONSCIOUS INFLUENCES ON THIS GUILTY LAND (by Tom Russell)

Mary Russell

Comments 1 Tags game design, This Guilty Land

THREE SUBCONSCIOUS INFLUENCES ON THIS GUILTY LAND (by Tom Russell)

I wanted to take a moment to talk about three games that impacted the development of This Guilty Land in a subconscious way. That is, when I was designing the game, I don't think I ever thought of these games specifically, at least not for these reasons, and I wasn't aware of borrowing from them directly, but in retrospect I can look at elements of the design, and look at those other games, and say, "Oh, so that's where I got that from." The first game is Washington's War, designed by Mark Herman. I know what you're thinking; they're both...


DISTANCE IN THIS GUILTY LAND (by Tom Russell)

Mary Russell

Comments 1 Tags game design, This Guilty Land

DISTANCE IN THIS GUILTY LAND (by Tom Russell)

In This Guilty Land, each player represents an abstract idea: Justice (which seeks the abolition of slavery) and Oppression (which seeks its retention and spread). One thing I've heard from many folks online is that they would be very uncomfortable playing Oppression, or asking another player to take on that role - they can't imagine themselves playing the game at all.  The first thing I want to say is, that's a perfectly valid response. The game's not for everyone, nor is it intended to be, and if you don't want to play the game, that's okay. Not every cultural product...


NORTHERN PACIFIC AND ME (by Tom Russell)

Mary Russell

Tags game design, Northern Pacific, train games

NORTHERN PACIFIC AND ME (by Tom Russell)

Note: this article originally appeared on Board Game Geek on August 12th. It's being reposted here because I was lazy and forgot to write a blogpost for today. It is customary I suppose to begin a designer diary with where the idea for the game came from - what the impetus was for the design. I wish I could say that it started with a theme or a mechanism or a player dynamic, but the simple and mercenary truth is that I designed Northern Pacific because I wanted to be a full-time game designer. That's an ambition I had almost...


NOTES ON AURELIAN (by Tom Russell)

NOTES ON AURELIAN (by Tom Russell)

Around the time that Charlemagne came out, I stealth-announced the next game in my series of "cup adjustment" solitaire games, Aurelian, Restorer of the World. A few months later, I started working on the rules, prototype map, and counter-mix, and then I had to set the whole thing aside while I tried (perhaps in vain) to put a dent in the ever-growing submission pile. Mary pointed out that since it says "Lead Game Designer and Chief Bottle-Washer" on my business card, that maybe I should take a break from the submission pile and design something, and also maybe wash some...


TABLE BATTLE (by Tom Russell)

TABLE BATTLE (by Tom Russell)

I often say that my job consists of playing board games all day. That's not a hundred percent true - my job also consists of answering questions on the internet, writing rulesets, laying out counters, designing covers, counting out little wooden bits and putting them into bags, and, oh yeah, designing games - but I think it gets across rather aptly that I have very little to be upset about in the grand scheme of things, and that I still can't quite believe that this is what I get to do for a living. It sometimes feels like I've gotten...