Game Status - 2008.11.20

I've decided to do bi-monthly updates on the status of all of my designs. This will both push me to consistently work on my games as well as keeping any of you interested in the loop.

I will also try to enumerate exactly what needs to be done for each game at any given moment in time so that, if you wanted, you could collaborate on the design. In fact, I plan on setting up a group collaboration site for my games to allow any of you to contribute easily.

Even as much as a single small icon for a resource can greatly help. If you're as bad I am at art, maybe you could help me name cards. Some of the Advancement cards from Titans of Industry are still unnamed, even though I consider the game "complete".

Side note:
I've decided to begin anonymizing the publishers I contact by giving them codenames here in the blog. By doing so, it will give me greater freedom to post about the process of becoming a game designer here in the blog. Otherwise, I would feel a need to censor more information about what I am doing with whom, for privacy's sake.

I am going to be using the Greek alphabet, and in order of appearance, so the codename I use for a publisher has no relation to how I actually feel about that publisher, so don't read too much into it.

Titans of Industry
Active - version 21 (2008.10.09) - currently with publisher Alpha
Needs:

• Advancement Cards - Names (5/24)
• Titans Cards - Names (24/24)
• Board - consider reducing pricing grids to maximum 9 cost (8 cost for purchase from bank)
• Player Cards - larger than current and with illustrations

Titans of Industry is still my flagship game, though I am "done" doing design work on it for now. Back on October 10th, I sent it to a representative of a publisher I'll refer to as Alpha. I spoke with that person today, and was told that the prototype has been played, but this person was going to bring it to a convention to get some more testing in before delivering the feedback.

I'm glad that the feedback already generated was good enough to make this person from wanting to put it further through the paces. Or maybe it did go badly but this person is kind enough to give it one more chance. Either way, I was told that after the convention I would receive feedback, so that's something to look forward to. And if Alpha eventually passes, all is not lost . . .

Privateering
Active - version 8 (2008.10.28) - Prototype Redesign
Needs:

• New Card Layout
• Rulebook

The mechanics on this are done. I just need to change the card layout and write up a formal rulebook and it is ready to ship to publisher Beta, with whom I have spoken a couple of times.

Pioneer
Active - version 0 (2008.11.01) - Idea Phase
Needs:

• Everything

Municipality
Active - version 1 (2008.10.28) - Rules Phase
Needs:

• Finish Rules

This game got put on hold when I came up with Pioneering.

Battle Stations
Inactive - version 2 (2006.01.18) - Re-theming
Needs:

• New Theme

This game was rejected by the publisher for whom it was specifically designed. Needs to be re-themed before approaching other publisher, especially because it would have been a licensed game.

Anniversary Gift
Inactive - version 1 (2006.09.01) - Rules Design
Needs:

• Finish Rules

This game was going to be a (supplemental) wedding gift to friends who were getting married. I couldn't finish it in time, and it has been shelved ever since.

Moon Colonization
Inactive - version 1 (2006.01.22) - Rules Redesign
Needs:

• New Mechanics

This was a single mechanic that I painted a game around. The paint sucked. On hold until I find a new "color".

Theme Park
Abandoned - version 1 (2005.07.28)Too similar to existing games on the market.

Kingpin
Abandoned - version 1 (2005.09.05)
This game just didn't work out when played. I think it was because I used dice. I hate dice.

Utopia
Abandoned - version 1 (2005)
First test so awful not worth an attempt to fix. Goals of game, induction and deception, incompatible in abstract movement game.

Programmer: Battle for Bandwidth
Abandoned - version 4 (2006.07.10)
My first design. Concept is too complex for a filler game, too one-dimensional for a serious game. Hopelessly flawed.