Looking for Suggestions on a Cryptozoology Game

Personally I think the actual tracking and capture of said animals would make for a more entertaining game, but you can definately make the 'zoo' theme work!

I would say that since the cards are going to be used to lay out the 'park' you need to differentiate between the attractions and such. Each monster/myth would have a color coated border or something to show difference between groups. Mokele Membe would be a "Yellow" monster, while Sasquatch would be a "Green" monster, and Nessie would be a "Blue" monster. Essentially, the color coating determines what monsters can be set up beside each other and which ones need a specific environmental conditions.

Yellow = Jungle
Green = Forest
Red = Desert
Blue = Water
Black = Darkness
Purple = Mountains

Now, you'd have to have a way to divide these up within the park. Of course a desert creature's cage cannot be beside an aquatic creature's cage because they would be too different and either fight each other or the environmental effects would simply kill one or both.

Now, the concept I see for this game is similar to the game "Alchemy" which is in Yahoo Games. You're game starts with an 'Entrance" or a "Ticket Booth" card. From there the player has four directions to expand their park. The trick is, there's six colors, so you have to pick and choose which cretures to use, which to hold, and which to discard. The goal would be to have the biggest theme park by the end of the game (When the deck runs out).

Of course you have to throw in 'wild' cards such as "Nessie Burgers" or "Bigfoot-long Hotdogs" which provide a neutral buffer to expand your park in different directions.

To make the game more interesting you can even allow trading between players. Placed cards are worth two from the hand or another placed card, while cards in the hand are worth another card in the hand.

What do you think?

Wanted: Hunter for an Expedition in Mexico
-Must have access to your own firearms.
-Tequilla is a plus.
-Must have your own goat.
-Not leaving without Chupacabra.

LOL!

In all seriousness, though, if you want to have this on a board you may want to experiment with individual game boards such as the ones used in Age of Mythology. That way each player is responsible for the layout and construction of their own area while they must still worry about their neighbors.

Bucketfiend,

that sounds like a lot of fun!

I used a board primarily for a placeholder to put cards. It also looks better with a board, giving the game a centrepiece and the feeling that you're playing for something.

As for mythical creatures, did you consider combining front end and back end cards into single creatures? Combining the back end of a horse with the front end of a giant squid and you get a...well....you get the idea. Just a thought.

Good luck with the game

spike

Maybe the board itself is the midway, and you're trying to capture creatures to put in exhibits... but you have to first gain control of the exhibit...

Imagine the board as a series of exhibits... There's only one Aquarium... there's two woodland exhibits... there's three jungle exhibits... one artic exhibit... etc...

So, you (and your opponents) are trying to get the first monster into those exhibits... but the monsters have different crowd drawing potential...

Nessie would have a huge draw, but would take some time to capture/get in the tank, as opposed to Ogopogo, who is easier to get into the tank, but has less crowd drawing capability....

At the end of each round, you open the midway, and you get points for your crowd draw.... then you have another round.

When the exhibits are full, you have a final midway round, and the person who ended up with the most attendance overall wins.

So, if you're behind, you're trying to prevent your opponents from filling exhibits while you collect the right cards to fill them.

If you're ahead, you're just trying to put *anything* in the exhibits... Sea Monkeys, if it'll cut off your opponents.

Trek