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The CARD game conundrum

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Mon, 08/01/2016 - 22:55
questccg
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With my many failed attempts at creating various "mini" card games, I have found myself thinking about "What makes a GOOD CARD game?"

Most CARD games have hands, a deck (or more) and maybe some parts.

But I have been thinking that what makes a CARD game BETTER is when you need to *manipulate* the cards! What do I mean??? Let me explain.

In my current Edition of "Quest AC2", I have been thinking about creating reversible cards. Some people will be like "Why?" The idea is simple: more card manipulation!

Basically it means that the cards you HAVE will be examined MORE CLOSELY, players will think through the use of the cards because of their dual-sided nature...

Nothing worst that just playing your cards and nothing happens with them... That has been some of my "mini" card game experience: once you play the cards into the "game area", nothing happens to them. Had they had the ability to FLIP or REVERSE, maybe the game might be more interesting!

Thoughts/comments/ideas are all welcomed!

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Tue, 08/02/2016 - 06:42
#1
let-off studios
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Thematic Link

I'm sure you've already considered this. But beyond requiring the player to examine their cards more closely, what would be the thematic link for this card-flipping mechanic? I can imagine at least one example off the top of my head, but I wanted to hear your thought process and connection between the theme and a reason to reverse or rotate the cards.

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Tue, 08/02/2016 - 11:03
#2
stevebarkeruk
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Why do you think players will

Why do you think players will examine these cards more closely? Surely a double sided card is, effectively, just like two regular cards, which the player will pay the same amount of attention to as before?

The only obvious outcome from my point of view is that this would slow the game down due to how awkward it is to keep flipping cards back and forth rather than having them all visible in your hand.

If your experience of designing cards is that they get played then "do nothing", then the problem is likley with the way you are designing them, not that they are only one sided. If you design two-sided cards where both sides are equally dull in different ways, you're not fixing the root problem.

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Tue, 08/02/2016 - 11:55
#3
Zag24
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Using the backs of the cards

I've thought a fair bit about this, and it was part of the impetus for creating my game Jelly Bean Farmers. (It's available on DriveThruCards; I won't link to it, but you can Google it easily.)

This is the back of the action cards: http://zag.net/farmers/FourPartBack.png

Here is a sample tableau, using them. Sorry it's sideways: http://zag.net/farmers/SequenceBack.png

Here are all the cards, if you're interested: http://zag.net/farmers

All action cards, when played, can be played "front side" which is to perform the action, or "back side." The back sides have four orientations: Placed vertically, you need two of them to construct either a field or a silo. That is, you place two of them with the field side top to create a new field, or with the silo side up to create a silo.

Place horizontally in one orientation, they represent an armed man, which protects your far from warlords (or sets you up to become a warlord yourself). In the other orientation you are saving the card for later, in many cases to be played as a reaction to someone else's action.

The game has some serious flaws -- the whole warlord mechanism didn't really work. But one thing that is interesting and was well received by most playtesters, was the use of the card backs in this fashion.

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Tue, 08/02/2016 - 14:55
#4
questccg
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Take a look at this

stevebarkeruk wrote:
Why do you think players will examine these cards more closely? Surely a double sided card is, effectively, just like two regular cards, which the player will pay the same amount of attention to as before?

@Steve: Check out this video =

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExIOFojB_JY

Quite the imagination in making this game WORK! And doesn't the game FEEL like you are actually doing something with the cards?

This is the mechanic used for game play. I, of course, would use flipping but not as the primary mechanic. Set Collection is my primary mechanic, flipping would be a secondary one...

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Tue, 08/02/2016 - 16:32
#5
questccg
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One example

I am still working on "Quest Adventure Cards(tm), Version 2.0".

I have for example "Bastion" cards which allow you to recruit *Heroes* for your Epic Journey. Now "Bastion" cards are "reversible": on one site you have the City and on the other side you have a Hero.

Why does any of this matter, you ask?

To explain it very simple, you EITHER choose to earn INCOME from the City or have a HERO to perform quests. It's one or the other...

Cities produce GOLD which can then be used to summon forth a Hero to help you complete one or several quests.

Again just an example, but I am working on this design... And this is only one (1) of the mechanics used by the game (flipping of cards).

BTW the flipping is done ON THE TABLE, in your Journey's timeline.

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Tue, 08/02/2016 - 18:54
#6
questccg
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Another example

stevebarkeruk wrote:
If your experience of designing cards is that they get played then "do nothing", then the problem is likley with the way you are designing them, not that they are only one sided.

In "Tradewars - Homeworld", I have been asked by several individuals, why bother having a SECOND side?

There are a couple reasons for this:

  1. Your opponent can see the VALUE of the card as it is written in BIG.
  2. Each card has one of nine (9) possible resources that are common in many games.

So for point #1, the big values reduce the likelihood of cheating. You can easily show how many points you Bank or Trade with. This makes it clearer to your opponent what you are doing and keeps the game *honest*.

This brings me to point #2, nine resources. So the resources will have different bonus such as: x2, +5 or x3. So whenever you Bank that card, you will earn a BONUS modifier such that certain cards are affected.

The question is HOW? Per resource.

Another point in fact, I am still in the conceptual stage for several NEW and exciting scenarios. A couple of them MIGHT rely on the RESOURCES. Take for example a scenario called "Outbreak!" You are trying to contain a medical disease from spreading, you must collect enough "Medicine" (one of the resources) before the virus spreads and it's too late!

Once I figure that one out, I have another idea: "Gun Runner".

Instead of collecting "Medicine", you collect "Weaponry".

My biggest problem with these scenarios is what to do about using "Starships" and opposing forces.

There is a third scenario called "The Privateer" where one player plays as the "Space Pirates" and the other players play as normal. The thing which I have yet to "resolve" is how the "Space Pirates" deploy starships.

The mechanic has to be different than the normal configuration. Perhaps something like having all three cards in one (1): Starship, Crew and Weapon.

But still more thought has to go into this - because I would want something similar for my other two (2) scenarios ("Outbreak!" and "Gun Runner")...

Had I not had REVERSIBLE cards, those scenarios would not have been possible.

And the whole game play that could come from "Outbreak!" or "Gun Runner" is pretty interesting since it sets up a different type end-game goal. "Outbreak!" is multi-player and "Gun Runner" would be a solo scenario.

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Wed, 08/03/2016 - 03:16
#7
ElKobold
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In my 4x game doublesided

In my 4x game doublesided cards serve as action-selection mechanism.
Each planet you control gives you access to two actions (one on each side of the card representing a planet).
Players rearrange their cards simultaneously (by flipping some of them) in secret before the round starts. Then the cards are placed on the table, forming an action pool of each player.
Also, there's a reminder icon on every card about which action is on the other side - so that you didn't have to constantly flip cards when choosing an action.

I believe it wouldn't work well if the cards had text though.

In that case I would list both effects on the same side, separated by "or" or something like that.

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