Entry #2 - Galactic Ryft

I am currently working on my space board game. I’m on the third major iteration of it. Originally, I created a space strategy game with lots of miniatures, and stereotypical gameplay including combat. I realized it was not unique enough in gameplay and pivoted.

The second iteration was better and more unique, very similar mechanics to the current version, but had too many unique rules and exceptions to make functional and the theme didn’t push far enough into the mechanics. I had 4 groups play test the game and got some indifferent feedback about playing it.

The current iteration of the game is Galactic Ryft — a displacement strategy game.

Three explosions in your galaxy have opened mysterious Ryfts. Waves of meteorite from the Ryft explosion have impacted multiple planets, including four planets with sentient life. Each meteorite contains one of four forms of psion crystals (psion), which have transformed sentient life into new forms. Not much is known about the psion or Ryfts, but
the psion seems strongest when they are collected with other psions of the same color.

Galactic Ryft – Is a science fiction strategy game that supports three playing styles –, ‘Multiplayer’, ‘Even Pairs’, (future release) and ‘Single player’ (future release). Collect and generate psion crystals matching your Homeworld’s color. Lock in planets near your Homeworld with psion generators and displace other players and neutral creeps to have the most psion at the end of the game.

The game contents will feature cards, psion tokens, and a playmat. I’ve kept the number of cards to an absolute minimum, realizing that cost needs to be kept down for my first game.

The field of play is currently a 5x5 grid and planets are face down at the start with exception of the Homeworld.

The psion tokens that are advanced from planet to planet are also the victory points. They can be used to convert other players psion at a ratio of 3:1, or with other measures in the game.

I just printed the paper for the prototypes land rule book and will resume play testing soon.

My current biggest dilemma is that I have two game mechanics that drive the gameplay that I think I need, but am concerned that they are redundant or too similar. players can perform one of each action per turn.

Homeworld ability. Is a choice of action each turn that at the Homeworld. Each choice lets the player add psion to the Homeworld or remove it from a Homeworld for an effect on the field of play.

Role Card: these cards are shared among players and chosen at the start of the turn to select an action that is performed during the turn that aids a strategy for completion. These allow conversion or removal of psion or addition of psion for all players on planets on which they have psion.

What I have found is that there is not enough variability without the role cards to make the game fun. However I don’t want to remove the Homeworld mechanic from the game because it has the most theme. In going to play test it with both and see how people react before coming to a decision, but it feels like they need to be different from each other but not busted

Please advise— what are the best ways to decide what mechanics to include or remove. Is play testing best, or should I look for a developer to assist?