Skip to Content
 

Toy play improvisation testing session

2 replies [Last post]
larienna
larienna's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008

Like discussed in those threads

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/11106688#11106688

http://www.bgdf.com/node/7707#comment-28163

I have attempted last night to make a toy play session which consist in playing a game without rules like if it was a toy to explore how the game could be implemented. I was designing an adventure game, so I took components from arkham horror and Dungeonquest for the test.

Which made me think that if I use that kind of method more other in the future, instead of borrowing components from other game, I could use some generic toys like Hero, buildings, events, that could be commonly used in many game ideas.

The playtest notes can be found here:

http://bgd.lariennalibrary.com/uploads/Mainsite/GameIdea/GameIdea2010041...

It should give you an idea of what I decided to note down. Else here is a picture of the playtest:

http://bgd.lariennalibrary.com/uploads/Mainsite/GameIdea/GameIdea2010041...

If you have any questions or comments on the process, let me know.

Mirror threads

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/11108933#11108933

regzr
Offline
Joined: 05/27/2012
A worth to try method

Your concept playing the game without rules like if it was a toy ... is inspiring. In the first test there were so much stuff. You ended up copying bits of different games' rulebooks a piece here and a piece there. But the test was worth trying.

I read through your notes and the first comment that came to my mind was: You have many open issues. Before the toy play continues, maybe it is useful to rethink do you need a game master? At least making a feel of real game.

If you will run another toy play, why not use blank components. And start small. Pick only a few tiles, a pawn and empty cards.

I did my own start from scratch test. In the beginning there was one token hidden in closed hands, pencil and paper. ( A guess game ) Then I played two roles, player 1 and player 2 altering. Gradually adding tokens and information the game evolved to more complicated one. Sadly or not, I took no notes down.

Thank you for your post!

-regzr

larienna
larienna's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
Yes you could go

Yes you could go progressively, but I try toy play for somehow the expansion phase of the game. I want to dream and see what are all the possible things I would like to happen in my game, at least to know the maximum size of the game, and then during the contraction phase, cut the fat out of it.

Sure, new ideas could come out with time one the design is launched. And when I made this playtest, I already new a few things about the game. Still, it gives a different point of view on the game than just the mechanic part. It's also useful to realise the amount of components you'll need for your game.

I will eventually make a test for my "Master of magic" board game idea to know up to where I can expand the game and to know things players would expect to do.

It the end, it is a kind of brainstorming method, so playing with other players with the same open mind could bring in new ideas.

It's a method I would like to further explore and improve. If it can make the first part of design easier than that's fine with me.

Syndicate content


forum | by Dr. Radut