playtested boardgame 2.0!

Hey there Ricketeers! I finally got to playtest the new version of the boardgame! Overall I think this was an improvement over the last version, but there are still some things that need to be tweaked. General consensus was that playtime was too long and the rules to confusing. I think what did it were all the various helper and action cards. I really liked making them and how they affected your rolls on different things(I blame Digimon Digital Card Battle for that), but it was tough keeping up on all of them and found myself being lenient on some of the skeletons/crooked helpers because I didn't want to discourage the new players. Not a good sign.

How you win is by getting fame tokens, and how you get fame tokens is by performing, and how you perform is by doing a perform roll with a die. One of the critiques was that the player should do something other than roll a die so as not t get it confused with the movement roll, or at least have a different die, which I agree with. She suggested some type of spinny thing or a boggle thing, which could be fun, but I also realized that performing and getting fame tokens is based solely on luck. Sure, you could use helpers, but acquiring those helpers is also based mostly on luck(being at the right space and having the right amount of cash to purchase).

I'd really like some way of acquiring fame tokens that requires skill and makes players feel they really won them. In D&D, doing anything is based on a dice roll, but it's also using the base rolls of that character that he or she knows to be special. I was thinking I could give the characters special attributes like that, but that would make the game even more complicated.

I also had the idea that you would have to choose a speciality at the beginning of the game, (singing, dancing, acting, joke telling, arts, etc.) and each player would actually have to perform in front of the other players in order to get a fame token, but if I were playing that game I don't know how keen I would be of acting out. Thoughts?

Also, there was a critique that there wasn't enough to do with money and fame tokens. Sure you need fame tokens to win, and get you into higher levels, but other than that, what purpose do they do? And the money can buy you stuff, but only if you're at the right spot at the right time. Some players were flat out broke, but others(myself included) were bleeding bills with nothing to do with it. Which, honestly, now that I think of it, is kind of awesome because it mimics real life society. Go me.

Also also, someone missed the customizable board I had last time. So if I can figure out a way to make it the same basic way with a class system and the end space in the middle but still have customizable pieces, I will. Someone suggested I make a 3 dimensional board with the higher class rungs being actually higher, which would be cool, but I have no idea how I'd pull it off.

Also the third, it was about twenty pages of paper to print out the entire game, not including the rules. Luckily I went to kinkos, but I still think it's an ungodly amount. Maybe if I cut down on all the cards it will help.

So in conclusion, fix the rolling, make the rules less confusing, do more with the tokens and have a shorter playtime. I'll work on it. Perhaps I'll do some animating in between even.

Stay tuned Ricketeers!

A Rickety Road to the Top Version 2.0

Hey there Ricketeers! Got some new stuff from the board game for ya!

It's basically the same premise as before, become the big star before anyone else can, but instead of getting from one end of the board to the other, you have to get to the middle. Or, the top theatre, which is in the middle. Bear with me.

You climb the different classes by gaining fame tokens. The first one to get the necessary number of fame tokens and get to the top, wins.

I completed a rough version of the 3-class tier board. Each player starts at the Rock Bottom Bar, and can keep going around the board until they get enough fame tokens to move up to the next tier.

The way you get fame tokens is by going to "perform spots" and perform. A player will roll a die; if you get a high score, you get money and a fame token, if you get a medium score you might get money, and if you get a low score, you get a skeleton(I had to keep them in, but instead of just blatantly sending you back if you get caught, they just impede your process).

Money can buy you out of jams, buy cards that help, and in some instances even buy fame tokens, so money makes the game go round.

I also included Helpers and Crooked helpers. Helpers are cards that help you along, such as giving you points on your perform roll or more spaces to move:

Crooked Helpers can also help you, but they come with a greater risk and may have a bigger chance of getting you in trouble:

You can still go to jail, but you only lose a fame token and a turn or two, then you can go right back up to where you were if you have enough fame tokens. It's much easier to come back from, but it's still enough risk to be careful for.

Along with Perform Spots, there are also spots where you can pick up helpers and crooked helpers, dumper spots where you can pay to get rid of unwanted skeletons, copper spots where you have to do a safety roll to see if you get caught, and hotspots, where you roll to se if you get an action card, helper, crooked helper, money, more spaces to move, or a skeleton:

All I really have to do is finish the cards, write up the rules and make the game pieces before I can beta test it. I think I can use the same game pieces, just on a smaller scale. We'll see.

What do you guys think so far? Does it sound fun and interesting? Would you be intrigued enough to play? Does anyone want to help with the beta testing?

boardgame cutouts!

Hey there Ricketeers! I was really hoping to have a complete albeit beta version of my game done already, but I still need to finish a number of pieces. But I do have some stuff done already that you can even print out!


Here's a sheet containing the Rickety Rat, Rascals Rabbit, Digby Duck, and Dolly Duck game pieces. You can print out the sheet, cut them out and you'll have your own little Rickety game characters! You can even make them stand on their own if you:
1. Cut on all the dotted lines
2. Fold in the creases on the bottom front
3. Fold the front bottom segment and stick it through the slit in the back bottom segment
4. unfold the front bottom creases
It works, but it may be a bit confusing. I should probably take a picture or draw a diagram.

Also here are some sample game cards:
Skeleton cards are what makes the game interesting. If you get a skeleton card, and then get an action card or land on an action space in which you get outed, then you have to go all the way back to the start. I really want to beta-test this out.

Also, here are some board pieces of the interchangable board:

I'm hoping in a couple of weeks I can have all the assets completed and I can make it available for beta-testing. Until next time Ricketeers!

cards and pieces

Hey there faithful Ricketeers! Still making assets for the boardgame and working on Character sheets. Here are some card backs I'm playing with:
Also, I made my first cut-out game piece!



I even figured out a way to make him stand pretty nicely on his own without the use of glue, tape, or a plastic stand, but it's a bit confusing to explain without instructions. Perhaps next week I'll have the whole sheet of characters done!

Next week I should have a mock game board, cards, and pieces all ready to play. Then, Beta-testing!