The Joy of Innovation

Picture by Ender Wiggins on BGG.

I'm sure that being especially creative or innovative can be a joyful experience. However, this post is about something much more concrete: the game Innovation by Carl Chudyk. I first saw this game being played at local cons. With somewhat clunky and unimaginative artwork/graphic design, I can't say I was very interested in exploring the game further. Soon after, I began hearing reports of the game's highly chaotic tenancies (more about this later). Yuck--moving on.

Fast-forward to just a few weeks ago. I noticed a link on BGN referencing a lengthy and detailed discussion of Innovation on The Long View podcast between Geof Gambil (the host) and W. Eric Martin. I'm not exactly sure what made me download this episode and listen to it, but I had some extra time in the car and decided to give it a go. I am so glad I did.

Eric spoke with energy and passion, claiming that he could play Innovation over and over again without tiring. They began to describe the game and speculate as to why it was such a mesmerizing game. They both noted the chaotic feel of the game, but talked about this being more like riding a roller coaster--a fun sort of chaos, and not without ways to control the flow. By the end of the podcast, I had resolved to give this game a real chance.

Last week I bought the game, and we have been enjoying it ever since. Basically, Innovation follows the rise of a civilization from Stone Age (e.g., The Wheel) to Information Age (e.g., The Internet), featuring over one hundred unique technological advances. Players slowly (sometimes not so slowly) work their way up the ladder of success, gaining achievements along the way. Cards come with a special power and a number of symbols. The symbols in a pile of cards can be spread out to give your civilization an extra boost. Check out Ender's comprehensive pictorial review on BGG for more information about how to play.

The game is chaotic, but it's the absolute best kind of chaos--controlled chaos. This is exactly what I want out of a game. Nearly all the games I have designed (and nearly all I own) feature this entrancing element. The excitement of not knowing what crazy card combination is coming next or what the unforeseen implications of a given strategy are going to be is what keeps me coming back. Carl Chudyk has turned a box with only two decks of cards into an unforgettable gaming experience. I highly recommend Innovation!

Games for Sale!

The time has come once again. Time to thin the herd. Here are some games I currently have up on eBay (for the next seven days, at least):

Hawaii - This is a really nice game with lots of great components and art. I enjoyed the first several plays. I really wanted to like this game, but something twisty happens with the strategy that I just rubs me the wrong way. I end up feeling like I'm moving little bits around to no purpose. No doubt, many people absolutely love this game--I'm just not one of them.

D-Day Dice - This one was the "big" Kickstarter blockbuster back in the day. They hit over $100K! I feel like Dr. Evil asking for "One MILLION Dollars." It arrived to my house in a giant box. And it was pretty fun (see my review) and clever, pushing dice games to the next level. I felt like part of something big. Then I just stopped wanting to play it. The final straw was when my Dad (a big D-Day buff) didn't care for it. I guess I don't either. Maybe it's right for you!

Surf's Up Dude - I got this one "free" at the Origins Board Room (only $20 to get in). The girls liked the playful surfing theme, but there's just not enough there to keep me coming back. If you're looking for a simple, light family game, this may be right up your alley. Fun fact: The publisher and artist for this game are the same people doing Family Vacation.

Kingsburg - This is probably an innovative game--nice use of dice for claiming resource locations. My girls (and even my wife) really enjoyed it (I've had this game for years). I just never quite figured out what the big fuss was all about. It's probably a little better with some of the expansions and add-ons now available. You should at least give it a shot if you haven't already.

Citadels - I was intrigued by this game, as several people said Revolution! reminded them of this game a little. It sounded like a nice friendly card game my family would enjoy. Turns out, it's got a lot of semi-random backstabbing (okay, I see the resemblance!), something my kids don't like without some serious mitigation. Your group might be different.

So there you have it. Click on any of the names above to see the eBay auction. Happy bidding!

Play Courtier Lite Free!

With Essen quickly approaching, AEG just released a sneak preview of my new game, Courtier, part of the Tempest series (actally #1 in that series . . .). Anyway, it's a lite version available for print-and-play. It contains something like just over half of the content of the full game, but it looks to be enough to help you get a feel for the game. Still on the fence? Well, try it out for yourself!

 

September was a crazy month. While I did manage to get some good design work in (I made an entire card game from scratch), I had no time of blogging about it. To make up for it, I'll offer you a quick look at some unfinished art from my upcoming Family Vacation. Progress is finally being made!

Finally, if you've read this far, you deserve to see one more little tidbit--more of a rumor really. Keep your fingers crossed for more news on this front . . .

Dominion Box Covered

As I mentioned in my last post (Making a Box for Dominion), my wife suggested that I use her Mod Podge and the labels from my leftover Dominion boxes to decorate the large box I constructed. Tonight, I did just that.

Making a Box for Dominion

Dominion is pretty much my favorite game. With the release of Prosperity I began to store all the cards in one box. Then came Hinterlands and, most recently the seventh expansion, Dark Ages. With the series winding down (only one expansion to go?), this was the time to build a new, more durable box. The following is a tutorial for building your own version.

GenCon 2012 Lightning Trip

GenCon 2012 went very quickly for me this year. I was only able to make it for Thursday. Even so, I had a nice time and got several items checked off my to-do list. As you can see in the picture above, the place was PACKED. I'm guessing even more people came for Friday and Saturday. Everyone I talked to said sales were doing very well.

I spent the morning chatting with the AEG folks and pitching a new game to them. I would say it went pretty well, but we'll have to see how it turns out later. I understand that a few copies of Courtier got played at the big shindig Friday night.

Next, I tried to buy 7 Wonders: Cities, but the 200 (!) copies had gone in a matter of minutes after the doors opened. I did buy a copy of Dominion: Dark Ages, which was in adequate supply. So far, I've managed to play four games of this--I like the new cards! Lots of room to explore.

FFG had Star Wars out the wazoo this year. I snapped a pic of their surface of the Death Star setup for X-Wing/Tie Fighter game. Looks pretty snazzy. And, of course, lots of Star Wars costumes:

 

Some balloon artists decided to make a dragon during the con this year. Wow.

I'm not sure what game this is, but what a setup!

Kingdom of Solomon had a pretty low profile at the show. James didn't get a booth, but he did demos in the gaming hall. Hope we sold a few of these . . .

Later in the day, I shuffled around behind Dan from Game Salute as we searched for card sleeves to complete a playable prototype of the upcoming Skyway Robbery (more about this in the weeks to come). We cut the cards and chatted about future plans. I got to demo this once for some friends--it's really starting to come together.

I got to see the Steve Jackson Games people for a few minutes. Andrew Hackard has become quite the celebrity these days, doing a big signing at the booth. Once Ogre clears the docket, perhaps there will be a bit of focus to spare on Revolution!-related products. I've been mentioning this possibility to lots of people in the hopes of creating a groundswell of demand. We'll see . . .

I took a nice break in the afternoon for an early dinner with the couple who backed KoS on Kickstarter at the top level last year. It was great hanging out with them again!

After a few more demos, handshaking and chatting, I headed back to Cincinnati, arriving home about midnight. All in all, it was a worthwhile trip.

Preparing for GenCon 2012

GenCon 2012 will be here in less than a week! Unfortunately, I will only be able to attend the show on Thursday--busy times at the house of duBarry. Even so, I am looking forward to cramming in as much as possible into that short time. Here are my plans:

1. Try to find copies of Dominion: Dark Ages and 7 Wonders: Cities to purchase. I've been very stoked reading the new card previews by DXV the last few days.

2. Check in with AEG and help out with demoing. They were kind enough to spring for my badge this year, so I hope I can be of enough service to justify the expense. I will be bringing my copy of Courtier, so maybe I can provide some sneak peeks. Also, I have a new game to pitch them . . .

3. Spend some time at the Game Salute booth. My latest game, called Skyway Robbery, should have a nice new prototype for us to begin playtesting seriously. Maybe you can try it out!

4. Catch up with Steve Jackson Games and Minion Games. I'm still pushing SJG to get working on the next bit of Revolution! content. Feel free to ask them about it demand this new content.

5. See some old friends, shoot the breeze and enjoy the day.

6. Finish up by finding the Unpub area and get in a game of Courtier, Skyway Robbery and/or Family Vacation. This area may not be fully operational until Friday, but I'm guessing someone will be around. If there is no blue noodle, I'll just try to hang out with the rest of the Game Salute people.

So that's just about everything. That sounds like a lot to do in one day. I'll let you know how successful I was after the show. Two more bits of news:

The Cardboard Jungle podcast released an episode today featuring AEG games and designers . . . and me! I haven't quite figured out how to actually download it, but you can listen to it online.

Also, MeepleTown posted an interview with me today. He asks some great questions, so you might learn something new!

See you after GenCon!