Escape From Camp Blood (playtesting components)

I have been searching through the internet for mail order supplies that may help when I get to the point of creating a prototype of the game board and pieces.  The game board can be found simulated  by using a large piece of poster board until the details get worked out.  At that point, there are various sizes of blank folding boards that can be used for the game board.  As you can see, the game board is not an issue at all.  The poster board is a cheap alternative to use during playtesting until a final design is determined. 

 

With the biggest obstacle out of the way, I turned to the rest of the components.  Along with the poster board - could be purchased at Dollar General - I could use the small index cards for the item and event cards used during the game.  I could even cut each card in half and that could serve as two cards.  For less than $5 I could have a big chunk of the playtest materials ready.  Granted, there would not be any fancy art or anything at this point BUT that should not be an issue since all of this is for purely playtesting use.

 

The final hurdle to the components is some sort of counters, tokens, etc. to serve as representations of the various campers and the slasher they are avoiding.  I thought about using pawns - and I might for the initial playtesting - but I really associate them with chess and other games instead of a game about eighties slasher films.  Then I stumbled upon these little figures called meeples and thought that they would work perfectly. 

 

 

I found these things at Meeple Source and they have a wide variety of board gaming supplies that I could use.  There are all sorts of game boards (just like I need), counters, various tokens, monster meeples, people meeples, giant meeples, and all sorts of other things.  Other examples are pictured below.

 

Now that I have satisfied my curiosity about gathering game pieces that will look reasonably well done for a reasonable price it is time to get back to brainstorming.  More later...

Escape From Camp Blood (another look)

Eric Baker, you asked for it and now you have it!  If you're interested in co-authoring this game with me then start brainstorming...

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My original post about Escape From Camp Blood was posted on May 21, 2012.  It has been almost a year and I have posted nothing else about it.  This post is the first in a series in an effort to move from concept to complete game.

 

Concept: The players are campers at a newly re-opened camp that was shut down due to some grisly murders that took place at the camp a few summers ago.  The killer was never found and it was assumed he drowned and the body was never found.  The murders begin again on the first night of the camp being open again.

 

It would be cool to include a back story for the original killings - why did the murderer go on a rampage, how many people were killed, who escaped, etc.  Also include some rumors about the return of the killer or what happened after the camp was closed.

 

Goal: The players are simply trying to survive the return of the killer and make it out of camp alive.  

 

There could be other goals also - stopping the killer by subduing him or killing him.  If all of the players are killed then alternate victory conditions could exist for the player to gather the most knowledge about the killer, pick up the most items, or last the longest, etc.  It will be up to the players to work together or go solo.  I am not sure if the killer should be controlled by one of the players or by some random method in the rulebook.

 

Components: The pieces needed to play this game would include the following.

• Game Board: Of course, the game board will be the playing area of the game.  This board will depict a typical camp scene with a road leading out, some cabins, a dining cabin, a maintenance shed, a baseball field, a river or like, some canoes, and a wooded area.
• Camper Tokens: There will be several tokens representing the different kinds of campers at the camp - jock, tough guy, cowboy, techie, punk, cheerleader, beauty queen, cheerleader, camp staff, etc.
• Killer Token: Represents the killer and does not start out in play.
• Cards: To increase replay value there will be a list of random events (plot twists?) and item cards that will have an impact on the game at random times or when they are discovered.  

 

It might be a good idea to have the game board be split up into several pieces that can be assembled in various ways so each setup and play experience will be unique.  Each one of the campers should have a special ability or something that sets them apart from the other campers; something that will serve as an advantage to that character. The killer will also have a list of special abilities that can randomly be determined by a die roll or something similar. The plot twist cards will represent events that can alter the game - cops showing up, bounty hunter, two killers, a fake killer, wake up it's a dream, etc.  The item cards will represent stuff that can give the players a further advantage such as weapons, cell phone, gun, etc. 

 

Expansion Material: Just as every good - or bad, to tell the truth - 80s slasher had sequels after the success of the initial film this game could have expansion material set up as sequels to the original game and story.  All of the stuff in the expansion sets could be related to the theme of the expansion.  It could be used by itself or mixed in with the original set.  Some possibilities include:

• An expansion giving more detail and play options in the forested areas.  Maybe there is a cabin out there with the Necronomicon inside...
• An expansion could have the camp grounds open one more time with beefed up security and new playing pieces related to it - camp security guard token, new weapons, new campers, etc.
• An expansion turning the setup around by having multiple slashers going around the board trying to get the most kills.
• An expansion that details the lair or hideout of the slasher and the players have been captured and must get out.

Other Thoughts: A few ideas about the continued development of this game.

 

I know the control of the killer can be done in a traditional manner by having one of the players control the killer or by having some random method of controlling the killer outlined in the rule book.  I want to do something different.  I want to come up with a system where each player always controls their camper but the control of the killer rotates around the table.  This is one way to simulate the random focus of the slasher in some of these movies.  I can remember the killer changing his attention from one person to another at times.  It is just an interesting thought I had.  

 

I know there are some differences between the 80s slashers and the more modern slasher movies.  This could actually be the focus of one of the expansion sets. 

 

This post is a much better explanation of the game concept I had in mind.  I will develop each one of these ideas in greater detail in future posts.  More later...  

 

 



(Mobile Post) Escape From Camp Blood

This is an old idea of mine. I never put anything on paper but it would have qualified for an entry in an old gaming notebook.  I have been a fan of the Friday the 13th films since the 1980's and always wanted to do something to show my appreciation.  One idea that keeps coming back to me is a board game that plays out like the basic plot of the films - a group of teenagers are staying at the camp grounds and must keep away from Jason so they can survive the night.  A few thoughts about the game are presented below:

The goal of the game is to avoid the killer and escape the camp.

The game board will depict some cabins, a lake or river, baseball field, and a large wooded area.

Each player will control one token representing a different type of teenager - jock, punk, prep, country guy, etc. Each one can do something special such as hotwire a car, etc.

The killer will either be controlled by another player or by some random method in the rulebook.  Of course, the killer has specials such as stealth, etc.

There will be random item and event cards to increase replay value.

Just some random ideas I needed to get out of my headed. More later...



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[Old Gaming Notebook] Fantasy Board Game Project II

I posted my initial thoughts for this board game design here; the original name of the post was Dungeon Crawl  I have not added to that initial post in a while but after posting the video for Hero Quest, Dark Tower, etc. I got the itch to expand upon the idea.

Name
This design will be temporary known as the Fantasy Board Game Project.  Yeah, I know that is real creative and all but I just need something to call this project for the time being.  That name pretty much sums up my intentions so that is what the name will be.  I originally wanted Dungeon Crawl but there is already a similar product with that name.  I also wanted Dungeon Delve but I believe that is taken as well.  I know there is another product by the name of Dungeon Quest so that is out too.  Maybe I will come up with something in the process of designing this thing...

Modes of Play
The ultimate goal is to provide a satisfying play experience in several modes of play:

• solo: single player sets up the game board with monsters, treasures, etc. and goes through the adventure alone.
• group:  multiple players - either cooperative or competitive - play through the adventure.
• quasi -RPG: an almost full on role playing game with a GM and a group of players.

Task Resolution
I think a simple, easy to follow universal task resolution method would be the best fit for this game.  I think the Action Result Table detailed in this post could serve the purpose well.  The ART could be put on a corner area or some other convenient spot on the board.

Characters
Characters will be defined by a simple set of statistics such as Melee, Ranged, Move, and a few others.  The character class will also have a special ability such as a thief being able to find and remove traps or a wizard being able to read magic scrolls found in the dungeon.

Game Components
In addition to the rule book, there would be a game board or several game boards in the initial core set.  These game boards could be mocked up pretty easily by using some of the boards found in the chess or checkers sets at any of the dollar stores.  Everything else in the game would be represented with a counter.  Each character would have a counter to use on the board while there would also be a matching character card with an illustration and game statistics for the player to reference during play.  All monsters, traps, treasures, etc. will be represented by a counter placed on the board.

Expansion Materials
There is a potential for a lot of expansion past the basic game.  There could be solo sets based on avoiding a  minotaur in a twisting maze or something similar.  Any expansion would include the necessary boards, counters, and rule information included.

The above is just some initial ideas.  More later...

Dark World

In contrast to HeroQuest, I do not recall hearing of Dark World at all.  Maybe I did or maybe I did not.  I was pretty much stuck on A/D&D during my youth so who knows?  Again, does anybody have any experience with this game?  How about with Dark World and HeroQuest both?  How do they compare with each other?

HeroQuest - A Missed Opportunity

HeroQuest, like Dark Tower, represents a missed opportunity for me.  I remember seeing it as a youth but I never did buy it or even get a chance to play it.  Since then, I have seen a few tattered separate rule books and a few old boxes in various states of disrepair.  The prices for these items were not in my "let's take a look" range of purchases so I did not get them.  I wonder if I made a mistake?  Obviously people enjoy the game since the used copies I have seen got a lot of play due to their condition.  I also have a recurring desire to design a board game with many of the same elements.  Does anybody have any experience with this game?  I am always up for a good tale...         

[Old Gaming Notebook] Fantasy Board Game Project I

(The following information is presented as it originally appeared in one of my old gaming notebooks.)


In a Nutshell
Heroic figures explore dungeons, mazes, and other areas facing monsters, traps, and other hazards to reach their goal.


Components
1 Hero Rule Book
1 Controller Rule Book
x# Map Boards
x# Hero counters
x# Monster counters
x# Trap tokens
x# Hazard tokens
x# Treasure tokens

(note: "x#" means an unspecified amount to be determined later.)

Expansion Material
Ideas for game material that could be added later.
Adventure Boxes: These boxes will contain the adventure, maps, & any additional pieces needed for play of the adventure.
Hero Pack: a pack of additional tokens and stats for new heroes.
Magic Pack: additional magical weapons for use in play.
Map Pack: additional boards to interlock with the boards from the basic set.

Notes

• A male and female version of each Hero will be included in the box.
• Map boards will be double sided so each side will have a different map configuration.
• Basic Box will be huge because it has all of the initial setup pieces included.
• Adventure Boxes will be smaller since they have just the additional pieces inside.

(This ends the Dungeon Crawl Fantasy Board Game Project entry from my old gaming notebook.)
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(Information from this point on was not part of my old gaming notebook.)


There are times when you're just in the mood to just game - no desire to generate characters or go into a long drawn out process of setting up the game.  Dungeon Crawl The Fantasy Board Game Project was my answer for those times.   My initial idea was something resembling an advanced version of the old Dungeon board game or Dragon Strike. Gamers seem to love big boxed sets and this would have provided numerous little game pieces to mess with.   I think the game could have been expanded beyond the basic set with expansions like a maze with a minotaur, a wizard's tower, etc.  I got this design to the point of drawing up some mock pieces but I am not artist so that kind of killed my enthusiasm.  I may dust this off sometime and look into expanding upon the idea.

[Old Gaming Notebook] Auto Arena

(The following information is presented as it originally appeared in one of my old gaming notebooks.)


In a Nutshell
In a future where extreme sports have become the most popular forms of entertainment, this violent update to the traditional demolition derby has become the most popular of them all.  Competitors drive cars equipped with weapons and armor in a demolition derby style event set in a hazard-filled arena until the last car is left standing.

Components
1 circular map board
1 square map board
x# car counters
x# hazard counters

(note: "x#" means an unspecified amount to be determined later)


Expansion Material
Ideas for game material that could be added later.
Arena Pack: A pack of new map boards, cars, & hazards.
Counter Pack: A pack of extra car & hazard counters for extra players.
Racing: An expansion with a new map board and rules for oval track racing events.
Scenario Pack: A pack of new scenarios; examples include amateur night, team play, etc.
Unsanctioned: Guidelines for outlaw and unsanctioned events.

Notes

• Auto Arena will be set up in a league similar to NASCAR; different towns have different courses.
• Would like to use modified Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars to represent the players.
• The basic game would include a stock car list.
• A later expansion would include rules for car customization and design.
• Rules for setting up and running a league season with a championship.

(This ends the Auto Arena entry from my old gaming notebook.)
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(Information from this point on was not part of my old gaming notebook.)

I know, I know - there's not a whole lot of detail included in the information above.  In the absence of Car Wars, I would definitely still like to design and play this game.  Honestly, when it comes to game design, board games are not my thing.  I have had several ideas and I will detail some of them here but I never seem to be able to get past the initial stages of design on a board game.  Maybe one of these days I will dust this off and give it a whirl...

[Old Gaming Notebook] Overview

I imagine that many role-players have a notebook, or notebooks, that they keep all sorts of information stored. I always liked to use a 5 subject spiral notebook.  The information I included in these notebooks were D&D characters, game ideas, setting notes, house rules, and other assorted ideas; sometimes, I would include other non-gaming stuff in them also.  Of course, with the advent of computers I have pretty much migrated any gaming stuff I do to folders on my laptop.  I ran across one of my old gaming notebooks recently.  It was probably the most recent of the notebooks.  Anyway, let's take a look at the contents of this notebook.

Board Games
I have had several ideas that I would like to turn into board games but I have never actually completed the design of one of them.  I had ideas for 3 board games written in this notebook.

Army Men: This would probably more accurately be described as a war game instead of a board game.  I spent 8 years in the Army and I remember playing with those old plastic Army men out in the sandbox growing up.  I wanted to do a simple set of rules for fighting out battles with these figures because the mass of armies would be easy to purchased and assemble due to low costs.

Auto Arena: I was a big fan of Car Wars by Steve Jackson Games.  When it went out of print I was not happy.  My rules were misplaced years ago.  I started on an attempt to do a new version of vehicle combat rules.  It would share some similarities with Car Wars such as being set in the future and have fighting cars but it would also be different.  Auto Arena would be set up like NASCAR in a league format.  The drivers would go to different cities throughout the season and compete in an ultimate demolition derby type event.  Instead of just ramming, the drivers would also have guns and other equipment to use in the event.  The arenas at each location would be different in layout and makeup.

Dungeon Crawl: This would be a board game for when you were just in the mood to pick up and play.  It would be more detailed than the old DUNGEON board game from TSR but less complicated than D&D.

Role-Playing Games
I began playing D&D in 1980 with the Holmes Basic set.  Shortly after I began playing I started having ideas for games of my own.  I have designed several role-playing games but these three are subjects that I never finished.

A World In Ruins: Gamma World was probably the 3rd RPG I purchased.  I always enjoyed the game but I also wanted a grittier version of the setting.

Old School Role-Playing: This was actually planned as a series of games.  The first planned game was to be Old School Role-Playing: Fantasy Rules.  The inspiration for these rules were the games that followed after D&D early in the hobby.  Basically, the fantasy rules would be similar to D&D but include more options, more rules, and more crunch just as the early competitors did.

To The Stars...: This was to be inspired by the science fiction of the '50's and '60's films.  Of course, that means flying saucers, little green men, ray guns, and everything else.  I still think this could be a fun game to do.

House Rules
I also had various notes written down about house rule ideas for several games.

AD&D: Ideas about a new Ability Score generation method, a Hit Points variant idea, and a note that a racial bonus of +1 allows a score of 19.


D&D 3E: A breakdown of the racial traits listing in the race entries so custom races could be matched to the official entries.


RIFTS: Ideas on a low attribute table for the Palladium Megaversal system.

Risk: Submarine rules for the RISK board game.

I will post this information her soon...