This game shares DNA with Pandemic, yes, but I think a bit of the Forbidden series (Island, Desert, Sky). Oddly, in our playtest, this familiarity made it super simple for me (a veteran of those games) and incredibly easy to pick up for my co-designer (who'd never played anything like it). I guess it's a tested formula! However, your theme and goals are different enough to set it apart from the aforementioned. 

I think the theme is cute and appropriate for the target age you set. The setting, general conceit, and complexity feels perfect for that 8+ demo. Bonus points for it being unique! 

But I wonder if trash could enter the board in a different, more thematic way. The random die roll does work 100%, but it's not very dynamic. Think of Pandemic's epidemic deck or Forbidden Island's location cards and how they reshuffle. Players, at a certain point, know what's in there - it's up to them to determine what's most precious at the time because they can't save it all. There may be a way to imitate that feeling without flat out stealing the idea.

The upgrades felt good. Like real good. If you can tie that further into the theme, all the better. I'm not sure how I feel about the "6 upgrades per player" being a win condition, though. The escalation of cost is perfect, but after a few rounds, we won handily on the second hardest difficulty. (I realize dice luck is part of this.) 

To prevent this, can the bins get full? As in each bin can only be used a certain number of times? We played with two players and found it fairly easy to delineate sections. I'd imagine this is only easier with four players. We didn't find a use for the trade action with two and I can't see a use for it with four players, whereas in those familiar co-ops trading sometimes because incredibly necessary. Are there different types of a trash as a result? Is that too close to the aforementioned games?

The mud spots felt arbitrary. Where I enjoy that they escalate the endgame difficulty, I wanted more from them. (Or less? I can't decide.) Is it harder to move through them? Are they created in a different way? Do they have a different effect on trash? Thematic, trash in a mud puddle would be laden with water and thus heavier so more difficult to carry, right? Just spit-balling, but you might be able to turn that into something cooler.

In future drafts, I think the roll-and-write element could disappear entirely. It works for now, but since the game is so easy to set-up and the gameplay is breezy, it might not be necessary. 

Solid work! Cheers!

I read this game was based on Pandemic before i played. In order to provide morehelpful feedback in this review, i attempt to avoid using this knowledge (in the case of topics such as thematic cohesion).

On Upgrades, I haven’t felt such fantastic catharsis in god-only-eats-your-heart-how long on such a tiny board as this. Awesomeness aside, upgrades never felt thematically in place. They, instead, served only to intimidate me as a new player. I imagine a way to make these complications more enticing during introductions is to say the upgrades are other kids who now help with trash (tho only when they find the chance).

Exploding garbage got me to giggle. Like coke and mentos – which, shower thought: isn’t that a type of bomb, technically? Why are we teaching kids that? Oh, and also the rule “Whether there is already garbage there or not, nothing happens for this roll” is just a flat out lie – the player was politely able to tell that person to throw their f___ing trash in the godd__n bin and they did 🎶

“they reroll until they get a square without an M.”

I just switched the dice values. Faster and worked often enough.

“Roll an extra time: Roll for new garbage another time, following normal rules”

It is impossible to know if this is supposed to mean “roll a third time” or “pretend like you haven’t rolled for garbage at all yet” (but i just rolled a third time.)

“Players can be carrying garbage normally in this case, they don’t need to Bin It.”

This makes me feel sad and weak. It sounds like they just gave up. One way i can think to strengthen it is that it now costs no actions to pick up or bin trash.

“lose as a team at any time that the squares containing garbage are equal or greater than the number corresponding to the current stage”

Game starts in Stage “1” with “5” trash, so you lose over before you can even begin. - Oh, there’s a lose “amount” listed there. That’s neat. Didn’t see that. nvm.

Rules: The number of garbage needed depends on the difficulty selected at the start of the game: 1 for Normal, 2 for Hard and 3 for Impossible.”

…

Player Sheet: “+number of upgrades”

These are conflicting Requirements. (I followed the rules on the player sheet.)

Do i have to use all my actions? (I played that i did.)

If i can move diagonally, are diagonal squares treated as adjacent squares?

I really enjoyed playing your game! I tried it 1 player and it seemed to play just fine. I was nervous because I had 4 garbage explosions within my first 3 turns!! But I LOVED the upgrades because it really helped me to strategize and regain control. I was 1 garbage piece away from losing at one point, but ended up winning by gaining 6 upgrades. It did not feel like a win though because I did have so much garbage left on the map.

In case you are keeping track of stats... I made it to stage 4 on the progress sheet, played in normal mode, gained 6 upgrades (hold up to 4, adjacent square pick up, free move, free pick up, bin cost 0, protect adjacent squares) and had 14 garbage pieces in the end.

I had a few questions regarding the rules... 1. If the garbage explodes and one of the adjacent squares is a "mud" square, would I need to mark two squares on the stage tracker? 2. In the negative effect "add a mud spot" if I add a new mud spot but there is already a garbage piece on that new mud spot, do I need to mark a square in the stage tracker?  3. In the negative effect "roll an extra time" is that just a one time effect or is it now a permanent extra roll?  4. At game end, in the losing condition, does garbage that a player is holding count towards the end game losing condition? 

Last thing, I think there is a typo in the "Build a bin" description. I think you wanted to say "between four squares" and not "between 4 circles." Unless I am misunderstanding the rule.

Sorry this is really long... but I really enjoyed your game and was super impressed by how simple, challenging, and fun it was! Well done!

I love the theme. And I really like that you can upgrade your characters as the game progresses - I often think that with my own games, I need more sense of player progression. Amazing that you made this in half a day!

I'm a little confused about the end condition (maybe I just read it wrong) and the number of trash being the same as the number of the level? Can you explain?