This is...pretty ingenious. There are a few clarity issues in terms of the rules but other than that this is a really solid game. I wondered why you didn't share anything from the actual instructions itself. I mention that because, as a player, that's one of the things I always look for in a game page - Because many promise the moon and then look like a graduate thesis paper on halitosis rock moss.
But this game is delivering the moon plus pals and portals to boot! And you did such a good job of setting a light tone, but I can also see players being able to take it seriously if they wish. This game deserves an official portal pin!
Thank you for such kind words! Silly is generally where I'm most comfortable creating so I totally get the light tone but am also glad to hear it can be played serious as well! ! I had a lot of fun trying to figure out the balance of clearly stating things and kind-of hinting at them- mostly to save space. I figured things like the Portal Stations and Pals and all that- most people or Game Masters already have an idea of what they are or what they might be like, so it'd be easy to "riff" on the concepts. Also LOL at "graduate thesis on halitosis rock moss."
Do you mean adding more of the rules in the game's page? If so, that's a great idea and I'll do that tonight!
Also, I'd love to hear anything you found unclear as I'd love to see how I can improve the project!
I'm glad to speak some kindness into the universe, and you earned yours!
What I meant was, more like something a personally look for as a potential player or "consumer". When I look at a game's landing page I'm always look for a "sample" in the preview images on the page. Nothing big, but either a mock-up, a snippet, or a small screenshot of what I'm expected to download. Even for free games I keep an eye out. Normally, this is to keep an eye out for "low effort" games.
Which basically means the creator has put in only the baseline work of putting words on a page and expects the player to make sense of the rest. Now, I understand that in the realm of TTRPGs there's a market for that. Minimalist texts. But there's the flipside for me one. First, before I'd ever played a TTRPG, as a kid, I loved the books just for the art and the ideas alone. So minimalism doesn't spark anything in me, but even that isn't what I'm talking about with game design. I really mean looking for authors who just plopped words on a page and you can't even be sure the did the baseline of playthrough to be sure it works. There are entries in the jam now that fit the bill, where information in a grid is listed with bulletpoints instead of arranged into an easily understood table. I'm not saying that to bash anyone but as a player, if I can't see you've given thought to me understanding the material...how can I trust that you made sure the material actually does what you say it can do? And I've found those do go hand in hand.
So I keep in eye out, because low-effort games (as opposed to minimalist) won't show you a preview of the material as a rule. Ever.
This is why I was shocked - your game isn't minimalist or low-effort at all! Take that pony out of the stable and show off that blue ribbon! lol
Okay, enough philosophy. Back to your game itself. I think the parts that gave me the most pause involved what-ifs that are only answered after re-reading certain portions. Like, I wondered what would happen if my the GM rolled something I couldn't possibly reach in order to get to the next station and all of my pals ended up exhausted. And I mean something they really REALLY couldn't reach like they role a 55 but collectively my pals can only get to 44 or something. But then you DO answer what will happen. I kept forgetting there's a GM guiding the process and that's where I was getting stuck - and that's my poor comprehension not a fault on your part. I can't see in dents in your mechanics armor but hopefully you do get others to help you find those pieces. Some of the flavor text gave me pause though...could I counterfeit a portal pin? Is that there to give the GM story prompts? HMMMM.
Comments
This is...pretty ingenious. There are a few clarity issues in terms of the rules but other than that this is a really solid game. I wondered why you didn't share anything from the actual instructions itself. I mention that because, as a player, that's one of the things I always look for in a game page - Because many promise the moon and then look like a graduate thesis paper on halitosis rock moss.
But this game is delivering the moon plus pals and portals to boot! And you did such a good job of setting a light tone, but I can also see players being able to take it seriously if they wish. This game deserves an official portal pin!
Thank you for such kind words! Silly is generally where I'm most comfortable creating so I totally get the light tone but am also glad to hear it can be played serious as well! ! I had a lot of fun trying to figure out the balance of clearly stating things and kind-of hinting at them- mostly to save space. I figured things like the Portal Stations and Pals and all that- most people or Game Masters already have an idea of what they are or what they might be like, so it'd be easy to "riff" on the concepts. Also LOL at "graduate thesis on halitosis rock moss."
Do you mean adding more of the rules in the game's page? If so, that's a great idea and I'll do that tonight!
Also, I'd love to hear anything you found unclear as I'd love to see how I can improve the project!
I'm glad to speak some kindness into the universe, and you earned yours!
What I meant was, more like something a personally look for as a potential player or "consumer". When I look at a game's landing page I'm always look for a "sample" in the preview images on the page. Nothing big, but either a mock-up, a snippet, or a small screenshot of what I'm expected to download. Even for free games I keep an eye out. Normally, this is to keep an eye out for "low effort" games.
Which basically means the creator has put in only the baseline work of putting words on a page and expects the player to make sense of the rest. Now, I understand that in the realm of TTRPGs there's a market for that. Minimalist texts. But there's the flipside for me one. First, before I'd ever played a TTRPG, as a kid, I loved the books just for the art and the ideas alone. So minimalism doesn't spark anything in me, but even that isn't what I'm talking about with game design. I really mean looking for authors who just plopped words on a page and you can't even be sure the did the baseline of playthrough to be sure it works. There are entries in the jam now that fit the bill, where information in a grid is listed with bulletpoints instead of arranged into an easily understood table. I'm not saying that to bash anyone but as a player, if I can't see you've given thought to me understanding the material...how can I trust that you made sure the material actually does what you say it can do? And I've found those do go hand in hand.
So I keep in eye out, because low-effort games (as opposed to minimalist) won't show you a preview of the material as a rule. Ever.
This is why I was shocked - your game isn't minimalist or low-effort at all! Take that pony out of the stable and show off that blue ribbon! lol
Okay, enough philosophy. Back to your game itself. I think the parts that gave me the most pause involved what-ifs that are only answered after re-reading certain portions. Like, I wondered what would happen if my the GM rolled something I couldn't possibly reach in order to get to the next station and all of my pals ended up exhausted. And I mean something they really REALLY couldn't reach like they role a 55 but collectively my pals can only get to 44 or something. But then you DO answer what will happen. I kept forgetting there's a GM guiding the process and that's where I was getting stuck - and that's my poor comprehension not a fault on your part. I can't see in dents in your mechanics armor but hopefully you do get others to help you find those pieces. Some of the flavor text gave me pause though...could I counterfeit a portal pin? Is that there to give the GM story prompts? HMMMM.