We changed some stuff in the game during the holidays. But it makes sense: we test so that we see what actually works out and what doesn’t.Nhe next step: we are going to make a video of the game! Stay tuned!

A few words from Greg Kruppa, the designer

After months of intense testing we are about to finish the core game. The current 2.15 prototype will soon turn into a reviewer edition made by the Kártyagyár (‘Card Manufactory’), a Hungarian board game prototype manufacturer.

I love this design phase: every mechanism is now in place and working well, the basic features of the game are solid and I can concentrate on the details and balance. On which card should I use a certain illustration? How could the starting position be a little trickier? How can we improve the weaker characters? How hard do we want to set the default game exactly?

I have all the tools in my hand to manipulate these parameters, and I’m not afraid to use them. Finishing touches – of any kind – are making me happy, because it’s sure that it’s going to bring good results, but I still have enough time to make it perfect.

I can’t wait to see the first officially complete copy of the game.

 

The most important changes:

  • New victory system. Now the victory areas are not fixed but rather the players move them around the terrain with so called ‘rumor’ cards – a great way, as anybody can have ‘a word’ about which way they should go. Every time a player finds a rumor token, he can choose from 2 options which move the victory areas towards different directions. Once 6 rumor have been uncovered, they become locked, and the players can attempt to win at those areas.
  • New, more balanced starting tiles
  • New way of exploring the desert. The tiles are not in the player’s hands any more, because they can already influence the position of the victory areas with the rumor cards. Once a terrain tile is explored, all tokens become visible on it so it is easy to plan in advance – and also, the bandits get moving as well!