Head to head drafting card game

PBL ROBOTS card & dice game is a head to head, card and dice drafting game where you blow up robots! You control a 100 foot robot, you select a pilot, slide him/her into your robot and build up your robot's armor by stacking cards on top of it. As the game progresses your robot either gets bigger and stronger, or gets blow up limb by limb. Check out: www.robotcardgame.com 

To start the game each player takes turn drafting piles of cards to build their deck. Each player gets to craft their strategy and tries to assemble combos and a well rounded deck. 

The game play itself is a mixture of Magic the Gathering and Risk, as you play resources down onto the field (crew, armor, pilots, hangars) and you roll dice for the combat. Each card in your hand can be discarded to buy extra dice during combat. At the end of the game, each starter pilot goes into critical mode and you get a special boost or power up. 

If you enjoy table top games, and you enjoy complex competitive head to head battling games, this is a great one to pick up. In addition, if you enjoy games like Magic the Gathering, YuGiOh, Pokemon the trading card game, Netrunner, Mucnhkin, Risk, Hearthstone, or deck building games like Star Realms or Dominion you should give PBL ROBOTS a try! 

Learn more: www.robotcardgame.com 

ROBOT CARD GAME Gallery and FAQ

PBL ROBOTS card & dice game has just published the full gallery for all of the cards in the base set (the game will is released Summer 2015). You can find a gallery of Crew Members, Action cards, Armor Upgrades, Expert Pilots and Hangars. Some of the popular cards will be getting bios where you can learn about the characters and the back story. You can order PBL ROBOTS on the website.

Another excellent feature on the website is the extensive Frequently Asked Questions section which covers the questions that many first time players have when playing the game, and other interesting interactions that certain cards have with each other. If you enjoy card drafting games, PBL ROBOTS is perfect for you and the game comes with everything you need for 2-3 players to play over and over.  The website is completely prepared to assist new players getting into the game, and will be adding new questions weekly as players submit them. 

PBL ROBOTS: 24 left on Kickstarter!

PBL ROBOTS the card and dice game is down to its last 24 hours on Kickstarter! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robotcardgame/pbl-robots-dice-and-card-game

William Hessian and John "Sighless" Supinski have spent the last two months playing demo nights in every game store in greater Portland area, calling game stores across the country, e-mailing friends and family and posting everything on social media. Their goal was to raise $22,000 to print their brand new card and dice game PBL ROBOTS! This last week they had to turn up the volume on their effort and make a trip with 3 friends to New York City on a mission to play PBL ROBOTS with as many people as possible, in as many places as possible. The mission was a success as the trip generated over 6 thousand dollars in new donations on Kickstarter.

William and John started Hidden Ladder Games in Portland, Maine a year ago after deciding to develop the game and turn it into a real thing. William and John both belong to the Hidden Ladder Collective, a group of artists and musicians in Portland. This artist collective helped develop the game from the ground up, inventing characters, play testing and editing. Other local companies like Walker Film Productions helped create the game play video for the company. R Choice 2 Gaming in Portland, and Weekend Anime in Westbrook has hosted weekly demo events during the last two months and have been extremely supportive.

"The card game itself is a blend of Magic the Gathering, Risk and Settlers of Catan: only with giant Robots!" says William when explaining PBL ROBOTS. Each player own a giant robot and builds cards on top of the robot to upgrade armor and increase the power. Other cards like crew members, hangars and action cards help develop a strategy. The game typically begins with a draft, where each player selects which card will be in their deck and not long after battles begin and the dice start rolling. Blow off all 4 limbs of the opponent robot and you win the game. The game itself is traditionally a 2 player head to head game, but has over 12 different variations, some for younger players and faster games and others for multi-player, tournament modes and puzzle modes. "The game can be played so many diverse ways that it appeals to wide range of people and a wide range of play styles."

Each game has 113 cards and comes with a variety of dice, a rule book and two control panel cheat sheet are also in the game box. This gives you everything you need to learn and play the game. With only 48 Hours left on the Kickstarter the pair of game developers are gearing up to place a giant order of 5 thousand games and will start to ship and sell them as soon as they arrive! You can find their Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robotcardgame/pbl-robots-dice-and-card-game

PBL ROBOTS is LIVE on Kickstarter!

William Hessian and John "Sighless" Supinski have spent the last year creating a brand new strategy card and dice game called PBL ROBOTS! "The game is a interesting mix of Risk and Magic the Gathering, except this game has giant 100 foot Robots!" William said. The card game challenges each player to collect cards in a draft format in order to build their deck. When the battle begins each player slide their pilot card into the robot card, courtesy of a die cut cockpit in the center of the robot. Then players lay armor cards on the robot to watch the robot grow stronger and boost up the attack and defense. When players start attacking they roll dice to determine if the robot will blow of an arm, a leg or a head. Each pilot has a powerful critical form when you are down to one remaining limb, which gives the losing player a chance to make a comeback, but when a robot has lost of four limbs the game is over. 

William and John have spent their free time at their apartment on the East End of Portland developing this intense card game consisting of 113 unique cards and 3 different game play modes. William is a local visual artist and activist, working at Preble Street, teaching at Rivertree Art in Kennebunk and volunteering at the Meg Perry Center. William did all of the artwork and design for the game and originally invented the concept for the game over ten years ago in Minnesota, but did not start finishing it until meeting Sighless in 2012. Sighless is a local musician in the Bumbling Woohas and works at the Maine People Alliance, and was the host of Turnstyle Thursday open mic at CTN Channel 5 for over a year. Once Sighless began working on the game he created a business plan, invented characters and began writing back stories. A group of artists called the Hidden Ladder Collective, which William and John helped start, began play testing the game in-between hosting art shows, art making gatherings and busking out on the streets. Other members of Team Robots, Abbeth Russell and Kara Oster made important contribution to the game. 

Thursday, October 23rd the collective has launched the Kickstarter hoping to raise the $22,000 they need to print the first edition versions of the game. A Kickstarter video was created this September by local production company Walker Productions. Over 100 letters have gone out to game stores across the country. William and Sighless have been playing PBL ROBOTS demo events weekly at R Choice 2 Gaming on 449 Forest Ave from 6-9pm Thursday Nights which is a free event open to the public. They also have planned events to demo the game at Crossroads Games in Scarborough and Weekend Anime in Westbrook. "Many of the game stores have been extremely supportive and often have already asked to carry the game as soon as it is printed!" William said while praising the gaming stores in Maine.

While the game itself is optimal for players 12 years and older, due to the high level of strategy, the game is also very appealing to a younger audience. William teaches art and Lego Robotics classes at Rivertree Arts in Kennebunk and his 4th to 6th grade students have loved the PBL ROBOTS cards. "The kids come back the next day demanding to have another glance at the game, and their parents follow right behind curious to see what the kids are so excited about," William remarked. Because of the kids persistence William and Sighless invented a new way to play the game that makes it a little easier for a younger audience, but retains the fun and excitement of the longer game. The popularity of the game is already growing with over 800 Twitter followers and over 200 Facebook likes. 

To check out their Kickstarter event poster (attached) visit their website at: www.robotcardgame.com and click the Kickstarter link (starting at 7pm Thursday 10/23). The group is hoping to play the game with as many new players as possible all around the greater Portland area, and invite everyone to stop by R Choice 2 Gaming Thursday Nights to try out the game and meet the creators of PBL ROBOTS.   

Back PBL ROBOTS on Kickstarter today!  

ROBOT CARD GAME Kickstarter!

The KICKSTARTER for PBL ROBOTS runs from October 23rd until December 23rd, 2014! The card & dice strategy game for 2 players (alternate rules and expansions for multi-player is available.) For tabletop game players who enjoy collectible card games, trading card games, Magic the Gathering, YuGiOh, Risk, Pokemon or other competitive card games, you should check out PBL ROBOTS as a high intensity two player experience.

Visit: Robot Card Game to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Here is a photo from our Kickstarter launch video in Portland, Maine. We are very excited to be launching this game and sharing it with you!

Board Game Hour: Win Conditions

Board Game Hour @BoardGameHour William Hessian from Hidden Ladder Games and I am the inventor of PBL ROBOTS card & dice game. I have been playing games and designing games since I was a little kid. Win conditions in tabletop games is something I have traditional been interested in ever since I was old enough to know that I WANT TO WIN! Of course, many tantrums would follow this realization, but eventually (at an older age than I want to admit) I settled into a place where I was more interested in experimenting with the win conditions of games in order to test out different options. During these tests and the subsequent playtesting for my own games there have been three areas which I find the most fascinating about win conditions in table top games:

is doing their weekly theme on win conditions and it sparked a series of thoughts that I wanted to share and questions I wanted to ask. First of all, my name is

1. Win Condition Variety (experimentation)
2. Dramatic Finishes without undermining the skill
3. Flavorful Win Conditions

Win Condition Variety
Settlers of Catan is my favorite table top game ever. However, it is one of the games in which I have altered the win condition with friends the most often. In fact, I think the race to 10 victory points in Catan is one of my least favorite elements in the game. I often tell my Catan playing friends to try playing the game where the end of the game happens when the last Development Card is drawn, or playing a certain set of rounds (essentially a time limit). Many people do play Catan with house rules or win condition varieties that changes the end of the game just slightly. Because the game itself is so incredibly balanced, nearly all the win condition varieties are fun. A well made game should adapt to alternate win conditions.

Monopoly is a game that traditionally ends painfully since the win conditions are in place near the half way point in the game. Rarely is a game of Monopoly a close race all the way to the end. Seeing this pattern people either hate the game itself or quit once the writing is on the wall. I strongly encourage anyone playing monopoly to play to a preset time limit and then just count up your assets. The game becomes much more enjoyable, and takes far less time to play. Monopoly also has a series of great win conditions variants online that you can try, that eliminate the most frustrating parts of the game.

I get a kick out of games with unusual win conditions, although often find them to be a novelty. Although I always appreciate games that encourage their players to experiment or try variant win conditions with their own games. What are the weirdest win conditions you have seen in a game? What new win conditions rules have you made up for games you play? Did they work, or did they fail?

Dramatic Finishes without undermining the skill
Everyone loves dramatic come from behind finishes, when a game hangs on the balance of one final moment: one flip of the cards or roll of the dice that determines the winner. However, if this moment comes at the expense of all of your hard work and strategy during the game, it can be very frustrating. It can leave a player wondering: why not just play high card and save ourselves the time. I was famous for my epic SORRY tantrums, when the sheer luck of the game would drive me into a rage as a child- I just could not handle the fact that zero skill was needed and that the game basically plays itself.

It is the classic struggle between designing a game that has the right balance of luck Vs skill. That moment when a crowd of people burst into cheer when that fate is determined is a very satisfactory outcome of good game design. I often use the metaphor of the end of basketball game, which can at times be so exciting with a BUZZER BEATING FINAL SHOT, or in contrast result in 45 minutes of boring free throw shooting without any payoff. The goal for any game is to steer towards that dramatic finish, which means that all players should have a road to victory near the end, even if it is an extreme long shot. I always think good win condition design is evident immediately after a game is over when the losing players dissect the ways in which things could have changed for them to win, and animatedly reminisce about how close they came. Can you think of very many tabletop games that have dramatic finishes? What games are they and what is the best dramatic finish you have played?

Flavorful Win Conditions
Milling another player in Magic the Gathering with a goofy combination of weak spells is a great way to kill some time with flavorful fun win conditions. MTG is the epitome of flavorful win conditions, whether it is smashing someone with brute powered monsters, burning them with spells or flying over the top with an army of angels, the game knows how to give its players satisfying finishes.

I have played many games where the ending of the game is lackluster or just a mundane action that happens to be the final move and result in unflavorful victories. The game just fizzles towards the end. I often think that a win condition, the way in which you win the game, should be a great story to tell your friends even if they do not know the game (although, do not try this at home). Good games seem to always offer a player many resources that can be correctly assembled to form ultimate win conditions or roads to victory. Good games are designed to funnel a player towards these really intentional flavorful win conditions, and even if you lose the game you want to play again in an attempt to successfully perform that victory. Flavorful win conditions are one of the keys to replay-ability. What is the most flavorful satisfying victory you have had, or almost had?

All of these win conditions concepts have been considered and developed in PBL ROBOTS pictured above, which you are welcome to check out at PBL ROBOTS.

ROBOT CARD GAME

A strategy card and dice game with unique stacking mechanics and inventive game play.

The PBL ROBOTS website has been launched. You can also read the earlier blog post all about the Ultimate ROBOT CARD GAME and see same game art that I created for it.
The Kickstarter for PBL ROBOTS runs from October 23, 2014 - December 23rd, 2014

PBL ROBOTS: The Ultimate Robot Card Game

The robot card game that lets you build the ultimate robot and destroy your opponent. Pro Bionics League Robots is the culmination of all competition. In the future technology has surpassed athletics and sports are a test of the mind. This dice/card game forces starts you and your opponent(s) with a base robot that you upgrade with new armor during the battle, you hire crew, build hangers, you contact new pilots and play action cards and then make attacks to blow off limbs of the challenging robots. 

http://www.pblrobots.com

https://twitter.com/pbl_robots

https://www.facebook.com/pages/PBL-Robots/1424908744390609

 The beginning of the game involves a simple draft circuit where you begin to pool your resources and then begin to make moves and actions to put yourself in the best position to make attacks and defenses by rolling dice. Above you can see a buff hanger which gives your robot an attack boost during the game and allows two crew members to enter the game. 

Action cards have various instant effects that can change the outcome of the game. The art seen above is for the card, "COMMABACK" which allows you to draw three cards after one of your Robot's limb is blown off. 

 Maxine Trinidad, Trace Law, Shero, and Pelpe Derdae make up some of the games most popular characters. In the background you can see one version of a robot you can build during a typical game of PBL ROBOTS.

 Each body part has upgrades of different levels and powers. The AracnaClaws are a level 3 head armor designed by crew member Tormax, fusing spider DNA with robot parts. His designs are a controversial addition to the league, but such popular and powerful designs have slowly made acceptance into the league over the years. Tormax may be one of the most bizarre characters on the PBL ROBOTS roster, but it is no doubt his ideas may be the future of the sport.

 Artwork of a PBL ROBOT in the middle of the game with many level one and level two upgrades making an attack. The Yahtzee Bazooka is the current shoulder weapon, which provides an additional attack after each combat. You can also see the pilot pit in the center of the robot. The real question is, what will this attack be? What did they roll?

The game itself was invented by William Hessian in 2001 and spent 10 years being developed and play-tested until William play-tested the game in 2013 with another Hidden Ladder Collective artist John Supinski. Directly after the game John made a comical bet that he gain control of the game with a role of a 7. A seven was rolled. The fate of die roll was meant to be, and William Hessian began a partnership with John Supinski in a deal that resurrected PBL ROBOTS into full gear. The die roll was like an epico beam that has blasted the game towards completion. William and John have also played each other 100 times and keep a running tally of their current score against each other.

The final artwork for this introduction to PBL ROBOTS: the ultimate robot card game is crew member Soda Fats! He gives you a larger card size and the ability to boost your attack and he constantly yells, "HOT DOGS FOR LIFE!"

Follow PBL ROBOTS as we work towards a North America release and kickstarter campaign:

http://www.pblrobots.com

https://twitter.com/pbl_robots

https://www.facebook.com/pages/PBL-Robots/1424908744390609

Designing a Board Game Class

Last week, I taught a GAME DESIGN class. The goal of the class was to understand:

why do we play games?

what makes games fun?

how can we make our own fun games?

We used matte board for our boards. Mod Podge to make things shiny. Fimo clay to make handmade game pieces. And had a blast. The final day we got to play everyone's game and talk about what we learned about games, and what we liked about games.

Here is some photos of games kids created in my own week Game Class:

Hannah with her game "Guess that card?" She created an awesome game board with some collage techniques. Hannah made some spiral pieces and a unique game play idea, where the goal is to be able to guess the number on the card each time someone lands on that space. The person who can guess the most cards correctly by the time you get to finish, wins the game.

Aaron created "Camping Catastrophe", a game focused around the danger of camping. The first time I played I landed on six "forgot food, go back to start" spaces and hung my head in shame as everyone laughed at me. The game features some secret passage ways, bonus cards and a BEAR!

Aaron's bear gets activated and then can attack players and send them back to start. One of the best parts was when he decided to make it a three person game, where one player gets to be the bear and move around the board eating campers. It made for a really fun (and hard) game.

Rachel's 'dressopoly' game. You must collect the most dresses from around the world. Rachel made two games, and this one was a big success.

Rachel hand made all of these dresses to be collected as you go around the board. Notice the 3-d trophy dress at the top, which you earn when you get the most dresses at the end of the game.

Traven's 'Untitled Game' features a set of really neat handmade tokens and items. The game is unique as you lands on different shapes that make you do different things. My favorite one is the space that you have to scream out loud when you land on it.
Isaiah's "Random Space" game featured a race to be the first player to collect specimens from earth and return them to your planet. Isaiah worked hard on his game board and the art is amazing. Great creatures, aliens and colors. Everyone wanted to play his game based simply on how the board looked.

Here is a close up of his board. Isaiah used some creative ideas to fit aliens into the board and make it look dynamic; like the guy shooting a space with his cyclops eye.
Isaac (not pictured) made a game called "An Inside Job" which is featured on the inside of a mouth. You start on the teeth and fight monsters as you make it to the throat. Then you fight a boss in order to get to the stomach (the green) and then fight the final stomach boss. If you get candy cards it hurts you, if you get carrot cards it is a bonus. Even after you beat the stomach boss, you then you need to find your opponent and go fight them to win the game. The best part of the game is leveling up your character. You get stronger the more guys you fight, and you can buy swords, shields and magic wands from the shop.
Jonas' "Hot Chocolate" game is a crazy and dangerous adventure as two players race to be the first to get the hot chocolate at the top of the mountain. It is fun racing around the board collecting the bridge and landing on each money space to afford the hot chocolate in the end.

Luca's untitled game, which involves trying to race to safety from lighting storms and downpours of rain. The last spot before the finish sends you all the way back to start, so you better roll exactsies.


Here is my game, 'Treasure Divers'. Cat vs pirate vs ice cream man in an underwater battle for treasure.


The board, complete with evil octopus, swarms of deadly piranhas and a blood seeking shark.