Board Game Redesign – Initial Thoughts

What is the idea here? Well each participant is given a previous game, in this case ‘Final Frontier’ by Gamelyn Games. The task is then to take the components from this game and design something new. So here is the components I get to play with:

Slightly blurry photo there, sorry. 

I get a bunch of hexes to play with in 4 different colours, landscapes in the original game, whole slew of wooden tokens in different shapes including air ship, some odd square shaped cards, boards for airships and some custom dice. Let’s not forget the bag.

It’s an interesting challenge this one as I want to include as many of the original components as possible, one of the criteria by which the final game will be scored, but I also want to make a game that I will enjoy making, playtesting and publishing.

Looking over the components I have I’ve decided on a tentative title already and basic idea for a game. This might not stick but we will see. The game I started thinking on is called ‘Fools Gold’ and is about Alchemists trying to turn lead into gold. Each player takes on the role of the Alchemist and has an airship filled with a research team that they explore the land with.

I’m thinking that each player will start out with recipes they have been given by the college or king etc. and that they need to go out and find out which of these is the correct one. I think I might include some cluedo like elements and some bluffing so that someone can win by pretending they have managed to make gold.

That’s all I have for now but I’ll update here as I iterate the design. I have till November/December to finish the project as it needs to be at the judges by start of January.

Iain