Starting a company by yourself, however small, is a big commitment. Before beginning this journey into game design and publishing, I thought a lot about what I wanted from my games, from both their gameplay and the wider impact they have.
I've summarised below what I believe the 5 tenets of games I intend to design are:
Gameplay Tenets
1. Accessible, with room to grow: Board games are a great alternative to an evening of screen time, but to compete my games will be easy to learn, but with multiple strategies to ensure a depth of experience.
2. Absorbing themes, well integrated: There are so many more themes yet to be portrayed by board games. By tying mechanics to these themes I intend to provide games that will immerse players into worlds not yet explored.
3. High interaction, low conflict: The two player experience is often focused around the word 'duel', with representations of combat and hostility. My games will be high on interaction, with players caring about what each other do, without the need for 'take-that' mechanics.
4. Fit around daily life: Life is busy, my games will be quick to setup, and take no longer than 45 minutes to play, perfect for the evening board game to unwind.
5. Building an experience, through meaningful choices: Win or lose, I want player to have felt they have built something over the course of the game, through the meaningful decisions that they have made. Luck can be present, but never in control.
These tenets give me something to focus on when making design decisions, and to remind me of what I want to bring to this community with the games that I publish, including Wildlife Garden.
Next month I will be talking about what the core principles of Table for Two Games are, so tune in for that: