This month’s Escapist game is called Petrol Panic, and it’s not finished.
The trouble is, designing board games is a difficult process, and designing good ones is even harder. For this month’s game to work, a number of variables, constants, and formulas need to be balanced. How much should gas cost? How much money do players start with? How big is the game board? There’s a right formula to be found; I just need some help finding it.
It’s my hope that readers, designers, and good samaritans will join in the discussion, and help me figure out the finer points of gameplay. A big reason for my attempting this method of design is the potential to create a board game built from user-contributed content. It’s a lofty goal, though, and I might not have the clout to pull it off. Still, I’m definitely open to even the smallest suggestions.
As long as you’re checking out Petrol Panic, you may as well take a gander at Fictionless, last month’s Escapist game. Petrol Panic is actually an attempt to make a fiction-full version of this game. Clearly, that’s easier said than done.