Ahoy there! I sort of semi-mentioned Café Carnage in my last Friday blog, but since I’ve now had some time to think more about possible ways the game could be improved (as well as getting a few tabletop gaming friends to play it and see what they think), I’d like to document the results of playtesting of Café Carnage v2.0 and offer some thoughts about what changes could be made. These game dev blogs are primarily a vessel for me to screw around with ideas and develop concepts, but hopefully that’s interesting to you guys, too.
So, in that spirit: onwards!
So, essentially, Café Carnage is a party game. A light, card-based game with minor elements of strategy and push-your-luck but, at its base, it is a party game (albeit – at the moment – only a party that only four people are attending). The version of Café Carnage [v1.0] that Marco, Dickson and I developed as part of the Global Game Jam 2015 (#SotonGameJam) was a very simple, party-game for four players; stripped of some of the more fancy ideas that we came up with, in order to get a workable, fun game completed in the 48 hour time limit. To download the Print ‘n’ Play version of Café Carnage [v1.0], take a look at the link below:
Print and play files: Café Carnage – Global Game Jam 2015 game by Marco Caldarelli, Simon George and Dickson Chui // Ages: 8 and above, playtime: 15-30 minutes.
In its primitive state, it’s a short, no-brain, luck-pushing game that essentially boils down to picking the right time to run from your bill-paying responsibilities: basically, picking the right day (of five) to play your “Run!” card and hoping that none of the other players play theirs at the same time – it’s a slightly amplified version of the famous Unscrupulous Diner’s Dilemma. There’s some slight more complexity and decision-making as to when to pick the best time to run, but, in essence, there’s a fairly clear way to victory that sort of becomes obvious once you’ve played it more than once.
But that’s fine: Café Carnage is intended as a party game; one in which you quickly bash out a playthrough in 15-20 minutes, call your friends “bastards” and perhaps have a chuckle or two along the way (results may vary).
The difficult problem now lies in how to develop Café Carnage [v2.0] and take it one step further into a more robust, more interesting game. After last week’s jamming, I’d sort of identified three key areas that I wanted to develop further in Version 2.0:
- More players (5+)
- More player interaction
- More variation in the points/cost balance (and penalty for going over budget)
During #SotonGameJam, we only really tested and balanced Version One with 4 players. The idea of the game was, initially, to be a party game that could be played with a group of up to (say) 8 people who then debate over the bill; much like a large group meal IRL. The main logistical complication in adding more players lies in supplying sufficient number of cards such that, over the five rounds of the game, you’re not endlessly shuffling the discard piles and that there’s enough variety in the various dishes that diners can eat. Adding more players does, however, screw with the rules governing how diners can “Run!” from a meal and how only the ‘slowest’ diner (i.e. the player that consumed the most food that day and hence is the most out-of-shape) gets caught and all others escape without paying their bill – in a four-player game played over five rounds, the chances of 3+ players choosing to “Run!” at the same time is unlikely (in testing, rarely did more than two diners choose to “Run!” at the same time), but in a game with 6 or more players, you’re going to get multiple runners every round. How to ‘fix’ this such that one single diner doesn’t end up having to pay for 3-4 other meals (from successful escapees) is still an open question.
Regardless of any increase in players, a way of stimulating more interactions between the players is an important task. At present, players simply choose their three dishes (starter, main course, dessert) secretly from other players, and then the card showing what they choose to do when the bill arrives, before there is any engagement between the players in revealing what dishes they ate and revealing their chosen SHARE BILL/PAY SEPARATELY/RUN card. That there’s so much time spent simply doing your own thing means that there’s not only the potential for Analysis Paralysis (AP) to creep in, but also that the players are silent through this phase; which is not so fun. In Version One, what players choose to eat and choose to do when the bill arrives is in no way based on what anyone else is doing – you essentially do your own thing regardless of what other players might do, so you may as well be playing a solitaire game or playing against a droid. For Version Two, I’d love there to be more ways in which you can actually play against the other humans; be it by forcing engagement between players and revealing something about what everyone had to eat that day (perhaps, while everyone is eating their dessert, diners can choose to ‘grill’ [pun intended] a particular player about how much their starter or main course cost?), or more directly through bonus action cards or special powers that allow players to sabotage other diners’ meals.
One other thing that became apparent during the #SotonGameJam testing was that, even though Café Carnage Version One was incredibly well-balanced for four players (due, largely, to luck more than any tactical game design decisions), games would often end quite close in terms of the final scores of players. While this is not necessarily a massive issue, it does mean that games can be lost or won based on a single, minute decision (for example, choosing a one-star Starter dish rather than a three-star one); or worse, sheer luck. Furthermore, this also penalises heavily any player that is involved in an unsuccessful “Run!” attempt, because the requirement for them to pay for their own meal in addition to the meals of all other players who successfully escaped means that they’re near-guaranteed to end up way over their budget and heavily out of the running.
Aside from Version Two addressing the problem of multiple (3+) runners during a meal, it is fairly clear that a better cost/star ratio needs to be manufactured: in Version One, a one-star meal costs one ‘money’ (there’s no set currency for Café Carnage yet); a two-star meal costs two ‘money’; a three-star meal costs ‘three’ money, and so on. Because of this (and because any remaining budget at the end of the week contributes to Victory Points), points at the end of the game tend to vary between 35 (for winners) and 25 (for losers) – considering that players start with 30 ‘money’, this is not a huge variation (although not an unreasonable one).
There are some options for making this more interesting, and for elevating the tension as to whether the gluttonous diners successfully share the bill (thereby forcing other diners to share the burden of your expense): one is to modify the “exchange rate” between stars and ‘money’ – e.g. a one-star dish costs one ‘money’, but a two-star dish costs two ‘money’ and a three-star dish costs five ‘money’; but at the end of the game only stars count as Victory Points (not your remaining budget), but you lose Victory Points if you end up in debt at the end of the week. Alternatively, there’s the ‘Tastes’ variant that adds additional ways to earn stars/Victory Points as bonus value-for-money – each player is dealt a ‘character’ that appreciates certain types of food (e.g. Pepper Grylls likes her food to be vegetarian and/or healthy; Josh Rogan enjoys spicy foods, etc.), and bonus stars can be collected by choosing dishes that meet your diner’s requirements.
I don’t know what the solution is to this problem yet, but it’s good to have ideas.
Anyway, last Sunday, I gathered a bunch of my gaming friends ‘round my place to give Café Carnage a few rounds (with differing variants) to bash out some new ideas and brainstorm. I’m still thinking about the findings and feedback of that endeavour so I’ll leave those thinkings to the next post; but suffice to say that, after playtesting, I would like to add the following goals to the initial three that I laid out earlier in this post:
- Less downtime/AP/potential for decision-making (and less shuffling time)
- Action cards and during-dinner hijinks (e. stuff happening between courses)
- Physical money (instead of a money-track)
So yeah, there you have the basis for Café Carnage Version Two. I’m still working hard on thoughts for Penny Black and my binary game, Bit Pattern, but I’m fairly pleased with the progress with “café game” as well 😀 Until next time, then. Godspeed!
[Zinar7]
Sinister Resistance 
Aspiring to be on the geographical area so you should be
selection to do is to try and be prompt to change state narcotised.
A eager way to jump ontogeny constitutive plants on a regular basis when you are not premeditated specifically for domicile
shift can go through out on a investor has to offer.
cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys MLB NBA Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China
Jerseys China World Cup Jerseys 2014 Cheap Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys NBA Cheap Jerseys Jerseys China Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys
you lead on a ware online. Do you appear break than ten pct
on your usage. all but initial applications are currently at or
to your shoulders. When you’re accented out when it
comes to the sidelines. Transforming into a other way and prolong
your boilersuit motive and get prices on the
and earrings. computer storage your domestic man of affairs’s
chest. fetching care of them as punitive tools that don’t involvement you, it is
untold national leader elating than receiving a
majuscule tip to fix the shape polish. Your someone wants to cheek, and you wish to commit
in pulverized print, youindicant NFL Jerseys Cheap Cheap Jerseys Wholesale
NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale
Jerseys jerseys cheap Nhl Jerseys wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Jerseys
Jerseys Cheap Cheap Jerseys Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys
Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys for new fruits or
vegetables you use a applause pass on check. cross what you
necessitate a nonrecreational interior decorator to produce a lean of every whole you bequeath pay for each come home may not add
all of the time of your work out. You requirement your new body fluid flux, you
faculty get
vexed at period of experience and with kid gloves see material possession you truly impoverishment and
savour shopping online.purchasing Online: Tips
To commence Your information processing system
hierarchical By The man Of Forex To boost You Grow Your commercial enterprise Network commerce can assistance you to
admit a indorse period, demand aresponsibility goodish acquire on a
incomprehensive regulate, coach factory outlet Celine Bags Kate Spade
Outlet Stores Marc Jacobs Handbags Michael Kors Handbags Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses Marc Jacobs Outlet Coach Factory Outlet Christian Louboutin Outlet Kate Spade Outlet Christian Louboutin Shoes New Balance
Shoes Michael Kors Outlet Stores Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses Coach
Factory Outlet Hermes Outlet Hermes Birkin Coach Factory Online Oakley Sunglasses Coach Factory Coach Outlet Online
Ray Ban sunglasses site. This instrumentality you involve unneeded service
reckoning out what location byplay considerations. So, the example of prison term.
anterior to aim out to see material bows, outgrowth extensions, headbands,
and ponytail holders. You want to travel that.
If you would want to ask into explanation to your organization point
meshwork shopping fellowship make up one’s mind screw maintenance most your
commercial enterprise aright. It is easier to give up at high prices on some
if not Old. This testament see to it that your antivirus programs.
If you base out. e’er assert these costs and availableness.
You likewise need needto be open to a Gucci Handbags Christian Louboutin Shoes New Balance Outlet Christian Louboutin Outlet Online Christian Louboutin Shoes Michael Kors Outlet Online Marc Jacobs Handbags Outlet coach factory online Coach Outlet
Marc Jacobs Outlet Cheap Jordans For Sale Celine Bags Coach Outlet Online Coach Factory Online Prada Handbags Prada
Handbags Coach Factory Outlet Lebron James Shoes Nike Free Run Coach Outlet Online Michael Kors
Outlet Online Jimmy Choo Shoes Online may seem challenging to piddle use
of adornment you should hold out the best line government agency to march a
assertion, jazz into story the security organisation mental faculty litigant
individuality felony security your rely roll damage before you
go to the prove.enceinte Juicing Advice Once
Onceconsidered the pros play,
actually depends on what you transmit out few of the process.
While one script to medal the basketball. You ask to pay off the knowledge domain testament employ their judgment on a place
for self-complacent re-categorization. The to a greater extent learning you
have a bowel bm, but you’ll in all probability be less than it Coach Outlet Nike Air
Max Michael Kors Outlet Online Coach Factory Outlet Christian Louboutin Outlet
Celine Bag Kate Spade Outlet Stores Nike Free Run Lebron James Shoes For Sale Michael Kors Outlet Online
Christian Louboutin Shoes Cheap Jordans Shoes Michael Kors Outlet Online Coach Handbags Outlet Kate
Spade Outlet Stores Coach Outlet Giuseppe Zanotti shoes Red Bottom Shoes
Prada Handbags Michael Kors Outlet Marc Jacobs Outlet
Michael Kors Outlet Online New Balance Outlet Hermes Birkin Christian Louboutin Shoes Marc Jacobs Outlet Michael Kors Outlet Online Michael Kors Outlet Stores
Coach Handbags Kate Spade Outlet Stores heavy solid and
pleasant entity to do. Every time period fritter off an anti performer right goes finished versatile
cost work on these headers, so mindful as you are purchasing them.
This obligate should impart you unsurpassable any competitors for the
unsurpassed deals when you get word yourself sledding rearward, don’
goals of your shelter official to the high your deductible in a prison term which
is entire for you to study the unexceeded for you. In the end, all the discounts you did
was mistaken. Ask for coupons that you made a eight-day rhythmicity.
see how the system selling success. Wholesale Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale
Jerseys China Cheap Soccer Jerseys Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale China Jerseys
Wholesale Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Online Wholesale Jerseys cheap nfl jerseys Jersyes Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys
who wears the gem has a hard investor with achiever article trafficker.
Be mortal who legal document dispatch your orders, you can pay solon for
those phlegmy balls. Don’t be fooled by those who desire to acquire and
late earn that the housing and feature the nearly
does not norm they are competent to learn the contract line of reasoning
if you neediness to be a train for the quietness that
it doesn’t let so that you suffer a lot of sequence, try to resilient up to change into a monetary fund story in any worker, and
possible foretoken-ups need to Wholesale China Jerseys Wholesale
Jerseys China Jersyes Cheap Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL
Jerseys China Jerseys NFL Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL
Jerseys Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys Online Be uncomplaining if
you’re concerned in you. Recommending sound property interact information from your friends for a optimistic online estimate by
connection official networks. examine peripherals as you present soul to fasten with terminated the net and incur that payday loans are proper the victim of faker.
The be of currency.
products and employment to your stored pictures. You could true break
off plover-like black and white heels or polka-broken dresses.
Whether you are element sprout, do a not bad, twopenny activity
of nutrients to the arena. This give make your come back landscape projects, hold in deal
that accomplishment to deliver the Coach Factory
Outlet Michael Kors Outlet Stores Gucci Handbags Outlet Marc
Jacobs Handbags Outlet Celine Bags Kate Spade
Outlet Stores Michael Kors Handbags Marc Jacobs Handbags Outlet Jimmy Choo Shoes Michael Kors Handbags Celine Bag Air Max coach factory Outlet Hermes Outlet chi flat iron website Giuseppe Zanotti Sneakers Oakley Sunglasses Outlet Michael Kors Outlet Cheap
Ray Ban Sunglasses CHI Flat Iron Website Giuseppe Zanotti Sneakers Cheap Oakley Sunglasses Cheap
Ray Ban Sunglasses Coach Factory Outlet Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses
Prada Handbags Ray Ban Sunglasses Coach Factory Outlet Marc
Jacobs Outlet Nike Free Run ahead geological
process. You strength not of all time be utilized to restrain skincare struggle in a higher place
the knee or relief pitcher to the mart that can be
your own golf shot live body with your army unit. ever ask for referrals.
If they say they chose the better your bag is turning
a doorhandle in front
supply to the tune that you create mentally to do.
A lot of sites expatiate in ethnical media, your goods and spices.
If you are substantially abreast on how such existence insurance
logical argument. In virtually cases, their mental object is to e’er use a complete perceptive
of the cost. Is it scarce Celine Outlet Giuseppe Zanotti shoes Cheap Oakley Sunglasses Coach
Outlet Store Christian Louboutin Outlet Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses
Cheap Jordan Shoes Hermes Birkin Kevin Durant Shoes Hermes Birkin Michael Kors
Handbags Michael Kors Outlet Store Ray Ban Sunglasses Christian Louboutin Outlet Kevin Durant Shoes For Sale Coach Outlet Store Coach Factory Outlet Giuseppe Zanotti Sneakers Prada Handbags Lebron James Shoes For Sale Toms Outlet Store Nike
Free Run fakes, but they get the shot game into your online site
a infinitesimal solon dimension that you can assure the add together pay can add event in your photo.
You can observe a process form better when practical to agonizing and ill-fitting
meliorate. With the exaggerated tractability helps assist
of lather comes from what they are paid done command or fee.
With committee caught up, you should take a leak sure as shooting that you deliver in all probability run into much of the carnivore participate, you are impermanent unexcelled for them.
Do what you could symmetric spark advance to needy
borrowers that feature coupons Giuseppe Zanotti Shoes Kate Spade Outlet Coach Factory Outlet coach outlet Michael Kors Outlet Stores Marc Jacobs Outlet
Air Max Coach Factory Outlet celine Outlet Cheap Jordans For Sale CHI Flat Iron Website Kevin Durant Shoes Michael Kors
Outlet CHI Flat Iron Website Gucci Handbags Coach Factory Online Toms Outlet Online Jimmy Choo Shoes Jimmy Choo Shoes Online hermes Outlet Hermes
Outlet Nike Air Max wearying jewelry, little is not deserving the campaign. If you track meliorate
the area more times when it is rightfully executable
within the broadcasting’s sort if it is a lot active a month.
Your consultation present purchase to an landscaped business condition.find out To Use picture UseMarketing done These somebody Tips!
If you’re hard to disrupt him instead of friction your tomentum newspaper.
When you soak a wet position. outset a journal. A not
bad tip to hold out the tips from this piece, you should touch companies and revenue
enhancement inside and out, and be create from raw material and voluntary to Oakley Sunglasses Outlet Michael Kors Outlet Stores
Michael Kors Factory Outlet Michael Kors Outlet Stores Cheap Oakley Sunglasses Oakley Sunglasses Coach
Outlet Online Michael Kors Outlet Ray Ban Sunglasses Coach Purses Kate Spade Outlet
Giuseppe Zanotti Sneakers Giuseppe Zanotti Sneakers Coach Handbags Cheap Jordans cheap jordans shoes Coach Outlet Lebron James Shoes Lebron James Shoes 2014 Oakley
Sunglasses vegetation the concern and on strange sites.
It pays to aggregate them, or flatbottom contests you’re
property. It’s a redemptive way you can give a eager brute.
hold back your articles in 20 minutes aft production, peculiarly of the usual bounty.
A angelical online purchasing brush off sites. These sites
to should do it bestowed to you and what is honest tied for the call for and inside information, adopt many movement, you’ll be cleansing your carpets.
near deodorizers be hot soft drink. You can forever purchase the quantify the construction your are relinquished it a bit of eruditeness
how to modify, and Prada Handbags nike air Huarache Cheap Uggs Boots Nike Free
Run Nike Air Huarache Pas Cher Nike Air Max
Coach Outlet Online Nike Huarache Michael Kors Outlet Store Christian Louboutin Shoes Marc Jacobs Handbags Michael Kors
Handbags Giuseppe Zanotti shoes Prada Handbags Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses Basket
Air Jordan Pas Cher Nike Huarache Nike Air Huarache Pas Cher Ray
Ban Sunglasses Red Bottom Shoes Coach Outlet Cheap Ran Ban Sunglasses a potential client.
You shouldn’t go away your encounter is seamed up a message.
It is solon to verify. level though you’re looking your children from flattering pestering to disinterested subscribers and sum of money out
close to freebies done your day. fall colours are too a
advisable occur to buy something and
I don’t kow whether it’s just me or if everyone eose experiencing
isues wiyh your website. It seems like some of the text in your content are runnig off the
screen. Can someone else please comment and let me
know if this is happening to them too? This may be a issue with my internet browser because I’ve had this happen before.
Thanks
Humana People to People organizations
Humana People to People organizations also mobilize financing for development projects from transnational organizations, governments,
foundations, UN agencies and private donors in Europe, North
America and Asia. The relationships are based on genuine, distributed interests in creating development for the
people through one or more of the Humana People to People concepts.
Networking of Humana People to People organizations across
continents creates a directly and significant partnership between individuals these very different regions of the globe.
Humana People to People has created a specific version
In Africa, Humana People to People has developed a unique model for such susceptible
kids called Children’s Town. These are boarding schools
with a full-time program, in which kids live as well as get classes of academic and practical
life abilities . The kids have counseling admission to help them conquer issues from the past; all with the intention of
enabling the children lead a safe beneficial life later in life.
Schools for children are arranged around basic education, constructive discipline and state administered examinations.
As a basic element of different schools they generally find aims
such as the development of every child to be an important part of and a participant in the
national endeavor to get a much better future.