Simple Versus Complex Games and Players Making Choices

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Category: RPI Kickstarters

Created: Monday, 25 March 2019 04:50

Published: Monday, 25 March 2019 04:50

Written by Super User

Hits: 2015

So when I first thought of Zombie Golf, I wanted it to be a simple game.  A game that was fast and fun to play.  What I forgot was simple does not preclude choices, which change the game and the way the players interact with the game.  The balance is in creating choices and rules that make the game interesting and at the same time not too complex.  Complexity in a game can excite some players and turn off others.  Creating rules that giuve interesting choices for multiple reasons is the key.  An ability that lets a player choose to play the game a different way, which also has story or changes how one can win the game; these are rules that draw loits of players in.  
So when I started Zombie golf I designed rules light, fewer cards and choices for the players.  It made for a fun game, but it became repetative and was not as fast as I had hoped it would be.  Feedback from the players was its fun, but if there was some way to play a full 9 holes in 45 minutes or so.  Zombie Golf is 2 games in one, a simple golf game and a zombie combat game.  The dual nature of the players role manes rules for 2 games.  How could I make interesting changes for the players, speed up the game and still keep the core of a simple game?  The answer; increase player choice and random triggered events.  

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