You know why I’m such a big proponent of taking notes during board game playtests? The biggest reason is that there are always a few days, weeks, or even months between me saying “Oh, right, I should totally change that” and actually having time to make that change. If my notes are poor or lacking, I’ll be lost when I finally sit down to update the game.
For example, the initial Doomed Colony playtest was two weeks ago. It wasn’t until this week that I finally had a chance to implement my big list of changes–and that’s without me having a day job!
So what’s changed in the update?
Updated Rules
- “Revealed” colonists remain face-up until flipped by another card.
- Removed the hidden role rules from the game.
- Defined the term “push” to describe moving a colonist to the next location and displacing colonists in that location.
- Expanded Security colonists so they’re a little better at their jobs; they now eliminate Terrorists as well as Aliens.
Updated Cards
- Cut a handful of cards that were too similar to other cards.
- Added a “play another card” effect to several cards.
- Generally “pumped up” all the card effects, so they have a more dynamic effect on the game.
Updated Counters
- Executives are now worth 3 points instead of 2.
- There is one fewer Executive per color, and on additional Security officer.
- Agitators are worth -3 points instead of -1.
Now I just need to find time to do another playtest. When I do, I’ll let you know how it goes!
