Metabox 002 – Rules, Rules, Rules

"At what point does this stop feeling like homework and we actually play the game?"

We live in a rule based world, so quite fitting that we have a love for introducing more of it into our lives through games.

Now, the challenge from the creator perspective is to come up with the right set of rules and context for the intended audience. Those games that are super easy to pick up might run the risk of being one dimensional and fail to provide enough substance to engage players for very long.  On the other hand, those that are overly complicated (whether it be through mechanics or depth of content) can be so inaccessible that the barrier to entry is too great, leaving many an opened, but unplayed sets of games. 

Role-playing games, historically, have a very steep learning curve, but once you get it, this kind of robust framework can deliver deeply engaging experiences that pull at the emotional strings.  Living in an alternate world driven by friend-enablers and only limited by your imagination does set the stage for quality addiction.  One particular drawback , however, how involved it is to play; not something you can pull out and have a quick round to fill in a short gap in an evening.

The beauty of table top games is they can fill in entire the spectrum. 

Hanging out with game designers at San Diego Comic Con was a reminder that there is no shortage of variety out there nor the thirst for new and novel approaches.  

Gaming and Board games are a staple of most Comic Cons.  If you are are an enthusiast who likes supporting the cause or if you are just curious about up-and-coming new games, it's a worthy stop to make.   Game designers are friendly and passionate people, It's hard not to be inspired and root for them.

Indeed, there are a lot of factors that determine whether a game will succeed in the market, but so long as there are people compelled to create something new in their spare time (often over years) and a dedicated audience with an insatiable appetite to consume them, we'll have endless new combinations of games and properties to welcome into our lives!

Bring on the rules!