Warboard

VENTURE

Ever had a pal who just couldn't miss 6+6 on the dice? Their luck was greater than their skill? I've always loved play and fun - chess is great, but i've always felt Risk stood alone.

Since I am a self-taught graphic designer (by no means do I consider myself, good or professional - this is a hobby!) I've coveted making my own game. So, I picked up a brilliant gameplay book – studied the aspects of a good game rule design - and worked on my first prototype. That was SIX YEARS ago... only now do I think i've finished this thing. Here's some teasers of what's been made.

Big Idea

To create an alternative to Risk that gave players a much more realistic and cerebral challenge - but did so without sacrificing flowing gameplay and fun.

• to take the dice alone out of it
• to make it so simple, anyone could play
• to introduce loot & resource management
• to make the game recycling
• to introduce sub-missions so that conflict isn't the "only" way to play
• to replicate the "battle map" style of war maps from WW2 and Nato

Method

When you're making a game - designing is fun, but the gameplay is it. So I made a paper prototype first. Then a physical one. The first version of the game had action cards and the board was different dimensions... The newer '24 edition has learnt from that. There's no cards, the loot rules are different - in fact everything has changed.

• Keep it simple
• Make it fun
• Walk before you run

Cost & Timescale

It's cost me roughly £200 in total across three prototypes over 6 years - the second and third prototypes were printed by third parties. I would estimate I can get a scaled unit cost for printing down to £10.

Board and Bits

4 Players

Two dice dictate the total moves an army gets per turn. (Unless loot is spent)

Each has an army comprising:

• Infantry
• Armour
• Artillery
• Supply Trucks (non-combat)
• Airborne
  • These are special infantry units you can drop like loot

Each of these units has various attributes - the three battle units can make "range" attacks or up close battle moves.

Terrain

Rivers, Mountains and Forests affect movement, attack and defence!

The entire board is a grid, with a ratio to the 6 score of dice.

Loot

Ammo, Rations and Fuel are dropped by players every turn. They can either drop them to one of six (dice...) drop spots on the map, or use the dice to roll co-ordinates to drop loot. Co-ordinate drops - like a real life drop - could land super close, or right on your enemies lap!

Rations - can be picked up immediately and traded (for units or other loot)

• These are like currency

Fuel - can be stacked (fuel dump) or returned to HQ and held off board

• Fuel can gain you +2 moves per chit spent

Ammo - can be stacked, moved (by supply trucks) and fired (by range units)

• You can push players off ammo dumps and steal it

Each player is limited to ending their turn with no more than 5 loot chits... this keeps the game moving and the action rolling.

Creating Promo Assets with AI

I've also used creating this game as a "reason" to expand my skill set. For me, in my current day job in innovation - AI and other technologies that allow for a hyper cadence of content and media. It helps to have a side project to learn these things and apply skills. Just as I can use my graphic skills to make images for business plans and presentations - I can use my side project experience with AI prompting and editing software to improve my media skills.

In this, i've managed to learn:

• Video and audio editing on Descript
• AI prompting for video and media creation on Runway 3.
• I've used some audio skills by, well, voicing it in a fun way

All in all, it's been wicked fun. I am by no means a Waddington - there are some amazing pro game makers out there. I'm just proud i've been able to pull this all together myself - I had a vision, and i've done it.

I also genuinely think the game is fun to play - so who knows! Maybe the Pro-made version will be out one day!

Battle Rules:

Ah ah ah. I'm not sharing more just yet - I'll hopefully be putting up a Kickstarter at some point - I've got to beat my imposter syndrome for this and my fear of non-acceptance. I'd love more people to play it. It's almost there.

Either way, it continues my mantra of "doing" an idea. In the doing you learn and you fail - you improve.

Aspiring armchair Generals, to arms!

What have you dreamt of making or creating?