So, I was sitting around over the weekend thinking about game design and wondered for a given set of components how many different and differing games could be conceived. Then I remember a few years ago I entered "The First annual 8x8 Game Design Competition" and found it to be a challenging experience. I’m not sure that the competition was held in subsequent years (a quick search on Google did not yield any links other than that of the original post). Even if it has not been conducted, I thought that it would be interesting if we had a similar competition - well, not really a competition, but learning experience. Would be game-designers, on this forum, will post their design for others to read, critique and/or complement. Our overall goal should be to keep the post constructive and for everyone to learn something or in other words, everyone should take something positive from the experience. Here are my proposed rules (based on the original competitions rules) Rules 1) Games must be designed for play on a standard 8x8 chess board, for two players only, using checkers, go stones, chess pieces, poker chips, and other items likely to be found in the average gamer's collection. No cards are allowed. I’ll post my game design later tonight or when I find it or rewrite it whichever the case may be. --- The official rules for the original competition can be found on this page [^]. --- Dave Dak Lozar Loeser The WM_NULL message performs no operation. An application sends the WM_NULL message if it wants to post a message that the recipient window will ignore. - MSDN [edited by - Dak Lozar on December 22, 2003 1:32:40 PM]

OK, how about a dexterity game?

Name: Check-Off

Materials:
1 rigid chess or checker board
12 black checkers
1 red checker
12 marbles
Note: either the board or checkers must be non-magnetic!

Instructions
1. Place the black checkers on the board as shown:

..................oooo....o..o....o..o....oooo..................  

2. Place the red checker on a hard flat surface.
3. Carefully lift the board and balance it on the red checker.
4. Drop a marble onto the center of the board.
5. Quickly place 4 fingertips on the board (2 from each hand, minimum 2 checker separation).
6. Use fingertips to tilt the board and try to cause the marble to knock off all of the checkers. You may rotate the board gently.
Penalty: If you slam the board such that a checker or marble bounces up, then you forfeit a marble.
7. If a marble falls off the board, then place a fresh one on the board.
Note: A checker is considered on the board if any part of it is over the surface. You can bounce a marble or checker off the fingertips but you may not slide them across the board.


Scoring:
Win: 12 points for clearing the board. Subtract from this the # of marbles that fell off the board.
Lose: If you run out of marbles, you lose. You also lose if you rotate the board fast enough the cause checkers to slide.

Multiplayer options:
Team Check-Off
2 players, simultaneous. Same materials and rules, except that each player may only place 1 finger from each hand on the board. This may require some good communication/cooperation skills.
4 player option: Each player can only place 1 fingertip on the board!

Check-off Race
2 or more players. Requires same materials as single player for each and every player. It's basically N games at the same time. If someone loses 12 marbles, they forfeit the match. 1st one to clear their board before losing 12 marbles wins!

Team Check-Off Race
4 or more players
Requires same materials as single player for each team. Basically, you play just like Check-Off Race except that each participant is a Check-Off Team.

Strip Check-Off
2 or more players
Players take turns in clockwise manner. Your turn lasts until you either knock off a checker or lose a marble. If you knock off a checker and then grab the marble before it falls off, then the next player must remove an article of clothing. If you lose a marble then you must take off an article of clothing.
Winner is whoever stays clothed the longest.
Drinking version: Same as strip rules except substiture "drink a shot" for "remove an article of clothing".


[edited by - 5010 on December 22, 2003 3:14:30 PM]

For inspiration, check out hnefatafl, the board game of the vikings (and the Celts, the Anglo Saxons, some germanic tribes, and so on).

ld

liquiddark, thanks for the post, I had never heard of this game before... Here's a &#106avascript based version of this game <a href="http://www.irt.org/games/js/hnefat/">hnefatafl</a><br><a href="http://www.irt.org/games/js/hnefat/" target=_blank>[^]</a>. The rules are simple and the gameplay can be as interesting as that of Go. <br><br>--- Edit,<br>BTW, I'm rebuilding my web site which will feature links to obscure board games and (with permission from the designer) I will post some of the designs that you folks submit.<br><br>Dave <a href="http://www.synthesisgames.com/Dave_Loeser/index.asp"><i>Dak Lozar </i> </a> Loeser<br><font size=1><A HREF="http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/winui/winui/windowsuserinterface/windowing/windows/windowreference/windowmessages/wm_null.asp">The WM_NULL message performs no operation. An application sends the WM_NULL message if it wants to post a message that the recipient window will ignore.</a></font> - MSDN<br> <br><br><SPAN CLASS=editedby>[edited by - Dak Lozar on December 22, 2003 10:26:25 PM]</SPAN>

NP. I''m considering building an MSN extension for an upcoming pen and paper RPG campaign to allow us to incorporate this game into the flow. If it happens, I''ll send you a link.

ld

quote: Original post by 5010
...Winner is whoever stays clothed the longest.
Drinking version: Same as strip rules except substiture "drink a shot" for "remove an article of clothing".


[edited by - 5010 on December 22, 2003 3:14:30 PM]

Good psychological planning, because drinking == nudity.

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What follows is my design for the 8x8 Board Game Competition (note that the original design, the one that I submitted was lost, this is a reconstructed version of that design – not that it really matters).

Battle Knights

Required Materials

1  - 8x8 Chess/Checker board48 - White Go Stones.1  - White Knight (chess piece).48 - Black Go Stones.1  - Black Knight (chess piece).1  - Eight sided dice. 

Board Numbering

8[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]7[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]6[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]5[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]4[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]3[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]2[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]1[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8

Determine Color
Each player rolls the 8 sided die, the player with the largest number will be the black knight and will have first move. Optionally, the players may just choose their colors; but black always has first move.

Starting Positions
The starting positions for the white and black knight are determined by rolling the d8. Two rolls are required to determine the starting position. Roll one provides the horizontal placement and the second roll determines the vertical placement. For example, if player (white) one rolls a 6 and then a 2 and player two (black) rolls a 3 and a 4 the starting locations would be placed as shown below:

8[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  [i]NOTE: If, in the above[/i]7[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  [i]example, player two had[/i]6[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  [i]also rolled a 6 and a 2;[/i]5[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  [i]then the roll would be[/i]4[ ][ ][B][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  [i]reversed.[/i]3[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]2[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][W][ ][ ]1[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8

Knight Movement
1) The movement of the knights is the same as that of the knight in chess. In the diagram below we can see that the knight (at 4,4) can move to any of the positions on the board that are marked with an asterisk.

8[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]7[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]6[ ][ ][*][ ][*][ ][ ][ ]5[ ][*][ ][ ][ ][*][ ][ ]4[ ][ ][ ][K][ ][ ][ ][ ]3[ ][*][ ][ ][ ][*][ ][ ]2[ ][ ][*][ ][*][ ][ ][ ]1[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8

2) Once a knight moves from one position on the board to any open position on the board a Go stone is placed in the originating position. Continuing with our example

8[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]7[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]6[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]5[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]4[ ][ ][b][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]3[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]2[ ][B][ ][ ][ ][W][ ][ ]1[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8

We can see that the black knight has moved from 3,4 to 2,2 and has placed a black Go stone at 3,4. White follows with moves 6,2, to 8,3 and places a white Go stone.

8[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]7[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]6[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]5[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]4[ ][ ][b][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]3[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][W]2[ ][B][ ][ ][ ][w][ ][ ]1[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8

Play follows with alternating turns and movement is restricted only to open positions. For example, blacks second move cannot be back to 3,4.


The board below is the result of 14 moves by each the black and white knight. Here we see that the white knight has scored a bonus by collecting a 3x3 section of the board (marked with the {}’s), each of these “owned” spaces are worth an additional 2 points. Thus the overall score for the game after 14 moves is BK=14 and WK=23.

8[b][b][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]7[ ][ ][b][b][ ][ ][ ][ ]6[b][b][ ][ ][ ][ ][w][ ]5[ ][ ][b][ ][w][ ][ ][ ]4[b][b][b][ ][ ]{w}{W}{w}3[ ][b][ ][ ][ ]{w}{w}{w}2[B][b][b][ ][w]{w}{w}{w}1[b][ ][ ][ ][ ][w][w][ ]  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8

Movement continues until no further valid moves are possible and the boards owned spaces are tallied.


Dave Dak Lozar Loeser
The WM_NULL message performs no operation. An application sends the WM_NULL message if it wants to post a message that the recipient window will ignore. - MSDN

quote: Original post by Dak Lozar
What follows is my design for the 8x8 Board Game Competition...

Interesting. If a knight is trapped, does the opponent knight get to keep moving until he runs out of options?

quote: Original post by 5010
Interesting. If a knight is trapped, does the opponent knight get to keep moving until he runs out of options?

Yes, the opponent knight can continue moving until all possible moves are exhausted.

The strategy in this game is very interesting, as you can choose to gather up as many grids on the board as possible or you may choose to block your opponent...

I have a &#106avascript version of the game and as soon as I re-build I''ll add it to the site. <br><br>Dave <a href="http://www.synthesisgames.com/Dave_Loeser/index.asp"><i>Dak Lozar</i></a> Loeser<br><font size=1><A HREF="http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/winui/winui/windowsuserinterface/windowing/windows/windowreference/windowmessages/wm_null.asp">The WM_NULL message performs no operation. An application sends the WM_NULL message if it wants to post a message that the recipient window will ignore.</a></font> - MSDN<br>

Let me try my hand at this. Maybe this is not very original and not exactly sure if it would work totally but seems that it might. Ok so you start by setting up the baord like a traditional chess game. Ok now for every pawn or knight that you move you must place a checker at least 1 space away from the pawn or knight and no more then 2 spaces away from the pawn or knight. ok you can place at any location around the piece. what this would do to the game is add the aspect of trapping your opponent or because the chess pieces may not jump a checker piece and the checker pieces may only move once space and may not king. Also the checker piece capturing system will be a little diffrent because like in traditional checkers you must jump the piece to capture. Well the checkers have to be set up like you were going to jump them but instead of moveing 2 spaces diagnal you move 1 space diagnal where the previous piece was. I think this will add more variaty to the game tell me what you think.

.:: Definative ::.