Sometimes we refer to non-gamers as “muggles.” Bryan Winter from I’m Board! outside of Madison, WI often says, “Muggles are just gamers who haven’t gotten their letter to Hogwarts yet.” If you love gaming, opening up the hobby to others is the best gift to share. That is why finding approachable content is so meaningful. Who wouldn’t want to be a wizard?
Finding something to play with non-gamers can be daunting. You wish there was a Sorting Hat to help you out. Your pick must be fun to teach because fun is infectious. Quick is better. Keeping it short helps keep folks' attention. Learning is a skill and everyone learns at their own pace. Fewer rules to keep track of might allow new players to learn as they play. The goal with first timers is to get them to try another. It’s not about winning, it’s about playing and connecting with others. The game is almost secondary… which is ironic considering how hard choosing the right first game is.
“Approachable” titles appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike. They require very little gaming experience to appreciate; the fun is accessible to everyone. Most party games are approachable. Instead of in depth rules or problem solving, party games rely on how we express ourselves and how we interpret others as their core mechanism. Games like Codenames, Werewolf, and Apples to Apples invite everyone to join in. You literally win these games by understanding and predicting the actions of others. Connecting with the other players is not only fun, but the winning strategy.
Connecting others through gaming is our goal at Sovranti. Making ALL board games more accessible is core to our mission. Helping new gamers discover there’s more to the wizarding world then just platform 9 ¾ means removing obstacles. In 2020, first we remove physical distance - if you’re on a phone riding the bus, lounging on your couch with your tablet, or sitting in your office using your PC anyone can join in no matter where you are or what you have to play on (within reason.) Technology shouldn’t be a barrier nor people’s skill with it. We built in a voice chat option in case getting folks into discord is extra work.
Anyone should feel comfortable leading a friend through any of the games on the platform. Sovranti not only takes care of setup, score keeping, but every title is fully rules enforced. Game prompts help new players see when it’s their turn and what actions they can take. Teaching new players is easier when their options light up in front of them and you can discuss what is happening while they are making choices. The UI is consistent across the platform so if they are comfortable with one game on Sovranti it makes the next that much easier. Removing the rules as a barrier helps all games become more approachable.
Feeling comfortable when moving onto a different game is critically important in transitioning a non-gamer into someone who’s excited to try new games. Making every title easy to jump into isn’t as simple as drinking polyjuice potion (okay, I’ll stop.) Next blog, we’ll discuss “Is it still a Board Game without a Board?”
Release Updates
Publisher: Gamewright
Sovranti Developer: Andrew
A BETA testing version of Forbidden Desert is now playable! Andrew has been working on the unique equipment cards. Example: the JetPack requires selecting passenger(s) as well as selecting a destination. Including such information into the menuing process instead of clicking on menu buttons was new for the platform.
Things to look forward to:
Player abilities
Transferring equipment and water between players
Travelling via tunnels
Menu button polishing
Publisher: Fight in a Box
Sovranti Developer: Eric
Eric crushed the base game implementation! In the past couple of weeks, the base game, one-time Reveal abilities, and cool pathing animations have been added! Auto-selection for character movement has completed. Additionally, the “Inspect mode” has been added to the game, to allow for users to look at the amazing art that is part of this game. And of course early bugs have been fixed!
Things to look forward to:
Auto-centering of the dynamic maze will be done soon.
The expansion game implementation
Publisher: Adam's Apple Games
Sovranti Developer: Paul
Testing the first asymmetric corporation is underway. The Republic has some fun features: teleporting rovers between resources icons and spending additional civ cards. One new complexity is some corporations can take special actions at any moment during the turn. Republic has one of these which gives you free rover movement, which can even be done just before placing a tile, allowing you to get a rover out of the way.
Things to look forward to:
More corporations!
Publisher: Magpie Games
Sovranti Developer: Eric
Wizard Kittens is still in development, but the base game is complete, Developer Eric will rotate back onto the project hopefully in the next few weeks.
Things to look forward to:
Advanced Mode - diversifying game play.
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