Google Group Project

Last Monday I proposed a little group game design project. I wanted to design/create/publish a game that we, as a group, could really call our own; a game that would be designed by all of us (as much as each of us could contribute anyway); a game that we could possibly publish ourselves after it was all complete (and sell through our www.zionboardgames.com website). So, I proposed an idea for a cooperative game where each player would play a missionary from the Book of Mormon during the time of Korihor. Players would be playing against the game itself, or Korihor, as he moved around to various Nephite cities proclaiming his gospel and beliefs.

I was super surprised at the discussion that ensued. I put the proposal up on the group site Monday morning around 9 am. Now, a week later, we have had a total of 73 replies. We have gone from a general conception or basic idea for a game to a couple of files that we are going to be using to playtest the game. Obviously, this is the first version for playtesting, so I'm sure there is still a long way to go. But this has been done by six or seven of us from the group. Most of us have never met face-to-face. Some have talked on the phone, others have just emailed back and forth. There are a couple of us who are members of the Board Game Designers Guild of Utah and we have actually met each other.

Anyway, I am just very excited about this whole project. I think it will definitely be something noteworthy, if we can pull it off: A game, designed by a group of people over the internet, that is fun to play and available for purchase by anyone in the world!! That would be totally awesome!