Mormon Game Design

LDS Voices from Lift Games

2011-10-24T12:00:00.001-06:00

LDS Voices (from Lift Games here) is an iPhone app that challenges you to listen to several topics, including hymns, prophets voices, and scripture mastery, and to recognize them. You first select your topic of choice and then the level of difficulty (easy, medium, hard). Once you have done this you are presented with a few seconds of audio. Once you think you know what you are hearing you tap the Answer button. You are then presented with a list of possible answers to choose from. How many can you get right in a row!?

This is a great way of familiarizing yourself more with the hymns and the voices of the prophets. It also gives a good opportunity to practice the scripture mastery verses. The app sells for $2.99 in the app store (there is also a Lite version if you'd like to try it out a bit before purchasing). Grab your copy and enjoy!

Helam: A Stripling Warrior Quest

2011-10-19T12:00:00.001-06:00

Looks like Deseret Book will soon be releasing a game from Excel Entertainment entitled Helam: A Stripling Warrior Quest (here). At least that's what I can find out on their site. Looking through the Excel Entertainment site (along with their Facebook page and their Twitter feed) I could find nothing mentioning this game. The cover looks fantastic. Even the flavor text (pasted below from Deseret Book's website) makes me want to try it out.

Game Description from Deseret Book:
Perfect for thrill-seekers of all ages, Helam: A Stripling Warrior Quest is an action- packed video game based on the Book of Mormon. Experience the excitement first-hand as you take control of Helam, who aspires to be a stripling warrior. Battle mysterious creatures, defeat wicked Lamanites, and collect clues while you journey to find the villain who burned down your village. Do you have what it takes to complete your quest, conquer evil, and become a true stripling warrior?

I just wish there was more information available, such as a few screenshots or perhaps a short game trailer showing scenes from the game along with some gameplay examples. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Anyone know anything more about the game?

Another Winner!

2011-10-17T19:22:00.000-06:00

Thanks to all of you out there who follow us on Facebook. We are currently up to 304! That means that we need to have another drawing (every 100 fans we give away a game). The winner of this drawing will receive a copy of Caractor Match (find out more about the game from Keystone Games here).

And the winner is...

Christina Bastien Cool Cat

Congratulations Christina!! If you will contact me here on the blog via the contact link above or comment on Facebook so that we can get your mailing address, then we'll get the game sent out to you.

So, spread the word and let others know about us. Once we hit 400 followers on Facebook then we'll have another drawing!

Gamification & LDS Amor of God App

2011-06-13T23:49:00.001-06:00

Gamification (lots of information here) is the idea that elements from games, that make them fun, can be applied to everyday-life situations as a way of increasing enjoyment and engagement. An example of this would include credit card rewards programs: as you make purchases with the credit card you receive points. These points build up and can then be "traded in" for merchandise or cash.

Recently, Missionary Solutions (here) released their LDS Armor of God iOS app (here). I know, jump from gamification to an iOS app, but don't worry, I'm going to tie this whole thing together. At it's core this app is about setting reminders for you to complete certain tasks, like Read the Scriptures, that, once set, pop up at the designated time on your iOS device. Once it pops up you go and select whether or not you completed the task. For example, you might want to set a reminder to go to the temple. You'd select that from the list and then set the time of day, along with how often it will remind you.

But where's the fun in that!? Say your prayers. Here's where the idea of gamification comes in. Depending on the number of reminders that you set and how well you do at completing those task, your armor is affected. For example, below you can see that the current armor is Reflective Leather (with 2 reminders set). Set yourself more reminders and your type of armor will be increased, all the way up to Steel (with 6 or more reminders set).

The image also displays your Armor Integrity. This is a reflection of how well you've done at completing the tasks when you are reminded. Don't worry, if you are struggling you can always go in and "repent." This resets your Armor Integrity. At the bottom they have included an option that lets you keep track of where you are reading in the scriptures. I'm not sure that this is very necessary, I mean, I have my iPad, so I'm reading the scriptures and my place is always marked, but I guess if you like reading from the "hard copy" then this could be helpful.

All in all, I like the idea and I think this app has a lot of potential. I would love to see the option for me to be able to type in what I want to call my reminder. Currently you can only choose from the options that are included. It would be great if there was a cancel button in some of the options, just in case you tap it and then decide against it. I could not find a way of deleting a reminder once I set it.

I think it would also be cool if there was a display of the armor (currently it shows up in the background, like in the images above) and the way it looked reflected the integrity of the armor. So, as you complete your tasks it looks shiny/impenetrable, but as you miss completing your tasks then maybe cracks or other such things show up in your armor.

Do you have any ideas that could more "gamify" this app!?

Whole Armor of God

2011-06-09T17:15:00.000-06:00

Disclaimer: This game was designed by Mike Drysdale, me.

Whole Armor of God is a new card game for kids that will be available this Fall from Covenant Communications. For 2 to 4 players, the object of the game is to be the first to "put on" all 6 pieces of the Armor of God. Each piece of armor requires a certain number of "faith points" before it can be collected. Faith in Action cards are played until the total faith points equals the number required for that piece of armor. But watch out for the Fiery Darts, they will affect your Faith in Action!

As players collect the Armor of God cards they are able to lay them out on the table in front of them, in the end creating a completed person completed clothed in the Whole Armor of God!

This will be a great game for kids to play with their parents. It will also provide a great game/activity that can be included in a Family Home Evening! We will soon post a Family Home Evening guide that includes using the game to help kids learn more about the Armor of God and how they can arm themselves!

Feast & Famine Video Review

2011-06-06T23:13:00.000-06:00

Tom Vasel of the Dice Tower did a video review of Feast & Famine. Enjoy!

Funstuf from the Friend

2011-05-09T15:56:00.000-06:00

This month marks the 40th year that the Church magazine the Friend has been produced. They did something a little different in the magazine for May. They printed it as normal but then you can flip it over and find 24 specially chosen Funstuf activities and games from the last 40 years! Kind of a cool way to commemorate 40 years of the Friend!

And, if you ever had any ideas for games or activities that you thought could be included in the Friend in their Funstuf section, well, you can submit that idea to the Friend (here). The whole process is fairly simple: input your basic information (name, address, ward, etc) and upload a file that includes your game or activity.

Why There Aren't More Good Mormon Games, Part 2

2011-04-21T22:16:00.000-06:00

Here is the second part to Mark Hansen's discussion of why we don't have good LDS-themed games.

Mormon gaming suffers from some of the same ailments that plague other LDS oriented arts, like music, literature, visual arts, and even performing arts. These are:

A Small and Mostly Unaware Audience

Most of the world is not Mormon. Yet. I know, I know, we're working on that. Still, we haven't gotten there as of this writing.

Of that small part of the world that is Mormon, the percentage that speaks english (the language that most of our stuff is currently published in) is steadily shrinking. Of the English speaking Mormons, how many of them are aware that Mormon games even currently exist? And, of that percentage, how many can and actually want to buy one and play it?

I'm convinced that this audience is gradually becoming more and more sophisticated in their gaming tastes, because more and more of them are buying more and more intriguing games. Eurogames, for example (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German-style_board_game), once only for a more intense gamer crowd, are becoming more and more mainstream in America. That means that LDS games have to step up to the plate as well, and (pun intended) compete.

Relatively Few Game Publishers in the LDS World

Since the audience is inherently small, Mormon publishers are cautious in entry. There are, however notable examples when they've kicked in: "Feast or Famine", "Warriors of the Promised Land", "Hagoth".

Games can be more expensive to produce than books, and don't usually sell as well, so it's a bigger risk for a publisher to invest in one. And, since fewer publishers handle games, they don't seem to be as confident marketing them as well.

Game Designing Ain't Easy

Even though there are a handful of LDS artists, writers, and musicians that are pros, I don't know of anyone who makes a full-time living designing games for the LDS market. And the time it can take to hatch an idea and take it through multiple cycles of prototyping and playtesting can sometimes stretch into years. All done as a labor of creative love, before the publisher even hears an intial pitch.

In spite of all this, I am ever optimistic. I've seen good games be concieved, prototyped, tested, and published. It can be done, and it is being done!

Mark Hansen

Why There Aren't More Good Mormon Games, Part 1

2011-04-15T11:23:00.001-06:00

Sticking with the current topic of why there aren't good LDS themed games available, today we've got a guest post by Mark Hansen. You can learn a little more about Mark from his blog: Mo' Boy Blog (here) and find out about the game he is designing, Chapter & Verse (here).

Show us what you've got Mark!

What IS a Good Mormon Game?

One of the first issues that comes into my mind is simply to ask what we're really talking about. I mean, how can we ask about good Mormon games if we're not really sure what a good Mormon Game is?

I'd like to break the definition into three main areas. First of all, a great Mormon game would have a good theme, that's recognizably LDS. The concept of the game would be clear. Second, a good Mormon game would be relevant to the Gospel in some way. Third, the game's mechanics would have to be fun, clear, and simple. Let's look at these concepts one at a time.

Theme

This is somewhat controversial, but I think that for a game to be called a "Mormon Game", it needs to look and feel Mormon. It should be set in a Mormon scriptural or cultural setting, have Mormon iconography in the graphics, and generally be "about" something LDS. That doesn't mean that it has to be serious. It can be very light and entertaining, like "Split the Ward"

I've seen a number of games designed by church members that are just good, healthy family games. I love playing them. But, I don't consider them to be "Mormon Games".

Gospel Relevance

To carry on with that theme, I like it when a Mormon game relates to the gospel in some way. The essence of gaming is learning. That doesn't mean it has to be heavy-handed preaching, but if the game play basically breaks down to a game of numbers that happens to have gospel characters printed on the cards, then the game, at its core, is not really a "Mormon game". It's just a game, that happens to look Mormon.

So, games that remind me of Gospel concepts while I'm playing really interest me. If a game mechanic rewards me for making a game choice that is in line with the Gospel, that's great! I know that I often overthink things, but I wonder about Mormon games where the rules actively reward a player who "digs a pit for his neighbor". This makes it challenging to make a competitive game. While there are currently some exciting things being done with cooperative games, there is still a common expectation to have a "winner". And that's not really a bad thing. I do feel, however, that competition needs to be handled carefully. What does it teach when the Gadianton or the Babylonian player wins the game?

Mechanics & Game Play

This is where it gets very difficult. This is the part where all of those lofty ideals have to get translated into practical rules and game mechanics that make it easy to learn, quick to play, fun, and challening all at once. The rules have to make it effective to pay attention to the gospel principles involved, without beating them over your head in a preachy way.

The game must be abstract enough to be easy to grasp and play, and yet concrete enough to fit into the theme and engage the players' imaginations.

The game mechanics must be tested over and over again, and people must push extreme strategies in the testing process to make sure parts of the game aren't broken.

I would want the game to be original, not a rebranded version of an old, non-mormon game. Let's get creative and explore some new territory.

Now, honestly, I can't think of a single Mormon game (including the ones that I've designed) that meet all of these criteria perfectly. I don't think it exists. I'm not sure that it can exist. There are probably other game designers in the church that disagree with me, and think that these ideals are not what we should be shooting for and that such a game shouldn't exist. I'm cool with that. I do think that these are ideals that we can work toward.

In the meantime, we can still create great games that help us all to celebrate our "Mormon-ness", and have a great time doing it all together!

Mark Hansen

New Game Design Experiment, Part 1

2011-04-01T16:00:00.006-06:00

The recent post on the BYU Universe (here) site got me to thinking (even more than usual) about creating better LDS themed games. I also think it would be great to get a bunch of people involved in such an effort. So, to that end I propose that we try a little experiment.

It would be a lot of fun to give everyone a chance to have say and input in the process of going from an idea to an actual, finished game. Besides, in my experience, especially with game design, having different perspectives and ideas really helps produce a better end product. I'm not exactly sure how it's all going to work yet, but I am excited to at least attempt to put something together and see what happens. So, this is how we'll start the experiment: the theme or setting for the game. For example, the game could involve the Nephites fighting the Lamanites in an effort to recover the cities they lost (think the time of Captain Moroni), or trying to get all your families home taught each month could be the name of the game. Whatever you think would make an enjoyable game.

So, if you'd like to put in your 2-cents just fill in the box below with your idea. Any and all ideas will be displayed on the Game Design Experiment page (here). Alternatively, you could post a comment here and let us know what you think. After we've got several ideas submitted, then perhaps we can have a vote on what everyone thinks would be the best option.

Let's brainstorm it up!!

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LDS themed games not catching on

2011-03-31T08:36:00.001-06:00

A recent post on the BYU Universe website (here) talks about the fact that LDS-inspired games are not catching on. Daphna (the author) talks about the Wilkinson Student Center at BYU and how students are able to check games out (for FREE!). The library at the student center does not contain a single LDS-themed game (I better get them a copy of Hagoth).

Some choice quotes, talking about LDS-themed games, from the article:

Joy Hopkins (one of the employee who works in the Wilkinson Student Center) said: “Some people here embrace corny Mormon things. Some people don’t. Not enough people think it’s cool or fun.”

Jacob Mecham (a sophomore at BYU studying music) said: “I think they’re copouts. I just think we shouldn’t buy games just because they’re Mormon-themed.”

Patrick O'Sullivan (owner of Games People Play in the University Mall) said: “Board games are competitive. You have to have a plan to win. That’s what people like best. People perceive Mormon board games as not as competitive or great strategy games, more educational about scriptures and skewed to a younger audience.”

This displays for us a clear perception, held by many people, that LDS-themed games are corny, poorly designed/conceived, non-competitive, and usually made for a younger audience. Why are there not more good, quality LDS-themed board games?

I agree with the points from the article. Most LDS-themed games have been remakes of already published games. A lot of them are rather corny or sometimes childish. I've also seen a lot of trivia based games, not that trivia games don't have their place, but it's like Patrick said, "more educational about scriptures." When I see an LDS-themed trivia game, I think to myself, "this game is just trying to teach me about the scriptures."

What, if anything, can be done to help change this state of affairs? Is there a way that this perception can be transformed into something different, even better?

What do you think?

Good Knight Games Guys Talk Feast & Famine

2011-01-19T16:14:00.003-07:00

In November of 2010 Shadow Mountain and Good Knight Games released Feast & Famine: Joseph in Egypt. Recently, Ryan Braman (artist for Feast & Famine) and Jason Conforto (designer of Feast & Famine) answered some of our questions about the game, it's development, illustration, and publication. The interview is included below.

Can you give us a little background info on the two of you?

Jason: Ryan and I grew up together in San Diego, CA. We started making short films with our friends when we were in junior high and we both ended up in creative fields later on in life: I studied film while Ryan went into illustration. We have always wanted to work professionally together on a creative project, and Feast & Famine was our first real opportunity to do that. With Feast & Famine, we ended up starting a game company called Good Knight Games (here).

Ryan: I went to school at BYU Idaho, and to BYU for a year, and then transferred to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena to study Illustration. Prior to teaming up with Jason I had worked several years at Midway Home Entertainment in their Creative Services department. Our team mainly focused on print production for packaging, marketing, public relations, and trade shows. It was a great starting job.

Jason, how did you get into designing games?

Jason: I got into game design by changing the rules of the games that I played. I know a lot of people who think it is morally wrong to not follow the rules as they are written out in the rule book, but for me rules don’t matter as long as they are agreed upon and apply to everyone playing. So as I played games I would always be thinking, “How could this game be more fun?” And then I would change the rules. Eventually the rules required making additional game pieces. Sometimes I would improve the games, and other times I would just make them too complicated to play. I started making my own games based on other people’s games, which led to creating games with completely original game play.

How did the design for Feast & Famine come about?

Jason: Feast & Famine started out as a game where you had 12 months to collect a year’s supply of food, and then you had to try to survive on that food for another year. I was happy with the Feast side of that game but the Famine side just felt like undoing everything that you had done, and really who wants to play a game about powdered milk and canned goods anyway? The solution came from the Bible story of Joseph in Egypt. That theme gave Ryan the opportunity to draw upon Egyptian art, and his art is what attracts people to the game, and keeps them playing.

Can you give us a little insight into how you developed the game once you had the design in mind (throwing ideas back and forth, play-testing, how long did the entire process take, etc)?

Jason: This game was over a year in the making. I would come up with an idea and then spend hours making cheap game pieces to play the game. Then as I would play the game with my very patient wife I would discover things I needed to change. From there I would spend more time making the changes and we would play again. We did that for weeks on end. Once the game started to get good we started playing it with friends to test it out. It took a long time to find the right balance for this game. The most important balance is always strategy and luck, but with this game I had to balance education and entertainment, and since it was religious education I also wanted to make sure it was accurate without being preachy. I hoped to make a game that was easy enough for kids to play and challenging enough for adults to want to keep playing.

Ryan, how much were you involved in the development of Feast & Famine (did you participate much in the design of the gameplay)?

Ryan: I didn’t really have much involvement in the initial design of the Feast & Famine gameplay. Jason basically approached me with a finished paper prototype he had created using Excel and some playing cards he had placed different kinds of heart-shaped stickers on. We had a game night at his house so I could get a feel for the game and discuss the different items that would need to be designed. The nice thing about the paper prototype was that it still left a lot up to the imagination. Jason was pretty open to new ideas that would enhance the gameplay and the overall visual design of the game. Some of the game items evolved over time such as the design of the seven-sided gameboard. We went back and forth with different sketches and a few versions before we reached the final solution. So the core gameplay was already there–my job then, was to take it from the concept stage to the finished product.

Have you designed any other games?

Jason: I have designed dozens of games; board games, party games, card games . . . games about pirates, zombies, Mayan ruins, the mafia and more. Plus we are now starting to develop games for the iphone and other devices. We hope to publish a few games every year.

Why did you choose Deseret Book/Shadow Mountain as the publisher, or did you pitch the game to other companies, and how did that process go?

Jason: We actually designed this game specifically for Shadow Mountain. We had other publishers as back-ups just in case they decided to pass on the game, but our pitch went well with them and we never had to shop the game around to anyone else.

Ryan, had you done any game art before Feast & Famine

Ryan: I had. When I worked at Midway I spent most of my workdays creating game covers such as Mortal Kombat and Rampage Total Destruction, designing packaging, working on concept designs, and some 2d and 3d animation. I also worked on creating my own game designs, which were illustrated with concept screens that I had mocked up when work was slow. Midway accepted game submissions from its employees so I pitched some of these illustrated game design docs to the Review Board. One actually made it pretty far, but never made it into production. Feast & Famine is my first foray into the world of board gaming, but my background in the video game industry helped make the transition to board games pretty seamless.

Ryan, the art looks beautiful on Feast & Famine and I agree that it is a definite draw to the game. How long did it take for you to finish? How involved was Jason in that process?

Ryan: I started work on the art for Feast & Famine early 2009, and worked on it off and on for a year. At the time I was also working a job as a surveyor and doing some illustration and design consulting on the side. Jason was heavily involved in the development of the artwork for the game. We started off designing the food tiles, passing art and emails back and forth. Once the artwork for the tiles was finished I printed off a whole sheet of tiles and mounted them on matte board and cut them out. I remember pouring them all out on Jason’s dining room table and us both just staring at how cool they looked in a pile. After seeing them finished we were super excited to move on to the game boards, etc.

Jason, can you tell us a little about pitching the game to Deseret Book/Shadow Mountain?

Jason: The smartest thing we did in pitching this game was finishing the art first. I’m not sure we would have been able to pitch the game to Shadow Mountain had we not had our art finished. That being said, creating the art upfront also added a very real element of risk once you consider all of our printing, time, and other costs.

As soon as we were done playing the game during the pitch we were informed that they wanted to publish the game. The following week Shadow Mountain had an additional internal approval process that we were not a part of, but we got past that as well. Our initial pitch was in February of 2010, and we were told that we were barely in time from Christmas of that year. Feast & Famine released in stores on Nov 5, 2010.

Many game designers who have hopes of getting their games published read our blog. Can you go a little more into detail on the pitch to Shadow Mountain for us (did you call/email them, send them a game summary or rules first, sounds like you went to their offices and played the game, how did that go, etc)?

Jason: Our experience was not typical since I have had a long working relationship with many of the key players at Shadow Mountain and have worked on a bunch of non-game related projects (mostly film) with them. So it was by no means a cold pitch. Shadow Mountain typically does not publish board games so I did have to call in a few favors to make this happen.

Ryan, Jason said that you had all the art done before pitching it to Shadow Mountain, sounds like a lot of work to put in before even knowing that the game would be published. Did the two of you have any plans to run the production yourselves if it was not picked up by another publisher or did you have other companies in mind that would have been approached had Shadow Mountain decided to pass?

Ryan: Yeah, the way you see the game in Deseret Book is pretty much identical to the prototype, except for the velvet-lined drawstring bag my wife sewed, and the small faux alligator skin suitcase we used to carry all of the pieces in. It was a lot of work for sure. Jason and I had talked loosely about presenting the game to other publishers in the area. We also threw around the idea of self-publishing if no one was interested. It was decided early on that it would be an easier sell to potential publishers if we produced a working prototype that looked like a finished, production quality game. Doing that really helped our cause.

Was it difficult to bring this project to fruition working together? What kinds of things did you learn working as a team? Will you be collaborating on more in the future?

Ryan: It was difficult for us both trying to get this project off the ground–not from working together because I think we work together great, but because we had been pouring all of this time and money into a project with an unforeseen end. There was a very real risk involved. On paper neither one of us had any business taking on the risk of trying to create a board game. What got us through those times of uncertainty was we both had a vision of what Feast & Famine could be, and that it could be a lot bigger than just one guy’s game idea or just an artist’s work. Working with Jason has been great; he has a lot of great game ideas and is a real go-getter. He doesn’t let anything stand in the way of his goals. We will definitely be collaborating on more Good Knight Games projects in the future.

Jason: As far as working with Ryan goes, that was great. I had very specific ideas for what I wanted with the art and no talent to make it happen. Ryan on the other hand has more talent than he knows what to do with, and he was very excited to work with me on the project. I would like to say that Ryan captured my vision for the game and that is what we have today, but the truth is he went so far beyond what I was expecting that it made my original ideas seem simplistic and lame. We have a good working relationship because we have very complimentary skill sets. We are currently working on several other projects and we plan on working on many more after that.

Should we be looking forward to more from Good Knight Games, if so, what kinds of things can we expect?

Jason: In December of 2010 we released the first half of Feast & Famine as an iPad app, the full version will be available later this year. In February of 2011 we will be releasing RETROPlay’s game Reverse Charades as an app for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android. We plan on producing a few projects every year.

Thanks for taking time to talk with us and sharing your experiences.
The game can be purchased on Deseret Book (here).

Teaching LDS Children

2011-01-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a website/blog dedicated to providing suggestions for teaching our children the Gospel: Teaching LDS Children. These suggestions come in several different forms. For example, Sabbath Day Holy #1 (here) is a game/object lesson where the family works together, or on teams, to place the creation pictures in the correct order (according to the day when it was created).

Not necessarily a "game" per say, but an activity that kids can get involved in. This is followed by discussion of the order and the day that is missing, the Sabbath day, with an appeal to the scriptures as well.

Another example is the Missionary #5 - Song (here) that helps kids learn about the song Because I Have Been Given Much. Each part of the song is printed on slips of paper. They are discussed and added to a display board. This helps kids not only learn the words of the song, but also to grasp the meaning of what they are singing.

The site is set up very nicely, making it easy to see and find what has been put up so far. Along the right hand side of the site posts are listed by category, and there are quite a few. Some categories even have multiple ideas. For example, Word of Wisdom has 5 different ideas.

Dice Tower Review of Hagoth

2010-12-27T23:37:00.000-07:00

Tom Vasel, of the Dice Tower, posted a video review of Hagoth. It's included below. Enjoy!!

Win a copy of Caractor Match from Keystone Games!

2010-12-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

Keystone Games is giving away 2 copies of Caractor Match! If you want to get your chance of winning one of those copies you'll need to solve some puzzles. Three puzzles have been released (here's a write up about it). For every puzzle you solve correctly your name will be entered in the drawing. In other words, you can get your name entered 3 times max!

The puzzles aren't too terribly difficult to solve (in my opinion). You'll need a little bit of knowledge from the Book of Mormon, or just have your Book of Mormon handy to look stuff up.You have to submit your answers to keystonegamesllc@gmail.com by the tenth of December.

Good luck to everyone! Have fun solving some puzzles!!

Deseret Book Top 10 Games & Puzzles

2010-11-10T14:46:00.001-07:00

Deseret Book keeps a listing of the top 10 selling products in the various categories on their website. As of today the top 10 in the Games & Puzzles category (here) are as follows (each title is linked to it's Deseret Book page):

10 = Articles of Faith Superstar

9 = Hope on the Horizon (puzzle)

8 = It Came to Pass (read the review)

7 = Book of Mormon Battles (read the review)

6 = Trek to Zion

5 = Capture: A Book of Mormon Card Game

4 = Book of Mormon Who?

3 = Who's Your Hero (Book of Mormon Floor Puzzle)

2 = Feast & Famine: Joseph in Egypt

and...

1 = Search, Ponder, & Play (read the review)

Board Game Family Reviews Hagoth!

2010-10-22T15:17:00.000-06:00

The fine family over at Board Game Family played and reviewed Hagoth (here). They give a nice write-up of what they think and they also provide a video detailing how to play (embedded below).

Green Jellow with Carrots

2010-10-21T11:13:00.000-06:00

Here we have a website with all kinds of resources, ranging from t-shirts to clipart to stickers to scrapbooking. But the coolest part for me was the BIG list of games and activities that are available for purchase and download (here's the list)! Prices range from FREE to $21.49.

There are a bunch of "file folder" type games where you print the content, cut and laminate, and adhere some of it to a file folder. Then you can play with the laminated pieces inside the folder. This is pretty much an activity, not so much a game, but I'm sure they provide fun times for younger kids.

Several differently themed BINGO games (Book of Mormon to Noah's Ark) are included in the list.

Puzzles are also included in the list, although, I don't know about everyone else, but cutting a puzzle out is quite a big deal.

Missionary Clue (here) looks like it's probably the most in-depth game in the list. From the site:

Which family will be converted? Why did they choose to listen to the Gospel? Figure it out as the Missionaries move across the board gathering clues. This game is great for kids who can read. It would make an excellent FHE game or something to play on a regular game night.

Pieces of the game stand up, giving the game a 3-D feel. It's best if you print it on heavy paper to make things nice and sturdy.

Everything is included to play the game. Including:
• 6 sets of missionaries
• 8 homes
• 8 families
• 2 Church buildings
• game board
• "Clue Keeper"
• guessing cards
• die (fold into cube)
• etc.

It's nice to see places online where games and activities are available!

Hagoth: Builder of Ships: A Review

2010-09-27T11:22:00.009-06:00

A Review of Hagoth: Builder of Ships

by Jon Cooper

Introduction

Mike and I know one another because of his game "Hagoth: Builder of Ships." I wrote a review of Hagoth on another website (Board Game Geek: here), and dropped Mike a note letting him know how much I enjoyed the game. We've chatted back and forth over the last few months about games and game design, and this on-going conversation has culminated in Mike asking if I'd consider writing a review of Hagoth for his blog - and I'm happy to do so.

To give you some background about myself, game-wise, I've played a variety of table top games since I was a kid. There's nothing I enjoy more than passing an evening of games with my wife and good friends...well, I guess there's one other thing: passing an entire weekend of games with my wife and good friends! Our gaming collection (my wife enjoys table top games, as well) includes traditional American board games, like Monopoly and Scrabble, party games, like Apples to Apples and Wits and Wagers, collectible/living card games, like Magic: The Gathering and Call of the Cthulhu, miniatures war games, like Warmachine, and hobby table top games, including Eurogames (like Caylus and Finca) and American-style games (like A Touch of Evil and Arkham Horror). You might say that I'm a relatively well-rounded gamer: if it has dice, cards, chits, tokens, a board, or pawns, I'm there!

There are numerous reasons why I game, and my reasons have certainly evolved since I was a teenager. Being a husband and a father, one of my motivations for gaming is to spend time with my family. For us, "spending time together" can take just a little bit of work. If we don't spend some time thinking about what to do together, well, we end up in front of the television - which some nights is fine. But as a source of quality family interaction, "let's just watch whatever's on" is a bit low on the "time well spent" scale. Table top games provide us with a qualitatively better experience.

But playing table top games as a family is not exactly a silver bullet. The reality of it is that many of the games that we as consumers can pick up at the local department store have limited replayability. This is to say that most games on the shelves of popular department stores can get boring to play rather quickly. And boring does not equal fun. One of the reasons that these department store games lack table top longevity, among other reasons, is because they remove the agency of the players: roll a die, move a pawn, do whatever the board says. Or some variation on this theme. And many of the games that seem to offer more are simply a bit more clever at hiding it than the others. Popular party games, while fun, generally lack any strategic or tactical depth - which means that they live or die by their novelty. By definition, after a few plays, the novelty wears off. This isn't to say that we don't enjoy department store games or party games - only that as a source of continual quality family time, they tend to be limited.

Some level of choice, then, is an important ingredient for our family in continually enjoying a game. But that's not all. Games that make it back to our kitchen table or living room floor more than once also must pass two tests for my family. First, after a game or gaming session is complete, we automatically and without planning spend the next fifteen or twenty minutes talking about high and low points, turning points, what we should have done or tried to do, etc. In other words, we relive the fun moments of the game - whether those moments are devastating or glorious! The second test is that we want to play again. If the game is short enough or if we have enough time (or enough energy: I miss being able to stay up past ten playing games...), we'll combine our strategy talk with setting the game up again. If we don't have time or energy or whatever, then the game is sure to make an appearance as soon as possible - usually the next night.

The point of this review is to evaluate Hagoth given these criteria, as well as some extra criteria that Mike asked of me, namely: game play for families and ease of learning. The target audience for this review is families who may play table top games together from time to time, but are not into table top gaming as a hobby. This is not to suggest that I'm out to convert anyone. But it is my hope that by the end of this review, not only will you have a good idea of the quality of Hagoth as a game, but that you may even have an interest in using table top games as facilitators of quality family time.

This review is divided into the following sections: first, there is a brief outline of the rules and a quick overview of the components (the bits and pieces that the game comes with). Then, a quick example of play will be presented so potential players can have an idea of what a few turns of Hagoth look like. Finally, Hagoth will be evaluated according to the criteria I outlined above.

Game Play

In Hagoth, players take on the role of ship builders who compete to build ships and successfully sail them from Bountiful to the Land Northward. Completing ships as well as arriving at the Land Northward score players victory points (VPs); the first to 25 VPs wins.

Players start out with 5 cards; on their turn, they can either play two cards, or take a free action. If a player chooses to play two cards, they must also draw two cards. Taking a free action means that a player cannot draw new cards. There are two types of cards: cards that let you do something, and cards that are parts of ship blueprints. Blueprint cards are used in the construction of ships: players use them to complete one of five ship designs. Different designs are worth different point values, and also take different amounts of time to sail. Designs that require more cards are worth more points and take longer to sail. Once a ship blueprint is complete, it must be built. This is done by first, collecting wood (this is done through cards or as a free action, and employs a four-sided dice, popularly referred to as a d4), then placing that wood on the completed blueprint (also done through cards or a free action). Once all parts of the blueprint are built, the ship sets sail. When a ship sets sail, the player immediately scores points. The player will again score points once the ship reaches the Land Northward. Sailing is accomplished through playing cards or through a free action. There are also cards that hinder your opponent, either by skipping their turn, removing pieces from their blueprints, sending their sailing ships back a space, or even removing a piece of wood from a blueprint card. Players can only sail two ships at a time, and can only work on two ships at a time - they can, however, swap blueprint cards between ships that are not being built at any time, and can use any combination of ship designs as they choose.

Components

The box comes with 100 playing cards, 50 wood tokens, 8 ship tokens, 4 victory point markers, a d4, a game board, and a rules book. Many of the components are top notch: the rules book is on glossy paper, full color, and filled with illustrations and examples. The board is of exceptionally good quality: sturdy, functional, and certainly able to stand up to repeated use. The artwork is outstanding, both on the board and on the cards. Further, the tokens are of the quality one would expect from the industry's leader in Eurogame accessories, Mayday Games. Each color gets two ships, each pair of which are of different sizes - that's a nice touch.

There is some concern with component quality, however: The cards are not printed on the best card stock. I actually bent two during sleeving. Also, the d4 is really light weight. I replaced it with a heavier one. These concerns notwithstanding, for the MSRP and the fun game play, I'm not overly disappointed in these shortcomings. The fact that Mayday sent out a free pack of sleeves for the cards also mitigates my concern over how well the cards will stand up to game play. For being a small game company, it's a great deal.

An Example of Play

So imagine that you're playing a two player game against your spouse and it's your first turn. In your hand, you have two blueprint cards, a card that lets you Go Wooding, and a Build card with the number 2 in the corner. You choose to pay the two blueprint cards, which just so happen to fit together to complete the blueprint of a tiny ship! You end your turn by drawing two new cards: another blueprint, and one Sail card. Your spouse takes their first turn, playing one blueprint card, and attacking you with a Remove card, which allows them to remove one blueprint card from a blueprint that is not yet built - that is, that does not yet have wooden tokens on it. They draw their two new cards, and it's back to you.

Fortunately, the blueprint card you drew last turn is the same blueprint card that just got discarded, so you first play this card, and then play your Go Wooding card. You need wood to complete your blueprint, and this is the card that allows you to acquire the wood. To do so, you roll once on the d4: you roll a 3, and take three wood tokens. Your turn is over, and you draw two new cards: a blueprint, and a Sail card. Your spouse takes their turn, playing two blueprint cards, and finishes by drawing two new cards.

It's your turn, and you're ready to get your new boat built and in the water: you play your Build card with the number 2 on it, allowing you to place 2 wood tokens on the cards of any completed blueprint. You place one on each of the cards that make up your completed ship, leaving you with 1 wood token left over for future ships. This completes the ship, allowing you to place a ship token on the board on the track that matches your completed ship. This earns you an automatic 1 point, and you move your score marker accordingly on the VP track. Finally, to end your turn, you play your Sail card, moving your just completed ship to the other side of the sea to the Land Northward, earning yourself another 1 point. You draw two cards, and your turn is over.

As you can see, Hagoth is a very fast-paced game that seldom has down time. Once in awhile you may be unable to play a card, but the free actions come in handy here. And if worst comes to worse, you can always discard two cards and draw two new ones to replenish your hand as your turn actions.

Evaluation of Hagoth
This is a very fun game. It's easy to teach, easy to learn, and fun to play. What was surprising to us was the tension that the game maintained: it had an unexpected, but awesome, race-game feel to it. This, no doubt, is because of the "first to 25 VP" winning condition.

1. The "Choice" Test. As is obvious from the rules overview and the game play example, this game provides players a number of choices on their turn. But it's not just choice that the game offers, its aching choices, the kind of choices you have to make between five options, all of which you need to do now. In real life, this is a painful situation; in the world of table top gaming, however, it provides for an excellent gaming experience. By only allowing players to do a fraction of the actions that they need to take each turn, Hagoth extends the game tension already present in the racing aspect. The attack-style cards add to the tension by allowing you to mischievously usurp your opponents' choices!

2. The "That was so cool" Test. This test refers to the post-game debriefing: to what extent are we talking about the game after we finish up a session. Hagoth lends itself well to this aspect, and passes the test. For us, the conversation usually revolves around, "If I just could have..." or "I can't believe you played that card at that moment!" Hagoth is not a heavily strategic game by any stretch, so we talk less about strategy and a bit more about tactical choices. This does not mean that the game lacks strategies, however, so we do spend some time focusing on this, as well. Most of our conversation focuses on linchpin moments. In the end, it doesn't matter what we're talking about specifically. What's important is that we're talking about how much fun the game was.

3. The "Let's play again" Test. Hagoth also passes this test! We can run through 3-5 games a night before it's our bed time, and often we'll try to throw a quick game in during lunch time. Because it's a race game, it leaves us with a feeling of "Ok, ok, again, I got it this time." Basically, Hagoth is for us a text book case of the gambler's fallacy: "I lost sooooo badly this time, that there's no way I can lose that bad again. Just one...more...game!"

So what about ease of game play for families and learning the game? Without drawing out the issue, let me just say that it's a great family night game. One of the reasons it's so good is because it's rule set is quite simple. When I teach this game, it generally takes 5 minutes, and that includes an example or two of what game turns look like, as well as explaining who Hagoth is. It's also a good game for younger kids: it helps reinforce the idea of taking turns, teaches them how to plan ahead, demonstrates how choices result in consequences, and introduces them to dice with less than six sides. It's a win-win situation!

Clearly, I'm a fan of Hagoth, and feel comfortable suggesting that it would fit well in any board game collection. Even hard core gamers may find it an enjoyable light-weight Eurogame. Now the criteria that I used for evaluating Hagoth aren't all our criteria for enjoying a game, but they're some of the biggies. The fact is, this is a review, not an essay on what makes a game fun. The quick and dirty conclusion to that question is "whatever you enjoy!" and for whatever reason. Given the outstanding price-tag, there's no reason you shouldn't pick up or at least try a copy of Hagoth to find out if it's fun for you and your family. It may introduce you to a whole new way to spend time with your family.

Using Mike's system of ratings, I give this game 4 Moroni meeples - one off for some component issues.

Because I prefer probabilities over Likert scales, I will also use the d6 Generation's rating system, and give this game a 3+ (basically, using the results of a d6, what are the odds that the "average" gamer, whoever that may be, would enjoy this game; the odds of rolling a 3 or higher on a d6 are 4/6).

Review written and images supplied by Jon Cooper,

who can be contacted at: jcentdecker@gmail.com

Capture: A Book of Mormon Card Game

2010-09-22T09:45:00.001-06:00

Looks like we've got a fast-moving Book of Mormon based card game here. Designed by Stephen Wood and published by Deseret Book, this game is all about matching things from the Book of Mormon. Players attempt to "create a moment from the Book of Mormon." Match Lehi with the Brass Plates or Samuel the Lamanite with the walls of Zarahemla.

From the Deseret Book website:

Capture: A Book of Mormon Card Game is a fast-paced, cardchanging, thrilling adventure. Be the first to collect Lehi and the brass plates, or Samuel the Lamanite on the walls of Zarahemla. But don’t blink! This game moves fast! Multiple action cards keep the game exciting as players struggle to create a moment from the Book of Mormon—the first one to do it wins! A fun game for the entire family.

Helps players become more familiar with Book of Mormon characters and events
Great for ages four and up
A perfect family night activity

This is up for pre-order right now (here). I can't find an actual release date.

Find Hagoth on LDS Board Games

LDSBoardGames.com

2010-09-20T21:01:00.000-06:00

So if you've ever wanted to buy an LDS themed game you've found the mecca of LDS themed games:

LDS Board Games (here) is a site that has a listing for pretty much every LDS themed game ever sold! It's broken down into type of game as well: Board Games, Card Games, Party Games, Table Top Games (none in this category as of yet), and even Used Games. They aren't all available for purchase, as many are out of print and hard to find. But, if it's for sale somewhere, there's a link to that somewhere so that you can purchase it!!

Another really cool aspect of the site is that independent game designers can publish their games to the world! So, if you've got an LDS themed game that you've designed up and are ready to start selling, you can get the game listed on the site for all to see and buy!!

Anyway, all in all it looks like a great site with lots of good information regarding LDS themed games. Go check it out!!

Introducing Keystone Games!

2010-09-08T14:32:00.000-06:00

Well, I wanted to let everyone know that we've got our little company up and running! Keystone Games, LLC is our start-up that will focus on providing fun, original LDS-themed games (board, card, video, ARG, all types). These games will be focused mostly on getting families together to share some fun quality time together. They will also help people learn a little about the Gospel and church history, LDS culture, etc.

With this we'd also like to announce our first game: Caractor Match! It's a card game (for 2 to 6 players) in which players collect cards with matching characters on them. Each turn a player draws until they have 5 cards in hand, then plays any matches, and finally discards 1 card. The first player to collect the winning number of matching sets (which varies by number of players), wins the game!!

Caractor Match plays in 10 to 20 minutes by players 5 years old and up. To learn more check it out! (here) We are starting out with a pre-order for the game. Once 200 copies have been pre-ordered the game will go into production and will then be shipped as soon as they arrive!

You can follow Keystone Games, LLC on Facebook (here). We'll keep everyone updated as to the number of pre-orders, production progress, etc.

Search, Ponder, & Play: A Review

2010-08-27T10:04:00.001-06:00

Search, Ponder, and Play is a game published by Covenant Communications. It's based on Andy Looney's Aquarius (here). And when it was first published had quite a bit of controversy surrounding it (read about it here). The game is for 2-5 players and, because of the way the game can be played, can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes.

How to Play
The gameplay is pretty straight forward, each player is dealt one of the Search cards (there are 5, one for each book of scripture: Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price). The card you are dealt determines your goal for that round. The goal is to get a total of 7 images, that match your Search card, to connect. I know, that doesn't make much sense, but it will in just a minute.

So, on your turn, you draw a card and then play a card to the table. Cards may be played as long as at least a part of the side of the card you play matches a part of the side of a card already on the table (you place it along side of that card, like in the picture below; you can see that the yellow has 4 images connected at the moment).

So, if you have the yellow Search card, then you'd need 3 more yellow images to connect to those 4 in some fashion or other. Your Search card stays hidden so that other players don't know what you are going after, but you can start to deduce what Search cards other players have as the game progresses.

There are also cards that let you, for example, pick up a card from the table, move a card on the table, or even switch hands with another player. These are the Ponder cards. The cards you play to the table, that have the different images on them, those are the Play cards. That's how you get the whole Search, Ponder, & Play!

The game also includes a pad of paper where you can list every player and the different Search cards they've won with. The rules suggest playing until one player has won with all 5 different Search cards, but for what the game is, that takes way too long. I mean, you might win one time with the blue and then be dealt the blue Search card again, yes, you might be able to switch Search cards in the middle of a round and win with another color, but it would just take too long, for me anyway, playing until someone wins with all 5 Search cards. Just playing as many rounds as you like, keeping track of who wins each one, that is easier for me to handle.

I'm giving it a 4 out of 5!

Overall, I think the game is easy to learn, quick to play, and contains a little strategy (like how you place cards on the table, making sure to leave a bunch of open sides of the color you are going after; the rules state that you can start blocking your opponents during the game, but that's only if you've been able to deduce what Search card they have, so that strategy might work in). Kids can also play the game, making it a nice family game. I recommend giving it a try if you haven't yet!

Buy from www.ldsboardgames.com

LDS Bookseller's Association Convention

2010-08-09T12:49:00.000-06:00

So, I spent a day and a half last week in Sandy at the LDS Bookseller's Association Convention Trade-show. I got to show off Hagoth! It was a lot of fun! I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting it to be, but I think things went pretty well. Not a whole lot of orders or sales there at the convention, but lots of connections made and new people and organizations found.

One quick example was Sounds of Zion (here). I was unaware of exactly what they do. In essence they are a distributor of LDS products. So, Mayday Games needs to hook up with them and get Hagoth out into more and more stores that are aimed at the LDS community in general. Deseret Book is a good start, but why not get out there in all the stores that sell LDS products!!? Not that I don't think they are going to pursue that, I just think it's important and a great way of getting your product out to LDS people.

I had a lot of fun working the booth. Friday morning I was able to hang out with my wife there in the booth, meeting people, playing Hagoth, and showing others how to play. Overall it was a great learning experience and I'm grateful that Mayday Games gave me the opportunity to attend. Find some more pics of the booth below.

Hagoth Update

2010-07-22T13:39:00.000-06:00

I wanted to give a quick update about Hagoth and how things have been going with sales and whatnot. Overall the reception has been really good. Lots of copies have sold, so many so that Mayday Games is putting in an order for more copies of the game! In fact, they are ordering twice as many as their original order!! The new order will be done by a different manufacturer, which will improve the game's quality. So that's something to look forward to. The only downside of that is that the retail price will be raised slightly, but not really too much.

Also, there is a company in Poland who is working on translations for Hagoth. It will soon be available in: French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Polish!!! This is super cool! Who would have thought that this would turn into an international affair! But, the more the merrier.

Lastly, Mayday will be attending GenCon (here) at the beginning of August in Indianapolis! There are several Hagoth demo "events" scheduled during the show. Plus people can go by the booth and see it there. And we'll have Hagoth at the LDS Bookseller's Association Convention (here) that also takes place at the beginning of August in Salt Lake City. So, the game is getting shown all over the place!

Hagoth on MormonTimes.com

2010-07-19T09:25:00.003-06:00

Several weeks ago I talked with Ryan Morganegg from MormonTimes.com about Hagoth. He was preparing to do a write-up about it. He had played the game and enjoyed it.

The article has finally been posted to MormonTimes.com (here).

Mormon Game Design 101: Episode 03

2010-07-07T15:36:00.000-06:00

Alright, we've finally got the how-to play video ready here. Enjoy!

I've also put together a written how-to play that can be found here. And lastly, if you are interested in giving the game a try, let me know and I'll get you the files needed to put the prototype together.

President Monson must be a gamer!!

2010-07-02T16:46:00.000-06:00

It's interesting how many people are familiar with Monopoly! Here's a great story about President Monson quizzing someone on the different property spaces on the Monopoly board. As we all know, President Monson has pretty much a photographic memory, or at least it seems that way. She never had a chance against him!

Bee Attitudes: A Review

2010-06-18T16:25:00.002-06:00

Published by: Covenant Communications
Illustrated by: Rocky Davies

I've been able to play Bee Attitudes several times with my family. I think we've been able to do this because of how simple the game is. It doesn't take long to play and even my 3 year old gets it. This isn't to say that the game can't be fun. For the most part I enjoy playing it with my kids. But I get ahead of myself. Let's get to what's in the box first.

Bee Attitudes is a card game, so, in the box you'll find a deck of cards. There are 8 different kinds of "Bees" in the deck.

Seven of these are desirable and 1 is not. Can you tell which one that is?

Well, if you guessed the Stinger Bee (it's looks pretty bad, doesn't it?) then you were right!!

The object of the game is to collect as many of the "good" bees as you can. The way that works is that you shuffle the deck, choose a player to go first. That player starts flipping over cards from the deck until 1 of 2 things happens: 1) the player flips over a Stinger Bee or 2) the player decides to stop flipping.

Let's take a look at each scenario. If the player flips over a Stinger Bee all the cards flipped over thus far on that turn are lost!!! If the player decides to stop flipping cards before a Stinger Bee comes up, then all the cards are, what we like to call "banked." Those cards are yours no matter what happens on future turns. Once the deck is gone, everyone counts up their cards and the player with the most cards wins the game!

So, if you like "press your luck" types of games, that's exactly what you've got here. The cards aren't of the highest quality, especially since this is aimed, in my opinion, at younger children. It's pretty easy to bend them. But the artwork is cute and I think does a good job of drawing kids in.

Overall, I give Bee Attitudes a 3 out of 5.

I think it's a game that is simple enough for younger children to understand and play, thus adding to the options a family with younger children would have. I also like that it's easy to get out and set up and start playing. Really quick! But the low quality of cards really lowers my rating here. I mean, the cards won't last too long if this game gets played a lot.

I wanted to add here a variant that we like to play in my house. We change the object to be the first player to collect all 7 "good" bees. So you can bank your cards when you like, as is the normal rule, but you are really looking to collect at least 1 of each of the 7 types. So, we just discard any extra bees that we collect and reshuffle the deck when the need arises.

Buy from www.ldsboardgames.com

Finally, Another Drawing!!

2010-06-14T09:15:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, you're all thinking, "It's about time!!!" We've needed to have another drawing for some sweet prizes for a little while now, but I've put it off and put it off. I guess I can say I apologize. I've just had a lot going on with holidays and school and whatnot, but the wait is over!!

And the winner is...

John Burns!!

He is now the proud owner (as soon as he contacts me with an address) of the Armor of God. Congratulations John!

Don't forget to spread the word and let others know that they can enter to win games by becoming a Facebook fan of Mormon Game Design.

Mormon Game Design 101: Episode 02

2010-05-27T12:55:00.001-06:00

This is the 2nd video in the Armor of God Jr series. In it I cover prototyping the game. Enjoy!

The two sites I mention in the video are:
Children's Bible Studies: here
Free LDS Art: here

I wanted to give a big thanks to them for having those sites up for us to find and use.
Stayed tuned. The next episode will cover how to play the game. I'll also have a document up that describes the rules and I'll be asking for some feedback from any and all who want to give the game a try. Remember, it's aimed at kids, ages 4 and up, so I'm sure that the older crowd won't be too motivated to give this a play.

Hagoth on Google Maps

2010-05-24T09:27:00.000-06:00

I was just introduced to setting up my own Google Map. So, there is now a map where anyone and everyone can add places where Hagoth: Builder of Ships is available for purchase or yourself if you own the game, you know, those kinds of things. Just in case anyone wants to find it in a retail store nearby or find some stranger that lives near you who you could contact to get in a play of Hagoth!!

View Hagoth : Builder of Ships in a larger map

Feel free to add yourself or a nearby store! The more the merrier!

Top Selling LDS-themed Games

2010-05-17T22:41:00.003-06:00

I went into a Seagull Book this afternoon. I always look at the games that are available. I must say that they do sell everything for less than Deseret Book. And I was interested to find, after doing a quick search (check this link), that the church owns both Deseret Book and Seagull Book. Anyway, I saw that It Came to Pass (here) had a little note on the package declaring that over 40,000 copies had been sold!!! This blew me away! I can't believe that so many copies of the game have sold.

This made me want to figure out the top selling LDS-themed games. So, according to what I've been able to find out this is a list of the top 3 selling games of all time:

1. It Came to Pass
Over 40,000 copies sold!!

2. Settlers of Zarahemla
Over 30,000 copies sold!!

3. Book of Mormon Battles
Over 20,000 copies sold!!

This is great news in my mind. I mean, these games are specifically published for members of the church and that many copies have sold!! I think there is a great market here, with great potential. I'm hoping to see Hagoth sell even a fraction of that many copies!!

Hagoth on Board Game News!

2010-05-11T10:18:00.000-06:00

For a while now I've been wanting to put down on paper the story of Hagoth and how the whole game came to be. Well, a few days ago, Eric from Board Game News (here) asked me if I would be interested in writing a Designers Diary article for his website. So, there was the slight push to get this put together. He just posted the write up (here) for anyone who may be interested in how the game design happened and how it came to be published by Mayday Games and ready for purchase (here).

Recap of Hagoth Release Event

2010-05-10T09:39:00.002-06:00

I figured I'd post this link to Game Night Games (here) that gives a short recap of the release event. There are some nice pictures of the game and of several people playing!

It was a lot of fun! It was great to see other people playing the game and enjoying it. Hopefully we'll be able to set up a few more events like this in an attempt to spread the word a bit more. I would especially like to get one going up here in Logan, but we'll see how that goes.

Hagoth in the News!

2010-05-07T09:26:00.003-06:00

Several really cool things have happened in the news with Hagoth recently.

Yesterday morning on KJZZ tv around 9:45 am or so, Mike Compton from Game Night Games was on for a few minutes and had a copy of the game to show off!! I couldn't watch so if anyone happened to record that short 3 or 4 minutes I would love to see it.

Deseret News posted a nice article yesterday afternoon with a couple pictures of the game, Seth and I (here).

This morning that same article was run in the print edition of the Deseret News!!

Needless to say, I am super excited about all this press. I hope that it helps the sales increase exponentially!!

Don't forget about the release event that will take place tomorrow from noon to four at Game Night Games in Salt Lake City. We'll have copies out for everyone to play and you'll get a 10% discount on the purchase of the game!

Book of Jer3miah

2010-05-03T15:15:00.001-06:00

Two BYU professors and an on campus club wrote and produced an online video series called the Book of Jer3miah (here). The first season is cut up into 20 online episodes that last anywhere from 4 to 14 minutes. The series has quite an interesting storyline: a cool, mysterious little box is given to Jeremiah, who must protect it and not let it fall into the wrong hands. As the episodes progress viewers learn all sorts of new things about Jeremiah, his past, and his future.

It's received several accolades, such as "A tight, suspenseful series..." from the New York Times; selection as one of the official honorees for the 2010 Webby Awards.

So, at this point you may be asking yourself, "how does this fit into LDS themed games?" This is the coolest part of the series: they wanted to provide viewers with not only an interesting story to watch, but they also wanted to provide a sort of alternate reality gaming experience! So, there are clues given throughout the first season that lead viewers to, among other things, places on BYU campus. There's a Professor Davenport character included in the episodes and to go along with that there is a website: The Davenport Papers (here). This is a place for viewers to congregate and share their insights and ideas about the series and the clues.

Also, the supposed "evil" people in the series are part of what is called Zooby News. There is also a website associated with that (here), where you can watch special, extra interviews and things that provide more clues. The season 1 finale was posted to the website in the middle of last year, so things have died down, but there is still hope of there being a 2nd season. I wish I had known about this as it was being released (not that that would have changed much for me, as I live in Logan and don't have an easy way of getting to BYU to search for clues), but it's still fun to go back and see what kinds of things people were finding.

This, in my opinion, is a great thing for LDS film and I hope to see more things like this in the future, not to mention seeing a second season of the Book of Jer3miah!

Deseret Book to Give Hagoth a Try!!

2010-04-29T10:58:00.004-06:00

Deseret Book has committed to give Hagoth a try in their stores!! So, Hagoth will be available in a select number of stores (which ones is still unknown) very soon. This is super exciting news for me (and my family of course)! Maybe one day LDS/Mormon themed games will be more widely available and perhaps become a little more like the mainstream board game scene.

Here's to hoping and acting to make it happen!!

And don't forget to check out the release event down in Salt Lake City next weekend (May 8th) at Game Night Games. Come learn to play the game and if you decide to buy you'll get a 10% discount!

Book of Mormon Clue Card Game

2010-04-26T10:05:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago James H Fullmer posted a Clue card game variant that he put together based on the Book of Mormon (he posted about it on his Sons of Mosiah blog here). The idea is that seminary teachers could use it in class with their students.

What's pretty cool is that Jay has set it up so that actual people from the Book of Mormon are in the game and situations can be set up where the actual event actually happened. For example, Coriantumr invaded the land of Zarahemla and killed Pacumeni (the chief judge) by smiting him against the wall (Helaman 1 here). In more Clue-like lingo: Coriantumr did it (killed Pacumeni) in Zarahemla with the wall.

He provides 7 image files that you print out and cut up for the cards. An 8th file contains the sheets (AKA Detective Sheets) used during game play to keep track of pertinent information. Lastly, there is a document with the rules.

For some reason I really like things with mystery and unknown components. Clue isn't one of my favorites and I think that is because when I was younger I played Clue a lot with my dad. He beat me pretty much every time, never really "taking it easy" on me. But, if you want a Clue adventure set in Book of Mormon times, this is great!!

Hagoth Release Event

2010-04-06T12:03:00.002-06:00

As Hagoth: Builder of Ships is the game I designed and I am super excited for it to finally be out for everyone to play, I of course want to share any and all news about it. So, on Saturday, May 8th there will be a release event/party at Game Night Games in Salt Lake City (here).

2030 South 900 East
(801) 467-2400

The event will run from 12:00 pm (noon) to 4:00 pm. During that time the game will be on sale for 10% off. There will be multiple copies of the game out for customers to play. I'll be there to help others learn to play the game. It's going to be a lot of fun and I hope that lots of people come check it out!

A new winner!!

2010-04-05T09:38:00.002-06:00

So, over the weekend we had several people become fans and start following the blog here. Right now there are 156 fans/followers, so we need to have another drawing. This time the winner will receive a copy of Warriors of the Promised Land by James H. Fullmer (here).

And the winner is...

Leah Benjamin Taloa

Congratulations Leah!! Please contact me via Facebook or email so that I can get your address to send this game out to you.

To the rest of you, don't despair, once we hit 200 fans/followers then we'll have another drawing. I'm working on what game will be given away in that drawing, but you'll know as soon as I do.

General Conference Activities for Kids

2010-03-30T12:45:00.000-06:00

The church has put together a website (here) specifically aimed at providing games and activities for kids that help them keep focused/pay attention more during conference addresses. It looks fantastic!!

The primary general president, Sister Cheryl Lant, said, "Our goal is to teach children the gospel and to engage them in that process so that they really are interested and involved in learning and doing things." (taken from Church News article here)

There are a lot of different activities and games available on the site. For example, there are online matching games, there are coloring pages, and there is a notebook wherein kids can take notes and/or draw pictures about what they hear in the talks given.

All in all, I would say that this is a great resource for families. I can say that my wife and I have had a hard time trying to help our kids pay attention to what is being said. This is a welcomed help in that effort.

Teaching Kids to Play Games

2010-03-23T15:13:00.000-06:00

I recently read an article from the Board Game News website (here). In it, Dale Yu talked about specific guidelines he follows when teaching his kids how to play games. I thought it was a great post, so I am adding my own ramblings to the guidelines he presents.

First, the 5 guidelines (from his post) that he presents:
1. Only teach the kids a game that they want to learn
2. Start with the basics
3. It's OK not to teach them everything at once!
4. Try to shorten the initial games to keep their interest high
5. Finally move onto the full game as they master the smaller parts

Now, my ramblings about each guideline:
1. Only teach the kids a game that they want to learn
I totally agree here. If a child is not interested in a game (or anything for that matter), it will be very difficult to teach them about it. This applies just as well to subjects in school. Our kids just naturally want to learn, but there are certain times when some things are more interesting to them than others. When they are interested in something, that is the time to help them learn about it.

I like how Dale Yu says that he'll just leave some games laying around so that his kids will "run into them." And how they usually are more interested in his games than the games that have been given to them. I find this with my kids as well. Of course, they have times when they want to play their games, but usually it's my games they are more interested in pulling out. These times make for the best opportunity to help them learn the game.

2. Start with the basics
This is good advice. I mean, if you want the kids to stay interested in the game, you've got to make sure to not overload them. Just help them understand the basics that will let them start playing them game. Then you can go along adding things in as needed. Perhaps you'll need to play 3 or 4 times before you've covered everything, but the kids will probably stay motivated to learn.

I've found, with my own kids anyway, that I also need to just let them go sometimes. There are times that they don't really want to learn to play the game. They would prefer instead to just play with the pieces and make things up as they go along. This for me is fantastic!! As I enjoy designing games, I think this gives them an opportunity to use their creativity and design games as well. In this case they are restricted by the pieces that come with the game, but many times they'll bring in other toys or things that are laying around at the time and incorporate them into the game as well. It's great to watch!!

3. It's OK not to teach them everything at once!
For the most part, I think this guideline fits right up there with number 2. Just introduce them to new aspects of the game as you go, as you feel they are ready to learn them.

4. Try to shorten the initial games to keep their interest high
This totally makes sense. Kids have shorter attention spans than us older kids. So, it's important to take that into consideration. I mean, that's probably one of the reasons for shorter kids games. How often have you seen a kids game that lasts an hour!!!? I think you can kind of gauge this as you are playing with your kids. If they are totally into the game, then let them continue. If you see that they won't be able to stick with it as long, well then, do things that will help reduce the time of gameplay, just like Dale Yu suggests with Dominion.

5. Finally move onto the full game as they master the smaller parts
Like I said above, just add a little here and there. Eventually you'll get the full game in and the kids, by then, will understand how to play and will be able to keep learning new aspects.

One game that my kids really like to get out is Heroscape (here). I'm guessing it's because of all the miniatures in the game. Plus, the terrain is customizable. You can interlock pieces, stack pieces, etc. It's great fun! Usually they just end up building their own thing, playing their own thing. We have played the basic rules a few times. And for the most part they follow along and it goes well.

Mike: "Builder of Ships"

2010-03-22T15:33:00.000-06:00

So, I've gotten word that at some point this week all copies of Hagoth that are being produced will be "in the water," on the ship bound for Clearfield, Mayday games. This means that within 30 days or so Hagoth: Builder of Ships should be available for purchase and officially shed it's "pre-order" status that it's had for the last several months!!! I can't wait!

Also, if you happen to be attending GAMA this week in Las Vegas, then check out the Mayday Games booth and you'll get a look at the finished product. Seth said that 5 copies will be air freighted to GAMA!! That is very exciting as well!

Cache Valley Board Game Gathering

2010-03-15T14:23:00.000-06:00

The board game gathering is in full swing for March here in Logan. We'll be meeting on the 20th (Saturday) from 10 am to 6 pm (or thereabouts). This time it will be held in a building across the street from Phoenix Games (it's on Center Street). Paul, from Phoenix Games has starting taking an active role in helping Jason find a place to hold it and also in the "marketing" side of things, trying to spread the word as it were.

So, if you are in the neighborhood on Saturday, come find us and play some games!!

Book of Mormon Golf

2010-03-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to somehow connect the game of golf with the Book of Mormon (I had such an inkling once)? Well, it's been done!!! You can now play Book of Mormon Golf (more info here) on your iPhone or iPod Touch for FREE!

Game play goes as follows: you are presented with a verse from the Book of Mormon (without the reference). It is your job to first choose the correct book from which the verse comes. After that you need to select the correct chapter of that book. Each guess you make counts as 1 "stroke" and, as in golf, the more strokes you have the worse your score becomes.

Up to 4 people can play together, through a maximum of 9 "holes." It turns out that it isn't as easy as it may sound. It's hard to place some verses that come up into a specific book of the Book of Mormon, but then to have to know which chapter they come from as well, that's hard sometimes.

And, if Book of Mormon Golf isn't hard enough for you, you can try your hand at Scripture Golf which includes verses from all of the scriptures! Enjoy that one!

Mormon Games: Re-themes of Previously Published Games

2010-03-08T17:25:00.001-07:00

This is an interesting point of designing and publishing games that I wanted to share. In 2003 Covenant Communications published a game entitled: Search, Ponder, and Play! (here) The person who submitted the design to Covenant Communications claimed it as being their own design or just didn't say that it was a re-theme of another game that had already been published: Aquarius (here). Aquarius is a game designed and published by Andrew Looney of Looney Labs in 1998. Search, Ponder, and Play! is a game that just put different images and themes on the cards and theme of Aquarius. Here is an image of the cards from each game side-by-side:

The game was brought to the attention of Andrew Looney in 2004, where upon he posted about it (read the whole thing here). His wife decided to write Covenant Communications a letter. Andrew Looney was, understandably, quite upset that such a thing had happened. As was his wife. In the end it appears that everything came out fairly well, as well as could probably be expected. Covenant Communications ended up producing a second version of the game in which they credit Looney Labs and state that permission has been gained to publish this version of the game. It's interesting to me that in all the designing and publishing that goes on that this kind of thing hasn't happened more.

Also, I wonder what kind of impact, if any at all, this sort of thing has on people's perception of LDS/Mormon themed games. A lot of my experience has been that LDS themed games are re-makes of previously published games. I think that this is probably a safe move by publishers. I mean, if a previously published game is successful, then re-doing it as an LDS themed game is more likely to be successful too. I don't know that this is the case or the reason behind this, but it seems logical. Designing games is also a very time consuming process. You have to design, play-test, tweak, play-test, revise, play-test, etc, etc, etc. But when a game is simply re-themed, there isn't much besides new artwork and a little thought that goes into the components that is needed.

Is there a market for new games in the LDS market? What do you think?

SaltCon

2010-03-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

So, SaltCon has come and gone and I was unable to make the trip down to Salt Lake City! But, the Salt Lake Tribune did a story on it (here).

I've also seen a few pictures and read a couple of things that friends had to say about it that actually supported it and went on Saturday and/or Sunday. And it sounds like it was a lot of fun! I'm glad that they put it on and I hope that we'll continue to see gaming conventions twice a year in here in Utah.

We Have a Winner!!

2010-02-25T14:45:00.003-07:00

Today marks the day that we've (or at least I've been waiting for)!! This ol' blog hit 100 total Fans/Followers (20 Followers through Blogger and 80 Facebook Fans)!!! I'm pretty excited and glad that I get to share the excitement with the internets (and maybe anyone who comes along, they may get excited too, maybe).

Anyway, so as promised I held a little drawing, putting everyone's name in and we have a winner!! The winner is, the Facebook Fan:

Pedro Ramirez

If you, Pedro, will contact me (send me a message via Facebook or email me at mikedrys@gmail.com) then we can figure out how to get you your copy of the Armor of God (check it out here)!

Don't everyone else lose hope. Like I said before, we'll hold another drawing every 50 new Fans/Followers. So be sure to spread the word and let people know about the blog here. For the next drawing we'll give away a copy of James H Fullmer's Warriors of the Promised Land (here).

Thank you all for letting others know about this blog. It's a lot of fun to post and share my excitement with others.

Mormon Game Design 101: Episode 01

2010-02-25T10:50:00.001-07:00

Mormon Game Design 101 has finally started moving forward. This is the first episode in a series that will be looking at the game design Armor of God Jr. This is a game aimed at children 4 years old and older. So it won't be too complex but hopefully fun enough that kids will enjoy it and hopefully parents can join in and have fun as well. Enjoy!

One of the goals with the games I'll be covering in Mormon Game Design 101 is to put them online in pdf format so that others can play them and give some feedback. That will mean that there will sometimes be some assembly required. But I'll probably go over that in the videos as well.

Hagoth Demo Copy!!

2010-02-25T09:00:00.002-07:00

Recently Seth from Mayday Games sent me on of the demo copies of Hagoth. He received 3 from the factory. These demo copies are sent as a way of checking to make sure everything is good before doing the full print run.

I figured I'd share some pictures of the game up to this point. For the most part everything looks good. There are a few things that need to be fixed before full production, but that is being taken care of and shouldn't take too long to finish.

It's great to get the game in my hands and see pretty much what it's going to be like once it's officially released. It sure is a lot different from the prototypes I had put together at the beginning. It's actually really cool to see how it has changed over time. I'm going to do a write up of the development of the game from idea to publication. But that won't be ready until the game has been officially released.

Also, SaltCon that is taking place this weekend (there's a link to the site in the right-hand column of the blog here). Seth will be there and is going to be running a session or two with Hagoth so that people can see the game and learn how to play it!

Cureloms & Cumoms

2010-02-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

Ether 9:18-19 mention several of the different animals that the Jaredites found in the Promised Land. Among those mentioned were cureloms and cumoms (no image posted here; I didn't want to ruin the surprise). Have you ever wondered what they were exactly? Wikipedia has a small article about them (here). There's also a short article about them on dictionary.sensagent.com (here). Well, if you've ever wondered, www.mormonzone.com has the answer for you, and they've made it possible for you to adopt your own, virtually that is (here). Not technically a game, but it sort of fits the category of online game. And kids might enjoy it for 5 minutes or so.

The website also has some LDS news (made up, parody type news that is) and LDS jokes.

Chapter & Verse Update

2010-02-19T09:16:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to send out this quick update about Mark Hansen's Chapter & Verse CCG (go the Facebook page here.) He's been working on updating the artwork on the cards. He's got 13 card prototype images up on the Facebook page. He's also got an update to the rules. So go on over to the game's website (here) and give it a try. The rules are here and the card set is here. I'm sure he's ready for more input on the game.

Scriptures 4 Kids

2010-02-18T12:27:00.001-07:00

I came across this website recently: http://scriptures4kids.com.

The site is the creation of Angela Roberts, mother of 6. She wanted to create something to help kids not only learn to read but to do so in the context of the scriptures.

It's got stories from the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants (Bible stories coming soon) written for kids. The stories are written at 4 different reading levels to allow kids of varying ages to take advantage of the site. There is also narrative with each story so that kids can have it read to them over the computer.

The biggest draw for me (no surprise here) is that there are games associated with the stories as well! They have focused on trying to use current technologies to offer fun games for kids to play online.

From the website:
"Scriptures 4 Kids has embraced this technology and gaming. We have created, what we hope, will be fun and educational games that will not only be fun, but will help your children apply the scriptures to their daily lives. Each game teaches gospel principles from the scriptures. At the end of each game thought provoking questions, relating to the principles taught in that game, are asked so that children will have help applying those principles to their life."

There are currently only 2 games open for kids to play, but the site explains that more games are scheduled to be released in the summer. I contacted Angela and she sent me several images from games that are forthcoming. Find them below.

Hagoth Mentioned in Interview on Youtube

2010-02-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

Seth Hiatt (owner of Mayday Games, publishing Hagoth) was interviewed at GenCon in August or thereabouts. And the interview has shown up on Youtube. Mostly just about Mayday Games, but there is a small mention of Hagoth toward the end, as well as a shot of the large banner that was up at his booth!! I'm getting pretty excited! Shouldn't be too much longer now and the game will be available.

January Cache Valley Board Game Meetup

2010-01-13T10:20:00.001-07:00

Everything is set for the January Cache Valley Board Game Meet-up. It will be held on January 23rd at the Why Sound Recording Studio at 30 Federal Avenue in Logan. The meet-up will go from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. Everyone is invited to come play games. There will be a small games library provided, but don't hesitate to bring your own games as well (here's a flier about the meet-up).

Some of us from the Game Designers of Logan group will also be there to demo our games for any interested. So come on out and join us!!

Game Designers of Logan

2010-01-11T08:56:00.001-07:00

Well, the new year is upon us (has been for a while now). And the Game Designers of Logan is getting moving again!! We meet each Tuesday at Phoenix Games (thanks Paul for giving us space to meet!!): 72 W Center Street in Logan at 7 pm.

Check out our flier (here) that I'm also going to be posting on USU campus in an effor to recruit more game designers or those who would like to come and play our games. So, spread the word if you know of anyone who would be interested!

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-02T00:17:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year to all!!

As always, the new year brings resolutions that we all set. Well, one that I'm setting for the ol' blog here is to increase the Fans/Followers. So, I'm starting a Fans/Followers campaign. The way it is going to work is that for every 50 new Fans/Followers I'll hold a drawing. Every Fan/Follower will be entered into the drawing (if you are both a Fan and a Follower then you will be entered twice!). Each drawing will be for a different prize. The first drawing (which will take place once there are 100 Fans/Followers) will be for a "special edition" copy of the Armor of God. Here are some pictures of the game:

There will then be drawings at 150 Fans/Followers, 200 Fans/Followers, etc. After each drawing, the next prize will be announced. So, get on out there and spread the word.

I've also got a resolution to start my own company. It will be called Keystone Games. I'll focus mainly on publishing LDS themed games to start with. I'm not exactly sure the best way of going about starting the company. I mean, I don't have a lot of money, hence I want to start it up with the smallest amount of money possible, but still give it a good chance of success. To go along with this goal I am shooting to have at least 3 completed games done this year. That way when the company is started we'll have 3 games to show off.

What resolutions do you have for this new year?

MormonFind.com

2009-12-31T00:10:00.003-07:00

Mormon Find has a section on their site that contains several games, both for kids and for older kids (adults like me I guess).

For smaller children there is a match game, which seems pretty simple. I guess it's more about reading and sharing that time with your child. The other children's game is called Noah's Ark. You maneuver the ark back and forth in the water trying to catch the animals (2 of each of course) as they fall from the sky. All the while the water is rising. Not bad, but it was hard to catch the animals as sometimes animals already on the ark would be bounced out as others were caught.

There are also 2 3D maze games. One, Quest of the Plates of Brass, is about finding certain items that Nephi encountered in Jerusalem. They each have a particular letter next to them in the maze. You have to enter the correct letter next to each item at the bottom of the page. In the other maze game, 2000 Stripling Warriors, you have to find Christ in the maze.

Puzzles are also an option on Mormon Find. There are a plethora of jigsaw puzzles that can be done (mostly temple pictures). The concentration game can also be played (what I think of when match game is said).

Lastly, there are some quizzes/trivia based games.

All in all a pretty good place to go find some interesting/different type LDS games that aren't had anywhere else.

Cache Valley Board Game Gathering

2009-12-26T00:15:00.000-07:00

Jason (tuttleboy on the geek) has put together another gathering for us here in Cache Valley: the Cache Valley Board Game Gathering (CVBGG; quite the acronym!). It will be held on January 23rd at the Why Sound building on 30 Federal Avenue. It will run pretty much all day, 9 am to 9 pm (I'll post a flier once I get one from Jason). Jason's goal is to be able to hold this gathering once each month! Quite awesome, if I do say so myself!!

This time he asked me if our little group, Game Designers of Logan, would like to show up with some of our designs for people to play. Of course, I am super excited about that. I love showing people my games and getting their feedback and input. A couple other members of the group have voiced that they think it is a great idea. So, we should be there in the middle of the day with some of our designs to show off and let people try!

See you all next month.

Book of Mormon Trading Cards!

2009-12-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

So, there is an online vendor or site for buying and selling LDS related products called Latter-Day Village (here). They have all kinds of things for sale, apparel to music to games. And therein lies the focus of this post: the games, specifically the Book of Mormon Trading cards (here's a link to set 1).

The Book of Mormon Trading cards are available in two different sets. Each set includes 13 trading cards.

Set 1 includes cards depicting:
Ammon
Captain Moroni
Gadianton
King Benjamin
King Lamoni
King Noah
Kishkumen
Laban
Lehi
Samuel the Lamanite
Teancum
The Gold Plates
Zeezrom

Set 2 includes cards depicting:
Abish
Alma & Amulek
Bountiful Temple
Daughters of Ishmael
Hagoth
Helaman
Laman & Lemuel
Liahona
Moroni
Nephi
Sariah
Sword of Laban
Zarahemla

The artwork was done by Sam Wilson (link to his blog). The card design was done by Debora Woods (the webmaster for Latter-Day Village). Both sets are available for purchase (set 1 = $6.95 and set 2 = $5.95) and download.

Additionally, each set contains the cards set up for playing cards (each one in 4 different suits for a total of 52 cards) and some coloring/activity pages.

These look really cool. It's great to see all kinds of options available to us in the realm of LDS games!!

Sticky Buzz Software

2009-12-22T10:58:00.007-07:00

Apps for the iPhone and for Android!! Sticky Buzz Software has released the Book of Mormon Trivia iPhone app (here). The game contains over 200 trivia questions about the Book of Mormon people, places, and things. You pick the number of questions you want, the difficulty level, and attempt to beat your total score and/or your record time.

The goal for Sticky Buzz Software is to create fun and exciting iPhone apps. Some will be LDS specific but some will not. This is their first app that has been approved and now available in the app store. They also have a second app that was just approved: 1s and 0s (check it out here).

This is pretty exciting and I hope to see more LDS games from Sticky Buzz!!

Mormon Game Design 101: Episode 00

2009-12-21T15:13:00.003-07:00

Welcome to the hundred and first post of the Mormon Game Design blog!! I've decided that I want to start something a little different. One of my goals in designing my games and having this blog is to promote the design and development of quality, fun LDS themed games. As a way of promoting that idea I've decided to start a series that will be called: Mormon Game Design 101. This will be my little way of showing all you readers out there how I go about designing games. I will actually work through designing games, from the small inkling of an idea through to the actual "finished" design with rules/instructions and a nice prototype. So, sit back and enjoy this introduction to Mormon Game Design 101 (and let me know what you think).

Passive vs Active Entertainment

2009-12-09T11:16:00.004-07:00

Yehuda just posted about board games and whether they are passive or active entertainment (here). And that post, of course, really got me thinking (his posts seem to do that) about these sorts of issues in the both LDS games that are currently available and in the LDS themed games that I am designing.

Passive Entertainment
This shows up in a game when the game is ruled by randomness: you roll the dice or you spin the spinner or the drawn card determines what happens in the game. In Yehuda's words: "When you roll the dice and laugh, groan, or jump for joy at the outcome, you are enjoying passive entertainment" In other words, you don't have to do a lot of thinking or "strategizing" in the game. Your involvement is quite passive.

Active Entertainment
If you play a game that involves you making many decisions, laying out plans, or thinking up different strategies that will help you accomplish the goals of the game, then you are involved in a more active entertainment. Again, in the words of Yehuda: "When you're called upon to think or make a decision, you are enjoying active entertainment. There are different levels of active entertainment, from the simple (trivia: do I know it or not?) to the complex (how do I get my battalion to that base?). Regardless of complexity, you can rank better or worse players, and most of the time you can work to improve yourself."

In my mind these two "levels" of entertainment would lie on a continuum (each occupying an extreme).

This continuum could then be used to categorize games; games could be placed along this continuum. Some games would include some active and some passive entertainment. Other games would include more passive entertainment, but still include a little active entertainment. Snakes and Ladders could be used as an example. In this game players spin the spinner and move their pawn the corresponding number of spaces on the board. If they end their turn at the bottom of a ladder, then they climb the ladder to the space above. If they end their turn at the top of a snake, then they slide down the snake to the space at the end of the snake. So, there is no decision making involved with this game. The random result of the spin determines all that happens in the game. I would place Snakes and Ladders at the extreme end of passive entertainment on the continuum.

This all raises a question in my mind: LDS themed games (those currently available and those that I am designing and will design in the future), where do they fall on the continuum and where should they fall on the continuum? I ask this second part of the question because I think the audience of the games needs to be considered. If the audience is one that would prefer games closer to the passive end of the continuum then, by all means, design and publish games that fall closer to that end. This quandary also arises from the following news post: Star-Telegram. Were those who rated the games looking for a more passive or active entertainment experience?

Nephi's Courage

2009-12-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

Published by: Covenant Communications
Cost: $10.95

This game is really a set of cards for playing your traditional Go Fish, Old Maid, and the Matching Game. It contains cards that depict prophets from the Book of Mormon (as well as a Gadianton Robber card; represents the "Old Maid"). There are 4 cards for each prophet with two different colored backgrounds, white and yellow (two of each). So, you could play the match game with all the cards and have to match yellow Nephi with yellow Nephi (if you were to match yellow Nephi with white Nephi, well then, that wouldn't be considered a match).

Overall, I like the artwork, it is very different from other things I've seen in games. A couple of qualms I have with this set of cards are:

1) it was hard for my kids to hold these bigger sized (kids cards are very often "oversized") cards and know if they had matches in their hand (this is a problem in Old Maid as you remove matches from your hand). For example, my 6 year old just put all her cards down face up on the table and looked through them (not super strategic when playing Old Maid, ha, ha).

and

2) due to the "oversized" nature of the cards, they end up to be a little less durable. And with kids this is a big necessity. The cards need to be durable, able to last and not easily bend or tear. Playing the game with a 4 year old, 6 year old, and 7 year old, well, they are sometimes put in mouths, smashed together in hands, bent, folded, etc. The cards become "marked" quite easily.

These things aren't a big deal to kids. They will just play and not pay too much attention to them. Eventually they will learn which card has the big bent corner and use that to their advantage (at least I did when I was growing up) while playing. As I found this set of cards at DI for $1, I can't much complain.

Hagoth Artwork Update

2009-12-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

We are getting closer to having the finished product for Hagoth: Builder of Ships!! I can't wait to get the game in my hands! It's looking fantastic! So, I figured I'd show a little bit of the update to the cards.

Here we have Hagoth portrayed standing on one of his ships with wood and tools in hand. This will be the back of the cards. We also have the Sail card which is used to sail your ships on the board, moving them closer to the Land Northward.

This graphic displays several of the ship design cards that are used as you play the game. This is the largest ships that can be built. Using just the four corners will produce a different, smaller ship.

Thanks goes to Scott (here) for the beautiful artwork and to Seth (from Mayday Games) for letting me share this here on the blog.

Chapter & Verse

2009-12-02T11:56:00.001-07:00

I had never played a collectible card game before I was introduced to Chapter & Verse (here). If you are also unfamiliar with collectible card games (or CCGs as they are commonly referred to) then let me clue you in a bit. A CCG could be thought of like sports cards. When I was younger I collected baseball, football, and basketball cards. I would buy a pack of cards just hoping to get a particular player. You never knew what you were going to get. That's the collectible part of CCGs. There is a "base-set" of cards, usually. But beyond that you buy "booster packs" and hope to get the cards you've seen other players using. Although, with the way things are today, you can pretty much just jump onto ebay and find the one card you really want and buy it that way (I used to be able to do that sometimes by going to sports card shops and find that the one card I was looking for they had for sale by itself). Anyway, add to the collectible feature the idea that the cards are used to play a game and, there you have it, CCGs!!

So, Chapter & Verse is a game designed by Mark Hansen (website; blog). It is based in the four standard works: Bible, Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine & Covenants. The cards each display a verse from the scriptures. Many cards also include bonus, "special" powers that that card offers to the play who plays it. For example, a card may give you the opportunity to look through your so far un-played deck and grab a card to add to your hand. Furthermore, each card belongs to a particular "color." There are 5 colors, each representing different things related to the Gospel, like Spirituality or Temptation.

The object of the game is create what are called "books." A "book" contains a total of 12 points, which come from the cards (or "verses") that it is made up of. Players take turn playing verses into stack in front of them. As they create books from the verses they receive "blessing" (a set of 7 cards removed from your deck at the beginning of the game). Once a player has received all 7 of their blessings, they win the game!!

Overall, I think the game offers a great opportunity for players to get involved in a game that is built around the scriptures. Players also need to be sure they know the scriptures they are playing in the game, as they may be required at some point during the game to recite a verse they have just played. Really, the only thing that I currently dislike about the game, and this is not a huge dislike, is that there is a mechanism built in for players to steal stacks of verses from each other. It makes the game a lot more interesting, as there isn't a whole lot of interaction that way, but in a game about scripture study and the power that comes from the scriptures, stealing doesn't quite seem to fit.

I would definitely recommend any and all to download the starter deck (here) and take some time to play the game. It's fun and definitely educational!!

And we have a winner!!

2009-12-01T20:05:00.001-07:00

The drawing for a free copy of the Armor of God has been held and the winner is... (internet drum roll)

Gregory Fielding!

Congratulations!
Now, all we need you to do is to email me (mikedrys@gmail.com) some contact information so that we can get the game sent your way.

Thanks to all who have become followers and fans of the blog here. Never despair, we'll have other such contests and drawings in the future.

Time is Running Out

2009-11-27T00:22:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder that anyone interested in entering the drawing (explained here) for a copy of the Armor of God has until November 30th at midnight to become a follower of the blog here and/or a fan of the Facebook page for the blog (do both and you get your name entered twice!).

And don't forget to spread the word (I know, even though it will lower your chances of winning).

I will hold the drawing on December 1st and announce the winner here on the blog.

BookofMormonGames.com

2009-11-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

There is actually a website called Book of Mormon Games. Surprisingly (not really) the url is http://bookofmormongames.com/. What there is on the site is a list of short multiple choice quizzes about different "topics" from the Book of Mormon. For example, there is a quiz about the different "Villians and Victories" in the Book of Mormon (here). Additionally there is a Book of Mormon Hangman game. A word is displayed, well, a few letters and spaces is displayed. You guess letters (you can only get it wrong 4 times before you lose the game). There isn't any actual hangman displayed, just a you got it right or you got it wrong kind of presented text.

One problem I found with the site is that on the quizzes you answer all the questions and hit the "Grade Me!" button and nothing happens. Even after the time limit counts down to the end, still nothing happens. Must be some problem in the coding or scripting of the quizzes.

All in all, the site could help you with your Book of Mormon knowledge a little bit, if the quizzes were scripted correctly. I'm just not sure I'd call it a website about games (although the hangman game would constitute a game).

Gaming with Kids

2009-11-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

I recently came across the book Libraries Got Game: Aligned Learning through Modern Board Games and was very excited to find that the American Library Association had put it out. I mean, I love games and am very interested in learning and education, especially for children. So, putting the two together is absolutely awesome! Anyway, as I shared the book with others (or told them I had found it; I still need to get into reading it) I was offered an excellent opportunity. Here at Utah State there is an on campus elementary school and I will be teaching games to kids there! The idea is to have a sort of "after school club" that meets once a week for an hour. We'll start up the first Tuesday in December! As I understand it, any child who wants to stay after and learn some board/card games is welcome.

My plan is to use the book as a guide to choosing games and helping the kids learn them. I've also decided to chronicle the whole thing in a blog: Gaming with Kids (here).

Cache Valley Meet-Up Report

2009-11-16T10:11:00.006-07:00

Well, I was able to spend about 4 hours (out of the total of 8) at the meet up on Saturday evening. It was a lot of fun! There were maybe 20 people or so who came and went during the whole day. The following games were played (for more info on each game click their title to go to the boardgamegeek entry):

Arkham Horror
Armor of God
Blokus Duo
Dominion
Dominion: Intrigue
Kingburg
Last Night on Earth
Saint Peterburg
Thurn & Taxis
Ticket to Ride
Tigris & Euphrates

I was able to play several that I had never played before. It's always good to learn new games, even when I pretty much lose every single time. I lost every game I played this weekend, but I did come in second one time.

I hope that this gathering can happen at least once a year and that it can grow. It's a lot of fun getting together with others and playing games!! Thanks to Jason (tuttleboy) for setting the whole thing up.

Win a copy of the Armor of God!

2009-11-10T22:15:00.007-07:00

Here's your chance to win a copy of my very first self-published game, the Armor of God!! All you have to do is become a follower of this blog or a fan of the Facebook page for this blog (both of which can be found over in the right hand column). That's it!! On December 1st a drawing will be held. I will then send that person a copy of the Armor of God, just in time for Christmas. So, if you become both a follower and a fan, then you are entered twice into the drawing!!! Pretty simple.

To introduce the game a little more, I created a short How-To video that explains how the game is played.

The video can also be downloaded here on the archive.org website.

You can also check out the boardgamegeek page for the Armor of God (here). There isn't a whole lot there just yet, but eventually there will be more. And, if you would like to check out the rules, you can get a copy here.

Lastly, the game is currently up for sale on the Game Crafter website (here), for anyone who would like to get their hands on a copy.

Mike Agrelius from Happy Valley Publishing

2009-11-10T09:58:00.001-07:00

Some 30 years ago, a young man named Mike Agrelius noticed that there weren't many LDS themed games available for people to play. In fact, Seek and Zion were the only ones! And they are both trivia based games and, as Mike points out, spent most of their time on shelves in closets. Even college students didn't break those out at gatherings. Mike set out to change that. He designed a game called Count Your Blessings, established a company named Happy Valley Publishers, and made his dream a reality! This year marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of Count Your Blessings! Over it's lifetime about 50,000 copies have been sold. Sadly, the only way you'd get your hands on a copy today is to find it at Deseret Industries or possibly online somewhere.

Mike was kind enough to give me some of his time. I was able to find out a bunch about him and his experiences with game design and publishing. And, I recorded the whole thing for your listening pleasure.

You can also download the mp3 here, if you would prefer.

Here's a list of the questions I asked during a little interview:

Can you tell me your background in game design and publication?
How many LDS themed games have you designed? Could you tell me a little about each one?
How many of your LDS games have been published?
What experience do you have with LDS game publishers?
Where can I get a hold of your games?
Do you have any suggestions for those who want to publish LDS themed games? (What is the best course of action? Who is the best publisher to approach? Etc)
How many LDS themed games have you played?
What is your favorite LDS themed game (that isn’t your own)?

If anyone is interested in contacting Mike, they can do so at mikeagrelius@gmail.com. Thanks Mike for your time and your insights into LDS games!

Happy Birthday Mormon Game Design!!

2009-11-10T09:16:00.002-07:00

Today marks a full year that this blog has been around (if you would like to read about the beginning you can here)! It has gone through several changes (I hope these have made it better). I have learned a lot in the process and hope that others have been able to find something interesting for them here. So, I just wanted to throw my own little birthday party.

Happy Birthday!!

And, since birthday parties always have gifts, I'll be giving away a copy of the Armor of God (you can read about it here; there's also a page on boardgamegeek). But, of course, there will be a small contest involved in the gift giving, so keep an eye out for that.

Thanks to all who have commented and shared their ideas and insights. It has been very helpful in making this blog what it is today. I really appreciate it. And, in the future, if any reader has any suggestions, don't hesitate to let me know.

Cache Valley Board Game Meet-Up

2009-11-05T11:04:00.007-07:00

On Saturday, November 14th here in Logan a gaming day will be happening. It will take place in the public library building in the North East Meeting room. It will run from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm. (Here's a flier)

I'm looking forward to this. It should be a lot of fun! There will be plenty of games to choose from and hopefully plenty of people with which to play those games!

LDS Splash

2009-11-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

The website LDS Splash (here) has a huge list of games labeled as Family Home Evening games (here). Some are LDS themed and others are not. Some of them look really interesting and fun to try out. For example, there is one called Holy Ghost (from the website):

As a family, make an obstacle course with pillows, chairs, blankets, etc. Then pick one person to be blindfolded and another one to be the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost tries to direct the blind folded person through the course with only words (left, right, straight, stop, etc.) while everyone else yells trying to lead them astray. - Tim Bitner

One of the other cool things from the website is that they open it up for everyone and anyone to submit (linked here) their ideas and share them with anyone who comes to the website.

Another fun section of their website lets you try your hand at church trivia (here). There are a ton of categories to choose from. Once you choose your category you go through and answer 10 multiple choice questions. After you finish it tells you how many you got correct.

What would you like to see here?

2009-10-28T11:41:00.000-06:00

Any who remotely follow this site will have noticed that I haven't had a poll up for a couple weeks now. I am trying to find a way of asking open-ended questions in a poll, but I've come up empty. What I am really wondering at the moment is what kind of content those who come across this site would like to see here. So, as the poll won't allow me to do what I want to do, I'll just have to put it here in a post.

The question is:

What kind of content do you prefer to see/read/hear on this site?

This could include things that are already here that could just be done more. It could be things that I've never put up that you would like to see. It could be some off-the-wall idea that you have. I'm open to any of it.

So, if you'd like to share your perspective just click that Post a Comment link and share your mind!

Interview with Bruce Hammond of Missionary Novelty Company

2009-10-27T13:07:00.003-06:00

I recently spoke with Bruce Hammond of Missionary Novelty Company. He was kind enough to share his experiences of running a company and publishing LDS themed games.

You can download the interview here (if you would prefer).

We discussed several games that are currently available and others that are coming out next year. He was very open to discussing his games and his experiences. Thank you Bruce for your time and insights!

Q&A with the "Righteous" Guys

2009-10-26T21:56:00.005-06:00

Righteous! Book of Mormon Edition
Designed, Programmed, and Illustrated by Bryan Beach & Dave Thompson

This is an interactive DVD game based on the stories and characters from the Book of Mormon. Bryan Beach did the illustration and Dave Thompson programmed the DVD and did the animation.

I was able to ask a few questions and get a few answers from the designers about their process of game design, pitching it to Deseret Book, and pretty much their experience with the game. So, I figured I'd share it with the world (with their approval, of course). My questions are in bold and their answers in italics.

How did you get into game design?
We both work for the same company that produces and licenses films on DVD. We made a perfect team in creating a DVD board game, where Dave could design the interactive media and Bryan could design the printed materials.

What led you to design Righteous?
Dave came up with the idea while watching his relatives play the DVD/board game "Scene It.” He was surprised at how much his younger nieces and nephews had picked up on answers to questions of movies they had never seen before. We were hoping that the images and questions presented in our game would spark a child's interest in wanting to learn more about the characters in the Book of Mormon and create a fun opportunity for parents to teach them.

How long did it take?
To pitch of the game, we put about 25% of the game together in a month or so. Once the game had been accepted by Deseret Book, we worked on it for another few more months to fill-in content and finalize the project. Deseret Book, however, does have a time schedule in which they release products. After all materials are submitted to DB, it takes several months for the actual product to be printed/produced overseas. “Righteous” didn’t actually hit the store shelves until about 18 months after we initially pitched it to DB.

Was it a difficult process?
Since we both have full time jobs, we had to sacrifice a lot of our own time in the evenings. This made it difficult in terms of absorbing time, but the most difficult task was meeting the deadline with a finished and working product. It took some trial and error to get the board to line up properly when folded and the menu animation and DVD programming were quite a task.

What roles did the two of you take on?
Bryan designed and illustrated all of the printed materials. He also did the illustration utilized by the DVD, and the music/audio and the animated characters on the DVD. Dave designed and authored the DVD portion. He animated all of the effects on the DVD and conceived the interactive games and wrote most of the questions utilized by the DVD. We hired a contractor to write all of the written card questions.

How did you go about testing the game?
The hardest part about working with DVDs is that DVD players are all different. The quality of the DVD player and the features it offers, effects how the DVD will play back. Because of this, we had to test it in various brands of players and create a disc that would work best for the majority.

At what point did you pitch the idea to Deseret Book?
We pitched it as soon as we had a working proto-type, which was only a couple of months after we talked about the concept. There was nothing in the LDS market like it and so we had to act fast.

How did that all come about, how did you approach them, etc?
We made numerous cold calls trying to reach the right person. We told them that we had a product they might be interested in and wanted to set up a meeting. We were lucky in the fact that they happened to be looking for a new product at that time and that our game might fit the bill. Major luck.

How successful has the game been?
We didn't have much experience in creating a game for the LDS market and so were unsure of what to expect. Since we have nothing to compare it to, we really don't know if it has done well compared to the other games being sold or not. It seemed to sell well during the first few months, but sales have declined since then. Games really do best during the Christmas shopping season and “Righteous” was first released at that time.

Are you planning on doing any other versions?
We will most likely not create another version of “Righteous” but have a few other ideas on the back burner. Most recently, Deseret Book has released a card game that Bryan has created with the same characters from "Righteous" called the "Book of Mormon Card Deck."

Do you have any suggestions or specific insights you’d like to share with others who are designing games and trying to get them published?
Strive to make your game standout, be fun, LOOK professional and BE professional. The trick is to accomplish these things but also keep the costs low. It’s not easy but it is possible. Best of luck!

A big thanks goes to Bryan and Dave for their time in entertaining my curiosity. I really appreciate it!

Get a copy of the game here.

Game Instructions & Rulebooks

2009-10-20T09:00:00.000-06:00

A few people have contacted me wanting to know how to get a hold of the rules for games. For example, I picked up the Bee Attitudes game the other day at DI and it didn't have the rulebook with it. I ended up contacting Covenant Communications, Phil Reschke, about how to get a copy. He replied with the rules attached (as a pdf file) and told me that if anyone is looking to get a copy of rules from games that they have published all they need to do is shoot him an email (PhilR@covenant-lds.com). They are happy to send the rules to anyone who asks for them.

SaltCon

2009-10-15T09:15:00.000-06:00

I just found out that there will be another game convention (we have the yearly Gathering of Strangers in Salt Lake each summer) in February in Salt Lake City. It's called SaltCon: Bringing flavor back into gaming! (link to the website). It will be held on University of Utah's campus at the Fort Douglas Officer's Club (here) on February 26, 27, & 28 of 2010.

It will cost you $10 for a single day pass or $25 for all three days. They also have family rates set up. They are also offering the option for you to volunteer, which will get you a discount on your registration fees.

For me, one of the most exciting things is that they've set up a game competition! It is called the Ion Award design competition. From the flier for the competition (here): "Judges will be representatives of game publishing companies who produce freelance designer games, qualified game store employees, and/or published authors." It will cost $5 for you to enter your game in the competition and you are able to enter as many games as you would like. I've got to get my games ready!!

Online Book of Mormon Role-Playing Games

2009-10-08T20:12:00.002-06:00

I recently came across a site that offers up two online Book of Mormon themed games (here): Nephi RPG and Book of Mormon Battles RPG.

I've never played an RPG. This was the first time I've tried one and to tell you the truth, it seemed to be just like a Choose Your Own Adventure book but online. I mean, I read what was presented to me and then was given a number of choices which I selected by clicking on them (as opposed to turning to the appropriate page). Certain progression points were also awarded as you play through the game.

The short time I played I enjoyed it. I did come across one problem that I wanted to touch on here. An unamed man was speaking to me telling me that he and his family were leaving Jerusalem and that I needed to come with them. That's fine (I was assuming it was Nephi and that I should probably choose to go with them), but he was talking to me outside my home. As he's telling me these things my mother calls me from inside the house. So, should I go immediately with this man or run in to see what my mother wanted? Well, I chose to heed my mother and see why she had called me. GAME OVER! Therein lies my problem. Yes, I should be learning about Book of Mormon history and, in essence, experiencing the stories! I'm all for that and I enjoyed the very short time I had doing it. The problem is that I should also learn to heed my parents and be obedient to them. Which would you choose?

This is a "massive mutliplayer online role-playing game set in the times of the Book of Mormon." In this game you dedicate a certain number of turns to doing activities like exploring the land, attacking enemies, buying provisions, etc. You make those decisions following which the game tells you what happened. For example, I used 2 turns scouting the land. Many of my army were hit with malaria! Not the most desirable of consequences that I was looking for!!

Well, for my first little stint into role-playing games it was too bad. These kinds of game require a lot of time to get involved with what's going on, developing your army and moving through the whole Book of Mormon story. If I had the time I would probably invest it and enjoy the games to their fullest!

The Book of Mormon Game

2009-10-03T22:56:00.000-06:00

A new online Book of Mormon game called, appropriately, The Book of Mormon Game has recently been released (here). The premise is that a passage from the Book of Mormon is read out loud and it is your job to identify where the passage is located in the Book of Mormon (book and chapter), as quickly as you can.

Eric Poulin is the man behind the game. He mentions playing the game as a missionary. From the About section of the site:

While serving our missions in San Fernando, California, we'd play this game during interviews with our President, as we waited for our turn.

The first time I played this as a new missionary, I was amazed at how fast the other missionaries seemed to be able to find the right place. I love this game because it inspired me to study and learn the scriptures and become like those other missionaries. Now we present it to you. We hope it will also inspire you to become very familiar with this great book.

Eric Poulin (Ontario, Canada)
Shane Hartley (Washington, USA)

You can log in (via the site or using your Facebook account) and your times will be recorded. He has also created a Facebook app (here).

I think that this idea does have the potential of getting people to become more familiar with the scriptures, as was Eric's goal with putting it out. He's also working on a New Testament version (here), but says it needs a little more work before it is completely ready to go.

Lastly, Eric shared with me another game he's put together (it was qualified with a "needs graphic work and some further development"). It's called Don't Forget the Lyrics! and can be found here.

And the Winner is....!

2009-10-01T08:44:00.001-06:00

We have a winner (well there was actually a tie)! Both logo 1 and logo 4 received 4 votes! Therefore, I will be displaying both on the blog here. They'll be rotated or changed from time to time. Thank you all for voting. I appreciate your input into what we've got going here.

General Conference Activities

2009-09-30T09:57:00.002-06:00

We will have the opportunity of listening to the Prophet's voice (and other servants of the Lord) this weekend. So I figured it'd be a great time to highlight some of the activities that people have devised for helping children "pay attention" during General Conference.

I remember when I was young at home with my parents, the one thing they would give me to help me pay attention to what was being said was the classic BINGO page. You know the one, it's got the grid filled with pictures that are labeled with words such as Prayer, Temple, and so on. As you hear the words you place a Cheerio or M&M on the space. Once you have 5 in a row, well, you eat your "treat." One place to find these is at the theideadoor.com (here). About.com also has a page with BINGO pages (here).

The Church has put out a 10 page notebook for children (here). It contains ideas for things to do before, during, and after General Conference.

Deseret Book also has an offering: the My Conference Booklet. You can get a copy here.

Suite101 has a page listing some ideas for children to do during General Conference (here). The list includes things like coloring pages, picture books, and one called Paste the Prophets. You give your children small pictures of the Prophet and Apostles. The kids glue the pictures into a notebook or onto a piece of paper as they listen to the talk given by that person.

Lastly, I wanted to share a post on the Mormon Momma, a blog written by several mothers. This post relates some of the traditions that they have started with their families in an effort to make General Conference a more memorable experience for their families (here). The post is appropriately titled: Making General Conference Memorable.

They break up their ideas into 4 categories: Preparation (things that help you think about Conference and get ready for it, like Pray for the Prophet), Provisions (this category includes mainly food and things that can be done, like picnicking, between Conference sessions), Participation (including things that can be done during the Conference sessions; one of the ideas from this category that I like and will use with my children is Art Book, where kids draw pictures of who is speaking, write the person's name and a little about the message they gave), and Post-Conference Evaluation (things that can be done after Conference is over to help everyone ponder on the messages given and make them more meaningful).

Additionally, they include a nice list of links (at the bottom of the post) where you can find other activities related to General Conference. All in all, this is a great post with lots of good insights into ways of making General Conference a more meaningful experience for your family.

Hopefully we can all be prepared for and learn what we should be learning from General Conference. And hopefully we can help our children learn the importance of General Conference and hearing the words of the Prophet.

Armor of God rejected

2009-09-25T13:01:00.000-06:00

I just got word from FRED Distribution that they are not going to do my Armor of God game (it wouldn't have ended up to be the Armor of God (here) had they decided to do it, the theme would have been changed). It's disappointing but I did get some valuable feedback, such as there isn't enough "meat" to the game. They wanted something more to be done with the pieces of armor that players collect, instead of just adding to your faith points.

So, I've got some stuff to work out with the game if I want to resubmit to FRED. I was also given a couple of other companies that the game might fit better. I'm not sure if I want to submit the Armor of God to other companies. I'd probably work out a different theme and then go ahead and submit to them. I guess I'm just not sure what I will do with the game at this point. I do know that in a very short while I'll have a couple copies that I'll be selling and one copy that I'll be giving away to some special person via the blog here (I'm working out a way of choosing that special recipient, probably some sort of contest or something, so look for that in the near future).

Thanks again to Tony Peters for allowing me to use his awesome artwork (Armor of God Cards post)!!

New Poll: Vote for your favorite logo

2009-09-23T09:04:00.001-06:00

Well, the results from the last poll are in and it looks like a game based on the wars and contentions between the Nephites and Lamanites would make the best board/card game! What a coincidence that is! I talked about one (here) that the church put out over 30 years ago in the seminary manuals: Nephite & Lamanite Wars. I haven't been able to play it yet, but it looks like fun.

There is also Peril in the Promised Land (one of my designs) that you can read about here. It is a cooperative game where all players take on the role of Nephite captains and attempt to retake their cities from the Lamanites, while also protecting Zarahemla from the advancing King-men.

The new poll (which will only run for 1 week) asks you to vote on your favorite logo from the following 4:

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

After the poll is over the logo that gets the most votes will become the logo for this here blog! Also, any input you might have on these logos is greatly appreciated. Don't hesitate to leave comments.

Top 10 Family Home Evening Games

2009-09-21T23:37:00.000-06:00

Rachel Bruner, the About.com LDS tour guide, has a page about Family Home Evening games (here). It is her top 10 list of games for FHE. The games included range from fairly simple activities that most ages can play and that take very little preparation time to more complex games (such as Nephi's Boat; here) that require more preparation and are perhaps more appropriate for children around age 8 or so. There are also games for just 2 players and games that can accomodate any number of players!

I have yet to play any of these games with my family, but I know that my kids are going to have a good time with these. Let me know if you have played any of and what you thought of them.

Remember the Word: Book of Mormon Edition

2009-09-18T11:17:00.000-06:00

I just came across this (link) "interactive dvd game." It's a trivia based game aimed at families. From their site:

Remember The Word is an interactive DVD scripture trivia game the whole family can enjoy. Your family and friends will delight in testing their scriptural knowledge with these fun and engaging questions. A sure boost to any personal or family scripture study, REMEMBER THE WORD will increase your desire to feast upon the word of God.

The site also mentions how it makes a great family home evening game/activity.

The game was created by RB Studios and is sold by Enlightened Imaginations, Inc.

They will also have a second volume coming out in the Fall of 2010. Looks pretty interesting.

Armor of God Cards

2009-09-11T12:15:00.001-06:00

These (link) aren't really a game, but they have really cool artwork and they are cards after all. Anyway, designed and created by Antony Peters (who spent over a year of his spare time working on them) these Armor of God cards are currently available in 3 different versions: Spartan, Mayan, and Modern (with other sets coming soon).

Tony worked with the Young Men in his stake and was looking for a way of getting the young men to make correct decisions, do what is right. He wanted something concrete that young men could hold in their hands and kind of experience. These were his idea and they look awesome!!

Here is the Sword of the Spirit in Modern, Mayan, and Spartan versions.

You can order the sets on Tony's website (here). You can get an individual set for $2 or get all three sets for $5! Tony is also working on a book that will include some of the artwork from these cards (here).

Talking Title of Liberty: Total War

2009-09-09T13:26:00.003-06:00

I recently talked with Darren Andrews about his experiences modding and working on the Title of Liberty mod he did on Rome: Total War.

Here is a list of the questions I had going in (not that other things didn't come up as we talked):
1. What is modding?
2. What got you into modding games?
3. What are the legalities involved in game modding?
4. How long does it take you to mod a game?
5. How many mods have you done?
6. What made you decide to do a Book of Mormon based mod?
7. Tell us a little about the nature of the game: how it's played, what special features are included, etc.
8. How were you able to get other artists involved in the project?
9. Any idea how many times the game has been downloaded?

I also asked him a bit about board and card games that he had worked on designing earlier in his life. He worked on a large Book of Mormon war game and a more card based game with the theme based on the Sons of Mosiah and their missionary efforts. Pretty sweet!! I hope he gets up to his attic sometime and pulls out those old designs.

Enjoy!

Click here to download the .mp3 file

You can find the link to download Darren's mod on the Book of Mormon Battles website (here, hosted by James H Fullmer).

Latest Poll

2009-09-08T06:39:00.003-06:00

Well, it looks like the votes are in and Nephi & Moroni tied for "favorite person from the Book of Mormon." The number of votes have increased 50% from the first poll to this second poll. I guess that's a good sign that more people are visiting the site here.

The new poll asks about stories from the Book of Mormon that would make good games (be it board, card, or video). As usual it will be up for two weeks. If you would like to vote for a story that is not listed in the options, then please leave a comment here and let me know. I'll update the options list accordingly.

Scott J Wakefield

2009-09-07T21:00:00.003-06:00

I wanted to share a little about the artist who is doing the art for Hagoth: Builder of Ships. His name is Scott J Wakefield (check out his portfolio). Personally, I think he's done a great job with Hagoth. The images I've seen look outstanding, and, as I've said before (numerous times), I can't wait to get a copy of the final published game in my hands!!

Scott recently finished his Master of Fine Arts at Utah State University. He also just published a children's book entitled Woodchuck Chuck (here's a link to the free ebook). You can also purchase a hard copy for $12.95 from his website.

Huge Increase in Traffic!

2009-09-04T08:52:00.002-06:00

The last week has seen quite a large increase in traffic here on the Mormon Game Design blog! Actual numbers are that there have been almost 200 hits with each hit averaging 1.5 pages per visit!! This may not sound like much (especially compared to other more "general" type blogs) but for this blog, it's a lot!

The two biggest referral sites have been Google (not really a site per-say, but people searching with Google have been directed to this blog) and MormonTimes. Each has sent over 60 people to the blog over the past week. Big thanks go to Emily Jensen at MormonTimes and her daily Today in the Bloggernacle column.

With the increase in traffic I also wanted to say that any and all ideas and comments are welcome. If you have any suggestions that may help improve this blog (or just something you would like to share) don't hesitate to leave a comment or to email me directly and speak your mind.

Treasure Hunt

2009-09-03T08:49:00.003-06:00

Recently I was looking for some sort of treasure hunt (based on the Book of Mormon or scripture) that I could use with my kids during family home evening. I came across this (link) idea from About.com. It looked promising from a quick glance. But after reading through it a little more carefully, I found that it didn't make a whole lot of sense. I understood how to set it all up, printing out clues and gluing things together, getting the appropriate pictures, hiding things, etc. The problem came with the clue cards. There are the "right" clues and then there are "dummy" or "incorrect" clues. Well, you glue the big X on the back of the incorrect clues. Isn't that a dead give-away to kids? I mean, all they will have to do is look at the back of the two clues they are given? Anyway, it didn't make sense to me and I had promised the kids that we would do a treasure hunt (I don't know about any of you, but I love the idea of hunting for something and using clues to find it, and my kids are no different than me; they love it as well). So I had to think of something. This is what I came up with:

I thought of a few (I think it was 5) scriptures that included things that could be found in my home. For example, I used Mosiah 3:10 where it talks about the Savior and how he would be resurrected and judge the world. We have several pictures of Jesus Christ in our home. So I cut some 3" x 5" cards in half, wrote the scripture reference on one side, and wrote a short clue on the other side. In this instance I wrote something like, "Who does this scripture refer to?" I didn't even have to say "look through the house for Jesus." The kids just automatically started looking at all the pictures of the Savior throughout the house (I had "hidden" the next clue on one of those pictures). So they went along like that until they found the last clue which directed them to the treasure we had picked out for them. All in all it only took about 10 minutes to set up and the kids really enjoyed it!

Through this activity we could help the kids become a little more familiar with scripture references, with the Book of Mormon (like where different books were found, etc.), with numbers and sequences (some of our kids are younger so they are still learning how to look up verse 20 that it comes later on in the chapter than verse 8), and we could help them with their reading aloud as everyone needed to hear the clue so that they could go searching for the next one. It's great how even little things like this really offer quite a range of teaching and learning opportunities!!

Sons of Mosiah

2009-09-02T08:47:00.007-06:00

Not exactly what you would call related to games, but I thought I'd share it anyhow.

Jay Fullmer has started his own company: Sons of Mosiah. The focus right now is in developing a book. The book, titled Hidden Stories of the Book of Mormon, will include over 160 pages and will relate, using Jay's paintings and illustrations, some of the "less well known" stories of the Book of Mormon.

As part of the project Jay made a trip to Central America (Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala) for research. During the trip he collected props and reference pictures for the paintings for the book.

This project sounds very interesting and I'm excited to see the progress as Jay shares it through his blog. I leave you with a couple of Book of Mormon images courtesy of Jay.

Gaming with My Wife

2009-09-01T22:55:00.004-06:00

At times my wife and I have a hard time playing games (competitive games that is). We both are quite competitive so when we are not winning we are a bit upset (it's even more difficult to be upset with your spouse). But recently we've been able to get over this a little bit as we've played Missionary Impossible, Warriors of the Promised Land, and Settlers of Zarahemla. My wife won all three games, even though I attempted to slow her up as much as I possibly could. I've decided that I'm not much of a gamer. At least, I'm not a gamer that wins very often. As I've thought about this I reflected on my experience at A Gathering of Strangers (probably the most I've played games in a long time). I only won one game during the two days in Salt Lake! And that was a game of Dominion: Intrigue (I think I played it 3 or 4 times). On that note, my wife enjoys Dominion as it's not for sure who is going to win until the end (unless of course, you can keep track of exactly how many points your opponents have been buying up). Anyway, I think I'm learning to be ok with the fact that I don't win a lot. I think I just need to enjoy playing, regardless of who wins. Besides, I think I prefer designing the games so I get caught up in thinking about the design of the game a lot when I play.

Nephite & Lamanite Wars

2009-09-01T10:14:00.007-06:00

In 1974 the church included several games in their seminary curriculum. One of these games was Nephite & Lamanite Wars (boardgamegeek link). It was an historical war game/simulation based on the wars and battles that took place in the Promised Land as related in the Book of Mormon.

As they were part of the seminary curriculum the games/simulations were meant to be opportunities for helping students learn. There are both objectives and indicators associated with each game. For example, the first game/simulation is based on the encounter Captain Moroni had with Zerahemnah.

The objective is stated as the following:
Students will realize that the strength of the Nephites in battle was a result of their faith in Jesus Christ an obedience to his commandments.

Indicators are that the students should be able to:
1. Relate the account of the battle between Captain Moroni's forces and those of Zerahemnah.
2. Explain the cause of the Nephites' involvement in the war.
3. Contrast the preparation and objectives in the Nephites and the Lamanites for war.
4. Explain the Nephite superiority in war.

In a game, one player plays as the Nephites and one player plays as the Lamanites. Each player receives a number of pieces, each of which represents individual Nephite/Lamanite armies. Each army has a combat strength and a movement factor.

On a players turn he may move his armies and then attack (Lamanites go first). The game baord is a map consisting of a number of hexagons. Here's a remake of the board, done by Chris Hansen (the one in the seminary manual was black and white):

Any number of armies can attack on a players turn. This is done using the Combat Resolution Table. Players create a proportion (attackers combat strength to defenders combat strength) and look up the odds ratio on the table. After which the spinner is spun and a second table is used to determine the final result of the attack.

There are also follow-up sections that take students into the scriptures and ask them questions that get more into the particulars of the situations and those involved. For example, there are questions about Captain Moroni:
What kind of man was Captain Moroni?
How would you like to serve under such a man?

All in all this seems like it would be a lot of fun! I'll post again about it once I sit down and play.

Video Reviews Coming Soon

2009-08-28T08:51:00.004-06:00

I've already said that I'll be posting a video review of Settlers of Zarahemla, as it received the most votes as the favorite. But I've decided to do as many video reviews as LDS themed games I can get my hands on. One of the guys from our little group of locals (here in Logan; we get together to play-test each others designs) is a frequent DI (Deseret Industries) shopper. Anyway, he's agreed to picking up LDS themed games from DI for me whenever he sees them. Last night he brought 3 for me!!: Warriors of the Promised Land, Missionary Impossible, and Building the Kingdom. So, look for reviews of these games soon.