InterStellar Postal Service was such a fun systems game to work on! Before reading about and making one, I was pretty unclear on what made a game a systems game versus another type of game; however, discussing elements of systems games with my team like core loops and forms of feedback to close the cycle extensively to make sure our game fit the bill made the concept more clear to me.
We modeled the system of delivering packages by breaking each step down into a minigame system where each outcome affected the next game. Initially, we wanted to make a game for the sorting, transporting, and delivering phases of the package delivery process but decided to switch to only having one for sorting and one for delivering- both for time purposes and because our transportation and delivery minigames were mechanically too similar. To model customer satisfaction, we added a reputation for each planet that goes up or down based on whether you can fulfill their quotas.
I did some art for the game and it was a lot of fun to learn how to make game art by doing it; the few times I have thought of making a solo game I have been intimidated by the idea of taking on art for it (more than the game board I made for P1), so it is nice to know I can whip something up if I need to. I had never made pixel art before this game, so it was very rewarding to watch Bebop the dino/dragon/alien/creature and other characters come together from sketches! Even now that I am moving to a different project I’ve found myself editing and making new sprites for ISPS. There are definitely some sprites I am happier with than others, but I will keep practicing and improving!
The most rewarding part of this process, though, was watching people play our game and getting feedback on what worked and what didn’t. We were fortunate that many of our playtesters cushioned negative feedback with compliments for our game- either its concept or aspects of its implementation. We got a lot of valuable feedback from official play tests, but I also loved making my housemates play the game and seeing their reactions if they asked what I was working on in the lounge and getting opinions from people who play games less frequently than I do. My favorite play test to see was the one Ana ran on her younger siblings, as I imagine our game would likely draw a younger audience, and their excitement was a joy to see.
Overall, I loved learning about system games and making one! I think if we had chosen a different idea I may have felt more bogged down, but being able to create a grounded system like package delivery and taking it to a whimsical location (space!!) let us explain the system without stifling creativity.
