Some people were weirded out by the idea of “buying” musicians with money. The mechanic made sense, but the wording felt off, like you were purchasing people instead of working with them.
Several people asked about fans, followers, and fame. They wanted some way to track who is actually building an audience, not just who has the most money or strongest stats.
The basic loop of “build your band, go through cities, resolve gigs” seemed understandable, but people wanted a few more layers or components to make it feel richer and more replayable.
One person suggested having multiple win conditions, like optimizing for tickets, resources, or overall “best band,” similar to different builds in Catan or Dark Souls. That made it clear that a single, simple win condition might be too flat for this system.
The “world tour” idea came up: players liked the thought of being able to redraw or swap a city later, rather than just marching straight through four fixed cities with no control over routing.
People were really into the idea of side upgrades and gear, like giving a singer a better microphone that adds +2 to their roll. That kind of personalization made the characters feel more interesting and gave players something concrete to optimize.
Someone mentioned Spotify and how different styles of music “win” in different ways right now. That made me realize that streaming and the algorithm could be another loop or scoring path, not just a flavor detail.
There was also some confusion around what exactly “winning” meant. People asked whether the game was about likes, streams, money, tickets, or something else, and how different paths could lead to victory. That showed me the win condition needs to be clearer and more varied.
With only four cities, the tour felt a bit short. There wouldn’t be quite enough time for the systems to snowball, backfire, or create unexpected consequences, which is supposed to be the whole point of the project.
Things I’d like to change based on these playtests:
First, I want to change the language around getting musicians. Instead of “buying” them, it will be framed as signing, booking, or hiring them, so it feels more like contracts and collaboration than ownership, in a draft
I want to add a clear Fame or Followers track, separate from money. Money will be what you spend on travel and gear, while fame will be the main way you measure long-term success.
