The featured image is AI generated.
My team and I have an idea for a social deduction and resource management game. The premise centers on players working together to build a fair, equitable society by sharing resources, known as the Socialist. However, there is a secret player, the Capitalist, who tries to accumulate wealth and disrupts equality.
Can players actually spot the Capitalist?
- Why is it important?
- If the Socialist are able to spot the Capitalist at ease, the game will become boring and predictable. In contrast, if the Socialist find it impossible to find the Capitalist, then the game can lose its motivation.
- What is the prototype?
- A paper prototype with the respective roles and actions each player can perform per round. Through this we can observe if the conversations flow and note any patterns with voting and behavior.
- Our predictions?
- That players would get anxious about other players if the actions in the early round are not noticeable, but hopefully overtime it gets easier to identify the Capitalist (hopefully not too late).
Will the Socialist act selfishly?
- Why is it important?
- There needs to be some aspect of selfishness within the Socialist as well as the Capitalist because it creates ambiguity and tension. Otherwise, the game would be boring and quick if the Socialist knows each others role right away (mechanic in progress).
- What is the prototype?
- A paper prototype where players get to cast votes on whether they share a resource or not. Through this we can examine behaviors if socialist are quick to share everything. Lets us tweak a mechanic where potentially sharing everything right away can open abilities that the Capitalist can capitalize on.
- Our predictions?
- I think it depends on how we decide how players share and why. But, ultimately I predict that players will act selfishly until they are certain that someone is a Socialist.
Does discussion and negotiating the resources feel fun? Or more of a chore?
- Why is it important?
- This is an essential part of the game where discussion and negotiation helps players identify the mole. If these moments feel exhausting or repetitive than the main interaction of the game would not be enjoyable.
- What is the prototype?
- Place the users in a scenarios (scenarios written on paper) where they have to discuss and vote amongst each other if they would like to distribute the resource.
- Our predictions?
- I think the discussions will be engaging and intense as people are accusing each other.
Is the hidden Capitalist balanced? Too strong? Too weak?
- Why is it important?
- This is important because the Capitalist role is what makes the game intense. The Capitalist needs to be strong enough where they are able to challenge decisions, morph the game play, create conflict, etc. We don’t want a scenario where capitalist wins with ease or lose because the Socialist figure it out in 2 rounds.
- What is the prototype?
- We would prototype a set of Capitalist abilities and play test the whole set and note which abilities work and which did not. Comparing the different Capitalist version will allow us to appropriately scale the power. Perhaps start by making the Capitalist over powered.
- Our predictions?
- That the first iteration, the Capitalist would dominate, but as we continue to revise the role, it will even out.
