Frontier of Industry
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Logistics Strategy Game
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2019
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Tabletop
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Solo Project
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Constantly changing conditions encourage players to adapt
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Encourages cooperation and trading through freeform negotiation.
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Progression system allows for multiple different "builds" and strategies
Overview
Frontier of Industry is a Eurostyle strategy game where players compete to become the richest industrialist. In this game, players will have to adapt to the ever changing nature of not only the market, but the road traffic as well - systems fueled entirely by player interaction.
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Frontier of Industry is focused on two things: changing conditions through multiplayer interaction, and having multiple avenues of play. These two core themes work together to great effect. Say the roads become clogged because everyone built factories and is trying to deliver resources to them. To capitalize on this, a player could start offering to deliver resources for others, at a price.
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Frontiers of Industry has undergone numerous tests over the past semester and has evolved in a deeper and more interactive game because of it. I intend to publish this game once I work out some kinks in the design.
Takeaways for Next Version
What went well
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Adaptable player count made play testing easier
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System of hexes, roads, and caravans was novel and helped support the changing conditions theme as players expanded
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The balancing between the different avenues of play not only encourages builds but encourages cooperation.
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What went wrong
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Some play styles (such as resource monopoly) where not as viable as originally intended, leading to fewer options
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Strict action economy leads to a slower, poorly paced game.
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Rules bloat causes confusion and steals time from play.
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Poorly defined ending state damages dramatic arc of game.
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How the next version will be different
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Make ending state more easily visible and more climatic to improve the arc of the game.
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Simplify rules to decrease confusion and playtime.
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Find ways to let players do more without sacrificing balance.
The game board from an early iteration called "Ruby Road"