Quintin Lim | Game Designer
Sundown at Math Town
Game Rules
Game Board
Game Rules
Sundown at Math Town is a small board game prototype I made with some strict requirements. The game has 2 players taking the role of cowboys at high noon. Players may only shoot if their dice roll the same number. However, as the game goes on, players must start adding their score to their roll adding some math to the duel.
Download it here!
My Role
Designer
I was the lead designer of this project. I developed the rules and wording of the instructions sheet.
Restrictions
i dont have many images but this made me happy
This project came with several restrictions that I had to work around. The two biggest ones being:
- The rules must fit on one sheet of paper
- The only pieces allowed are coins and 2 6-sided dice (2d6)
These restrictions were in place to simulate my game being in a book of several simple board games. This book was meant to be used by anyone and could be played with objects that could be found around most homes. This meant that my game had to be simple enough to fit on one page and I couldn't use any complicated pieces or mechanics.
Design Goals
Goal 1 - Mounting Tension
I was heavily inspired by a card game called Slap Jack when making this game. One thing I loved about that game was the growing tension that came with the players putting down more and more cards. I wanted to capture that feeling with this prototype. I used the setting of a duel at high noon to create that scenario for the players. Mechanically, I used the rolling of dice and adding to the rolls for that quiet moment before the shooting starts.
Goal 2 - Big Release of Funny
Another thing I wanted to capture from Slap Jack was that release of the tension. When I play, it's usually accompanied with laughter and some joking around. In my game, adding in the math (pun not intended) created some fun moments where players had to stop and count before shooting. It always made for some fun moments with the players as they either miscalculated or shot at the wrong times.
Goal 3 - Readable
While the gameplay itself is pretty simple, wording it proved a bit of a challenge. I wanted to make sure that all the rules were clear so players could understand my game, not skip it, and play as soon as possible.
Mechanics
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Shooting with a finger gun
I chose to have player physically move to shoot with a finger gun for a few reasons. One was that a phsycial action, like pointing a finger gun, is a much bigger commitment than just calling out or slapping the board. Players would have to commit to the full motion which made slip ups or mistakes more fun. SInce it was a specific motion too, players would have to consciously Another reason for the finger gun was to keep in theme with the cowboy setting of the board game.
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Mathing Down
The adding score to rolls was inspired by D&D and was implemented for a few reasons. The math aspect of adding meant players would have to take some extra time to observe whether or not the situation warranted "firing." It added on to the mental stack and tension both players would have. It also created special moments after dice were rolled. Both players typically freeze up to evaluate whether or not they must fire. The release of tension made by either a successful player or a mistaken player lead to a lot of fun.