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The Number One Educational Resource for the Game Industry

Session Name: Board Game Design Day: Why Indirect or Zero Player Interaction Can Be Great
Speaker(s): Gil Hova
Company Name(s): Formal Ferret Games
Track / Format: Design

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Overview: Many people assume that direct interaction is a given in a board or card game with multiple players. Don't you need to be able to attack your opponent in order for the game to work? This lecture from board game designer Gil Hova ('The Networks') shows that attacking players in a board game isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's just that there are other ways to design a board game.Plenty of board games have achieved critical and commercial success without the players going for each other's throats or backs. The talk will break down player interaction from a theoretical point of view and then walk through games with indirect interaction (like 'Race for the Galaxy') and even zero player interaction (like 'Take It Easy'). Ultimately, this talk will look at how games with indirect or no player interaction can be satisfying, along with common pitfalls to avoid.

GDC 2019

Gil Hova

Formal Ferret Games

free content

Design

Design