Where No One Has Gamed Before

Community Piecepack Competition 8: Where No One Has Gamed Before

Winners

Where No One Has Gamed Before Results

Entries

As of July 2, 2018, the following are the competition entries, in alphabetical order:

Games

• TenBlankWhitePieceagories by Jennifer Levenbook
• ConsensusFantasy by ChrisEngle and RonHaleEvans (noncompeting)
• Desfases by Antonio Recuenco Muñoz
• DualPiecepacksPoker by TrevorLDavis
• Japan by DanielAjoy and Fernanda Ausay
• Piecepackman by Dan Burkey
• Shogi by by TrevorLDavis
• SpeedyTowers by Jessica Eccles
• StageFive by Chaz Campos
• Tingle by Chris Goodwin
• ToPieces by Chris Sakkas

Expansions/Accessories

• DualPiecepacks by TrevorLDavis
• MixedSuitsExpansion by Antonio Recuenco Muñoz
• PiecepackCompanionDeck by danielharward
• PiecepackDiceCardsTwo by Tim Schutz and RonHaleEvans (noncompeting)
• PiecepackMatchsticks by Dan Burkey

Introduction

Greetings, ‘pack peeps! Announcing a new piecepack community game design contest with submissions due by July 1, 2018! The title is Where No One Has Gamed Before and the theme is novelty, in keeping with such previous community competitions as Changing Landscapes (games with mutable boards) and Solitary Confinement (piecepack solitaire games).

How will games be judged?

1. Novelty: whether your game entry does something new with the piecepack – or just new, period.
2. Solid design: whether it runs smoothly without confusion and is fun to play.

“Novelty” is defined in this contest as innovation, not gimmickry. A new mechanic or a new theme (or, better, more than one) can go a long way toward establishing your game as novel. Consider Robert Abbott’s 1962 “chess variant” Ultima, in which instead of every piece moving differently and capturing the same way (as in Chess), every piece moves in more or less the same way but captures differently. In fact, although it resembles Chess superficially, it’s very unlike Chess – or most other chess variants.

Game entries do not need to be anonymous, and you may submit them in any format you like (text file, HTML+JPGs, PDF, Word doc, wiki page, etc.). If the judge can’t read your entry, he’ll simply let you know. Your game must also be licensed freely, for example, with a Creative Commons license. Submit your entries and questions to Ron Hale-Evans (rwhe@ludism.org) by any time in any timezone on July 1, 2018. Please provide your email address and phone number.

This competition is number eight in the series of community-organized piecepack game design contests (PP8). Historically, the winner of each competition has won the right to organize and judge the next one, and so shall you if you win this one. Other prizes include everlasting glory. (If you have an idea of another prize you’d like to donate, talk to the judge.)

Update: In addition to absolute power and everlasting glory, we have three prizes for the main contest:

nestorgames is donating one copy of the highly piecepack-compatible MystiqueDeck, as long as Where No One Has Gamed Before finishes with at least 10 entries!

tjgames.com has donated

• a set of PiecepackPyramids in a cool box! and
• a collapsible Paper Tower dice tower that can be used to roll any dice you like, including piecepack dice!

There’s more!

There is also a sub-competition for the best new piecepack expansion or accessory. Specifically, entries should be something like pawn saucers or piecepack pyramids: a set of pieces and rules that expand the piecepack in a well-integrated, interesting way. And if you want to impress the judge and playtesters, why not create a great game for the main contest that really shows off what your expansion can do?

As before, your entry must be licensed freely. Also, if it’s more difficult to build than simply cutting out laser-printed cardstock, you must provide a physical copy of the expansion. Email the judge for his street address. You retain the rights to your design, but all physical copies submitted become property of the judge, because he’s lazy and hates going to the post office.

You may enter either competition as many times as you like. Good luck, or break a leg, as you see fit! Keep circulating the tapes.

Update: In addition to everlasting glory, we have three prizes for the subcontest:

Blue Panther LLC has donated an acrylic JCD Set 2 (playing card suits) piecepack. These are really nice!

tjgames.com has donated

• a set of PiecepackPyramids in a cool box! and
• a collapsible Paper Tower dice tower that can be used to roll any dice you like, including piecepack dice!

(see photo above)

Playtesting

If you would like to share the playtesting process with other entrants in the contest (recommended but by no means required), please visit the Where No One Has Gamed Before Playtest Page, administered by Jessica Eccles.