In 2013 Ignacy Trzewiczek of Portal Games asked me to contribute an essay to his upcoming book Board Games that Tell Stories, and I was more than happy to agree.
Nice post! I love this mechanism in Robinson Crusoe (and also hate it when I invariably die horribly!), and I’m surprised that it’s not used more often.
That said, have you seen anything of Frosthaven? That takes it one stage further with a literal calendar - when you make a decision, the game may tell you to write a reference down in, say, 3 weeks time. Only when you reach the date do you discover the outcome, and if it’s good or bad.
There are so many possibilities for this mechanism in a game where story features heavily; I can’t wait to see where it pops up next.
This was an excellent essay, Geoff! I just picked up Robison Crusoe last week and this has moved it far up the play queue. Can't wait to get gangrene for fun and entertainment.
Nice post! I love this mechanism in Robinson Crusoe (and also hate it when I invariably die horribly!), and I’m surprised that it’s not used more often.
That said, have you seen anything of Frosthaven? That takes it one stage further with a literal calendar - when you make a decision, the game may tell you to write a reference down in, say, 3 weeks time. Only when you reach the date do you discover the outcome, and if it’s good or bad.
There are so many possibilities for this mechanism in a game where story features heavily; I can’t wait to see where it pops up next.
I have not played Frosthaven yet - that sounds like a cool feature! Certainly will help players keep playing and stay engaged.
This was an excellent essay, Geoff! I just picked up Robison Crusoe last week and this has moved it far up the play queue. Can't wait to get gangrene for fun and entertainment.
Thanks Erik! Enjoy getting kicked around by the game!