The Thousand-Year Game Design Challenge
UPDATE: The submission period has closed and here are the entries. If you're an entrant, continue sending pics or vids of people playing your game. The first step to a game lasting a thousand years is for people to play it today.
UPDATE 2: And here's the winner!
To support games designed for longevity – that can be learned, played and shared for hundreds of years – we offer this challenge to any game designers, artists and imaginative people who also share this desire.
Challenge
Create a game. The game can be of any theme or genre you desire, but there is one restriction: You're creating a "new classic," like Chess, Tag or card games. So, create a game to be enjoyed by generations of players for a thousand years.
Prize
$1,000 to the winning entrant, to be announced and awarded January 1, 2012.
Entry Deadline
Entries must be submitted before midnight
Entry Guidelines
Enter by posting a comment below with a link to your game. Your game may be take the form of a public text+images or video. Guidelines for either format are as follows:
Text+Images: Describe your game on a blog post, google doc, or on any other public forum. Maximum Word Count: 1,000 words. All text entries require at least one image, preferably as a part of an example of play. Include as many more images as you feel necessary.
Video: A video posted on YouTube. Maximum Length: 1,000 seconds, or roughly fifteen minutes. Include an explanation of the rules and any examples of play.
Video: A video posted on YouTube. Maximum Length: 1,000 seconds, or roughly fifteen minutes. Include an explanation of the rules and any examples of play.
In addition, your entry may include an interactive demo of your game, playable online. This is not required, but will certainly make it easier to play and judge your entry.
All humans are eligible to enter. You may submit your entry as an individual or as a group. Please make either clear in your entry, so that the prize can be awarded accurately. (Only one entry per person/group.)
Entries must be previously unpublished.
Lastly, all entries must include a link to http://www.thousandyeargame.com Feel free to include any of these banners, if you wish.
After July 31st, 2011, entrants are encouraged to continue sharing images, videos and anecdotes of people playing their games.
Judging Considerations
Entries will be judged by me and my wife. We'll judge entries according to a few different criteria. We'll try to be fair, but we're only human. That being the case, here's how to earn our favor. They're not hard and fast rules, but definitely ways to win our hearts.
Elegance: Entries should be easy to learn, teach and play. We favor entries that can be explained succinctly and played in under an hour. The 1000-word limit on text entries allows the equivalent of two pages of room to explain the rules of your game, more if you have a lot of pictures. The 1000-second time limit on video entries allows about fifteen minutes, plenty to explain the premise and rules of your entry.
Accessibility: In presenting your entry, feel free to explain the environment in which you anticipate your game being played. Orbital Colonies? Crowded cities? Nomadic prairie lands? Either way, we favor games that can be played by most people, most of the time, in most places. We also favor games that use few specialized equipment or props. When such equipment must be used, we favor the use of sustainable resources.
Fun: Entries should be "fun," for lack of a less subjective word. For a game to last a millennium, it must have enough replay value to keep it alive that long. Share images, videos and stories of people playing your game. Games with a thriving fan base and community are favored.
Accessibility: In presenting your entry, feel free to explain the environment in which you anticipate your game being played. Orbital Colonies? Crowded cities? Nomadic prairie lands? Either way, we favor games that can be played by most people, most of the time, in most places. We also favor games that use few specialized equipment or props. When such equipment must be used, we favor the use of sustainable resources.
Fun: Entries should be "fun," for lack of a less subjective word. For a game to last a millennium, it must have enough replay value to keep it alive that long. Share images, videos and stories of people playing your game. Games with a thriving fan base and community are favored.
Rights
Entrants keep any and all legal rights to their games. Winning this prize is not a business transaction. You may do with the prize what you wish.
Press and Media Contact
Email | IM | Facebook | Twitter
Media Coverage
psfk
Long Now Foundation
Jane McGonigal - @avantgame 1 2
Purple Pawn
Wired/GeekDad
Tor
Lautapeliopas (Finnish)
Abre o Jogo (Portuguese)
Discovery: Treehugger
The Star
TweetMeme
UnBeige
Discussions
MetaFilter
TIGForums - Independent Gaming Discussion
YCombinator
BoardGameGeek
Inventori di Giochi (Italian)
Gameful
FAQs »
Entries by Month
January
February
March: (No entries)
April
May
June
July
Here's my entry. It's one of my first game designs and one I am quite fond of. A 2-player game of capturing pieces with several twists on traditional game play that takes about 40 minutes or so.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/69786/portal
Thanks, Kenny! We look forward to playing Portal. Until anyone else enters, it looks like you're guaranteed $1,000. ^_^
ReplyDeleteI have an unpublished game that I think have that kind of staying power. I'm considering self publishing the game on mobile devices (iphone etc) and was wondering if I can still be part of the contest if I do that? And while I'm asking, if the game is published in any form after it has been entered but before the deadline, would it still be eligible for the price?
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1: Your game is eligible if you think we'll be able to play it at home with our supply of gaming bits (or if you have a playable demo online). Just remember to submit it according to the specs noted in the rules. So even if it's an app, you'll still need to write up and explain the rules of the game in text or video.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: Yes, if your game is published after it is submitted, it is still eligible for the prize. I'll add that to the FAQ on this post.
No Frills Entry.
ReplyDeleteThe Game is called Numeria...
http://www.angelfire.com/games2/warpspawn/Numeria.html
Lloyd Krassner aka Warp Spawn Games
Thanks, Lloyd! We're eager testing our meager math skills. :P
ReplyDeleteGot another one if thats ok.
ReplyDeleteIts called Librarium...
http://www.angelfire.com/games2/warpspawn/Librarium.html
Based on the major assumption that people will still be reading and collecting books in 1,000 years.
Lloyd
Hey Lloyd, the rules state "Only one entry per person/group." So only one entry will be eligible. Which would you prefer?
ReplyDeleteThe better one...
ReplyDeleteHey hey now, you gotta pick which baby you love more. ;)
ReplyDeleteOk if I must... Librarium is probably the better (more fun) game, but it's a knowledge based party game, and a parlor trick at that. Numeria is a language-independent, abstract (less fun) board game of position and strategy, but it fits the classic concept of a game better so I think I'll have to settle for Numeria.
ReplyDeleteVery well! We'll judge Numeria for the challenge. ^_^
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to my idea. The game is called Public Secrets: http://joshuacurtiskidd.com/the-thousand-year-game-design-challenge-public-secrets/
ReplyDeleteThanks, Josh! Please note that your entry needs at least one image to be eligible. I'll leave a note on your blog post, too.
ReplyDeleteOk, I've added an image.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being understanding, Josh. It's a very interesting game! Certainly easy for Megan and I to play with a group.
ReplyDeleteI've got a question:
ReplyDeleteHow can we donate to the prize payout?
You know, for those of us who'd like to contribute in ways other than an awesome game.
I think this contest is in need of some sponsors, maybe getting some prices for those who almost made it :)
ReplyDelete» Hmm! Let me think on that a bit. I've considered a Kickstarter, but I'd have to think about the logistics of prize payouts n' such.
ReplyDelete» I'll think about how to do this, but for the time being the best thing you can do is play the games and report your findings. Games with thriving communities will gain a lot of favor with the judges since that shows the games at least are being played now.
Not my game and it's already published. Nevertheless I could see this lasting 1000 years:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.troublebrothers.com/games/wizard-hex/
Submission: www.coerceo.com
ReplyDeleteWinnings -if any- will go to charity (100%).
A link to http://www.thousandyeargame.com will be entered, after winning, on http://coerceo.com/references.html after January 1, 2012.
If requested: proto type(s) are available.
For questions or requests please mail to info@coerceo.com.
» Rob: The gameplay video is sooo hypnotic. Thanks for the link!
ReplyDelete» egortzen: Coerceo looks like a lovely game. We definitely like your environmentally oriented and charitable business practices. Unfortunately, entries must be unpublished before submission to this challenge. Is this game already published? I see a boardgamegeek listing from 2009, but a Purple Pawn article from last November describing it as not-yet-available.
coerceo is not yet available.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! Welcome to the challenge. :D
ReplyDelete@daniel : boardgamegeek listing 'year published' is now updated. You are right, from concept to publishing a game can take longer then one might think :) Let me know where to send a prototype for you to play.
ReplyDeleteEmail sent! Looking forward to seeing it in action.
ReplyDeleteSometimes the simplest games are the best.
ReplyDeleteI humbly submit Pandora's Box: A Timeless Game of Psychology and Curiosity.
Full Rules: http://files.boardgamegeek.com/file/download/6kc2bq94fl/Pandoras_Box_Rules.pdf?
Requiring only a handful of rules, a few minutes, some good friends, a box, and several black and white stones, this abstract strategy party game will surprise and delight you with its theme and its challenging game play.
Enjoy!
Thanks for your submission, Ben! Sorry the blog was giving you trouble.
ReplyDeleteHello, I have a game which rules are published only in a blog; does that disqualify the game?
ReplyDeleteNot at all! As long as the blog post follows the entry guidelines, it's eligible. Take a look at some of the current entries as examples:
ReplyDeleteJanuary
February
Thanks for the reply. In fact, I will submit a slightly enhanced version of the game. I am still testing it.
ReplyDeleteHere is my entry, an abstract game: Zuniq.
ReplyDeleteRules:
http://tiny.cc/00ine
Prototypes (you can play against a random bot):
http://tiny.cc/a5hrf
I hope you enjoy the game.
Thanks for your submission, Marcos! I notice the resemblance to classic Dots-and-Boxes games and the interesting variation you've created. I look forward to playing it with Megan! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you for the feedback!
ReplyDeleteYes, the game shares the basic elements with dots-and-boxes; but I believe the strategy is more profound. I can be mistaken of course; but surely the strategy of Zuniq (either trivial or profound) is totally different of that of dots-and-boxes ;)
Regards, and good luck to all participants!
Hi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteHere's my entry, Rin, an abstract strategy game inspired by Go that involves simpler rules and a similar emphasis on efficiency of moves.
Rules: http://blog.zmxv.com/2010/12/rin-abstract-strategy-game.html
JavaScript demo: http://beta.appspot.com/rin/demo.html
Cheers,
Zhen
My entry is a game called Ha! A simple dice game for two or more people. You can find the rules (hidden in plain sight) over at http://hathegame.atthetablegames.com Images and videos to follow.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the entries, Zhen and J.B.!
ReplyDeleteMan, April's already a productive month. Must be something in the springtime air. (Besides pollen. :P )
I'm just putting the finishing touches on the rules for my game, Nomad, and it should be ready by the end of next month. Its been getting lots of play at the local tea shop since the beginning of the contest and we're only just starting to discover its strategic depth.
ReplyDeleteThat's fantastic, Kirk! I look forward to seeing it. Also, if you can show pics and other evidence of people playing it, that's definitely going to improve your chances of winning the challenge. After all, the first step in having a game played for 1000 years is getting it played today. :)
ReplyDeleteToday I'm stepping out to buy a journal for people to write in after they play the game, to leave questions, discoveries, potential strategies and recurrent patterns they've noticed. If I were to send you that along with the game, would that count?
ReplyDeleteCould you scan or take pictures of the pages in your journal? That'll probably be easier to transmit. :)
ReplyDeleteGreg Stolze posts: http://www.fromthedragonsmouth.com/ITRUNNER.pdf
ReplyDeleteHere's the update for April!
ReplyDeleteToday I'm stepping out to buy a journal for people to write in after they play the game, to leave questions, discoveries, potential strategies and recurrent patterns they've noticed. If I were to send you that along with the game, would that count?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the feedback!
ReplyDeleteYes, the game shares the basic elements with dots-and-boxes; but I believe the strategy is more profound. I can be mistaken of course; but surely the strategy of Zuniq (either trivial or profound) is totally different of that of dots-and-boxes ;)
Regards, and good luck to all participants!
@daniel : boardgamegeek listing 'year published' is now updated. You are right, from concept to publishing a game can take longer then one might think :) Let me know where to send a prototype for you to play.
ReplyDeleteHi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteHere's my entry, Rin, an abstract strategy game inspired by Go that involves simpler rules and a similar emphasis on efficiency of moves.
Rules: http://blog.zmxv.com/2010/12/rin-abstract-strategy-game.html
JavaScript demo: http://beta.appspot.com/rin/demo.html
Cheers,
Zhen
Submission: www.coerceo.com
ReplyDeleteWinnings -if any- will go to charity (100%).
A link to http://www.thousandyeargame.com will be entered, after winning, on http://coerceo.com/references.html after January 1, 2012.
If requested: proto type(s) are available.
For questions or requests please mail to info@coerceo.com.
I think this contest is in need of some sponsors, maybe getting some prices for those who almost made it :)
ReplyDeleteThe 5x5 prototype disallows legal moves. I haven't tried the 9x9. The minimal game in which a region can be formed that denies moves is 3x3 and it seems like a forced win.
ReplyDeleteHere's my response (and accompanying random musings). It's called The Movie Game or The World-Playing Game. http://loewald.com/blog/wp-admin/post.php?post=4126&action=edit&message=6 It requires no parts, boards, or pieces, and can actually make watching the Star Wars prequels fun.
ReplyDeleteHi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteHere is my game:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B9Rkp07Lpl5kZWI1MjlmZjctNzdhNC00YjdjLTkxNTAtYmUxMDQ4ODAyM2Q0&hl=en&authkey=CP-v5sAK
Please download the pdf; the photos don't look quite right in the Google Documents viewer.
Thanks!
Neat! Thanks for entering. Cartography looks fun. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tonio! Reminder: Your game needs at least one image for your entry to be eligible to the challenge.
ReplyDeleteHi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteI love the contest! Here's a submission on behalf of one of my students, Kelvin Beriguete:
Rush Run Riot
I'll have a few more students submitting before the deadline--and perhaps a submission from myself.
Thanks!
Ethan
Hey Ethan, that link doesn't doesn't seem to be working.
ReplyDeleteOops, there was a typo in my HTML... it's fixed now.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ethan! I look forward to seeing your students' submissions. :)
ReplyDeleteI once created a simple board game for a world-building project of my own, called Sáto. It's played on a hexagonal board, with moving around the centre in a circular movement possible, and bracketing-based capturing. Check it out at http://naeddyr.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/entry-for-the-thousand-year-game-challenge/
ReplyDeleteMany thanks, Kristian! Sáto looks very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI would like to enter your contest. You mention published vs. unpublished. Send me an email through my games' website cause I have questions about my ability to enter. You also mention Creative Commons licenses. The rules are not online but come with the game. Where in the world are you?
ReplyDeletewww.knockdownbarns.com
Email me at gobi81 at gmail dot com if you have any questions, but I'm happy to answer anything publicly, too.
ReplyDeleteI have a submission. It's called
ReplyDeleteFuckin' Do It, Then
Ha! For just a sec, I thought you might be trolling. :P
ReplyDeletehttp://repealofgravity.blogspot.com/p/venns-revenge-game_23.html
ReplyDeleteThat's where you'll find me entry: Venn's Revenge.
Please don't count those first two paragraphs when doing the word count, as they're not part of the submission. I hope you enjoy it. I think you'll find it more difficult than it first seems.
I have a copyright on the instructions, just checking to see if that meant I was published.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much, Louis!
ReplyDeleteNope! Especially if you haven't had your game up for sale yet.
ReplyDeleteI have sold a handful of games. www.knockdownbarns.com has been up for 8 months.
ReplyDeleteKnockDownBarns is so freaking cool! I play it over and over all the time.
ReplyDeleteAh, I'm sorry, but this game is ineligible for the challenge. Looks like fun, though!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Daniel. Thanks for providing such an interesting and inspiring challenge. I'm a big fan of the Long Now Foundation, and have been using the five-digit year format for a few years now. It's through their Facebook postings that I learned about your challenge. Anyway, I hope you like my game. Please let me know if you have any feedback, or if you come up with any particularly interesting variations. I'll likely tack on a Creative Commons License, as you suggest. It'll just take me getting the time and the motivation to look into the available options. Most of what I create, I'm interested in “protecting”. In this instance, I'm much more interested in disseminating.
ReplyDeleteToo bad, See ya in 1,000 years!
ReplyDeleteYou can find my game here.
ReplyDeletehttp://pages.videotron.com/remneb/binary.html
Here is another of my unpublished games.
ReplyDeletehttp://pages.videotron.com/remneb/games3.html
Antoine, there is a limit of one entry per person. Which of your games would you like to enter into the challenge?
ReplyDeleteI will choose Klon.
ReplyDeletehttp://pages.videotron.com/remneb/games3.html
My submission is a two player abstract strategy game called 'Antipode'. Here's a link to my blog:
ReplyDeletehttp://shahendr.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/antipode/
Thanks, Shane! Antipode is one of my favorite words. :)
ReplyDeleteOne small request: Please link to http://www.thousandyeargame.com for your entry to be eligible. Thank you!
Oops. Yeah I've linked here on a few of my other posts, but not that one. It's done now! Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteI have a game called Charing Cross, posted at http://www.bgdf.com/node/4907 - consider it CC licensed :) I hope you enjoy giving it a test spin!
ReplyDeleteHi Mike,
ReplyDeleteContest entries must include a link to http://www.thousandyeargame.com to be eligible.
Ah! Thanks :) Entry has been updated.
ReplyDeleteHallo Daniel
ReplyDeleteThanks to you :-) I've rather prematurely
put up Saaguan.com website to host my entry,
"Saaguan" - an(other) abstract board game!
It's quite simple as all the pieces are the same,
and all the board places are equal apart from the edge.
But can you see much more than two moves ahead? I can't!
This is the link
http://andrew.cooke.org/Saaguan/Saaguan/1000YearChallenge/Saaguan1000YC.html
you should find Saaguan.pdf document describing the game in <1000 words, and a java applet demo to play it.
Hope you don't find it too tedius!
Many thanks.
Andrew
Hey Zhen Wang
ReplyDeleteAmazing! I didn't expect such an incredibly quick analysis!
You are quite right - I have now uploaded the complete rules Saaguan.com "Complete rules".
I've replied to your question on your blog.
ps I liked your game "Rin"!
Andrew
Hi Andrew, I'm very impressed by your quick fix! I've updated my post with a new example. Hope I'm interpreting the new rules correctly.
ReplyDeleteMint
ReplyDeleteMy entry is Take Back Toe, a little game with chips and a 6-sided die. It is located at:
ReplyDeletehttp://cheapass.com/freegames/takebacktoe/
Thanks for running this contest!
-James Ernest
-Cheapass Games
I formally put forward Warmaze as an entry into The Thousand Year Game Design Challenge.
ReplyDeleteThe rule book basics are posted here, now, but additional images and media will follow in additional posts. I want to extend sincerest thanks to Daniel Solis for invigorating young game designers and giving them a call to action.
Here's my entry for the TYGDC:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t22xZh5JQvs
The game is called Push and is designed to be extremely simple but with a lot of strategy inherent to the design so that it can keep players of any skill level interested. The basic rules are in the video comments, but the video goes more in depth into the rules. Enjoy!
Got it! Thanks, Mackenzie!
ReplyDeleteVery nice, Dan! Yours is the first video entry, y'know. :)
ReplyDeletePerfect! That means you won't be expecting the subliminal soundtrack that will hypnotize you and guarantee me the prize. Bwahahahaha!
ReplyDeleteDo any of you fellow evil scientists know how to delete comment replies? I'm just asking out of curiosity... for a friend.
ReplyDeleteHallo Dan
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your video!
I like the game.
Couple of questions on multiple pushes:
What happens if a piece is pushed into a position where
A/ two other pieces could simultaneously push it in two different (but not opposite) directions?
B/ it could be pushed around in an infinite triangle?
e.g. see pic
Oooh. Good question. Would that qualify as a special kind of pinch, Dan?
ReplyDeleteCreator: David Gordon Buresh
ReplyDeleteEmail: david.buresh@gmail.com
Game: Push
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1rGsFoPICC5EvTgJXpytB6aplTGN1UF6wUWwM7UfD3Mc
I do not have an online version of this game, as I am not a programmer. However, I do have a friend who is currently working on producing one.
Would like to submit Beloved, if possible.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tao-games.com/?p=30
Heyo! Just confirming that you're in the mix. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're in, Ben!
ReplyDeleteNomad
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/8sWKo99TegA
A game of connections, topographical manipulation, balance, and nonviolence, in the spirit of Go, and other difficult games.
My name is David Weinstock, and I'm a game designer in the Pacific Northwest, near Seattle.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to submit my game "ZoxSo, The New Ancient Game" for the 1000 Year Game Design Challenge.
Here is a link to a rules demo video for ZoxSo on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0x86Vtwssg
Hi.
ReplyDeleteName of the game is Muros, and the link is:
http://laseptimacara.blogspot.com/2011/08/muros-rules-english.html
Thanks.
Enrique Sánchez
Kick Bones:
ReplyDeletehttp://kickbones.com
Image and link to this challenge are on http://kickbones.com!
Hello everyone! I love these games that are coming out of people's imaginations. It's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHere's my own last-minute entry for the Challenge--
Hunters and Haunts:
http://issuu.com/thecraziestartist/docs/h_hcontestentry
or
http://www.scribd.com/doc/61899332/Hunters-and-Haunts-An-Ancient-Classic-Board-Game
Excelsior!
Hi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting together this contest. I wish I could've been to Gen Con to show you in person, but hopefully the resources provided give you a good idea of how to play Tricala.
Video Overview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL27O9RHOiY
Also, you can find written instructions below. Note that this website also contains a FAQ document and a strategy overview so that you can really get into the game of Tricala :)
http://myleswallace.com/tricala-board-game
Thanks again. This has been a fun challenge.
Myles Wallace
Daniel, Thanks so much for running this contest. What a great idea! I look forward to playing all of the entries and seeing if my assessments line up with yours.
ReplyDeleteMy own entry is here:
http://www.gabob.com/TurningPoints/game.html
Good luck to all the designers. May all of your games last 1000 years!
If possible I would like to enter Sygo. It was invented on November 10, 2010 and has been published on our own site.
ReplyDeleteHowever, an enthusiastic player from Taiwan has made it an entry in the Chiniese wiki, and the game has been discussed at the Arimaa off topic forum. I hope that doesn't disqualify it. Finding a game for the ages is not something one can do on call.
Sygo is an abstract territory game in the spirit of Go, but considerably faster thanks to a move protocol allowing multiple moves per turn. It features 'Othellonian capture' and is free of cycles.
http://mindsports.nl/index.php/arena/sygo/
Here is an example game:
http://mindsports.nl/index.php/players-section/Serve.cgi?file=Sygo1312612760.html
christian freeling
Hi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteI wrote an RPG for this challenge called the Rule of Three: http://story-games.com/forums/comments.php?DiscussionID=14770&page=1
The rules themselves fall under 1,000 words, but they're really meant to be accompanied by the other booklet which is well over. I'm not sure if that counts or not.
Cheers,
Chris
sanglorian@gmail.com
I haven't looked at the other games in the contest, but, that being said, I'm sure they will all be obsolete in well under 100 years. Never mind 1000.
ReplyDeleteFlume:
http://www.marksteeregames.com/Flume_Go_rules.pdf
Flume is here to stay, as are many of my games, which I designed for the centuries.
-Mark
Mark Steere Games
http://www.marksteeregames.com
Use a larger board, like an 11x11 (9x9 playable area). Flume can be played at iggc.
ReplyDeleteHi David! You're in. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks, Myles! You're in. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joe! I dig the sand and seashell game board, btw.
ReplyDeleteThanks, christian! You're in. :)
ReplyDeleteIf you're submitting a document under 1,000 words, that's what we'll use for the challenge. :) Thanks, Chris! You're in!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Casey! You're in.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks! You're in.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kirk! Just in case it wasn't obvious, you're in. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Enrique! Nice to see more latino game designers out there. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mark! You're in. And I must say, this is the ballsiest entry to the challenge yet. We'll see how Flume does! :)
ReplyDeleteI enter Bluffing style chess! At the time of this entry it is unpublished. that will change by Friday, by then it will be smallpublished, or 30copiesinaboxpublished.
ReplyDeleteRules http://seedrpg.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/bsc-rules.pdf
I would be happy to send you a physical copy if that is allowed.
Bonus text:
I'm entering a chess variant because the games that will last 1000 years are the games that we were playing 1000 years ago, just changed a bit by time and taste. This game is more inline with modern values then chess, you win with lies and half truth instead of planing and reason.
In 1000 years I imagine this game will still be played face to face with physical pieces, the pieces just have a strange way of changing shape and color to fit whatever game you want to play. That person your face to face with, maybe they are just a projection made from the same stuff as the pieces.
This is a new game and has little in common with that thing I digitally published a few years ago under the same name. But if that disqualifies it, I can live with that. here is a link http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/23361/bs-chess-bluffing-style-chess
As someone who has made a bunch of games that would fit this contest, these things are impossible to get published. Thanks for caring about these games.
Thanks Daniel :)
ReplyDeleteHey Daniel, this is such an amazing idea! Thank you for hosting such a contest, I know great things will come of it!
ReplyDeleteMy entry is called Arena of Heroes. It's a board game for 2 to 4 players and currently up on Kickstarter. I have a handful of prototypes printed up and would love to send you one for the contest. Please let me know how to get it to you.
http://www.wastexgames.com/blog/?page_id=1577
Thanks!
Jeremy
Maybe I should add that Sygo can be played (turnbased) at:
ReplyDeletehttp://mindsports.nl/index.php/players-section
Registration is free.
Thanks, Tyler!
ReplyDeleteThat would be handy! Thanks again. :)
ReplyDeleteI'd lay a fat wet kiss on you for running this contest if were possible to reach through the screen and do so.
ReplyDeleteMy entry: Ketchup
http://nickbentley.posterous.com/pages/ketchup
You might want to wait until you see how your game does. :)
ReplyDeleteYou can play Ketchup at mindsports.nl too (turnbased):
ReplyDeletehttp://mindsports.nl/index.php/the-pit/ketchup-620
Also note that there's both a boardgamegeek entry for it, and an entry at the iggamecenter. Both of those were for an earlier version of the game (there have been several version since and the current game is quite different). This new version is just a month or so old, and has no entry on BGG. I hope it's qualified.
ReplyDeleteNo worries, mate. The entry you submit is the one we'll judge.
ReplyDeletesweet. thx.
ReplyDeleteAhh. That's right! Me idiot. I failed to mention this even as I am *in the middle of a game of it there*. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteHere is my entry: Yodd
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B3gpl2WT8ufWZGQ4ZTVjYTAtY2YwNi00OWRkLWE2ZWItYjA1ZThjNGE5YjI0&hl=en_US
It's a very elegant connection/territory game with no draws. You can place stones of both colors. The object is to end up with less groups than your opponent. At the end of a turn, there must be an odd number of groups on the board.
This is a very intuitive and fluid game. The odd groups restriction spices up tactics in an unexpected way, without interfering with clarity.
Hi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteAn update for your convenience. You know you can play Sygo (http://mindsports.nl/index.php/arena/sygo/) and Ketchup (http://mindsports.nl/index.php/the-pit/ketchup-620) at mindsports, the latter in the version Nick submitted (!).
We are now working on Luis' entry Yodd (http://mindsports.nl/index.php/the-pit/yodd-623) because we like the game. That's how Ketchup ended up in the Pit too.
Yodd will have an applet shortly so that everyone will be able to play all three of them at our site.
christian
Thanks for the links, Christian! That'll make judging a lot easier. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Luis! You're in.
ReplyDeleteGot it, Jeremy!
ReplyDeletePlease remember that you can't split the prize in three ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks to Nick Bentley for pointing out it wasn't too late, after I thought I'd missed the deadline. I am submitting this alone.
ReplyDeletehttp://xifeng.posterous.com/neighbors-a-technology-free-game
woohoo!
ReplyDeleteGot it! I didn't see a first name/last name on your blog. Would you like to be credited as Xifeng?
ReplyDeleteHi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteI'd like to submit my game for your contest, an original concept, hastily named:
GUCKOY (Game U Couldn't Know Of Yesterday)
View the rules for the game at http://bit.ly/prYeUb
* The game is something like the child of Go and a Rubix cube. or at least I would like to think so. :) It is meant to be a game people to play by themselves, if they like, to relax.
* Terrible name, isn't it? I invented the game in 2006 and haven't been able to think of a legally defendable name for it since!
* I've been wanting to make a phone app of this game for a while, but just haven't had the time. I will try soon.
* The instructions and the concept are copylefted. Besides a physical mock up (in the possession of some engineer I asked to test its design), there are no extant copies of the game. (A fanatical gamer, he found the game completely addicting. He tried something interesting, he replaced the colors in the game with numbers...)
* The design of the game came to me in a dream. I did not consciously design the game. I built it based on the memory of the design I envisioned in my dream.
You can contact me at mtiroff@gmail.com. I hope many will create copies of the game, and implement it through software.
Best,
Mark T.
Got it, Mark! Talk to Christian Freeling, he seems to be the hookup for web versions of analog games.
ReplyDeleteActually my friend Ed van Zon is the brains of mindsports, but I'm afraid Marks game is too tough a cookie to swallow anyway. I've got the odd circular one too (Rondo, "a game of circular reasoning") and appletwise these are not mainstream at our site.
ReplyDeleteJust 'seeing' a game in a dream is great. Sygo wouldn't have existed without Symple. Here's how it happened: http://mindsports.nl/index.php/how-i-invented-games-and-why-not/late-arrivals-a-final-whispers#symple
I quote: "So I couldn't quite avoid thinking about it, and then that very night, while I was drifting off to sleep, Symple came rising up, and the last thing I remember thinking was:
" ... so simple? what's wrong ...?".
Rather than create a game which will be popular for the next 1,000 years, I tried to design a game which takes 1,000 years to play.
ReplyDeleteYou can read the rules to the game here:
http://optional.is/required/2011/08/22/millennium-saga/
With further background information about the thought process in designing it and my inspiration:
http://optional.is/required/2011/08/22/1000-year-game-challenge/
Good Luck.
-Brian Suda
Brilliant! :)
ReplyDeleteOh my, that hadn't occurred to me. Yes, that is probably best. I try to keep my online and fleshy identities separate. I hope it isn't a problem.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your thoughts Christian! I enjoyed visiting mindsports.nl for the first time as well, and find myself a fan of Sygo and Emergo.
ReplyDeleteAround the time Guckoy showed up, I'd been wishing for a game that satisfies like chess, but gives a joyful and solitary personal challenge on a level par with golf. Not sure that Guckoy meets that challenge, but a variation using less green "wild" pieces would probably be far more challenging/satisfying to the player and could be used to create an increased difficulty level, although potentially resulting in the creation of unsolvable(?) start matrices. (Are there any unsolvable games of Guckoy, given the existence of any green wild game pieces in the game???) Guckoy simply makes the player a tool in the evolution of the physical appearance of the board, and the personal challenge is to see the potential of the patterns in the board's random arrangement.
I would like to try my hand at making some phone apps of Guckoy, for the personal challenge :) Sometimes I think games need flashy, ridiculous graphics, gimmicks and sound effects to thrill. I don't think game developers and designers should be ashamed of that. I think of Bejeweled hah. But that simple game gets a lot of love! There's something to be said for marketing. (For the record, I do like Bejeweled.) A classier game that thrives on physical beauty - Mahjongg. I have some ideas on physical aesthetics and gimmicks for Guckoy. I will submit info for any Guckoy apps that I create.
Guckoy, I think, should be played in digital form rather than on a physical board. Just setting up a physical copy of Guckoy is tediously annoying, and computer programs can set up purely random game elements with beautiful speed. Guckoy is much easier than chess to learn to play, and I suspect that would be true especially in digital form. In this way I think that Guckoy can be a classic game that better reflects the twenty-first century while paying homage to classic gameplay concepts of old. Even in analog form I think it can definitely be a classic game for the *next* thousand years, although refinements and development will probably benefit it a great deal.
Best,
Mark.
Christian, I'm also interested to know more about your InSight game...
ReplyDelete- Mark T.
So am I.
ReplyDeleteI've never played it. It was an exercise in simplification. The opening protocol was taken from Swish & Squeeze and gives a nice finishing touch.
A thousand seconds game :)
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteWe are just finishing our entry and hope to put it online tonight or tomorrow. The rules are done - just need to take the in-game photos. Would posting to Slideshare be ok?
Slideshare is perfectly fine!
ReplyDeleteAnd a late entry... Hexiles -
ReplyDeletehttp://headspace.posterous.com/hexiles-a-gameset-design
Thanks for the great motivation to Just Publish!
Ketchup can now also be played online against human opponents in realtime at:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.iggamecenter.com/
...where the game is known as "Ketchup 4.0" (to distinguish it from an earlier version of the same game which is so different that the site owner wanted to implement the new version as a separate game.)
Sure thing, but get that picture up ASAP!
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI would like to submit my game Hot Wire to your contest. It is a simple game the requires pencil, paper and a straightedge for neatness. As long as there are study halls and long car or plane rides this game will have a niche.
The game is played on a 7 x 7 grid, players connect points of the grid and try not to be the last to draw a line. The full rules can be found at https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B0211fegUGauNWUzNGM3OTctY2E5Ny00NTUxLThlZmMtMDQ4ZDY0Nzk0OTA3&hl=en_US
The rules can be viewed by anyone who has the link. Let me know if you have any problems with the link.
I have also written a shockwave game to playtest the game. The link to this game is https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0211fegUGauMTk5NjAxNGQtZjYzMy00M2YzLWJmMjEtZDMzMDAyNjVmZGU2&hl=en_US
The swf file is about 100K.
My email address is PhilLeduc.pled@gmail.com or
p.leduc@cox.net
Thank you for considering my game.
Phil Leduc
Two questions:
ReplyDelete1) What name would you like credited with this entry?
2) At least one picture is required for an eligible entry. is there a picture on your site you'd prefer to use?
I have uploaded an image and a description at:
ReplyDeletehttp://headspace.posterous.com/hexiles-sample-tiles
I'd like to submit our game to the contest (right at the wire :D)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sovgames.com/2011/08/30/thousand-year-game-design-challenge-entry-crowns/
Got it, Phil!
ReplyDeleteI have uploaded our entry ("hand covers bruise"). The url is http://www.slideshare.net/Andy_on_Slideshare/thousand-year-game-v5 We have tried to devised the simplest possible game.
ReplyDeleteGot it, Bradley!
ReplyDeleteGot it!
ReplyDeleteYou can find my entry, "Close Doesn't Count", through the following link. Share and enjoy.
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1q2wCGk8TaC0nDxzItEX_mS8Lw1VpGGC7J2CGxYEpaCY/edit?hl=en_US
Just wondering about when the deadline actually is. I hope it is midnight in US. I'm planning to finish my entry today, and it's now morning here in Sweden.
ReplyDeleteHere is my entry to the competition. It's called Shooting Stars and it is a quick little abstract strategy game for two players. My website is a work in progress and so is this page. There will be more images etc coming later, just wanted to get my entry in before the deadline. I'll make sure this URL works in the future as well.
ReplyDeleteBetter late than too late :P
http://digitalawakening.se/index.php?nav=stars
You've got a lot of entries to consider, Daniel. Everyone and their grandmother is taking a shot at the 1000 dollars. Maybe it should have been 100 dollars.
ReplyDeleteWhat charities are people planning to donate their winnings to?
My four year old inspired a game called Cookie Rock Scissors. Here's my submission: https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1RvpYFnZ6HtOaruPkYaXl1kj2h8bMnTYQxYO6aDrStY0
ReplyDeleteGrandmothers, uncles, toddlers.... Everyone's taking a shot at the prize.
ReplyDeleteHere (finally) is my entry, an abstract game simply called "Box". It can be found at:
ReplyDeletehttp://doug.hoover.net/original_games/box/the_game_of_Box.html
I devised Box some 20 years ago, but have never (until now!) found a good place to publish it. Thanks for running this contest!
Note that the detailed "example of play" link is not necessary (or intended) as part of the entry, except to satisfy the image requirement; since it was not attempting to be brief, if you include its text, it will probably go over the 1000-word limit. If this is a problem, I can certainly pare down the sample game commentary, as it is purely supplemental and the entry is otherwise well under 1000 words.
The rules contain a link to my personal website, which (though currently rather out of date otherwise) always contains up-to-date contact information.
I like it, even though there can be ties. Nice concept.
ReplyDeleteJust thinking out loud. You could make it a decisive game by playing it on an odd size board and using kind of a tie breaker.
In the example you showed, you could resolve it (...I think. Again, just thinking out loud...) by
1. Enable users to claim a box by having just 3 corners of the box instead of 4. You could even make this a rule throughout - not just in a tiebreaker. Might ruin the game though.
2. Allow players to reclaim points that were already used to create enemy boxes, *if by doing so* they create a new box.
Last-minute entry! I had meant to get this in earlier, but August has been crazy for me.
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/13cf6wj6NFoI6hBEN7hDZWEw5cT2yHGrcNa4JwQjWqkQ/edit?hl=en_US
I finally have my entry ready (with nary a moment to spare)! It is Bakkhus, an abstract tile matching game for two players. You can find information, the pieces, and the rules at http://claygardner.blogspot.com/2011/08/bakkhus.html
ReplyDeleteAh, but you see... I actually /like/ ties! As long as they are uncommon, I think they are fun. That was entirely intentional.
ReplyDeleteDon't think (1) would work, off the top of my head.
(2), though, is probably a quite viable variant, even without considering it as a tie-breaking mechanism. I've actually thought about that as a variant in the past -- but I personally like it better as written.
Oh, and if you *really* don't like ties? Just give the "second" player (after the pie-slicing swap) a half-point "komi", as in Go. That's probably the most elegant way to prevent them, if you're running a time-limited tournament with prize money, or something. (I wish. :) )
ReplyDeleteI really don't like komi, even more than I really don't like ties.
ReplyDeleteNo, I think it's a good game, as I said, even with the ties. I couldn't resist thinking out loud about it. Take that as flattery.
I think it's better as is, with occasional non-cyclic draws, than it would be with a bunch of complicated tie-breaker stuff.
The rules of Kodrek are now over here! The hurricane severely curtailed my video shooting and editing capabilities, but I'll post the video of play as soon as upload is complete!
ReplyDeleteHeh. I never play with komi, either... because I think tying a game of Go is /cool/.
ReplyDeleteBut a tie in Go isn't a tie unless White has a 3.5 point advantage. Komi is there because the sides are inherently uneven.
ReplyDeleteAnother game, 'Spread': http://www.gamejoint.com.ar/spread/spreaddisplay.html. I'm working on the playable demo made in flash. It's not over yet, but it'll help you get an idea: http://www.gamejoint.com.ar/spread/spread.html (it will be finished by next week).
ReplyDeleteDaniel Solis -
ReplyDeleteI am e-mailing this message to you at 11:15 CST on August 31, 2011. I hope this falls within the time limit for your Game Design Challenge of 2011.
I have an interest in history, so my game is one of several historical games I've been mulling over for 8 or 10 years. I just stumbled upon your website two days ago and I and my wife have been working frantically to convert a game I'd designed on an old piece of plywood - using wooden pieces, of course! - into a web and graphic friendly submission for you. I also spent 2 days typing up the basic rules, plus a glossary of game and naval terminology! Then, just to add excitement, three hours ago we had to give up trying to upload everything onto my Blogger blogsite! AAARGH! So, instead we modified everything so as to load the game graphics and rules onto my HubPages website, which worked pretty well. My board game is a naval strategy-and-luck- oriented game, called FLEET RAIDERS. You can find it at this link:
http://jeffduff.hubpages.com/hub/fleetraiders
Do not let the amount of text discourage you - most of it is a glossary of naval and game terminology, plus a casual game introduction for HubPages readers (most of whom are not board game buffs, I'll wager). All a new FLEET RAIDERS game player - like yourself - has to read to play are the 'Basic Game Rules", which I estimate comes in about one thousand words.
If you can not find my game submission at the link above, or you have any other questions, please contact me at my personal e-mail: ekduff79 @ gmail.com
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
S. Jeff Duff
I found this entry both charming and interesting. It took me a second to get a handle on the scoring, but it's worthwhile. In the end, it feels like a test of what happens when you have back-to-back-to-back prisoner's dilemmas. Fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks! My daughter came up with the idea of substituting Cookies for Paper, and explained that everything crushed them. I began to wonder if there was a way to actually make it into a game, and hit upon the idea of making it into a Prisoner's Dilemma sort of setup.
ReplyDeleteLast minute entry!
ReplyDeletehttp://thouandone.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/thousand-year-game-drop-shy/
I've sent an entry some hours ago but I don't see the comment now... Just in case, again, the game is 'Spread'. http://www.gamejoint.com.ar/spread/spreaddisplay.html. I'm working on a demo, it's not finished yet, but it can get you an idea of how it works: http://www.gamejoint.com.ar/spread/spread.html.
ReplyDeleteThe common value of komi in Go was recently increased to 6.5. Previously 5.5 was used for a long time. This is to even out the advantage of black playing first. If you like tied games then just skip the .5 part.
ReplyDeleteTrue from a point of view, but people have historically had trouble deciding what the "proper" number should be. Personally, I think Go should use the "pie-slicing" solution used in Box, instead -- it has perhaps better balance, and also has the benefit of adding a little variability to the starting position. Mark might agree with me that it's also more elegant.
ReplyDeleteYour "pie slicing solution", more commonly known as the pie rule, is brutish, but necessary. Like komi, the pie rule is entirely inelegant. Still I wonder if Go would be a better game with the pie rule.
ReplyDeleteMostly for my own amusement, I've made a version of the rules in flowchart form.
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1I6cXNvu8TY1MBheRxosFFNyBFNH6mguwbDOK5G1O1nU/edit?hl=en_US
Daniel Solis -
ReplyDeletePlease excuse the hasty and unsophisticated appearance of my game board and pieces. I just stumbled across your Thousand Year Game Contest, about two days ago, and my wife and I have been frantically working on the rules (me) and graphic designs (my wife) since then! I hope my submission has come in just under midnight, August 31st deadline!
I am a history buff and I've been juggling three or four board game concepts around in my head for the last decade or so, all but one being about history. My game submission is called FLEET RAIDERS to try to make it sound exciting... FLEET RAIDERS tries
I don't know what to say ... the inconvenient Disqus system seems to have held up by last minute game submission!
ReplyDeleteAargh!!!
If you can grant me 12 hours of mercy on the deadline, I would greatly appreciate it.
(Did I mention how much trouble I've had with Disqus during the last week? Aaargh!)
Sincerely,
Jeff Duff
Do have to concede that adding /any/ rule to a game like Go or Box is rather akin to hitting it with a hammer. I admit to liking the pie rule, though, in a "least of evils" sort of way.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I have made some (really small) changes to the spec, and replaced the files at my site. So you can get an update if you've not looked at the original yet.
ReplyDeleteOk Daniel, the Challenge is listed as one of your 'games', I guess it's your move then :)
ReplyDeleteChristian will become angry if the judging period takes too long.
ReplyDeleteYou don't want to make Christian angry.
Hi Jeff. Just to make sure you're aware: There is a 1,000 word limit on all entries. Terribly sorry, but this entry isn't eligible in this form. :(
ReplyDeleteSorry it's taken so long to follow up. Those are good questions. For question B: if any piece can be pushed around in an infinite loop, it is automatically considered "pinched." It's removed from the game. I've only had this happen once so far, but it's good to know in case it comes up.
ReplyDeleteQuestion A is different. In this case, the two red pieces on the right aren't pushing on the blue because they are not directly in line with the direction of the push. So, that means that (using your diagram above) left red pushes blue, and blue then pushes the right reds away (up and down-right, respectively).
The simple rule to remember here is that a piece that is moving pushes a stationary piece (except in a pinch scenario). So left red is moving, which pushes blue, which then becomes a moving piece that pushes right reds. As long as there is room to make a buffer (i.e. no pinch), the moving piece pushes the stationary piece. This is important to remember because it's easy to slip into the mindset that the person whose turn it is only does the pushing, which isn't true.
Sorry for the delayed reply. See the explanation above.
ReplyDelete