TRISTAN BAKER

Kings
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tristan Baker 1
Kings 1
Table Of Contents 2
Game Description 3
Number of Players 3
Outline 3-5
Flowcharts 6
Meaningful Action Analysis (MAA) 6
Board Design 8
Component Pieces 8-9
Detailed Design & Testing 3.1 9-14
Detailed Rules 14-17
Detailed Design & Testing 4.1 17-27
GAME DESCRIPTION
In a forgotten kingdom there is a race to see who can become the King first. Player will race to
empty their hands first by playing the appropriate card at just the right moment to steal the
kingdome from your opponents. Whoever can empty their hands first will be crowned King. Are
you ready for the challenge?
Number of Players
● 4 players
● Ages 7+
GRATIS Outline
Goals
● To be the first one to empty your hand and be crowned King of the kingdome.
Rules
● Shuffled deck of cards (56 cards with jokers).
● Deal 1 card to each player until there are no more cards left.
● Players look through their hands.
● Whoever has the Ace of Spades places it face up in the center and will start the game.
● Player must choose a card to play that is the same as the top card in the center, or a card
that is 1 higher or lower than it.
● If player cannot play a card that is either 1 higher or lower or the same as the top card
in the center then they can play King’s Quart.
○ This will allow the player to discard 2 cards from their hand along with the 2
played for King’s Quart.
● Player can also play 3 of the same number called a Challenge if and only if it is played
in numerical order (1 2 3 4 555).
○ This will initiate a challenge to the player to the left. If the player to left cannot
play 3 of the same number then they must pick up the pile in the center, but if
they can play 3 of the same number then the player who initiated the challenge
must pick up the pile.
○ Additionally, if the player who is being challenged can play the last card to
complete the four of a kind then the challenge is denied, and no one picks up the
cards.
○ At any point in this challenge anyone can play 4 of the same number to make
the person to their right take the center pile.
 ● After a Joker is played to make the center pile be distributed and a player attempts an
Assault, the Assault will not take place but instead they will act as 4 ordinary cards and
play will resume as normal.
● If player cannot play any valid card then they must pick up the center pile and forfeit
their turn to the player to their left.
● If a player has a Joker they can play it to distribute all the cards in the center pile (after
shuffling) to every player but themselves.
○ If the Joker was just played and all the cards were distributed, the Joker can be
played directly after, but player might want to think about maximum effectiveness
of said play.
○ If a Joker is played after an Assault (when four of the same number is played)
the Joker acts like a shield and blocks it. Nothing happens and the player to the
left of the player who attempted the Assault will take their turn. In the event that
this does happen the Joker will act as any number/ any card that the player taking
their turn wants.
● The winner is whoever can get rid of every card in their hand first. Every other player
must say “Long live my King”.

Actions
● Shuffle
● Deal
● Discard
○ Same number card
○ One higher than the card in the center
○ One lower than the card in the center
○ A pair of the same numbered/face cards
○ Three of the same numbered/face cards
○ Four of the same numbered/face cards
○ A Joker
● Pick up center pile
● Challenge
● Assault
● King’s Quart
● Winning
Transitions
● Start the Game
● Discard
● Pick up center pile
● Challenge
● Assault
● King’s Quart
● End Game

Items
● 53 cards
Setup
● Unpack deck of cards.
● Shuffle deck of cards.
● Deal all cards out until there are none remaining.
● Player with Ace of Spades places it in the center and will start the game with their turn.
Flowcharts -

Meaningful Action Analysis (MAA)

● Shuffle – rearranging both decks of cards separately by sliding them overtop of each
other with no particular meaning or method except quickly. Non Meaningful and is an
involuntary action.
● Deal - distribute cards in an orderly rotation to the players for a game or round. Non
Meaningful, this is an involuntary action.
● Pick Up - take the center pile. Not Meaningful, this is an involuntary action.
● Discard - play a valid card from your hand that is one higher or lower than the card in
the center, a card with the same numerical value as the center card, a pair of cards with
the same numerical value or faces, or Challenge. Meaningful, player can choose any of
these options to impact others or themselves.
● Challenge - a player can choose to play 3 cards with the same numerical value/faces to
 challenge the player to their left to play 3 cards with the same numerical value/faces or to
pick up the center pile. Meaningful, player can choose whether or not they want to
initiate the challenge with the rewarding and punishment outcomes.
● Joker - player can choose whether or not to play the Joker which takes all the cards in
the center pile and distributes them out to ever player but the one who played it.
Meaningful, player can choose when to use this card for the most impact on the other
players.
● Assault - a player chooses to play four of the same card to attempt to make the player
to their right pick up the center pile. Meaningful, the player can chooses based on how
the game is going to make the player to the right pick up the cards or not.
● King’s Quart - player can choose to play 2 matching face cards (Jack, Queen, or King)
that will allow them to discard 2 additional cards from their hand. Meaningful, the player
can make the choice when to play King’s Quart and what cards to discard along with it.

Card Game Table Layout Diagram -

Component Pieces
● 53 cards as follows:
○ 4 Aces - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
○ 4 Twos - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
○ 4 Threes - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
○ 4 Fours - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
○ 4 Fives - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
○ 4 Sixes - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
○ 4 Sevens - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
○ 4 Eights - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
 ○ 4 Nines - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
○ 4 Tens - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
○ 4 Jacks - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
○ 4 Queens - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
○ 4 Kings - in 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
○ 1 Joker - in any design

Detailed Design & Testing - Assignment 3.1

Play Testers For Test 1
The players for the first test were my little brother Zack and his 3 friends Cody, Neeper, and
Nick. They are all 17 or 18 years old. Zack is Player 1, Cody is Player 2, Neeper is Player 3, and
Nick is Player 4 based on the game layout provided earlier in this document.

Playtest 1 Results
The first test was just to see how the game played and as a result I learned that my game needed
to be tweaked a little. They would stop and ask a lot of questions when a challenge was initiated.
So as a result of this I made a few changes to the rules around a challenge to make it more clear
as to what should happen and what can happen. (Zack challenged Cody with his 3 queens)

Zack was unsure if he could challenge. I had to clarify when a challenge could be played. Cody
was unsure if he could deny the challenge or not. I had to clarify this as well. Players seem to take
a while when deciding to choose a card. The game took a while to finish. Zack suggested that if
the person being challenged can complete the set of 4 numbers then the challenge should be
 denied.

Play Testers For Test 2

I used the same play testers for all of my playtesets so they were Zack, Cody, Neeper, and Nick.
They are all 17-18 years of age. I don’t really know too much about them personally. They will
be in the same position in every screen shot.

Playtest 2 Results
The second playtest was to test if the challenge feature made the game play a little smoother. The
new rule was that if you were challenged and you could complete the set of 4 numbers then the
challenge would be denied. When playtested the challenge feature seemed to work a lot smoother
than the last with less questions being asked. As a result of this playtest I implemented some new
rules around playing a 4 of a kind. (Neeper challenged Nick with his twos)

The wording around the rules for a challenge need to be adjusted so it isn’t left to interpretation.
When players challenged one another it seemed like they were having more fun this time around.
The game played a little faster than the last time. Still a lot of questions around playing 4 of a
kind. Players seemed to understand more of the game.

Play Testers For Test 3

 For playtest number 3 it was the same people… Zack, Cody, Neeper, and Nick. They are between
the ages of 17 and 18. This is their third playtest so they know how the game should generally go.

Playtest 3 Results
The goal of this playtest was to see if my new improved rules around playing 4 of a kind played
well. When tested Nick played 4 of a kind and Neeper was a little confused as to what happened
next and looked a little disappointed when I told him he needed to pick the pile up. Also tested to
specifically if the new rule surrounding playing 4 of a kind after the pile has been cleared and
how it affects the flow of the game. (Nick player 4 of a kind forcing Neeper to pick up the pile)

While playing I noticed that I didn’t like when players had to say 4 of a kind. Might need to find a
word for that. Players seem to be disappointed when they couldn’t do anything about picking up
the pile. The game took about 6 minutes less to complete this time.

Play Testers For Test 4

I could not find anyone else to palytest my game so again it is the same people, but much later in
the week. The play testers in the same order as the other testes are Zack, Cody, Neeper, and Nick.
They all are between the ages of 17 and 18. I do not know Cody, Neeper, and Nick personally.

Playtest 4 Results
I renamed playing 4 of a kind to an Assault and made it an action. Having noticed that Neeper
 was disappointed with not being able to counterplay the Assault I implemented a rule were you
could play a Joker to nullify the Assault. (Cody attempted an Assault on Zack but he had a Joker
and played it)

Renaming the 4 of a kind to an assault seemed to make it easier for the players to understand and
accept what was going on. Also adding a counterplay to the assault seemed to make the players
more tactile and have more fun with their strategies. I was asked only 5 questions throughout the
whole game which is an improvement. They still seem to struggle with the Joker a little. Might
need to fix the rules around it.

Play Testers For Test 5

The last playtest was again played by the same people as I could not find anyone else to test my
game at the time. In the same order as all the other test I had Zack, Cody, Neeper, and Nick who
are all between the ages of 17 and 18.

Playtest 5 Results
The final playtest was to test the implementation of the cleaned up version of my rules
surrounding the Joker and it’s counterplay to the assault. I believe the test to be successful as I
feel like the players have a better time understanding and playing the Joker. (Zack played a Joker
so that Nick would gain more cards)
 Zack seemed to enjoy playing the Joker, but everyone else seemed to be disliking it. Might have
to change how many Jokers there are. The game took longer than test 4 this time but with no
questions. They did however have some suggestions on how to improve the game some. They
noted that the game takes a little too long to complete. I agree with them.

Week 3 Playtest Reflection

4 comments/issues players had:
● The rules around playing a Joker are not well defined.
○ Negative
○ Cleaning up and being more precise with the rules around playing a Joker is a
really good idea because it will leave the players with less questions and make it
so the game will not take as long to complete.
○ I plan on using this feedback to make the rules in general, more accurate and less
confusing.
○ I believe that making the rules a little less confusing can only benefit the next
iteration of my game by making the flow of the game more smooth for the
players.
○ I do plan on using this feedback in the next iteration.
● Making the rules around challenges more understandable to the average player.
○ Positive
○ This is a good idea because there will be less time being consumed with
 questions surrounding a challenge.
○ I will take this idea into my mind when fixing the rules around a challenge with
my own ideas and words.
○ This will almost certainly make the flow of the game smoother in the next
iteration and will help players understand the rules more.
○ I will incorporate some changes with this goal in mind in the next iteration of my
game.
● Player didn’t like that there wasn’t a counter play to having to pick up the pile after a
challenge or an assault.
○ Negative
○ Adding a counter play to an assault and a challenge is a really good idea to me
because it allows players to strategically decide when to play the counter for
maximum effect.
○ I will use this concern and add a counter play to both a challenge and an assault.
○ This will cause the next iteration of my game to be more strategic and fun for
players while also balancing both actions.
○ I will implement a counter for both actions in my next iteration of my game.
● It feels like when you are low on cards someone always has a Joker to make you pick up
more cards.
○ Negative
○ I feel like lowering the number of Jokers in the deck is a great idea because it
will lower the amount of time it takes to complete the game by half of what it is
now and make it more enjoyable for all players.
○ The feedback was more of comment of frustration than anything so the idea of
lowering the number of Jokers in a deck is my idea that was inspired by this
comment of frustration.
○ Lowering the number of Jokers in the deck will lower the amount of time it takes
to complete the game and in my opinion it would balance things out a little in the
next iteration of my game.
○ I will lower the amount of Jokers in the next iteration of my game.

4 clear issues that I noticed while observing play testing:

● I noticed that players did not enjoy how often they had to pick up the center pile.
○ Mechanics/Balancing
○ I am thinking about removing or at least changing the whole concept of picking
up the center pile and replacing it with something like UNO’s discard and draw
system.
● I noticed that players didn’t understand the rules around playing a challenge (player
commented).
○ Documentation
○ I added some new sub rules to a challenge defining when you could do it and
what it means to do it.
● I noticed that throughout the playtests the time to complete the game was really long.
 ○ Other
○ With every new rule, mechanic, or clarification of the wording or the rules I
wanted to reduce as much time as I could form the total play time. Every decision
was made with the goal to shorten the playtime.
● I noticed that players would get frustrated when they were low on cards and someone
played a Joker (player commented).
○ Balancing
○ I am going to reduce the amount of Jokers there are in a deck to only one or two.
How many times did I have to explain the rules?
● I had to explain the rules about 20+ times for the first playtest, about 15-18 times for the
second playtest, about 15-17 times for the third playtest, about 9-13 times for the fourth
playtest, and by the final playtest there were no questions asked just comments and
suggestions.
○ During the first couple playtests most of the questions were around what and
when to do a challenge. I would change something about this mechanic and then
they would have some more questions about it until they felt comfortable with
how it was played. For example, during playtest 2 Neeper challenged Nick with 3
twos and I was testing if my new feature (if you have the last number to complete
the 4 of a kind, the challenge is denied) made the game smoother and more
enjoyable. When Neeper started the challenge Nick asked me if he was correct/
allowed to play the two that he had in his hand to deny the challenge. This would
be the most common question asked. I don’t know if it was how my rules were
worded before or if it is just human nature to ask if you are correct when you
possibly know you are.
○ During the final playtest there were no questions asked to my surprise, but
instead after the game they all offered me some suggestions and commented on
aspects of the game.

Detailed Rules for Players (Based on the piece of paper inside every UNO box)
Kings
Contents
56 cards (a normal deck of cards) as follows:
4 Aces - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
4 Twos - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
4 Threes - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
4 Fours - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
4 Fives - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
4 Sixes - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
4 Sevens - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
4 Eights - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
4 Nines - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
4 Tens - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
4 Jacks - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
4 Queens - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
4 Kings - 1 from every suit (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, Diamonds)
1 Joker - 1 from any design

Object of the Game

Be the first player to get rid of all of your cards in your hand and be crowned King of the
kingdome.

Set Up
1. Players will position themselves in a square or a circle so long as they all can reach a
central location easily.
2. Players will choose amongst themselves who is going to deal out the cards.
3. The dealer will deal 1 card out to every player starting with the player to their left, until
there are no more cards remaining.
4. Players pick up their hands and begin to look at them.
5. Player who has the Ace of Spades starts the game by placing it face up in the center of
everyone forming the Discard pile or the Center pile.

How to Play
Once the Ace of Spades has been placed face down in the center, the player to the left of
the player who placed it there will start their turn.

When it’s your turn, you must play a valid card based on the top card in the Center pile,
either by matching it with the same number, playing a card that is 1 higher or lower than
it, King’s Quart, Challenging, Assaulting, or by playing a Joker. (See Actions for a
description of terms)
 For Example: If the card on top of the Discard/Center pile is a 6 of Hearts, the player
must play a 5 of any suit, a 7 of any suit, a 6 from the remaining suits, King’s Quart,
Challenge, Assault, or play a Joker. These are all valid cards to play.

If you do not have any valid cards, you must pick up the Discard/Center pile and the
player to your left will begin their turn by playing any card they want.

To win the game a player must be the first one to empty their entire hand of all cards. At
this point all other players must say “Long live my King”.

Actions
Shuffle - to randomly slide one card overtop another without thinking about it as to mix
the order of cards to create an even game.

Deal - to give every player 1 card until there are none left starting with the player to the
left of the dealer.

Valid Card - any card that is the same as the card on top of the Discard/Center pile, 1
higher or lower than it, King’s Quart, Challenge, Assault, or a Joker.

Discard/Play - to place a valid card on top of the Discard/Center pile and completing
your turn.

Pick Up - when a player cannot play any valid card they must take the Discard/Center
pile into their hand.

Challenge - a player can choose to play 3 cards that their numbers or faces all match to
engage with the player to the left and see if they can match their 3 matching numbers or
faces.
● If the challenged cannot match it then they must pick up the Discard/Center pile.
● If they can match it then the player who started the challenge will take the
Discard/Center pile, but if there are no cards in the Discard/Center pile before the
Challenge is engaged then no one will pick up the pile..
● In a normal deck of cards there is 4 of every number up to 10 plus Aces, Jacks,
Queens, and Kings so if the player who started the challenge played 3 of any of
these cards and the challenged has the last one, then the challenged is denied and
the player to the left of the challenged takes their turn.
● A challenge can only be initiated if the 3 matching cards are in numerical order
based on the top card in the Discard/Center pile. Ex (one is on the top, to
challenge you must have 3 twos or 3 aces).

Assault - a player can choose to play 4 cards that their numbers or faces all match to
attempt to make the player to their right pick up the Discard/Center pile.
 ● This can happen at any point in the game even if it isn’t your turn.
● After a Joker is played and the next player attempts an Assault, the Assault will
not take place but instead they will act as 4 individual cards with no meaning and
play will resume normally.

Joker - player can choose to play a Joker that will equally distribute all the cards in the
Discard/Center pile to every player but the one who played it.
● If the Joker is played after an Assault it acts like a shield and blocks the Assault.
Nothing happens and the player to the left of the player who attempted the
Assault will take their turn.
● Players should use the Joker strategically so they can have the most effective
impact on the course of the game.

King’s Quart - player can play any pair of matching face cards (Jack, Queen, or King) to
allow them to discard any 2 additional cards from their hand.
● King’s Quart can play played regardless of the card on top of the Discard/Center
pile.
● If player has a King, Queen, and a Jack in there hand, then player can discard all
three instead of discarding 2 of any card in their hand.

Detailed Design & testing – Assignment 4.1

New Mechanic
Kings Quart
● I am removing the rule/ mechanic were a player can play any matching pair of cards no matter the
number sequence, and replacing it with a rule/mechanic that allows players to play any matching
pair of face cards only. This will be called playing King’s Quart, and it will allow the player to
discard 2 cards from their hand.

Updated Flowchart -
Play Testers For Test 6
The play testers that I used for my 6th playtest were a couple of distant family members and
friends and their names are Kristy, Rick, Paige, Barb. They have a wide range of ages from 18-67
years old. Kristy is 41 years old, Rick is 67 years old, Paige is 18 years old, and Barb is 65 years
old. Kristy will be Player 1 located at the top of every image, Rick will be Player 2 located to the
right of every image, Paige will be Player 3 located at the bottom of every image, and Barb will
be Player 4 located to the left of every image.
Playtest 6 Results
During this test I wanted to see reacted to the new King’s Quart mechanic and how it would
affect the flow of the game. I handed them the rules sheet and I was only asked if they could
discard any 2 cards from their hand when King’s Quart is played. I did change the number of
Jokers in this version of my game but I didn’t test it here. (Kristy played King’s Quart and
discarded a pair of eights)

The playtest took a little longer with this group than it did the last, but I assume that is because
the last group knew the rules by the end. Players seem to enjoy the new mechanic King’s Quart.
After I told them what I took out to put King’s Quart in they were even more pleased with the
mechanic. The flow of the game seems to have improved as well and player enjoyment seems to
have done the same.

Play Testers For Test 7

I utilized the same group of people for all remaining playtests; Kristy (age 41) as Player 1, Rick
(age 67) as Player 2, Paige (age 18) as Player 3, Barb (age 65) as Player 4. They are still getting
to know the rules of my game so they may have questions.

Play test 7 Results

During this playtest I wanted to see if my reduction of Jokers (from 4 down to 1) made the game
feel more balanced and made the Joker feel more like a rare card with a lot of power. I made this
change at the end of playtest 5 for balancing reasonses. This change allowed players to feel more
 powerful when they had the Joker. (Kristy had no valid cards to play so she played the Joker
card)

It seems like this group of play testers are getting to know the rules quite well by now. They seem
to be creating more strategies around the King’s Quart and when to play it. When Kristy played
the Joker she was out of options and she deployed her strategy of using it to redistribute the
massive pile in the center so she wouldn’t have to pick up so many in the future. Players asked
me if the Joker was just played, can it be played directly again. Might have to clarify this in the
rules.

Play Testers For Test 8

I used the same playtesters; Kristy (age 41) as Player 1, Rick (age 67) as Player 2, Paige (age 18)
as Player 3, and Barb (age 65) as Player 4. They all know the rules by now and I am left with very
little questions if any at all.

Playtest 8 Results
In this playtest the changed the wording of when and how a King’s Quart works along with the
clarification on when a Joker can be played. The main objective of this playtest was to see if the
 improved wording of the rules aided player’s decisions and making the player have more fun.(
Paige started a Challenge with Barb directly after a Joker was played to clear the Discard/Center
pile, and Barb matched the Challenge)

The clarification of the wording around the Joker seemed to help players utilize it more
strategically than before. This in turn seemed to make the game more enjoyable as players would
grin when out playing their opponents. A new question was asked about what would happen if
someone engaged a Challenge after a Joker was played to clear the Discard/Center pile and the
Challenge is met. I should clarify more in the rules. The game took less time to complete.

Play Testers For Test 9

I again, used the same playtesters as before for this test except Barb was replaced by Max. So, the
players are Kristy (age 41) as Player 1, Rick (age 67) as Player 2, Paige (age 18) as Player 3, and
Max (age 26) as Player 4. Most players are now Adapt at playing my game and mostly
understand the rules.

Playtest 9 Results
As this is one of my last playtests I wanted to see if the players enjoyed the overall flow of the
game. This is a difficult thing to test, but with observations of players while they play combined
with their feedback, it should be somewhat easy. (Kristy engaged in a Challenge with Rick, but
 Rick had the last card denying the Challenge)

During this playtest I specifically focused on players during a Challenge, Assault, King’s Quart,
and when a Joker is played. Most players seemed to have a plan when one of these actions take
place and all players seemed to enjoy themselves. When finished, I asked them if the game felt
smooth to them; they all said it felt fairly smooth. Paige suggested that kuring a King’s Quart if a
player has a King, Queen, and Jack in their hand, they should be able to discard all 3 instead of
just discarding 2 cards from their hand. I like that idea.

Play Testers For Test 10

The playtester that I utilized for my final playtest were the same as playtest 9. Kristy (age 41) as
Player 1, Rick (age 67) as Player 2, Paige (age 18) as Player 3, and Max (age 26) as Player 4.
They all feel knowledgeable of the rules and how the game should be played.

Playtest 10 Results
For this playtest I wanted to test if the idea Paige had would fit into the game without feeling too
out of place. I also wanted to see how players felt about it being part of the King’s Quart
mechanic. Players did not need me to answer any questions but if they could play the King,
Queen, and Jack. (Paige played King’s Quart and had a King, Queen, and a Jack so she was able
to play all three (This part wasn’t planned at all it just kinda happened and it was funny))
 Every player seemed to be enjoying themselves a lot. Made me think they were playing a game
like Spoons or something. Players seemed to keep the flow of the game smooth and there were
only pauses because players wanted to talk like you do in most games. This playtest took 10
minutes less than all the other playtests. I think that had to do with the reduction of Jokers, and
the implementation of King’s Quart. Further testing is still needed.

Week 4 Tests Reflection

4 comments/issues Players had:
● The implementation of King’s Quart.
○ Positive
○ These comments do not require action because they are positive.
○ I will look at all other mechanics to see if they can have the same effect as King’s
Quart.
○ Other mechanics might change for the better in future iterations of my game.
● More clarification on when a Joker can be played.
○ Negative
○ Yes, this issue requires action.
○ I can clarify when specifically a Joker can be played in the rules, but players
 must use it strategically for maximum effectiveness.
○ I feel like in future iterations of my game player will know how the Joker can be
played and form more strategic palys because of it.
● More clarification on what can happen after a Joker is played and the effects of that.
○ Negative
○ Yes, this issue requires action.
○ I can state in the rules for each action what will happen if it is played after a
Joker, or I can find the most common actions after a Joker is played and state
what would happen.
○ This should cause future iterations of my game to be played more smoothly than
previous iterations.
● How the new rules around King’s Quart work.
○ Negative
○ Yes, This issue requires action.
○ I can reword the rules so that players can better understand the circumstances that
can take place in a King’s Quart.
○ Again, this should create a smoother experience for players in future iterations.

4 clear issues that I noticed while observing play testing:

● I noticed that players would take a while to play a card on their first playthrough.
○ Other
○ I don’t think that this is a problem that need to be fixed as during the second
playthrough of my game they seemed more comfortable playing cards.
● I noticed that players seemed a little uncomfortable with an Assault.
○ Mechanics
○ I could rework how an Assault works so that players feel comfortable and enjoy
the mechanic. I could also remove the mechanic as it is not really needed at this
point.
● The games seemed to be completed faster and faster with every playtest.
○ Other/Mechanics
○ This doesn’t require any action to be taken except caution when implementing
new rules so I don’t make the game too easy. There still needs to be a level of
difficulty in the game.
● I noticed that the removal of the old pair mechanic improved the flow and mood of
players.
○ Other/Mechanics
○ This doesn’t require any action to be take. It is just a nice observation that I
noticed while playtesting.
Problems going forth:
● From what I can tell there aren’t many issues that I need to focus on going into the future
of my game except when implementing new rules I need to make sure that there is still a
skill gap for players to get better. But who knows, with a little time I could come back
 and notice a whole truck load of problems and need to fix them.
Players enjoyment:
● After the first couple of playtest players started to enjoy my game more and more. After
the last playtest I noticed that players would engage in rivalries, smile more, laugh more,
and just over all enjoy my game more. Now like I said there are way that I could make
my game more enjoyable, but for now it is at a good place.
Reflections on the new mechanic:
● Adding the King’s Quart mechanic definitely improved gameplay significantly, and I
even added a new subrule for it based on a player’s idea.
● I do plan on keeping this new mechanic because it creates a new aspect of my game
where players can play even more strategically so that they can quickly become King of
the kingdoms first.
Amount of times questions were asked:
● The last 5 playtests there weren’t many questions being asked. I totaled the amount of
questions to about 6 or 7.

Final Reflections
This whole process has taught me alot about the documentation of games and how specific
everything must be so that players don’t get confused. With each playtest I was able to learn what
needed to be done to better my game so that player enjoyed it more. This is all thanks to the
iterative design process that I will probably do for every creative project that I do, but when it
comes to playtesting I learned that you have to keep an open mind and cannot be bias. The more
you playtest the better and the wider the range of different playtesters the better. Overall I can say
that this has been an educational experience that I really enjoyed going through.