Ludology Ludology 207 - Card Advantage
Aug 25, 2019
Emma and Gil are joined by Justin Gary, a renowned designer of Ascension and Shards of Infinity and former Magic: The Gathering champion. They dive into the unique world of card-based strategy games, discussing the delicate balance of gameplay and the excitement of expansions. Justin shares insights into player dynamics, the challenges of game design, and the joys of community in pursuing passion projects. Amusingly, they even touch on in-game marriage proposals—revealing just how personal gaming experiences can be!
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Endless Card Game Permutations
- Card games use a traditional card format but allow limitless permutations through thousands of unique cards.
- This blend creates deep strategy and high variance appealing to lifelong players.
Design Synergies for Discovery
- Seed obvious synergies like faction combos for player enjoyment and deeper synergies for long-term discovery.
- Expect players to find combos unanticipated by designers, which keeps the game fresh.
Balancing Breakability and Fun
- Overbalancing a game to avoid breakage can make it boring and predictable.
- Good competitive card games thrive on breakability and discovery despite occasional bans.
