Happy 2016 everyone!

As a way to kick off the new year, I'm offering a treat to everyone who reads this.

I've just placed a large amount of the item card artwork online for players to look over and give feedback on. I'm happy with the job that my illustrators are doing on Manaforge, and I'd like to spread some of that joy around.

However, there is a catch.

The artwork isn't on this site. Instead, you'll have to load up and play the online version of Manaforge on Tabletopia. Instructions for doing this are on the Games page.

Also, if you're looking for players to test the game with, it is recommended that you join the Discord chat server. It's great for connecting with other players on the Tabletopia service. Instructions for that are also on the Games page.

Enjoy!

Apparently I was a good little game developer this year, because my graphic designer left some awesome Manaforge card backs underneath my cardboard Christmas tree. :)

The one on the left is the back for the Dawn item cards (renamed from the Morning cards), the first set of item cards in the game. The other two decks have similar backs, just with different colors for the circles and text. The Noon deck (previously Afternoon) is white and silver, and the Dusk deck (previously Evening) is red and purple.

The one on the right is the for the Talent cards (renamed from the Character cards), the cards that represent each player's unique abilities.

I think these came out great, but I might be a little biased. :D

I know I've posted about the game rules a couple of times, but since Manaforge is in another lull phase, I figure now is a good time to do more rules updates. (The artwork is ongoing, the graphics design is ongoing, and I'm playtesting whenever I can. Time for something else.)

I've started giving some thought as to how exactly I'm going to get Manaforge manufactured.

One down, and about a million to go. :P

With the game board design more or less locked down (it still might change, but I doubt it), my designer and I have moved on to the next task. In this case, the next thing to tackle is the card backs.

Manaforge has four decks of cards, currently named 'morning', 'afternoon', 'evening', and 'character'. The first three decks are item cards, while the fourth contains the player powers.

So we need to come up with designs for the card backs that go along with the other visual elements. The problem is, I really don't have any good starting point for these. The way I see it, there are four possible goals for the item card backs:

1) Thematic coherency: The cards represent items, but when you're looking at the card backs, that means the cards are in the draw pile, and represent items that haven't been built yet. So having the backs look like instructions for building an item, or incomplete magic items, would work.
2) Conveying story: The backs of the cards must indicate which of the three decks they belong to. On top of that, the games scenario dictates that the events of the game happen over the course of one day. So, the first deck is what can be built early in the day, the second deck in the middle, and the third at the end. (Hence the deck names.) So the backs of the cards could represent the phases of the day. Sunrise, noon, sunset. Maybe images of the sun with various colors and locations relative to the horizon.
3) Visual consistency: The backs of the cards should have the same general color scheme as the game board. Light, parchment beige colors in the middle, with red leather and/or brown wood around the edges. Lots of ideas could work here; small leather-bound books or rolled up parchment scrolls on a table come to mind.
4) Tension: The backs of the cards must push the idea that the game is not unlimited. As the cards are dealt out, the card back on top of the draw pile changes. The backs must help to convey a sense of urgency; the day is getting shorter, the magic requirements are becoming more demanding, the items are becoming more powerful.

The first three goals, in particular, seem to be somewhat exclusive. Take any two and you could find an idea that might work. But all three? I haven't figured that out yet. At least the fourth goal should be relatively easy to hit.

And that's not even counting the character cards, which might need a separate design entirely. (The character cards, viewed from the front, are oriented wide instead of tall. The backs will probably reflect that.)

This might take a few tries. :P

Mystic Tiger Games announces that it is opening up Manaforge online for everyone to play and help improve!

With Manaforge available on the virtual tabletop site Tabletopia, anyone that is invited can get into the game and play. With this new step, players can now log into the game without needing an invitation. Any players, regardless of where or when, can follow the lobby link and start their own instance of the game. Each game instance has a unique URL that those players can give to their friends; anyone navigating to that URL joins the same game, allowing multiple copies of the game to be played at a time while still keeping those games private.

For more information, including the links to start playing the game, check out our Games page. This includes a link for downloading the rulebook, and a survey link for leaving feedback after you're done playing.

Have fun playing, everyone! We hope to hear about what you think of Manaforge!

I'm currently trying to get Manaforge ready to be blind playtested online. As part of that effort, I'm working on improving my rulebook. It wouldn't do any good to find someone that wants to play but can't because they don't understand the game rules. So, I'm incorporating feedback, adding more pictures, and doing various minor tweaks to improve the readability.

As part of adding pictures, I'm using an image from a card that I haven't shown off yet. Since I'm making it public anyway, might as well post it here. Enjoy!

Okay, I need more playtesters. Badly.

Playtest, tweak, rinse, repeat. I think I'm starting to tire of this cycle.

So, a lot of my energy lately has been going into improving the visual appearance of Manaforge. Sure, there are the constant playtests, and making balance tweaks and improvements feels like a neverending process. But improving the game's appearance is my primary focus right now. The game's cards are done, but I need to put effort into the rest of the game's visual elements: the main game board, player mats, rulebook, player aid sheets, and the box cover.