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Originality

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Kevinct
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Joined: 03/26/2012

So I've been working on a card game recently and had some interesting feedback regarding originality. The comments got me thinking about different games and what makes them original. After looking through some games and remembering the times I played them with friends I came to the conclusion that everything boils down to competition between forces.

These forces could be multiple players, or teams of players, or even a player and the game itself. There are many other things layered on top of this like the theme or specific mechanics but I feel that the root of the game is in how you compete.

Competing forces interaction between players as they want to achieve their own goals while preventing opponents from doing the same. I guess while looking at my previous game idea I wondered... What other ways can players compete within a card game?

To truly make a unique and original game I would need a unique and original set of goals for players to compete over. Unfortunately I'm not that creative so I was wondering if anyone here might have some interesting ideas. The previous post was "card game about card games".

anonymousmagic
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Joined: 11/06/2013
In writing, it is said there

In writing, it is said there is only a limited set of plots. What makes a story unique is not a unique plot, but how the writer executes it.

Therefore, in game design originality doesn't come from the way people compete, but from the unique combination of theme, goals, mechanics and artwork etc.

Corsaire
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Joined: 06/27/2013
Following those lines,

Following those lines, Kevinct, break out Hoyle and add to this thread some of the abstract modes of competition for card games you find there. Lay that track, and we can brainstorm how those are actually hidden in other card games. Example, life points are just a repackaging of score.

Kevinct
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I like the idea of equating

I like the idea of equating games to stories, I suppose stories are also about competition or conflict. The player is much like a character in the story of the game. The find themselves immersed in a world as the hero who runs into a conflict of some sort. The princess has been kidnapped for example. Then they are given tools to overcome challenges and complete their quest.

Procylon
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Joined: 06/27/2012
It isn't just what the player

It isn't just what the player fights for, but also how the player fights for it.

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