Sooooo...
I'm having trouble deciding on a way to incorporate a rotating tile mechanic into a board game I've attempted to create.
The idea started as a game where players move across tiles that have directional arrows pointing in directions they can move to. As the game progresses these tiles and turn clockwise or counter-clockwise and form new paths.
I've done many things with it from hexagon tiles for robust movement and square tiles for cleaner, easier to understand movement, to arrows needing to be connected in order to cross between tiles and players being able to switch, move, and flip tiles in all manner of ways.
Now I can think of several ways this can work as a competitive game, but my question is how to make this mechanic work within a co-operative game that ensures players work together. My previous endeavors tend to lead players out doing their own thing.
Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated.
My influences include:
Forbidden Island/ Desert
Betrayal on the House on the Hill
Castle Panic
Current iteration is similar to "Don't Starve Together"
@ let-off studios
those are all great mechanics to mix in to the game. I've tried a few of the first ones in fact. I supposed my greater problem is finding a goal or win condition that fits both a theme and the rotating mechanic.
My original theme involved players assuming the roles of astronauts who were stranded on an planet with a changing terrain so the players had to go around and collect pieces of a ship before the planet fell on itself. And it was alright for the most part but part of me felt it was really nailing down the rotating mechanic.
The board was 64 hexes laid out to form a giant circle with players starting in the center and moving outwards.
The 2nd iteration involved players assuming the roles of lost campers in a woods with changing paths and moving trees. They would have to complete a series of random tasks that upon completion of a predetermined number would have them get to a end game tile to win the game. This time it ended up focusing too much on quests and I switched to 25 squares with players starting in the middle as well.
Both iterations had classes, items, enemies, and different terrain variables.
I also have a version that uses 18 honeycomb like hex tiles (3 hexes attach to each other) and it forms a similar shape as the first large hex board.
My newest theme has players attempting to survive in a forest for as long as a predetermined number or turns and it would include a never ending challenge for players to see how long they can last before all of them dying out and the tiles shifting around so each turn/ day is never the same.
@ markd117
that sounds like only 1 person would be able to move freely while others would have to rely on that strategy? or maybe im not thinking about it the way you are.
I tried something similar with your 2nd idea where players can receive an item that they can place on a tile to prevent it from moving.
That last one haven't been able to try yet because i'm still working on the the layout of the paths on each tile first.
Lastly, holy crap that has never occurred to me before to have a rotating circle in a square/hex .o. literally blew my mind when i read that hahaha
my concern would be how to build a proper one. i can imagine a paper prototype with 2 sheets and a pin but I don't know where to start with a proper tile.
Thanks for the input from the both of you btw!