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Mixed Signals - A team-based signaling game (only 18 cards)

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Sat, 07/26/2014 - 08:44
JewellGames
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Official Rules

Mixed Signals is a competitive team-based secret signaling game. Every round, each player is dealt a card, and a communal card is placed in the center. When the card in your hand matches the communal card’s color or number, secretly signal this to your teammate without alerting your opponents. If your teammate is able to correctly call out your match, your team scores points! If your teammate calls out the wrong match, all other teams score points. If an opponent catches you with a match in your hand before your teammate can call it out, that opponent’s team scores points. If you are able to trick an opponent into catching you without a match in your hand, your team scores points! The first team to score 15 points wins the game!

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Mon, 07/28/2014 - 14:22
#1
JewellGames
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Update

I made quite a few changes to the rules today.

Cards I am using to prototype:

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Mon, 07/28/2014 - 21:51
#2
richdurham
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quite like this

I really like the simplicity of this game. I'd like to play-test it at a designer meetup I have this coming weekend, if that's alright with you. I'll use a regular deck of cards as listed in the rules.

Any tips?

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Tue, 07/29/2014 - 01:28
#3
JewellGames
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Notes

richdurham wrote:
I really like the simplicity of this game. I'd like to play-test it at a designer meetup I have this coming weekend, if that's alright with you. I'll use a regular deck of cards as listed in the rules.

Any tips?

Sure, thanks for testing!

Some things to note:

  • COLOR matches will become SUIT matches for the playing cards. The regular cards have 4 colors so naturally the playing card equivalent is 4 suits (not the two colors).

  • Playtesters sometimes miss this rule but if the collective group can't decide on who made a call out first (when one calls a match and the other calls a catch for the same player at nearly the same time) the round immediately ends. This is to avoid big arguments and delays of the game. Now, a little banter and debate is fun but if the group honestly cannot decide who was first, this is the best solution.

  • If you don't have poker chips, pennies and nickels work just fine too.

  • The Strike Out variant is pretty fun, especially if you find that your playgroup really likes risking catching others. This variant can produce some tense moments as teams approach the strikes needed to be eliminated.

  • The last question I sometimes get is when both teammates have a match and they call them separately for each other. Normally, this results in 1 point for each match.

    But then they look at the points for a called DOUBLES and ask if they should get 2 points for each separate match since they both got a match that round.

    The answer is no, if the matches were called separately, each is only worth 1 point. If the matches were called as DOUBLES, then each is worth 2 points. This is because its more difficult and riskier to coordinate this call so that is why its worth more points.

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    Wed, 07/30/2014 - 14:34
    #4
    The Chaz
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    .

    This game reminds me of Kemps

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    Wed, 07/30/2014 - 15:03
    #5
    JewellGames
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    ~

    Absolutely, I drew inspiration from that game.

    We didn't like the real time aspect that basically destroyed the cards after a game or two. Ultimately, I wanted to focus more on the signals and bluffing. Also, I wanted to incorporate more of a scoring system to manipulate values with special cards and conditions.

    So, mixed signals took the basic signaling idea of Kemps and created a game with a smaller footprint that focuses more on bluffing and having multiple signals for several types of matches.

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    Fri, 08/01/2014 - 20:04
    #6
    richdurham
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    Tips

    Thanks for the tips - we'll try the normal version before going on to Strike Out.

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    Mon, 08/04/2014 - 17:45
    #7
    richdurham
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    Playtest completed

    One team in our game did something that I wondered whether it was legal or not. They set their signal up not to indicate when they had a match, but to communicate exactly which card they were holding.

    They held the card with 1-4 fingers on the back (for numbers), and then if they held it on the bottom, side, right hand or left hand (for suit).

    Since they knew the idea was to catch people making signals when the communal card was turned, they figured they'd just avoid it altogether.

    Also, a clarification on the round structure might be in order. We figured that if no one had a match (or called pass), that we all had to discard cards and get a new one, since it's written that you must call PASS if you don't have a match. But it wasn't clear that this is how it should be done during actual gameplay.

    Our inclination was to hold on to our card UNLESS we wanted to call Pass and get a new one, and wait until we DID have a match. That way we gave up more information with each communal card that we didn't act on, inciting us to just give up and say PASS before we were caught or they deduced what we had.

    This added a nice bit of tension, and if I had to suggest anything it would be to not reset and score every round. Instead, if there is no match, draw another communal card. When someone does match, reset to new cards.

    We enjoyed ourselves, and it was indeed quick. If gamers were so inclined it would make a good drinking game, too. And even more so if you CAN'T set up your signals ahead of time. Then you could laugh and drink over mis-interpreting your partner.

    I also suggest using cards to keep track of score. It'll make it that much more portable and easier to print to not have tokens. And with a game this light I don't think tokens will have much value-add for buyers, and will instead just make it difficult to play in open-air places. Like picnic tables with slots in it that tokens will find their way in just that much easier than wider cards.

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