The case of The Wandthief : Card Game

Google Sheets file of all Card Game contents:

Dextrous + Excel Tutorials to learn how to use spreadsheets better:

https://youtu.be/hkOVEPUrw9Y?si=cFdcNQZ8-R9iauDF

https://youtu.be/k1VUZEVuDJ8?si=t1HetRz3JYsJr6y8

Marketing / Target Audience

Is this game considered a filler game (quick, easy to learn, serves as a break in-between bigger games) or family game (suitable for all ages and designed to bring people together, emphasises group playing, simple rules)?

I am inspired by the games:

Port Royal - Filler game

Circus Flohcati

Sleeping Queens - Family game

Courtisans - Filler game

LIAR'S DICE - the box cover!!!

With this in mind, I would consider The Wand Thief a filler game with elements of family. This combination is perfect for playing with younger players to teach them focus and maths - especially since all cards are visible and older players can help them, with enough strategy and moving parts to entertain older players.

Rulebook

Goals: Make it simple. Make it understandable. Make it fun. Make it memorable

Do this by setting the scene of the game. Have clear examples and demonstrate them with visuals. Use handwritten rhyme beside the simple rules to make it memorable and fun. Start with quick bullet pointed overviews and explain further (so they can see where this is going). Design it in the order as if you are playing it in real time. Exceptions should be stated beside / below the bulk of information

PLAYTESTS

Are the icons memorable? Easy to remember without any written aids?
How are the starting cks? test starting with more keys.
What if we add a resource

what if all curses are stacked? how can we diminish this broken loop?

focus on side case resources. is there a way to test different quantities of this?

- SCHEDULE -

PHASE 1 - THUMBNAILS & CONCEPTS

JULY - SEPTEMBER = 10 WEEKS

~150 cards / 70 days = 2/3 cards per day

PHASE 2 - POLISHED ILLUSTRATIONS

SEPTEMBER - MARCH = 25 WEEKS

~150 cards / 175 days = 1 per day / 6 per week

- CARD ICONS -

5 Variety Icons + 9 (3x3) Clue Variety Icons

CARD VARIETY ICONS

CLUE VARIETY ICONS

Clues ✔
Curses ✔
Fortunes ✔
Side Cases ✔
Travelling Traders

SITES

Citadel ✔
Market ✔
Woods ✔

HOUR

Sunrise ✔
Daylight ✔
Sunset ✔
Witching Hour ✔

SOURCE

Trace
Witness
Incident

Card Test using Clue 11 , Travelling Trader 4 , Curse 13

On the right you can see 2 variants of a clue's layout. There is soo much information I need to minimalistically organise. I need to have the insight roll number and the clue source clearly displayed. Should I stack everything unique to clues on the left? or right?

Card Test using Clue 12 , Travelling Trader 4 , Curse 13

I preferred the stars on the left side to indicate the curiosity point costs / gain. This looks more magical and helps differentiate from the insight roll number from the curiosity points. Every number is connected to the dice and everything else are represented in icons.