Descriptions

Game Dynamics

The most important choices of the game occur right at the beginning, as you choose both your character and the direction in which you will travel. This is important because your character can allow for unique interactions with the board and significantly different routing depending on which one you choose. For instance, the "penny pincher" character turned out to be unique in our playtest since it enables the player to 'tank' a penalty space rather than choosing a different path that might be further away from an essential item space. The player is able to do this because of the unique ability of the character, which reduces the amount of money lost from the penalty space.

Another effective strategy emerged when players landed on event or catastrophe spaces due to the dynamics created by the cards that allow players to select who participates in the actions described on the cards. The "cart collision" card provided this exact interaction because players would always choose to collide with the player who is currently in the lead, making a more even playing field. These interactions ensure that everyone stays more or less equal and that no one player pulls out ahead of the group, making the game no longer fun.

Trade-Offs/Dilemmas

Dilemmas/Trade-Offs aren't immediately present, but as the game goes on they become more apparent and prevalent. Cooperation with other players is key to victory, as you're not guaranteed to get an Essential Item you'll need, and might end up with someone else's. As players gain Essential and Shop Items, inevitably you'll need to get something that someone else has, which begins the presence of Trade-Offs and Dilemmas. For instance, if you have a powerful item but your opponent has an Essential Item you need, it may sway them more to hand that item over in exchange for progress towards your own list. You receive progress, at the price of leverage in the future. This incentivizes long-term planning and having the interests of others as much a priority as your own.

Alongside this, the benefits each character provides are either very powerful yet situational, or not-as-powerful yet more prevalent. A decision needs to be made when selecting a character, as a result, and is influenced by your own playstyle. Do you go into a niche where you would dominate, or keep yourself broad/multipurpose, but not particularly great?