The strangest question to determine the first player is in a game "Fallen Angels": "The player who has committed the fewest crimes starts as the detective" :D
Wow Ali, as I design my first card game, I hadn't given thought yet to how to choose who goes first. My initial thought, after I saw the title of your video was that I would go with the youngest player, as my game is a family game but aimed more towards younger children. That said, after watching your video, you've opened my eyes and I've decided to go with a "changeable answer" question. Thank you for providing such amazing content! Now, everyone subscribe, dang blam it! (On our way to 1K)
Thanks Keith. I know it may seem trivial, but choosing how your game will determine it's the first player is still as the task you need to think of as a game designer. Glad my suggestions helped.
HI All. Deciding who goes first shouldn't sound like it should be a simple enough task to cover when designing your game - but I still think it's pretty important. Here is my guide to determine which method of choosing who goes first based upon the kind of game you are designing.
@@GamingIndoors Just make it something that will varry the first player from game to game. Or depending on how casual it is (specially if it's a party game), just make then select it at random. For example, my group loves playing Alchemists. The game says that the first player is whoever visited a lab more recently, and it's a considerable advantage. So every time we schedule a match, we all go to a lab the previous day, just to put our foot inside and we take pictures with the time to determine who will go first. Yes, we are THAT competitive hahaha On Blood Rage the first player is whoever was born more to the north. And the first player has a HUGE advantage... So EVERY time we play the first player would be our friend Jean. On both cases we decided to select it at random.
Hm. If it's an abstract game, you might not be able to ask a thematic question. My idea for those cases: "Which one of you has the most experience with this game?"
For my first boardgame I decide the first player with an in game mechanic. For this specific game, the players lays down a wheel face down with one of the numbers 1,2 or 3, the other does the same. When both are placed face down, you may reveal the number. 1 wins of 2, 2 of 3 and 3 of 1. When choosing the same, you redo it. This element is a big part of the game itself, so it makes new players already familiar with the game, before it begins :) But if people don't like that, the one wearing the most colors begins.
Hey Mathinus - thanks for the comment. I think anything that gets your players engaged with your game is an awesome idea. It sounds like your game does just that!
The strangest question to determine the first player is in a game "Fallen Angels":
"The player who has committed the fewest crimes starts as the detective" :D
Wow Ali, as I design my first card game, I hadn't given thought yet to how to choose who goes first. My initial thought, after I saw the title of your video was that I would go with the youngest player, as my game is a family game but aimed more towards younger children. That said, after watching your video, you've opened my eyes and I've decided to go with a "changeable answer" question.
Thank you for providing such amazing content!
Now, everyone subscribe, dang blam it! (On our way to 1K)
Thanks Keith. I know it may seem trivial, but choosing how your game will determine it's the first player is still as the task you need to think of as a game designer. Glad my suggestions helped.
I know there are plenty of people who don't like thematic starting player rules, but I'm quite fond of them.
HI All. Deciding who goes first shouldn't sound like it should be a simple enough task to cover when designing your game - but I still think it's pretty important. Here is my guide to determine which method of choosing who goes first based upon the kind of game you are designing.
I would ALWAYS avoide the fixed questions. Even if it's a party game, there's a large change it will be played by the same group of friends.
That's a fair point, Panon. Perhaps a list of fixed questions might be the answer ?
@@GamingIndoors Just make it something that will varry the first player from game to game. Or depending on how casual it is (specially if it's a party game), just make then select it at random.
For example, my group loves playing Alchemists. The game says that the first player is whoever visited a lab more recently, and it's a considerable advantage. So every time we schedule a match, we all go to a lab the previous day, just to put our foot inside and we take pictures with the time to determine who will go first. Yes, we are THAT competitive hahaha
On Blood Rage the first player is whoever was born more to the north. And the first player has a HUGE advantage... So EVERY time we play the first player would be our friend Jean.
On both cases we decided to select it at random.
Hm. If it's an abstract game, you might not be able to ask a thematic question. My idea for those cases: "Which one of you has the most experience with this game?"
Love that idea Julian! I got to admit i ha dnot thought about abstract games.
Glad I found this channel! Great content - especially for fledgling game designers!
Cheers J! Shout if there's a topic you want me to research and share to help you, and i will do my best ...
For my first boardgame I decide the first player with an in game mechanic.
For this specific game, the players lays down a wheel face down with one of the numbers 1,2 or 3, the other does the same. When both are placed face down, you may reveal the number.
1 wins of 2, 2 of 3 and 3 of 1. When choosing the same, you redo it.
This element is a big part of the game itself, so it makes new players already familiar with the game, before it begins :)
But if people don't like that, the one wearing the most colors begins.
Hey Mathinus - thanks for the comment. I think anything that gets your players engaged with your game is an awesome idea. It sounds like your game does just that!
@@GamingIndoors Thank you :)
I will upload a video when the prototype is done, if you're interested ;)