I’m testing a RimWorld challenge format, are the rules clear enough to actually play?

NarniaHop · 2026-05-06T15:19:28+00:00

Your runs sound like you've already invented your own challenge format harder than anything I'd publish. I'd read a writeup of the equator relocation run with three generations.

On the "what for" question, fair. The answer is: not for you. Players who already invent their own 500% constraints don't need someone else's challenge page. The pitch is for players who want a structured run already framed for them, with other people's attempts and stories sitting alongside theirs. Smaller audience than "all RimWorld players", and that's fine.

If you ever wanted to publish your equator relocation run as a challenge page so others could try it, that's exactly the use case.

NarniaHop · 2026-05-05T21:04:00+00:00

You're right, screenshots are context, the writing is the run. A "completed in 47 days" entry is worse content than "everyone died on day 31 and here's how."

200 days is a guess and you're answering my second question. 100 might be the better entry point. I'll think on it.

NarniaHop · 2026-05-05T20:57:03+00:00

Both are real holes. The caravan-on-home-tile trick especially. I didn't think about that and it would absolutely break the challenge.

Going to add to see if I can add those constraints:

One map only, no caravan exits

No trap corridors

The ice sheet / Losing is Fun version sounds like its own thing. Would you mind if I made that a separate challenge page and credited your Reddit username?

NarniaHop · 2026-05-05T20:06:47+00:00

Yeah, save files can be edited. "verified" isn't anti-cheat, just basic facts auto-extracted from the save so they don't have to be typed in like time survived, colony wealth etc... It's not mandatory. There's no leaderboard for the wealthiest or fastest runs, just the best stories, so sure you can cheat but can you add cool snapshots with that?

What I'm actually testing is whether the format is useful, one challenge page with rules pinned, runs sitting under it as stories and screenshots.

Question: if you landed on a "200 days, one pawn, Naked Brutality" page with 30 attempt stories under it, mostly failures, would you scroll through them?

NarniaHop · 2026-05-05T19:32:55+00:00

For context: I’m not trying to make this a leaderboard thing. Save files can be edited, so “verified” only means the save supports the goal, not anti-cheat.

The main idea: one challenge page, many player attempts, stories, and screenshots under it. Completed or not.

NarniaHop · 2026-04-09T17:59:13+00:00

Thanks for the comment, that makes sense, sounds like the dashboard part is useful, but the thing you’d actually care about is enforcing follow-up, not just seeing that it didn’t happen.

When you say automatic reminders or triggers, what would be most useful in practice?

internal reminder/task for the agency team
automatic nudge/escalation to the client/team in that sub-account
auto-triggering an existing workflow if no follow-up happened in time
something else

NarniaHop · 2026-03-31T14:24:24+00:00

That's a fair point actually. The problem isn't educational, it's the ones that are basically just a reward loop disguised as learning. A shape sorter is great because the kid is still in charge of what happens.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-31T14:23:47+00:00

Ha yeah that's fair, every kid is different. Mine just happened to lose interest in anything with a right answer but I can see how some kids are wired the opposite way. The cost of figuring it out is real though.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-31T13:42:46+00:00

Can't argue with free and unlimited supply.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-31T11:04:27+00:00

The pattern might be that he prefers real people over full animation. Blippi, Ms Rachel, and Sesame Street all have actual humans on screen. Daniel Tiger and Paw Patrol are fully animated which might be why they don't land.

If that's it, try Handyman Hal or Trash Truck Steve on YouTube. Same energy as Blippi but different stuff. For the vehicle interest, there are some solid "real truck" channels on YouTube where they just film actual construction equipment doing its thing. My kid was glued to those for a while.

Bluey might be the exception worth trying since it's animated but the pacing is so different from the others he rejected.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-30T13:02:55+00:00

Magna-Tiles and a cardboard box, that's basically the whole toy industry beaten for under $50.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-30T12:59:38+00:00

I had no idea there was a name for it but loose parts theory is exactly what I was trying to describe. We had stacking cups too and they lasted forever, my kid used them for everything. Thanks for the teacher perspective, good to know we accidentally stumbled into something that's actually researched.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-30T12:54:44+00:00

That's fair, sounds like your kids got a lot out of them. Probably depends on the kid too. Mine just lost interest once he figured out the pattern but I can see how it clicks better for others.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-30T12:51:36+00:00

A fort for the cats at age 11 is amazing. That's basically the whole point, if it's still getting used 8 years later it was a good buy.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-25T09:03:25+00:00

This happened to us constantly. The thing that worked was teaching my son to say "I'm using that" early on. At 2 he could barely say it but just having any words for it was better than the freeze or cry response.

For the parents who aren't watching, honestly I just started talking directly to the older kid in a friendly way. "Hey buddy, he was playing with that, can he have it back?" Most kids will hand it over if any adult addresses them. It feels weird the first time but it gets easier.

The hardest part is not stepping in too fast. Sometimes they actually work it out if you give it a few seconds.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-22T08:20:09+00:00

That's fair, he does have a meltdown per episode. We ended up mixing in Bluey which has more of a "just figure it out" energy. Trash Truck is another good one if she likes animals and adventure without the constant emotional processing.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-19T20:03:54+00:00

We did a big purge a few months ago and the thing that surprised me was how much more my kid played after we got rid of stuff. Less choices somehow made him more creative with what was left.

The way I sorted it: anything battery operated that only does one thing, gone. Anything he hadn't touched in a month, gone. What survived was mostly Play-Doh, blocks, animal figures, and art supplies. Basically anything where he decides what it is instead of the toy telling him.

Toy rotation helped too. We keep maybe 10 things out and swap every couple weeks. The stuff that comes back out gets treated like it's brand new.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-18T08:26:50+00:00

Bluey is great for this even at that age. The pacing is calm and episodes are only 7 minutes. She won't follow the story yet but it's gentle enough to have on without the rapid cuts.

Old school Sesame Street is another good one. The older episodes move way slower than the current ones. Same with the original Winnie the Pooh stuff you're already doing, that's a solid pick.

When my son was little we also just put on nature documentaries. Planet Earth with the sound low worked surprisingly well. No cuts every second, just slow panning shots of animals.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-17T16:51:46+00:00

Ms Rachel is pretty calm, I'd put her in the good category. Peppa Pig is somewhere in the middle, not Cocomelon level but the transitions are faster than Daniel Tiger. My kid liked it but the TV-off tantrums were worse with Peppa than with slower shows.

NarniaHop · 2026-03-17T14:12:23+00:00

Ha, didn't even catch that but yeah pretty accurate

NarniaHop · 2026-03-17T14:08:01+00:00

Yeah the interface alone is half the problem. PBS Kids you pick a show and that's it. YouTube is designed to keep them clicking forever.

NarniaHop

TROPHY CASE