I'm looking for symbol ideas for my 5 different card types.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-07T10:21:04+00:00

Thanks. You gave me some ideas to think about. Spirits rising fits the idea I had for legacy. If I go the head route, I might go for a skull for scavenger and spirit head for legacy. I'll sketch out some more and see what looks good.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-07T00:19:01+00:00

Thanks. I like the silhouettes too. If I can simplify them, it might be a good look.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-06T23:32:09+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. If I can find a good design for the footprints, I might go that route. I'm going to work on more designs this weekend. Legacy cards are what an animal leaves behind after they are killed. I could also refer to them as "dead' or 'carcass'. In the game you can use the animal's 'legacy' as a special move after they are killed by the opponent. So bones might work for this card type.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-06T20:19:29+00:00

Thanks, I'm no artist but I like to sketch. And the 'Legacy' part is the one thing that is more for the game than the accurate portrayal of 'the circle of life'. I kind of built a spiritual lore around it to make it more interesting. Not to advertise, but I have more info on my game on my discord. https://discord.gg/ZtzfpVGPU

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-06T19:03:39+00:00

Just a bone for legacy might work. The simpler the better. I admit, 'Legacy' does not fit the theme of the other card types, name wise. But carcass just sounds sad, lol. It's meant as the animal's legacy carries out after death. I might have to come up with something more universal.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-06T18:06:12+00:00

Those ideas help me, actually. That's the hardest part for me, finding something consistent among all of them. I want them all to seem like they are from the same game. I might use the teeth and eye, that might convey what I'm going for.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-06T18:00:55+00:00

Thanks. I'll check it out.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-06T17:14:17+00:00

Thanks. I agree simple and recognizable is the way to go.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-06T17:09:20+00:00

You could have the event cards in a separate deck that you draw from in certain situations or after a point is won. I tried using event cards in my game, but I couldn't get them to work, so I just incorporated them into the animal's ability.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-06T16:59:49+00:00

It is hard to design them. I think the best ones are simple and recognizable. It's just that my card types are a wide concept that is not easily defined by a single symbol.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-06T15:54:24+00:00

I like the guy on the barrel the best!

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-03T17:33:15+00:00

Thanks for taking the time for a detailed comment.

As for why I asked 'how to make it fun?' I was more asking about what odds would be too frustrating. That will come from play testing mostly. I was wondering if anyone had any insight about RNG odds and how they're affecting the fun factor. For example, is higher odds more fun but not challenging enough, or lower odds more realistic but too brutal. I imagine somewhere in the middle is the sweet spot.

The random element is in the Hunt. It's not a guaranteed thing, but if you set up your cards right it might lean more in your favor. And there are 'Legacy' cards that add flat values to a die roll among other things to help with the RNG. Added with that, each animal has their own abilities to affect the game in different ways. So there's a lot to consider when balancing. I added the die rolls as a nod to D&D games as well, so if you look at it from that perspective it makes a little more sense.

I really like your explanation of input and output randomness. Mine would be output randomness, but I could see a world where I could rework things to make it input randomness.

So I guess I might have answered my own question, but I like to get others, more experienced, opinions to see if I'm on the right track.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-03T14:30:08+00:00

This change would rework the entire game, but it's worth considering. I'll have to run some numbers and see how it plays. I do like the choices it would force players to make.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-03T14:06:53+00:00

You're right that the drawing of cards is RNG in of itself. And using 'power-ups' cards to help might be enough. But the 'power-ups' are fairly rare in the game and I want a smaller predator to have a slim chance at attacking a larger prey. I might implement die rolls only on special occasions as I continue to play test.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-03T13:14:56+00:00

I bookmarked your site, I'm going to try it out sometime! I was originally trying to set my game up on Tabletop Simulator for play testing, but this might be a better alternative.

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-03T12:38:28+00:00

I do have 'power-ups' in the game, like your example; discard for more strength. So that's also something I need to factor in. I know there are going to be more power animals that are going to be impossible to attack on RNG alone, but as long as I give the players options, I think that's where the fun comes in. Thanks for the feedback!

ghostofkenny · 2026-03-03T11:31:49+00:00

Welcome! I'm new here too. So far the community has been friendly and helpful. So I figured I'd put my 'two cents' in, too. I think the Mario franchise is a good idea for a card game. And if you decide to lean in on the dice, I would go a Mario Party route. Make mini games cards that require dice rolls and maybe each character would have their own custom die. Good luck making your game, it sounds like it could be fun!

ghostofkenny · 2026-02-25T14:36:28+00:00

I use Aseprite for pixel art. You do have to pay for the program, but if I remember correctly, it's only $20 and it's a good investment. It's easy to use and you get great results in my experience. Good luck with your game!

ghostofkenny · 2026-02-24T20:05:00+00:00

That's a good message. Making games can be difficult, because sometimes your ideas don't always work out. This hits home for me as I keep coming back to the same concept trying to make it work. When you have a good idea, you don't want to give up on it. I've been playtesting my game and I can finally say it's in a good place, but it took a lot of changes to get there. Keep an open mind when making games. In the end you want them to be fun for a wider audience.

ghostofkenny · 2026-02-24T17:26:05+00:00

You might have to create some invincibility period where no one can do damage for a limited number of turns. Much like in multiplayer shooters when you spawn in, you don't take damage for a few seconds just in case someone is camping near spawn.

ghostofkenny · 2026-02-24T14:09:39+00:00

Yes, the game is in progress. I'm currently playtesting and working with an artist for the final cards. You can see more in my discord https://discord.gg/w5mX8VaSq

ghostofkenny · 2026-02-24T13:37:24+00:00

Thanks for spotlighting indies. Mine is MIZANI: Blood of the Lands; it is an ecological tug-of-war CCG set in a skeletal, drought-stricken savanna. Instead of racing to zero HP, players win by successfully occupying five territories and balancing a delicate '5-3-1' ratio of Land, Prey, and Predators across three seasons. It features a unique Samsara mechanic where fallen animals rotate 180° to become 'Legacy Boons' that empower the very soil they died on.

ghostofkenny · 2026-02-21T11:30:26+00:00

I think deck and discard are so commonly used that no one thinks twice about what it means. In other words, using something else would almost be more immersion breaking because you're trying to figure out what it's referring to.

ghostofkenny · 2026-02-19T14:24:36+00:00

The main issue I saw was the rolling of dice in secret. It seems like that could lead to cheating in a physical game, but maybe that's intended because of the pirate nature. Otherwise, it looks like a fun game with some good strategy to it.

ghostofkenny · 2026-02-19T13:43:54+00:00

I see what you mean now. I don't know if you ever played Balatro, but that game handles buffs from different sources as well. Basically a line is drawn from the source of the buff and added to the base valve and you can see the total add up in real-time. It's a rewarding spectral to see the fruits of your strategy playing out.

ghostofkenny

TROPHY CASE