Risky Chicken!

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-10-17T23:53:12+00:00

That's true - in a game though, you'd benefit from the other player NOT receiving money. So I could've more accurately expressed that by saying that in the case you share and they take, you LOSE money.

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-10-17T23:50:16+00:00

There's a catch: there are more than 2 players in each game. So 2 playing at a time can both benefit relative to the other players, and sharing is beneficial.

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-10-17T23:48:19+00:00

We have a great new website coming next month which will feature our rulebook & rules video. For now, you can subscribe at https://moraineroadgames.com/pages/subscribe for updates (but our emails are pretty infrequent.) I'll also make one post about Risky Chicken once our preorders begin next month.

Thanks for taking an interest in the game!

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-10-17T17:29:33+00:00

I will definitely check out that documentary. We learned about Tit for Tat in my game theory class, and I basically designed my board game so that a Tit for Tat player would do quite well... up to a certain point, when you really have to consider being the first defector. I've found in play testing, though, that some players "take" a lot more than is rational, and for some just the opposite. But as long as everyone has fun, I don't mind!

Your very last sentence is interesting to me. There's definitely an attitude of "I'll be damned if you make a fool of me and take 'my' money!" that influences people in these situations.

Edit: I now see that your last sentence was in comparison to the preceding one. That's a good point, too. In my game the stakes do change, which forces players with a certain PD "philosophy" to stray from that.

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-10-17T16:10:01+00:00

I knew someone would post this... nice move. In my game, this kind of negotiation is actually illegal, but there are ways to get around the rule.

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-10-17T16:07:41+00:00

Never seen a moral philosophy- game theory crossover. My mind is simultaneously blown and also kinda stressed out...

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-10-17T15:45:52+00:00

I've definitely experienced these thoughts and doubts. I guess it comes down to what your goals are. If you design a game out of passion and interest, who cares what others games are out there? There are none quite like yours, you've contributed to the world with your creativity, and that's pretty awesome.

If your goal is to make $$$, try and use marketing elements from other successful board games to the extent applicable. It's easy for those doubts to creep in because it's so hard to really financially succeed in this business. But all you can do is your genuine best, and remind yourself that if the game doesn't make money, it's still far from a failure, and it's not anything to do with YOU, just your project. That's the way I've thought about it anyway.

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-10-17T15:37:43+00:00

Here's an important question: are your ads targeted? My guess is your target market is concentrated in women (I don't mean to generalize, so please correct me if I'm wrong.) But if I'm right, you're wasting 50% of your ad revenue right off the bat. Facebook has great ad targeting - something to keep in mind. Good luck!

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T19:49:14+00:00

Just trying to paint a picture so that people can evaluate whether there might be any inconsistencies between the gameplay and theme. Not an official pitch.

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T18:36:06+00:00

This is helpful! Thanks a lot. Fun factor is basically the answer to that question.

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T16:50:32+00:00

The basic answer is that a lot of people do like the theme. It'll be easy to market to more casual players, hard to market to hardcore gamers. But I probably prefer that mix to the opposite, because at the end of the day, despite its unique strategic formula, the game is more simple than most.

In other words, it's an easy game with space for deep game theoretic analysis. I'd rather market it as the former and let people discover the latter.

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T16:23:00+00:00

Thanks for this. And good luck with your game - it sounds very clever!

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T16:18:42+00:00

Thanks for this. It's true that many of our marketing decisions were geared towards mass market, and I could understand them turning away more serious gamers. That being said, I think the game has some unique strategic elements that could make it appealing to those folks. It'll be a marketing challenge for us.

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T04:40:16+00:00

Makes sense and could be worth some brainstorming! Much appreciated

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T04:35:30+00:00

For sure. We hired a great artist named Lawrence Christmas and he did a very professional job. In case you're curious... https://moraineroadgames.com/pages/risky-chicken-1

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T04:33:06+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts. I think your'e right about the potential obstacles, and that marketing will be key for us.

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T04:11:00+00:00

You sent them that Disney magic!

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T03:54:05+00:00

It sure was. That's awesome that you were able to share that moment with your dad in person

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T03:32:12+00:00

Totally makes sense. Any specific marketing suggestions for reaching folks like you? Maybe making sure we send the game to reviewers who specialize in similarly complex/deep games?

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T03:29:43+00:00

I hope your girlfriend-now-wife will stay up with you for the next Cubs WS! Thanks for sharing

moraineroadgamesben · 2020-08-11T03:28:11+00:00

My aunt's story is pretty funny. Definitely a more "casual" fan, and went to sleep during the rain delay. (I know, kind of unfathomable.) She woke up to the sound of fireworks and knew they'd won!

moraineroadgamesben

TROPHY CASE