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Portals (Chutes and Ladders)

Documentation:

Day 1:

  • The team discussed many ideas to make Chutes and Ladders less of a chance game.

Day 2:

  • The team implemented and tested an idea in which players could move chutes or ladders. This then evolved into using portals instead. We made rules and did some more playtests as a team.

Day 3 (Playtest):

  • What do you think of the movement of the portals? Is the restriction of their axis during movement a good idea?Player movement leads to where a player won’t land on a portal. But this was negated by the fact that the player could move a portal to land on a portal.
  • Is the doubles being able to move a player back X number of spaces a good idea?I think it Should be able to move any player.
  • Does this game cause you to have a strategic feel to the game?Yes, The choices are enough to consider but also keeps it simple to follow.
  • In you opinion is the randomness of this game to much or to little?A little bit too “swingy” – (There’s a little to much randomness)
  • Should players be forced to move a portal? Yes, We think it will help more than hinder.
  • NOTES****    Likes that we are forced to move first.Player who moves first has the advantage with portals on the first move.

    Suggestion: If the portal is used by a player then they can’t choose to move that color.

    Doubles allow you to move your player back too?

    Ability to move other players around is a little too much.

    Need to constrain the portals a little bit more.

    Feels like the game can pretty much start over. Need a vertical constraint.

Day 4:

  • Our team did some more play testing, adjuusted the rules, and created the image only rules.

Day 5: (Blind playtest):

  •  What do you think of the movement of the portals? Is the restriction of their axis during movement a good idea?Good but portals teleport anyone that crosses over it, not just lands on it
  • Does this game cause you to have a strategic feel to the game?Yes, thinking about strategies almost immediately, and targeting specific players based on how close they are to winning.
  • Notes:
    • In the blind play test we were not specific enough about how a portal can move a player and had a happy accident that was a great game mechanic. The play testers thought that the portals could pass through a player and in doing so would port that player to the other side of the portal.

Day 6: (Critique):

  1. Can Players use other players portals?
  2. Add an image of portal use would be helpful.
  3. Can you re-enter a portal
  4. Who Places portals first

 

Rules:

Setup:

Each player selects a character piece and a set of portals. To determine turn order, roll dice and move clockwise from the player with the highest total. 

Each player then places their portals anywhere on the board starting with the player who rolled the highest roll from before, so long as the connecting portals are within 4 rows of each other. Place your characters on the “Start!” spot.

To win, your character piece must pass the Star ⭐️ on space 100.

Turn:

On your turn, roll both dice. You must move along the path in ascending number order, and may either move the total number of your roll, or move the total number from one die and use the other number to move any portal of your choice.

If you choose to move your piece and a portal, your character piece must move first. The portals must remain within 4 rows of their pair, but you may choose to either move a portal horizontally or vertically (not both).

Once a player comes in contact with any portal, whether landing on it or not, that player is immediately teleported to the other end. Teleporting does not use your movement other than the move it took to touch the entrance square, if the player did that on their turn.

If you roll doubles, you may choose to play as normal, or move an opponent backwards the total number on one of your dice. For example, if you roll a double 2, you may move an opponent back 2 spaces. 

Rules, Continued:

A player cannot place two portals on the same space. In the case of moving a portal along a line where another portal is occupying, simply skip the occupied space and continue counting as if that square does not exist. For example, if you move a portal 4 spaces across a space occupied by another portal, that square does not count towards your movement and you still have 4 more spaces to go. 

Additionally, any portal can be moved to a space where a player is occupying or moves where the portal passes through a player then that player will be immediately transported to the other end.

IF you start your turn on a space that says “X2” you will have two turns on that turn.

If you start on one of the center squares that says “You may move portal first” then you may move your portal first on that turn.

Image Only Rules: