INTRODUCTION 1 ryptic Vault is a company that focuses on creating games to be played on the Ctable with others. To achieve this, I had to run through a process that is ever expanding. First, we had to research the market and history of tabletop gaming to see what is trending and what our potential competition are doing. Along the way, questions as well as assumptions and answers to some of those questions were covered and Cryptic Vault began to establish self-identity. This includes goals, stance on the market, logos, and the games that will be produced. This process books showcases this process and helps unravels the secrets that lie ahead for Cryptic Vault’s future. Purpose & Goals Benefits The purpose in making this board The benefits to this project are to game revolves around building a offer a non-digital, more social connection and sharing the experience. engaging game that people can I hope other people have fun with this enjoy with one another. People who game and want to play with others. As playing tabletop games can add a person who enjoys tabletop games, this to their next play session along sometimes it is nice to have fun with with people who may be new to friends without the need of technology playing these types of games. since that has become prevalent in our daily lives. Research Resources First initial way to conduct research The most obvious resources that is to interview friends of mine who are needed is a computer with the engage in tabletop gaming and ask Adobe Suite and a text editor for them what they like to see in a game. the website along with a printer. Another aspect is to purchase games From there, I would need to find that are similar to what I wish to go to material to make the pieces, cards, and analyze what works, what seems and the board itself. If I wish to clunky, and how I would do things include t-shirts or buttons, I would differently. One last method is looking have to find someone who can print up spotlight articles on some of the my designs on them. I will also more successful games or the creators be taking pictures to use as photo of notable games that have impacted references in some of my designs. the format. Questions & Assumptions Will tabletop games hold up in Since the average price of board today’s digital dominant market? games range from $40 to $60, will consumers be interested in As a professor quoted in a mass media purchasing our products? class, “An old medium never dies, it just takes a smaller piece of the market. It’s a fair assumption that it will be Tabletop games will always exist and tough convincing new customers at first. will find a place in people’s homes, This is why events like open board game especially since there are some people night allow a chance for some people who like to occasionally break away to play and decide whether or not it’s from digital forms of entertainment. worth it and to spend the word. Though Cryptic Vault wish to help promote the Will there be a proper balance in idea of alternative means of fun without mechanics that veterans will like but technology, we can utilize it by engaging newcomers won’t feel alienated? with the community at BoardGameGeek. com as well as uploading promotional There are ways to keep both veterans or gameplay footage of our products and newcomers invested with well on Youtube as well as livestreaming planned out mechanics. With the sessions on sites like Twitch. example of Betrayal at House on the Hill, there is a simple yet intriguing random How original will our games be event system that is easy to understand compared to others? but makes each session unique and engaging. With the amount of games that exist as of today it is hard to have a completely original idea. Rather than focusing too much on trying to be original, the plan to either expand or put our own twist to concepts that have come before. TABLETOP GAMING 2 abletop gaming refers to games referred to as Eurogames or German Tthat are generally played on a table. style games, focuses more on strategy Though the concept has been around and indirect competition than on for centuries, it wasn’t until 1860 where direct conflicts and luck (Callahan, tabletop gaming found commercial 2014). Card games that are often self- success in the United States with Milton contained game in which may also have Bradley’s The Checkered Game of Life expansions for it while trading card (Dennis, 2015). Decades later, Charles games, or TCG, are known building Darrow pitched Monopoly to the Parker decks from muliple sets to compete Brothers in the 1930’s. As of recent with. Role-playing games are when the history, tabletop gaming also found players assume a role of their character success via crowd-funding. An example and go on adventures that are either includes Slash, a card game about premade or original. Miniature games playing love matchmaker with fictional consist of buying and putting together characters, raised more that twice an army to battle another player’s forces their intended goal on Kickstarter with on specially crafted locations. $21,264 (Callahan, 2014). In this section, we will focus on the In today’s market, there are wide process of how a tabletop game is made, selections of tabletop game types a survey conducted on the subject, and available. With board games, classic why people tend to gravitate to this form titles like Monopoly and Risk are still of entertainment. prevalent. Euro-style games, also Four Stages of Game Design PREMISE: MECHANICS: First stage of Third stage is developing designing a game is mechanics to your game. setting a premise. This part acts as the This is when you start foundation of how the writing down the game will play based on ideas for the theme, the premise and research. setting, characters, Sometimes mechanics are and objective of your based on another game game. Choosing a and either further adds to target audience is the concept or improves also discussed in this on ideas that were not stage. executed well. RESEARCH: PLAYTEST: Second stage is to Final stage of game conduct research designing is playtesting. based on your During this crucial part, premise. This can you set up a focus group include looking up to test out your game information about to see if it is functional the setting as well as and does not have any games that inspired progress halting issues. or are similar to what Based on the results, you are planning. tweaks are made and rules are often established during this phase. Survey Through the site Survey Monkey, I developed an open survey on tabletop gaming to get an idea of people’s interests. This include types of tabletop games played, their preferences, of often they play, The following results are based on thirty-five individual responses as of November 14, 2016. Played vs Prefered 30+ 28 Key 26 24 A - Classic Board Games 22 B - Germanic Board Games 20 18 C - Trading Card Game 16 D - Other Card Games 14 12 E - Role Playing Game # of People # of 10 F - Miniature Based Game 8 Played 6 4 Preference 2 0 A B C D E F Tabletop Style Play Frequency Rarely Not Often 37.14% Sometimes 20.00% Often 14.29% 22.86% Very Often 5.71% Top Mentioned Games 11 10 9 Why Do People Play? “You have to think a little bit and try to apply a strategy. I think this is more interactive for myself, but it also builds more camaraderie because you’re all “I love the level of creativity and concentrating on taking each other out problem solving that roleplaying and sometimes have the opportunity games such as Dungeons & Dragons to work together against the winning gives me. It’s fun, challenging, and opponent.” –Sarah a great way to spend time with friends.” –Sam “They offer more ways to be creative in how you play, and some games “They take people of come with different variations to numerous different keep you entertained.” –Anonymous backgrounds with many different interests and “I prefer deep strategy unite them.” –Gryphon instead of luck, the ability to plan far ahead and get a heads up on your opponent is appealing.” –Preston “I like the interaction between the players and it almost always ends up being a hilarious game session “[Dungeons and Dragons] is the with good friends.” –Tessa art of story telling… and it is the training ground in some ways for one’s imagination.” –Vin Diesel (Absolute Radio, 2015). “The games that we play are very often less important than the people whom we play them” –Wil Wheaton (Robbins, 2013). With these tabletop games, there are innovation, rewards through risks and benefits that come with playing with experience, empathy through thought others. Some advocates are award experiments, and sparking creativity winning journalists, authors, and actors (TEDx Talk, 2016). In that game, you are who enjoy geek culture. One example often required to think outside the box is Wil Wheaton, who starred in Star to advance or have to cooperate with Trek: The Next Generations, made others to survive. On top of that, players several guest appearances as himself are likely to meet characters of different in the sitcom Big Bang Theory, and races and backgrounds in which help hosts web programs including Geek and expose the idea of diversity.