Unicorns and Shadows

Here are my notes for a new game that came to me, and the process I went through building out the initial concept. This was surprisingly similar to the way Hunt or Gather came into being.

First there's a theme, in this case a request from my girlfriend for a unicorn game to go with her unicorn t-shirt. Then I come up with a basic component or concept that will make it different from other games. Next I work on scoring mechanisms so that the game is mathematically sound. Then I throw some tentative play mechanisms at it, like when you draw cards, trading, drafts, stuff like that, these will be adjusted significantly during playtesting, I'm just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. Finally, I work out the details of the components in my head.

This all happens in two or three bursts of note taking. The first may happen during civilized hours, maybe triggered by a conversation. But the real meat of the work usually happens in the dead hours of the night. I'll wake up between 2:00 and 4:00 in the morning and type up notes in my iPhone. Hopefully I get back to sleep, to wake up again at a more reasonable hour and polish things up. It would be nice if one day I could invent a game without the aid of jet lag or fever. We'll see.

Theme: Unicorns & Demons (should change to Shadows for religious types)

Double sided cards
Black/white/grey on one side, targets, # of dice, modifiers.
Rainbow colors on other, building sets, collections

Deck is stacked with shadow side up, draw that or from 3 color side cards.

Once a card goes into your hand you can't turn it around or look at other side. May show to other people. If need to set down cards place Player Aid facing you before setting down cards as a stack.

Score in 3 ways. Lay out set of different colors, lay out collection of same color, play white dice cards to roll 1, 2, or 3 dice per card, use grey modifier cards to match black number cards, which are scored.

Colored cards need symbols as well as colors.

Turn sequence:

1. Draw 2 cards
2. Pass 1 card (everyone)
3. Trade 1 card (with anyone)
4. Play cards - color sets/groups - white dice, grey modifiers, black goals
5. Discard down to 8 card hand limit

Scoring
Sets: cards of different colors
3 = 3 points
4 = 5 points
5 = 7 points
6 = 10 points

Groups: cards of same color
1 point per card, can add to existing groups

Black goal cards
Points scored by rolling target number.
3, 4
6, 7, 8
9, 10, 11, 12

Shadows dice game

1. Play white dice cards, numbered 1-3 totaling no more than 6
2. Roll that many dice
3. Use gray cards to modify rolls
4. Any target black card numbers matched exactly are scored

Grey cards:
+/-1
+/-2
+/-3

Colored cards
White backgrounds, color circles (inset shadow?) in corners with white shapes.

Red circle
Orange triangle
Yellow starburst
Green clover
Blue diamond
Purple square