This past week has been an absolute thrill in terms of the development of Gamestormers. For starters, I shipped out over 20 copies of the physical Gamestormers prototype to playtesters across the United States. I’ve dabbled in using a combination of Stamps.com and my hometown post office to get the kits out in both a timely and affordable option.
But let’s face it – sending out ONLY physical prototypes to playtest is not realistic. Due to a number of logistical and financial limitations, a number of playtesters and interested parties will need to try out the game in a digital medium instead. The two prevailing platforms for digitization of board and card games are Tabletop Simulator and Tabletopia. Although I liked both, I went with Tabletopia, as it would be more accessible to students and educators through being compatible with web browser play.
It’s been a bit tedious loading all 137 cards into the platform one-by-one, but I am thrilled that I can soon make Gamestormers available to a larger audience. In addition, it’s been a fun design challenge to translate the mechanics, items, and workflows of the game to the virtual playspace. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a digital version of your image dice rolling across a screen, or seeing a Storyline card snapping into place on a player’s playmat on the screen.
Once I have uploaded Gamestormers to Tabletopia, it will be incredibly easy for anyone to fire up a game and give it a try. I can even create a private link to run a game with specific people as well. If you are an educator, Tabletopia is planning to roll out a customized experience that allows for secure student and educator seats in a game with administrative roles.
If anyone wants to give Gamestormers a try either with a physical playtest copy or a digital copy, let me know by going to www.gamestormedu.com/gamestormers and filling out the playtest form at the bottom of the page. I’d love to share the game via Tabletopia or with a real prototype!