WEEK 2 | Race to the End Workshop

CTF (Capture the flag) – Playing another groups Race to End game

This is a simple game requiring four players.  The basic rules are:

• There are four bases on the board, one in each corner.
• Players each have one colour.  The circular token is their game piece, the pins are their flags.
• In turns, players roll one dice to determine how many spaces they can move their game piece.
• Movement around the board can be in any direction.
• If a player lands on another player’s base, they have taken that players flag.
• On their next move, the capturing player must then get the stolen flag back to their own base to complete the flag capture. 
• If a player is on another player’s base (taking the flag) and another player lands on that base, the new player takes possession of the flag and moves the previous player back to their own base. 

These are additional rules regarding stealing back ones stolen flag and two players landing on the same space, but we never encountered these conditions during two game plays.

This was a simple interesting game where the core mechanic was to move a game piece around a board.  The goal was to capture someone else’s flag and get it back to one’s own base.  The interactivity was: 

• land on a unoccupied, none base space and nothing happens. 
• land on another players base, you take their flag
• land on a space occupied by another player who has stolen your flag, you reclaim your flag

The only story behind the game was the notion of the flag itself.  This could have just been called a ‘TOKEN’, but a flag increased the element of drama, as one could imagine the players as warring factions for example.  The added challenges added were the extra rules regarding landing on the same space as an opposing player and stealing back a flag or two players (without stolen flags in hand) dice dueling to see who would be sent back to their base.  

Suggestions for improvement:

• Increasing the challenge and competition by ending the game on last man standing instead of the first flag capture.  A disadvantage of this however could alienate players who have been removed from the game in the early stages of the game. 
• More spaces on the board to increase the duration of gameplay and competition.  This wouldn’t be needed if players were playing for last man standing, in order to keep gameplay short, so dead players don’t walk away.
• Option of team play – diagonally opposing sides can team up.  The option of cashing in a captured flag to bring back a dead team mate.

If this was to be made into a digital game, more story could be added, and the game set in a specific arena.  Eg.  Set in space, with 4 warring races.  Or each base could be an island, the player piece a Viking ship, out to loot other players islands. 

Overall : A fun game.  I’d play again!