Unpub Preview: Post Position

Let's look at little deeper at Post Position, a Dr. Wictz's Board game, which is scheduled to appear at the Collector's Con ProtoZone on Saturday May 11, 2013 from 10am to 7pm in Baltimore, MD.

Post Position is a "real time horse racing stock market game"  designed by Aaron Honsowetz and Austin Smokowicz.  This game has been getting a lot of buzz from players at events like Unpub South Jersey, the Congress of Gamers ProtoZone in 2012 and Unpub 3!

We'll be off to the races after hearing about the development of this game from it's designers!

What was the inspiration for Post Position?  We forgot to bring a board game to Aaron’s bachelor’s party so we decided to create one on the spot. We knew we wanted a racing game and we figured out how to construct one with the resources we had at the time, aka, a bunch of rocks. Since half of the attendees were graduate students in economics it seemed only natural that we trade ownership of the rocks with stock shares. However, after some thought, we found that people preferred to race horses rather than magical rocks.

What is your favorite part of this  Post Position? Austin: My favorite part of the game is the deal making. Winning the game all comes down to trading in the stock market phase of the game. I need to read my opponent’s cues and out-bluff them to get the best deal. Aaron: I love how the game becomes more exciting with each leg of the race. With every new stock market session I’m adjusting to what just happened in the race, and it makes me even more interested in what will happen in the next leg of the race. It creates a feedback loop of excitement that does not crest until the horses cross the finish line.

To your knowledge, What do other people find most interesting about Post Position? The lively social atmosphere while playing the game. The stock market segment encourages people to talk to each other and socialize during game play.

What has been the most challenging part of designing Post Position?  Our biggest challenge has been convincing folks to try the game because they incorrectly perceive that it will be hard to pick up how to trade stocks. However, once they realize all you do is buy low and sell high they become addicted to the game.

What advice would you give to players attempting Post Position for the first time?  A horse is only worth what it will pay back at the end of the race. If a horse is being sold for less than its worth, buy. If someone is looking to buy a horse for more than its worth, sell.

What has surprised you most in play-tests of Post Position?  The ingenuity of the players in how they buy and sell horses. People with no stock experience whatsoever naturally pick up how to game the market to their advantage. People are grasping nuanced stock market concepts not because we teach them, but because players figure out what the best move for them to make money on the market and win the game.

People who like___________ will like Post Position. Why? People who like racing games (e.g. Daytona 500, Formula D) will also like this game. In particular they will enjoy the fact that the position of every horse matters, not just the horse that finishes first.

What do you hope to accomplish at the Collector's Con ProtoZone on Saturday May 11, 2013 from 10am to 7pm in Baltimore, MD?  Our goal is to introduce the game to more players and expand our fan base.

Tell us anything else you want to say about Post Position that I haven't asked or you haven't said already. How does the game flow? Post Position is a real time game. There is no down time. Every player is making their moves simultaneously. You never have to sit and wait while one player is taking their turn. Someone cannot just sit and lengthen the game by thinking about their move because, there is a timer, and everyone else is busying moving around them. So, if they sit back and wait they will miss the best deals.

Come play Post Position at the Collector's Con ProtoZone on Saturday May 11, 2013 from 10am to 7pm in Baltimore, MD.