Unpub Preview: Station Fall

As we move towards upcoming Unpub events we’re going to preview some of the games which will be exhibited.

Gary Dahl of Sugar Pill Studios joined us for Unpub 3 and I didn't get to play any of his games. I'm happy to have another shot at this weekend's Unpub Mini at 7th Dimension Games!

For this event, Gary is bringing his area control game Station Fall. This game involves dice rolling and strategic placement based on the combinations rolled.

Let's hear a little more about Station Fall  from designer Gary Dahl...

What was your inspiration for Station Fall?  Farkle is a big influence in terms of player experience, but I wanted those per-turn risk-reward trade-offs to continue having implications later in the game. Tripple Triad is probably the biggest influence on the game's deployment-based battle system.

What is your favorite part of Station Fall? I enjoy how the game constantly challenges players to balance the value of each tile with the difficulty in re-rolling die combinations that can be deployed there.

To your knowledge, What do other people find most interesting about Station Fall? I'm not sure enough people have played for me to answer this with authority.

What has been the most challenging part of designing Station Fall?  I think the game originally felt overwhelming in terms of the amount of information you needed to take-in before choosing a strategy each turn. I believe that's improved, but look forward to hear what unpub3 participants think about it.

What advice would you give to players attempting Station Fall for the first time?  Think hard about how you place your tiles, and be weary of opportunities to attack that also leave your position more exposed.

What has surprised you most in play-tests of Station Fall? I've been surprised by how balanced games tend to be. It's a short game to 6 VP, and I've yet to see a run-away lead or complete skunking of a player.

People who like_______will like Station Fall. Why? In addition to the games listed above, Alien Frontier makes a good point of comparison. However, instead of AF's resource collection and management, SF puts more emphasis on area control, and your choices in deployment and attack.

What do you hope to accomplish at the Unpub Mini at 7th Dimension Games on Saturday March 2, 2013? I can't wait to see how fresh eyes respond to playing Station Fall in its current state.

Tell us anything else you want to say about Station Fall that I haven't asked or you haven't said already.  Like Rollaway, there is an online playable version of Station Fall , though I must disclaim the fact that this is still very much a work in progress, and may currently be more confusing than playable to most. My hope is that this will improve with time and feedback.

I'm looking forward to learning more about Station Fall at 7th Dimension Games on Saturday. If you're in or near Jenkintown, PA you should stop by and play a game!