Unpub Preview: Battlesheep
BludleOne of our upcoming events is Protospiel-Milwaukee (and Mid-West Unpub.) This is not an event I will be able to attend, and it is being managed by James Mathes of Minion Games. Games coming to Protospiel-Milwaukee register through a different entity, and by doing so don’t get a page here on Unpub.net. This is our first time with this type of partnership and we’re testing these policies out. One way we can support the games and designers coming to this event is through these previews. So, today we continue our series of previews of games coming to Protospiel- Milwaukee.
Today we're going to talk about a game my mother would love: Battlesheep. She'd love it because of her love and fascination with sheep, not because it involved battling/war/miniatures/and card management. Yes, that's sheep. S-H-E-E-P. Those often fluffy little ovines you see on farms and at finer country fair's everywhere. Espen Klausen Ph.D. has developed a fast fun card game where those cute little animals...well, battle.
Here, let's let Espen talk about this fast furious game...
What was your inspiration for Battlesheep? I once suggesting playing a round of Battleship with someone. The person asked back if I meant the game of picking coordinates and trying to sink each other. I wise-cracked that I was talking about battling sheep, and immediately knew I needed to make the game. Battlesheep has also been inspired by my love for jokes, puns, and hilarity in general, and I realized that if I am going to create serious games, I need to have one game I am working on where I can pour that humor into to keep it from taking over in my other game designs.
What is your favorite part of Battlesheep? The chaos, the unpredictability, and the fact that it is a very quick game.
To your knowledge, What do other people find most interesting about Battlesheep? Play-testers love the humor and mayhem of the game. They enjoy taking a break from other games by playing a light and quick game.
What has been the most challenging part of designing Battlesheep? Like most light games, it works best when it is quick paced, and when it does not take very long to play. I had to make adjustments to make the game flow as quickly as I could while still keeping some element of challenge in the game. I believe I have succeeded.
What advice would you give to players attempting Battlesheep for the first time? Don't expect it to be balanced or that perfect strategy will always win it for you. Just enjoy the fun, and if you want revenge, just play again. I designed it to be very fast, so that if you are out early it is still a short wait, and another chance for victory will start in just a few minutes.
What has surprised you most in play-tests of Battlesheep? I originally made it as a side-project that was mostly for the sake of my own distraction. I was not originally designing it with publication in mind. But... to my surprise friends kept asking about playing it, and I realized that it had potential, and developed it further.
People who like___________ will like Battlesheep. Why? Nuclear War, Killer Bunnies, Robo Rally. Why? Battlesheep relies on the same kinds of chaos, unpredictability, and focus on humor. Battlesheep is much quicker than these games, however.
What do you hope to accomplish at Protospiel-Milwaukee (and Mid-West Unpub)? I expect that Battelsheep is ready for submission to a publisher. Protospiel play testing will be a final check to see if it ready.
Tell us anything else you want to say about the game that I haven't asked or you haven't said already. If you are at the event, please stop by and play the game. A round is only 10-20 minutes, and it should only take you 5 minutes to learn.
So, head on out to Protospiel-Milwaukee (and Mid-West Unpub) and play Battlesheep by Espen Klausen Ph.D. You'll have great fun with this game. We know you wool.
Just a reminder that no sheep were harmed in the publishing of this post.
