Unpub Preview: Guile

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

Terra Nova Games, in the form of designer Justin Schaffer, will be represented at the Enchanted Grounds Unpub Mini on Saturday April 6, 2013 from 1pm to 7pm. Justin is bringing their card game Guile, which he bills as a Medieval abstract memory game. Memory games are some of my favorites. It's a concept I love to explore, so this game piques my interest.

I'm going to turn this over to Justin and have him tell us a thing or two about Guile...

 What was your inspiration for Guile? Guile is a result of the February game design contest hosted by The Boardroomers. I decided to enter their contest since it would be a great design exercise and provide a break from my other works in progress. The component requirements for the contest were a maximum of 20 Poker cards and 10 cubes. Guile came together really quickly and received great feedback from playtesters, which ultimately led to Terra Nova Games, a game design and publishing company that my friend and I founded as an outlet to share our passion for the hobby with others.

What is your favorite part of Guile? I like that it feels familiar to games I would have played growing up, yet different from any other games I’ve played before. Since it’s a quick 2 player game that’s not luck driven, I’m excited to see if any interest arises in Guile tournaments.

To your knowledge, What do other people find most interesting about Guile? The simplicity and subtleties are most often mentioned in playtesting feedback. It is easy to learn and plays quickly, yet there are varying strategies and nuances that people seem to really enjoy exploring.

What has been the most challenging part of designing Guile? Trying to add theme and flavor to an abstract game without it feeling “pasted on”.

What advice would you give to players attempting Guile for the first time? Location, location, location. Guile is all about memorization and tracking the movements of the Influence cards. Find out the locations early, and then manipulate them later.

What has surprised you most in play-tests of Guile? Just the fact that people are willing to take the time to learn and play something that I’ve created is a very rewarding experience.

People who like___________ will like Guile. Why? Hanabi. Although Guile differs in overall feel, Hanabi requires the same level of memorization and card tracking that is also needed to be successful in Guile.

What do you hope to accomplish at the Enchanted Grounds Unpub Mini on Saturday April 6, 2013 from 1pm to 7pm? To use Guile as a means of sharing the mission of Terra Nova Games. Our goal as a company is to encourage face to face fun through interactive and innovative gameplay. The both of us are fairly young in age (25 & 30) compared to most other company owners in the industry, and we aim to take advantage of that. We want to introduce people in our age group, and people of all ages, to the hobby of tabletop gaming. We want to encourage people to get away from their screens, and get together in person, to strategize and socialize around games.

We applaud your efforts Justin. I hope Guile is a huge hit at the Enchanted Grounds Unpub Mini on Saturday April 6, 2013 from 1pm to 7pm. Looking forward to hearing more from Terra Nova Games!