Unpub Preview: SharkBait
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.
In movie series, as the films add on the quality typically diminishes. I don't see that being the case with the games of Matt Worden. SharkBait is the fourth game of his we're previewing before Protospiel- Milwaukee and it feels as strong and vibrant as the other three games. There's certainly no slowing down (not that you should, you might become SharkBait) in this family dice game!
Matt has done an excellent job explaining his games and the challenges in their development, so let's allow him to continue that streak as well...
What was your inspiration for SharkBait? Initially: Farkle ... and "Shark Week" on Discovery
What is your favorite part of SharkBait? It's stupid, but it's the term "Shark Bait". ;-p As far as game-play goes, it's the changing target of "good" numbers during dice rolling.
To your knowledge, What do other people find most interesting about SharkBait? Choosing which dice to place during their turn.
What has been the most challenging part of designing SharkBait? Keeping it easy to teach and accessible for children an non-core gamers ... balanced with meaningful decisions and player interaction.
What advice would you give to players attempting SharkBait for the first time? This is targeting the kitchen table during family game night.
People who like___________ will like SharkBait. Why? Yahtzee, Farkle, or other more main-stream, family dice games. Because ... that's the type of game it is. 😉
What do you hope to accomplish at Protospiel-Milwaukee (and Mid-West Unpub)? I recently made a more dramatic change to the design of the game ... need to see if this is the right path to take.
My advice to you? Get your "chums" together and play SharkBait at Protospiel- Milwaukee!
