The Game Structure I Use

I build my games within two systems.

I don't just create whatever content I like, adding systems as I go. I start with the two systems, and build solely within them.

In my adventure game, there is a resource system, and there is a map you can move around on. You have seven different resources. There is no combat; you just lose health. There is no reputation system; you just gain bounty. Gold is another resource. All cards either cause you to gain or lose resources, or they move you around the map. Depending on the space you land on, you draw a certain type of card. What can the cards do? They can move you around the map, or gain/lose you resources. There is nothing else in the game, and everything I want to do, is done within those two systems.

Magic has a system for using abilities, and a combat system. Radlands just has an ability system, which also contains offensive abilities. There is no combat system.

In my farm game, everything is just a token you can put on your land. At the end of each round, each token does an effect of some sort. Within this system, I can create pretty much anything. The different animals have an ability. The rabbit makes another rabbit. The donkey hauls resources from a mine. Bandits eat food. The bandit fort makes another bandit.

After compacting most of my game into two systems, I then try to make those individual things each as simple as possible, or cull those that can't be simplified.

Come up with a simple mechanical framework, and ask "what can I build within this"? What about:

• A game where there are resource tokens and a deck, and on your turn, you draw a card, and may spend your resource tokens to play a card.
• A game where there are cards in the middle, and you can buy up to 5 coins worth of them per turn.

Do not have small, extraneous systems. Imagine you have a card game, and you decide you want to put a few counters like "stun" or "upgraded" on your cards. Either make the counters one of the two systems, or don't have them at all. You could do all kinds of things with counters on cards. You could have a basic rule that explains how counters work, and then have ten different types, and make the game about the counters.

Inherent combos

If you put everything in one or two systems, those things will inherently interact, because they're all doing the same kind of thing.

Radlands is loaded with combos. Why? Because the game is about very little. There are only people, events, and camps. The people and camps don't have all kinds of complex numbers, types, and categories. People are just *in play* or not. They can also be damaged (turned sideways). That's the design space. I managed to make enough interesting cards in this space, and they all interact with each other strongly, because the whole game is just adding and removing people from play, or turning them sideways.