I have never been able to vocalize why I love dice placement so much. I love this video. It’s as if you have taught me how to fish. A bit dramatic I know, but this is the first resource that I’ve come across that so brilliantly defines why I love dice placement. Input randomness is actually what I enjoy. Thank you for helping me better understand why I enjoy the things I do. Fantastic video and I can’t wait to watch the other ones.
Orleans is the game that got me into the hobby. Prior to this game Inonly knew of Catan and Power Grid. The math behind Orleans fascinated me. When I realized that the options on my village was nothing more than the equivalent of rolling two dice, I was hooked.
Big fan of the vids! One thing I wanted to add, somewhat related but not a dice placement game is that Dice Throne uses a combination of numbers and icons so that when you're planning your attack, you have various options to go for when using your 3 attempt yahtzee attack, going for a small or long straight, or ignoring the numbers completely to go for a combination of icons.. definitely seems like a great way to spice up the options of dice in this case and you never feel like your rolls have been wasted
Back in 2009, I was a dedicated RPG player attending Origins. A random table was looking for one more person for a game and I had two hours to kill. That game was Kingsburg. It was my first experience with modern board games and it blew my mind and set me on my path as a life long board gamer and even how I eventually met my wife. So I owe a lot to that silly little dice placement system.
That Las Vegas is so good. Popular in my circle. But such an unimaginative name. Those who've not played it in a while or never confuse it for similar names or forget they've ever played it before. On the same game, the last time I retaught it to play and some of the players had different ideas on how to play. (I never play with any of the extra rules). This has led me to think of ways to improve upon the basic model.
Subscribed now to your channel because I feel like I can learn a lot from you! Just a little advice: invest in a good camera or hire someone to set up the lights and create a good filming spot. Also to film the games you show in a more professional way. Because with all the amazing-looking channels out there, no matter how knowleagable you are, you will get much less views this way and that's a shame
Your videos are very interesting, thank you! In this I have collected a lot of useful information, I am only sorry that you did not address considerations about ancient Egyptian and Roman games and Perudo, one of the oldest games in the world and the king of all dice games, which uses dice in a way that is still innovative and fresh today, and superior to many current games. Making a statistic is something very ephemeral, it is basically a matter of giving a personal opinion to try to guess a result, but an opinion in which one can be more or less good, by nature or based on some parameters that the dice suggest to you . I would like to see the topic of symmetry/asymmetry covered, and in a broader way it could also take into consideration the asymmetry calculated in the game turns, I am a passionate developer of abstract games and I have never yet found a game for three players that really, but really really, offers a fair game to everyone and three players.
I’ve never discouraged their use! I’ve always felt they’re a difficult thing to get right, and shouldn’t be the first thing that new designers reach for (based on a decade of running regular playtesting meet-ups). I see new designers struggling to manage randomness in their games all the time. It is not easy designing games with dice. Experience helps. I made a video many years ago called “Dice are not the answer”. That’s exactly the point it was trying to make: dice should be used deliberately and cautiously. They shouldn’t be used to decide outcomes in your game just because you can’t think of a better way. I love dice games and always have. Some of my earliest reviews were raving about Piraten Kapern, Wurfel Bohnanza & Strike! And one of my own designs, Thrown, is a dice game too.
I might suggest Pachisi, Backgammon, & similar games use input randomness instead of output randomness. You're given a random input for your turn, then choose how to use that number by selecting which piece to move. I'd also suggest Pirate & Traveler & similar map-travel games use input randomness; you're given a random number & must decide how to use it to traverse the map effectively. Monopoly & similar games use both; input randomness gives you the option to buy property, output randomness determines if your purchases actually make any money. That's still not bad, since players can examine the game to determine each properties' chance of success. (To paraphrase the instructions of Transogram's Big Business.)
The preamble where you define it is amazing. And the specific “disclaimers” are actually helpful!
Thanks! That’s good to hear 😊
Another amazing board game design video! I think this is the best series you made and I watched all of them.
I have never been able to vocalize why I love dice placement so much. I love this video. It’s as if you have taught me how to fish. A bit dramatic I know, but this is the first resource that I’ve come across that so brilliantly defines why I love dice placement. Input randomness is actually what I enjoy. Thank you for helping me better understand why I enjoy the things I do. Fantastic video and I can’t wait to watch the other ones.
Thank you for feeding my tiny beginner game designer mind. From Steve in Wales!
You’re welcome - now get creating! :D
Orleans is the game that got me into the hobby. Prior to this game Inonly knew of Catan and Power Grid.
The math behind Orleans fascinated me. When I realized that the options on my village was nothing more than the equivalent of rolling two dice, I was hooked.
This video is GOLD. Thank you for such a good content!
Big fan of the vids! One thing I wanted to add, somewhat related but not a dice placement game is that Dice Throne uses a combination of numbers and icons so that when you're planning your attack, you have various options to go for when using your 3 attempt yahtzee attack, going for a small or long straight, or ignoring the numbers completely to go for a combination of icons.. definitely seems like a great way to spice up the options of dice in this case and you never feel like your rolls have been wasted
I’ve never played Dice Throne but I hear so many good things about it, I should give it a try.
Came here to say this. It seemed almost criminal to exclude the mighty Dice Throne from this vid :D
This video has come at the perfect time for me. I'm currently working on my own dice influenced board game.
Good luck with it! :)
Back in 2009, I was a dedicated RPG player attending Origins. A random table was looking for one more person for a game and I had two hours to kill. That game was Kingsburg. It was my first experience with modern board games and it blew my mind and set me on my path as a life long board gamer and even how I eventually met my wife. So I owe a lot to that silly little dice placement system.
This just gave an idea to my game design thanks
Just wanted to say i LOVE all your videos! Thanks!!
Thanks Craig - glad you’re enjoying them! :)
That Las Vegas is so good. Popular in my circle. But such an unimaginative name. Those who've not played it in a while or never confuse it for similar names or forget they've ever played it before.
On the same game, the last time I retaught it to play and some of the players had different ideas on how to play. (I never play with any of the extra rules). This has led me to think of ways to improve upon the basic model.
I really like the way you build the narrative and the number of examples. Great channel, subscribed
Thanks - glad you enjoyed it :)
Great summary of dice driven games.
Wow - very thorough. Nice to see Waggle Dance getting some attention. This was my intro to the hobby in 2016.
Yes, it’s a nice little game. I discovered making this video that there are very few “true” dice worker placement games, but this is one of them.
not gonna lie, I read "how to design (...) dice board game" and thought it was a RUclips short of you saying "don't" 🤐😆
Subscribed now to your channel because I feel like I can learn a lot from you! Just a little advice: invest in a good camera or hire someone to set up the lights and create a good filming spot. Also to film the games you show in a more professional way. Because with all the amazing-looking channels out there, no matter how knowleagable you are, you will get much less views this way and that's a shame
Thanks for the sub! :) Very much a hobby with minimal budget… so substantial investment seems unlikely in the near future I’m afraid!
@@AdaminWales Yeah I get it :) but I hope you keep going, it's such a great hobby and thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Your videos are very interesting, thank you!
In this I have collected a lot of useful information, I am only sorry that you did not address considerations about ancient Egyptian and Roman games and Perudo, one of the oldest games in the world and the king of all dice games, which uses dice in a way that is still innovative and fresh today, and superior to many current games.
Making a statistic is something very ephemeral, it is basically a matter of giving a personal opinion to try to guess a result, but an opinion in which one can be more or less good, by nature or based on some parameters that the dice suggest to you .
I would like to see the topic of symmetry/asymmetry covered, and in a broader way it could also take into consideration the asymmetry calculated in the game turns, I am a passionate developer of abstract games and I have never yet found a game for three players that really, but really really, offers a fair game to everyone and three players.
Oh so now you like dice... Lol, I remember the videos where you discourage their use... XD
I’ve never discouraged their use! I’ve always felt they’re a difficult thing to get right, and shouldn’t be the first thing that new designers reach for (based on a decade of running regular playtesting meet-ups).
I see new designers struggling to manage randomness in their games all the time. It is not easy designing games with dice. Experience helps.
I made a video many years ago called “Dice are not the answer”. That’s exactly the point it was trying to make: dice should be used deliberately and cautiously. They shouldn’t be used to decide outcomes in your game just because you can’t think of a better way.
I love dice games and always have. Some of my earliest reviews were raving about Piraten Kapern, Wurfel Bohnanza & Strike! And one of my own designs, Thrown, is a dice game too.
I might suggest Pachisi, Backgammon, & similar games use input randomness instead of output randomness. You're given a random input for your turn, then choose how to use that number by selecting which piece to move.
I'd also suggest Pirate & Traveler & similar map-travel games use input randomness; you're given a random number & must decide how to use it to traverse the map effectively.
Monopoly & similar games use both; input randomness gives you the option to buy property, output randomness determines if your purchases actually make any money. That's still not bad, since players can examine the game to determine each properties' chance of success. (To paraphrase the instructions of Transogram's Big Business.)
Love the pettiness of Caylus. Such a breath of spitefulness after Catan and competitive co-op games in general.
you are my rolemodel :)