Making 44: A Game of Automatic Fear easier to play
Last year at GenCon 2007, I released the ashcan version of 44: A Game of Automatic Fear. Now, the game design is complete, and the game itself nears publication. I’m rewriting the text to incorporate all changes and extremely helpful feedback since last August.
My goal is to create a highly accessible game for people who enjoy role-playing, but have busy lives like mine. The game is designed for exciting, suspenseful one-shot play. If you’re at all like me, it’s tough getting everyone together weekly or even monthly for longer games.
44 is not a “lite” game in that it has extremely simple mechanics. It has a many play options, but these are not overwhelming by any stretch. Characters are simple on paper, but interesting to watch and portray. Play is suspenseful. The rules make play more suspenseful and entertaining.
One of the things I learned with the ashcan is that people wanted a simple list of options so they can remember things quickly during play. So, the rule book will be designed to help players look up rules quickly. And, character records will have a very useful “cheat sheet” for what they can do during turns.
This poses a book and graphic design challenge that I’m really looking forward to. 44 needs to be accessible to you because it’s extremely fun to play. I aim to make it your go-to “pickup” game for low-preparation, immediate fun.
Look for an October release.
