Atlas Wars
So, I haven't posted here for quite a while and there's a very good reason- I decided to complete an entire board game! The game is called Atlas Wars, and here are some pictures:
Here is a picture of the completed prototype, with the box art, full color rulebook, board, pieces, reference sheets, and dice.
All and all, this required a year and a half of work from conception to completion. I can't thank my friends and family enough for play testing it with me and helping with many of the small details go into such a large project. The game itself is intended for 2 players (3+ in team play) for ages 10 and up. Game play takes anywhere between 30 minutes and 3 hours depending on how large of a game players would like to play.
Detail of the box art. I went for a more generic type of character here- the type of guy who isn't old but isn't young- who didn't look like this was his first rodeo but didn't look like he was bitter. I hope this draws in a sense of fun rather than stress but made it with some action so as not to be boring. I used the Rwenaori mountains (try saying that 5 times fast) as inspiration for Atlas Vega, the planet the game takes place on.
Because I've never considered myself adept at playing super complex games, my first goal was to make Atlas Wars easy to play and mechanically simple to grasp. However, I did not want to sacrifice any depth or feeling of realism. My primary intent was to create an experience that was not only competitive and well balanced, but also extremely immersive and flexible. Each player not only gets to choose the scenario, but also the units they want to play with as well as their starting locations on the board. This allows players to set up the types of games they want to play as opposed to be locked into a preconceived scenario and set-up.
Dynamic movement and terrain factors mean that battles occur when one player thinks they have the tactical advantage. A player might have a great strategy in place, but to paraphrase Helmuth Von Moltke: "No plan survives first contact with the enemy." Players must adapt to the unit types they are up against as well as where each piece is positioned.
A point selection system, coupled with a variable play-length mechanic, further ensures that no game is ever the same. And while the game is played using the same board, each section offers a different type of terrain configuration such as wooded, open, mountainous, marshy, and one section with two islands. Players can test different areas of the board to discover what units they are best at playing with and where those types of units excel.
Board detail with a few of the game pieces. Each unit has a distinct set of attacks and movement abilities.
Atlas Wars is currently in "open beta," and I'm looking into some different publishing options. If you'd like to see more on the development of the game you can head over to my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/atlaswars I hope you all will get the chance to play it soon!
~Patrick
©2015 Patrick Wheeler
