❖ Version History ❖

December 4th, 2021
Having developed an entirely new playable version of the prototype this past week has left me hungry for some serious play testing. I desperately want to get some new eyes on the project and see how people are liking what we are working with so far. This being said, I basically start inviting everyone that I know into a game-night session, hoping to get as many play tests in on Phoenix Farm as I can.

While in progress of soliciting basically my entire network of friends into play test sessions, I ran into an invitation that I would have never expected. My coworker Heather overheard me seeking play tests and told me that her cousin is very seriously involved in a society that hosts all manor of Renaissance events in the area.

She sent a quick message out to see what the next event would be, and discovered that it was going to be the upcoming Saturday! I asked her about what the event was, if we could go, and if it would be okay to bring the prototype along to see if there were any takers on a game. She relayed to me that the event was to celebrate Yule, that we could go, and that all table top games are very seriously well received by this community.

Thrilled by the news, I got myself prepared, bought some tickets with her, and ran home to see what kind of a costume I might be able to throw together on the fly for this event (cheesy photo of heather and I located up above!). Let me tell you that I could never predict what happened next:

In all honesty, my expectations for a winter Yule Festival were somewhat minimal. I didn’t think that there would be that many people, and if there were people there, I didn’t expect them to be all that interested in a hand-drawn board game. Boy was I wrong.

Not only were there well over one hundred people at this event all dressed to the nines and living in character, almost every person who took a look at my hand drawn prototype for Phoenix Farm was truly impressed & interested in what I had to share!

This Yule Festival was going to be host to the Royal Court, which means that there is a ceremony to celebrate their arrival at the event and announce the plans for the day (photo shown above). After the court & itinerary have been introduced for the day, there is a feast that takes place. During the meal, every family that I had shown the game to asked me if their kids could sit down to a round to try it out.

Admittedly, I was both thrilled and terrified to be on the spot like this. Not only did I have a ton of takers on the game session, but they were all children between the ages of 8-12. This was a crowd I had never sat down and played one of my games with ever before. I had designed these games with all of my post-college friends who have played games all our lives… we have never even considered a room full of children giving it an attempt. But, I was ready for our trial by fire.

If ever there were a better group to give you honest opinions or advice on if your product is worth while, it is absolutely a room full of children. So, I set up the game, gathered a group of eight kids (had some older ones pair with some younger ones on a team), and I covered the rules quickly with a one-turn example to show them how the game works.

I finished my description of the rules by placing all the gold pieces on the table and watched as the eyes of the kids absolutely exploded just the same way that mine did when I first saw the gold. Goals were set, the table was prepped, the game has begun.

I was amazed to see how it played out.

At first some confusion, of course.
But, every older kid at this table knew to help the younger ones, and help they did!

Each child took their time to pick out a plan and execute it for their turn. Sometimes they needed a little bit of guidance to remember how the money or the dice worked, but each of them knew to read the cards and follow the instructions. Within just two or three turns the rules were understood by all, and the game was running smoothly.

about half an hour later, we had kids screaming at the dice, and all manor of excitement gathering around our table. I had not been paying attention, but in this time all of the parents had gathered around us, curiously observing what the children were getting into. I had many requests and inquiries about the game. They couldn’t believe how much the kids were loving it, and how easily they understood it. I told them I felt the same way, but that I was truly relieved that they were so enamored by it! I was certain they were going to be confused by the rules, but they did great.

Here are the scores from the game:

Unfortunately, this event was taking place on a Saturday morning, and my Saturday nights are almost always promised away to the restaurant where I work. Almost immediately after we had finished the game with the kids I had to leave.

However, this day left me forever changed.

I had absolutely never not considered how much this game would mean to the kids, and they had completely reignited the fire within me to keep designing Phoenix Farm. With all of the things that were going wrong in publishing The Great Chase at the time, I had been very heavy hearted about the idea of actually pursuing self-publishing game design as a business. But now I was more inspired than ever. I wanted to make a promise to myself: to never give up making these games. They mean so much to people I may never meet, more than I could ever know… and I must never give up on my love for this work.

I tell myself that one day I will return to this Yule Festival, and I will be prepared with Phoenix Farm in hand, ready to give it to these kids. Hopefully it won’t be too many years before that dream could become true!

As I left, I got the contact information of many parents, and I got back in the car with Heather. It was horrible needing to leave that day, but so far as I was concerned, my quest here was only just beginning.

Be sure to tune back in for our next journey in the Librarium Games Design Journal to see what inspirations we chased after next!