Bank Robber Rumble - Recently Updated Pages

August 20, 2008

StarHopper — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:54:23 CDT

Game # 1

Players (2) - Monique, Me

Duration: 20 min.

New Features:

Revised Score cards
Limit of active items + home stash
Home robberies
Trouble always happens

Notes:

Bank jobs much riskier!

Game # 2

Players (2)

Duration: 30 min.

Notes:

Players start with some vouchers? - No
Mugging allowed by bus? - No
Players encouraged to clean out home stash to prevent helping other players
Vouchers are a safe investment - like money in the bank ;D

Game # 3

Players (2)

Duration: 55 min.!

Notes:

Does mugging occur when landing next to a player of higher rank? - No
Access home stash not allowed during a mugging
Hand limit remains in effect while in Pawn Shop?
Back and forth leaders extended game play. Less likely to happen with more players.
Risk taking much more active and fun

Karate Tokens

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:01:46 CDT

Vector graphics created in Flash and printed out on card stock

Cards & Tokens

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:00:35 CDT

List of Score cards and related Trouble cards:

Regular Items (green) used to avoid Bank safeguards (red)
Karate tokens can offer protection from most security guards
Special Safe-Cracking Tools (yellow) and related disfunctions (purple)

Current Cards

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:46:11 CDT

Coloured index cards cut in half

Active set (face up) & Home Stash to the right (face down)

Final Prototype Example

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:15:42 CDT

Use of Photoshop and 3D software to create a presentable playing surface

Added game elements include:

Pawn Shop
Shortcuts to Bank & Pawn Shop
Jump points (yellow signs) allowing a player to mug another

Final game components:

Playing pieces modeled in FIMO & 2 paper versions printed on card stock
Verdict die made from stickers on wooden craft cube (replaced by spinner for clarity)
Score cards printed on card stock and stored in collectible card game protector sleeves
Pawn Shop Vouchers printed on coloured paper

Box art example with alternate game title before mugging became a prominent feature.

It took some time coming up with a slogan that would diffuse (pun intended ; ) the immoral nature of this game which could be a hard sell to parents.

Winning the Game

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:45:32 CDT

The first player to land on the Bank space marked “CRACK” with a complete set of Safe-Cracking Tools wins the game.

Courthouse

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:44:23 CDT

Players who get caught attempting to rob the Bank are immediately sent to the Courthouse where their playing piece is placed on the space marked “GO”.

All items in that player’s possession are confiscated and returned to the bottom of the Score pile. Players get to keep their Pawn Shop vouchers.

Players move in the direction of the arrows until they land on one of the 2 Verdict spaces.

The Verdict Spinner is used to decide what sentence they will get. If a player is found “guilty” or manages to plead “Insanity”, they proceed directly to either the Jail or Sanatorium and miss the number of turns indicated on those spaces. A verdict of “Innocent” will send the player for a short walk in the “Park” where they can resume playing without penalty.

Multiple players are allowed in the Courthouse.

Running Into Trouble

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:41:50 CDT

Most types of Trouble can be avoided provided you have the appropriate item active in your possession.

You can’t get “Lost”, for example, if you have the “Bank Blueprint” in your possession. Some items, like “Drugged Meat”, are spent when encountering a “Guard Dog”. Spent items are returned to the bottom of the Score pile.

If you get a Trouble card that doesn’t apply, simply return it to the bottom of the pile and draw again.

Bank

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:39:34 CDT

Landing on the Bank space allows players to move their playing piece within the bank area where they can attempt to rob it.

Players cannot enter the bank without a complete set of safe-cracking tools. The Bank cannot be entered if it already occupied by another player.

Players begin on the space marked “GO” and move in the direction of the arrows hopping to land on the “CRACK” space.

Landing on a space marked with a “T” reveals the topmost card of the Trouble pile. If you cannot counter the Trouble you are considered caught and must immediately go to the Courthouse.

If you lose the ability to access the safe, you can try to escape from the Bank. You must land on the “GO” space in order to move your playing piece to the outside track.

Dojo

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:33:44 CDT

Landing on the Dojo space allows you to start your Karate training which begins with a Yellow belt. Your current level of training is displayed as a token that you place face-up in front of you. Each time you land on the Dojo you increase your level of training by exchanging your current Belt for the next highest one.

The ranking order, from lowest to highest, is as follows:

Yellow, Green, Blue, Brown, Black

Knowledge of Karate is only used defensively. This prevents players from mugging others with a higher level of training. Players of equal rank can still get mugged due to element of surprise. Landing on a space occupied by a player with a higher rank does not present them opportunity to mug you.

Karate training can also be used to disable Security Guards encountered while attempting to rob the Bank. There are three types of Guards that require different levels of Karate as follows:

Scrawny Security Guard = Yellow belt or higher
Normal Security Guard = Blue belt or higher
Strong Security Guard = Unbeatable (i.e. Karate Expert)

Mugging

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:31:27 CDT

If a player lands on the same space already occupied by another player, they have the choice of robbing them of any item they have in their possession. Muggers can only take what they can carry. Pawn Shop Vouchers can not be stolen.

Mugged players can replace stolen items by returning to the Home space and accessing their stash. Muggings can not take place at Home or in public places such as the Park, Sanatorium, Jail, Dojo and Courthouse. However, a player landing on the Home space is allowed to steal from another player’s stash. Muggers must identify their victims before rummaging through their stash.

Muggings do not occur on spaces occupied by two or more players. Busses cannot be used to mug someone.

Players can defend themselves with Karate training.

Score Items

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:28:52 CDT

Landing on a space marked with an “S” allows you to draw a card from the Score pile and placed before you. The double “S” spaces allow you to draw 2 cards and the triple “S” space allows you to draw 3 cards.

The items you collect represent the equipment you will need to open the safe and deal with any potential problems you will encounter along the way.

Some items are stand-alone such as the blueprint which prevents you from getting lost or the code that deactivates the alarm.

Others work in pairs like the gloves that keep you from leaving fingerprints for a detective to find or batteries for your flashlight that allows you to counter your fear of the dark.

You’ll need at least one complete set of safe-cracking tools before you can even enter the Bank. These come in sets of 3 allowing you to cut your way into the safe using a blow torch, or drill out the lock mechanism or split it wide open with plastic explosives.

You can only have 10 active items at any time. These are arranged face-up and represent what you have in your possession while moving around the board.

Extra items are set aside in a pile face-down and represent the stash you have at Home. A player’s stash can only be accessed by landing on the Home space. They become available for trade when landing on the Pawn Shop space.

If the Score pile becomes depleted, shuffle the cards from the Pawn Shop, leave 10 behind and return the rest to the Score card space.

Movement

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:27:06 CDT

Player rolls the die and moves their pawn in either direction along the outer track. The full length of the movement must take place in single direction.

If you land on a “Bus Stop” space, you have the option of transferring your playing piece to any other Bus Stop location on the board.

Jail and Sanatorium spaces are treated like single spaces unless they are arrived at as a result of a verdict. The numbered spaces on these locations are used to keep track of lost turns.

Summary of Gameplay

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:25:39 CDT

Players take turns moving around the outer track of the board collecting items needed to accomplish the robbery. When a player feels they have enough items they move onto the inner Bank track. They remain within the Bank area until they either crack the safe or run into a form of Trouble they aren’t equipped to deal with. Players who get caught are sent to the Courthouse area where they must stay until a Verdict is reached. They will either be found guilty or innocent and may even pull off an insanity plea. Once these players have done their time, they are able to rejoin the game and, with a bit of luck, they’ll get another crack at that safe.

Set-up

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:23:23 CDT

Both set of cards are shuffled and placed face-down on their respective spaces in the middle of the game board.

Pawn shop vouchers are placed beside the board near the Pawn Shop space. 10 cards are taken from the Score deck and placed face-down next to the vouchers.

Karate belt tokens are sorted by colour and placed face-up near the Dojo space. The verdict spinner is kept close to the Courthouse.

Players chose a playing piece and place it on the space marked “Home” of the game board.

Roll the die to determine the order of play. The player with the highest roll goes first.

August 25, 2008

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:10:40 CDT

Game # 1

Players (4) - Monique & Me (playing two players each)

Duration: 40 min.

New Features:

No mugging allowed while busing

Must return to Home space in order to access personal stash

Notes:

Example for Bus Stop Mugging rule: Red on Park space roles a 3. Option of Mugging Blue on nearby Bust Stop but not Green positioned on another stop.

All 4 players were close to being ready to rob Bank

First one to attempt it won in just 2 rolls

Playtesting Log

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:58:46 CDT

Typical playtesting set-up.

Note: Notepad for recording log entries & mobile phone for timing duration of each game

Goal

StarHopper — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:55:17 CDT

To be the first crook to make it into the bank and crack the safe.

1st Paper Prototype

StarHopper — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:43:01 CDT

First use of velum paper for prototyping.

Added game elements include:

Choice of movement direction
Multiple Score spaces
Inner tracks for Jail and Sanatorium
Dojo

Original Game Concept

StarHopper — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:34:54 CDT

Monopoly served as the main influence along with some mocking of board game elements evident by following the results of the "Go back 5" space .

These unused high-school dance vouchers, which my older brother kept for some reason, provided me with an ideal source of card material.

Event dates allowed me to establish that I must have come up with this idea when I was 14 or 15 years of age.