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Scaling Down Board Game Rules by Child Age in 4 Easy Examples

5/17/2017

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​How often have you read or searched for game recommendations by age? Board game rules in particular may be less important for younger children in some instances - at least, that has been my experience.
It’s easy to sit on the fence about whether to buy a particular game based on your child’s age, likes and dislikes, and other factors such as the phase of the moon and whether there are enough purple crayons in the box.
​I’ve experienced something quite different though, and would like to make this easier for you with one key observation that I don’t expect everyone to agree with. 
I hate sandcastles - grumpy boy meme
Kids issue ultimatums whether they make sense or not.

A game is more than just the rules

​The rules of a game are not the game itself. Rules are a form of the game that best represents the designer’s intentions, but what if someone else’s intentions overrule them? ​​If you aren’t a parent this will probably sound crazy. I’m ok with that, fun matters more than the designer’s intentions, and I say this as a designer myself!
Children love to play games and are excited to play what their parents like. I’ll grant that not all games can or should be scaled for children, but I’ll advocate for at least some consideration as long as you’re there to supervise (and of course keep the really tiny bits and playing cards separate until they’re old enough in your judgement).
​Really, as a dad who loves games and my kids, I’m just happy they’re excited to play games with me, and want to play the games I already have!
Here are a few stories of games I’ve played with my twin boys at various ages where I have scaled the rules to their age or played by rules that they insisted were the actual rules. In all instances I had to improvise – you don’t get much time between hearing “Daddy let’s play that game” and when it comes down from the shelf. ​

They played Catan like it was Monopoly

You probably knew this one was coming, and dread yet another comparison of Settlers of Catan to Monopoly.
​You know what my kids did after they built the board though? Rolled the dice and moved the robber from space to space, and shared number circles like currency. They’ve never heard of, played, or seen Monopoly, so it was fascinating for me to see them play this way!
​In this instance it wasn’t me who scaled the rules – my boys changed them altogether by making up their own. I’ll grant that in this case all I did was guide them in assembling the map. 
Twin boys playing their first match of Settlers of Catan like Monopoly. A great example of kids making up their own board game rules!
My twin boys playing Settlers of Catan like Monopoly.
They really insisted on matching all the like-terrain tiles, making what is probably the absolute worst possible map for the standard rules (which I’d love to try now that I think about it, as a sort of challenge)! Still, on our next playthough I fully expect to team them to gather resources based on the die roles and am sure they’ll get it. 
The trading aspect will probably have to wait, as 4-year-olds now they are pretty good at sharing most of the time – but the rest of the time, well, let’s just say that kids this young are prone to table flipping. Still – I know every situation is unique, so I’d love to hear whether you’ve attempted a limited version of Catan with your kids and at what age. What worked for you and what didn’t?

A dexterity- and strength- based combat system for Magic: Arena of the Planeswalkers

I bought this one as an oldschool player of Magic: the Gathering, intrigued at what Wizards of the Coast was up to with a board game version of their flagship card game.
Twin boys playing Magic: Arena of the Planeswalkers. So excited!
Twin boys playing Magic: Arena of the Planeswalkers. So excited!
I have played this with my kids as young as 3 with only the miniatures. They get to sort them into colours, count them, and have little adventures with the hero characters leading the way, telling stories about the “Fire Guy” and “Ice Guy” as they say.
​As they’ve gotten older I introduced dice, which they mainly roll for fun. Combat is resolved by crashing the plastic minis into each other – probably not a method I would recommend for adults! 
While it would likely cause injury among us, it comes natural to toddlers and pre-schooolers and the miniature figures are durable enough for it!
As an aside they also love to spell out the characters’ names – and as you can see in the picture, they were definitely excited to play Arena of the Planeswalkers (which they call “the superhero game”).

Trading monster body parts in Chaos of Cthulhu

​In this game that was previously on Kickstarter by fellow independent designer Travis Watkins, the dice are used to assemble monsters on a 3x3 grid. I’ve played this with my sons since they were 2 thanks to the sturdy dice and cardboard components.
​Early on they just wanted to make monster trains out of the dice, but soon enough they figured out that you’re supposed to build monsters that have matching body parts. They’ll argue and trade the different coloured dice back and forth, introducing a bit of a Catanish aspect here. 
​Even just past 3 though, they understood rolling a number on the rolling dice and choosing the side of a monster die with the same number on it. Sometimes, board game rules just come naturally!
Building monsters in Chaos of Cthulhu by Imphouse Games.
Building monsters in Chaos of Cthulhu by Imphouse Games.
Turn-taking was random and haphazard instead of alternating, perhaps enough to drive me crazy until I realized that insanity was thematically appropriate and just let it be, especially given the name of the game is Chaos of Cthulhu!

A Pretty roll-and move: Goodnight Construction Site

I can’t remember where we found this one but it’s brilliant – although here my kids fight against the rules since they don’t want to go to bed!
A relaxing game of Goodnight Construction Site: the board game.
A relaxing game of Goodnight Construction Site: the board game.
​These boys love heavy machinery. Their grandpa on their mother’s side is a heavy machinery mechanic, and they knew the difference between a dump truck and a skid steer before they knew their ABCs. I’m not even kidding.
​Goodnight Construction Site had them rolling dice, counting spaces, and moving standees of their favourite construction vehicles along paths to difference work areas, stopping at key spaces to dig, dump, and haul. At the end of the game, the machines need to go to sleep and so do they. 
This game even has a cardboard dice tower, although it got ripped pretty easily and needed repair. Still, as a wind-down activity with a great theme for young kids, I’m really happy we have this one. If there’s something to choose and actually teach the rules to toddlers or preschoolers, this one is as simple as it gets but with a very pretty style of art that makes it a pleasure to take out.

Hunting for treasured resources in Stratos

When my kids found out I had made a game, they were especially excited. They literally danced around the room, making it very difficult to say no. 
​This is where I first got started at scaling game rules because I had to – they were first aware of Stratos at around a year old and were just elated to throw dice and laugh at the “silly cubes”. And they still refer to dice as cubes. 
​From about age 3 they loved to build maps for me out of the land and water tiles, make up stories about different parts of the map, and choose their own character standee based on colour and character art. We didn’t play with character classes, and just let all of them be explorers.
Zechariah loves to throw the dice way up high in the air!
Zechariah loves to throw the dice way up high in the air!
They would take turns, sort of, traveling to different lands and flipping the tiles to find out how many treasures they’d find (although in this case, the treasures were the coloured resource tokens). Every time they got more treasures they would re-count them and get more excited the more they had, and also by having the different colours of treasures. 
​I always knew that exploration and discovery were some of the most exciting parts of a game, and in this case, exploration and discovery was the game!

How else will the game rules change?

​As my boys grow and learn, I expect to teach more of the rules in each game according to their ability, and really intend this article as a guide and encouragement to get started. If you keep safety in mind, I believe kids can start playing board games as young as 3, and will be excited to share in the dad’s and mom’s hobby.
Me and my little guys. They love to do what I do. :)
Me and my little guys. They love to do what I do. :)
Kids are naturally passionate gamers, and will learn a lot in the process. While you may want to keep extra-small bits and cards separate based on age and other factors, I’m glad I took the plunge and let me kids play games in my collection from a young age. There is such variety in this hobby - not just in theme, but among games for families, couples, and solo play too. 

Have you ever tried this with your games? ​

I’ve love to hear from you about your experiences adjusting rules. Please do leave a comment or even write to me about your experiences playing games with your kids, adjusting the rules as needed or even adjusting yourself to their rules, if that also happened to you!
​Thanks for reading. :)

​Sincerely,
Jacob
Lead Designer, Stratos

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Kefka’s Tower is beside Swastika Public School

11/28/2016

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We were all born to create. And sometimes, the fuel for our creative mind may not even be noticed until years later, until new beginnings remind us of who we are all over again. More and more, my twin boys remind me of who I was before and during elementary school, where I went to a wonderful place of learning called Swastika Public School in the small town of Swastika, Ontario. 
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I remember this sign well, having passed it so many times.
​Yes, that’s actually the name of the town where I spent my youngest years. It’s an old mining town founded before its name would raise any eyebrows. While I haven’t been there in years, I’ve come to realize just how much growing up there has meant to me.
Let me say it straight: Swastika Public School was an amazing place to learn and play. ​
I know that playground games are an essential part of childhood, and at this small northern school, I had some unique opportunities. And like most Canadian stories, it all started with Hockey. 
Why? Probably because Northern Ontario is cold. I mean really cold. It was -50 on some days, so moving was the only way to keep even close to warm, even with double socks, double-toque, long underwear AND snowpants, well, you get the picture. 
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Rink boards went up every year, and hockey was essential to life.
Every kid got to be Staypuff Marshmallow Man ... in the colour scheme of their (parents’) choice. ​So, everyone played hockey, or froze. But there was much more than hockey, otherwise this wouldn’t be much of a story, now, would it?
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No caption necessary.
I’m still amazed to this day how well-equipped our school was. We had cutting-edge computers called the Unisys Icon, with all kinds of games. And a brand new playground with what felt like, at the time, such a perfect setup to imagine just about anything. Especially with such a well-connected structure, the way the elements worked together was either brilliant design, or an amazing fluke. 
This wasn’t just “Swas”, it was Kefka’s Tower and Runefaust and all kinds of other places. ​
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See the resemblance? Maybe you had to be there at the time.
​This probably sounds quite silly now, but put yourself in 8-year-old-you’s shoes. Wasn’t it just that much more fun to run and jump around when there was an exciting reason to do so?
If you have kids, you definitely know what I’m talking about – and especially for boys, bringing superheroes to life – i.e. pretending to be these fictional characters in all kinds of crossover battles (long before Hollywood figured out this would be fun), and of course, arguing over who was stronger. 
I was definitely outnumbered – but enjoyed it all the same. And years later, of course, I realize my friends were right. If you guys are reading this - I finally admit it!
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Shadow from Final Fantasy III (now called 6), and Balbazak from Shining Force.
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My favourite.
​And I think this is really where my passion for games began. Telling friends about new characters we found in our favourite games, and the arguments that ensued, was the start of what made me care about all the little details that brought these worlds to life. 
So in a sense, it wasn’t just Shining Force, my favourite game of all time, that inspired me to create Stratos. It was all the imagining and arguing and running and jumping and horseplay in those worlds that made it matter so much. 
​We were all made to create – and I really do hope you are doing some creating too, no matter how close or far you are now from where you grew up. Because no matter what we tell ourselves about who we think we are, our past selves are always a part of us. So whenever I’m in a creative rut, I try to remember why I’m doing this in the first place. 
How about you? Where did you grow up, and how did it inspire you to your calling? Tell me about what you love most and why it’s a part of your creative life. 
Sincerely, 
Jacob Chodoriwsky
Stratos Lead Designer, from Swastika, Ontario, Canada

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Dungeons and potholes: growing up (and leveling up) in sudbury, ontario

6/10/2016

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I grew up in a meteor crater full of dungeons and treasure. While there are no dragons there, the moose are every bit as fierce. Just try negotiating with one and you'll see what I mean.
Surprisingly, I hadn't really thought of Sudbury in these terms until recently, It was always just "home" to me, even after having moved away.  ​​
a Nickel Mine in Sudbury - Image Credits: City of Sudbury
Dungeon! Actually, it's a mine.

Creative Beginnings at Laurentian University

And yet, life in Sudbury gave me the space in-between other happenings. It sure feels like this time and space between events is where the creative spark most easily comes into being. 
The professors at Laurentian University always seemed, to me, to have a real intuitive understanding of the need to balance challenge with just enough time for reflection. Looking back on it now, I have come to really appreciate this measured approach, and it was during my time there that Stratos came to be.
Laurentian Sudbury Campus - Image Credit: Laurentian University
Laurentian University: not a dungeon, although it does have some spooky hallways.

Magic, Heroes, and Pickup Basketball

Co-designer David Gundrum and I both grew up here for a significant period in our lives. A bunch of us played pickup basketball at every available opportunity, and when we weren't doing that, we dove into our favourite games of the time that captured our collective imaginations.
Magic: the Gathering and Heroes of Might and Magic III were the top games of choice among our friends on Friday nights. 
Both of us loved the sense of adventure and surprise in Heroes III, along with the finely-tuned balance that kept everything tight and fair. ​
Heroes of Might and Magic III - Image Credit: Gamespot.com
Heroes III is a true classic.

From Creative Play to Something More

There was a definite thirst for more creative play, which is where Magic came in. We'd spend hours every weekend engrossed in figuring out new decks and new ways to use cards together for combos.
Jacob, K., and David at London Comic Con 2015. Image Credit: random bystander number 3651
Jacob, David, and an awesome Stratos fan.
And yet, no matter how creative we got within other games, it never really seemed to be quite enough as a full creative outlet. The dream of making our own tactical RPG stayed with us for as long as we can remember, but it was during our time in Sudbury that we followed through on the idea and first created, prototyped, and tested Stratos.

Reflections and the Irony of our Story

One can't help but enjoy the irony of having created an RPG-inspired board game in such a place. It has dungeons (mines), treasures (like The Big Nickel), and even traps (potholes)!
Beautiful Big Nickel - Image Credit Flickr User DeaShoot
The Big Nickel counts as treasure, right?
As we reflect upon our journey 10 years later, our number one observation is that creative ideas best emerge when we are fully present.
Thank you, Sudbury, for all you have given us. From our creative beginnings to having our game on the (reserve) shelf at Let's Scrabbalatte Board Game Cafe since the prototype days and more, we are proud to call Sudbury home. 
Interestingly enough, it now feels like our creative journey is really just beginning. Who's with us?
Lawrence and Erik at Scrabbalatte - Image Credits: Sudbury.com
Lawrence and Erik, owners of Scrabbalatte, try to recreate the Superstack out of Jenga blocks.
Sincerely, 
Jacob Chodoriwsky and David Gundrum
Original Co-Designers of Stratos

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Twin toddlers, board games, and the "boom crash piece"

5/17/2016

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​Having twins is wonderful – but it is sometimes like a Die Hard movie. They run over smaller toys with ride-on dump trucks, know professional wrestling moves innately, and love to crash cars into airplanes.
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Twin A, Zechariah, enjoying fresh air at the park.
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Twin B, Elijah, loves motorcycles of all sorts.
​Yet I could not resist their ever-so-nice and cute smiles asking to play board games on the shelf. And when Zechariah was jumping up-and-down in excitement for “Daddy’s game” (Stratos), with Elijah ready to climb the bookshelf for it, well, I gave in.
Fortunately, they love to help and to build things for people. Both have such generous spirits, and it melts my heart every time I see them sharing and helping each other when they might otherwise be painting the walls with spaghetti sauce. Or fighting/arguing over who is, in fact, Batman (conclusion: they are both Batman). 
You thought this was going to be about more crashes and explosions, didn’t you? Me too. 
I am continually fascinated by how much board games can have a calming effect on my twin tornadoes. Here it gets Zechariah counting the pieces and telling me about them, and Elijah telling me stories about the dragon and the owls in the spooky forest, echoing some of his favourite bedtime stories. 
It amazes me at how much it brings out their creativity and storytelling, some of which ends up being in their own twin language that only they understand, laughing at each other while I observe, completely befuddled.
Ultimately, I’m observing board games shaping how my twins engage with storytelling in a tactile way, helping their world become more alive. 
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Elijah making a funny face
It’s a joy to be a father of boys, who are as into games as deeply I am; I guess I’m not surprised. Like father like son as they say. This is why I try to set a strong example of hard work mixed with creativity and humour. I can’t wait to see what’s next. Even if it has a boom crash piece.
​For reference, one of their other favourite activities is running around naked wearing buckets on their heads. Those pictures may be saved for future wedding days. We’ll see. 
More than anything, I see in them the free-ness, innocence, and joy that inspired me to create Stratos in the first place. They really do remind me of me.
I really thought this would turn out like Jumanji. It hasn’t … yet. I am hopeful, though, that sharing with them may inspire a future development. 
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Me and Elijah, watching and listening.
​So try introducing board games with your kids. Watch as they fall into a new world and observe theirs expand. It may result in random nakedness, yelling fits, and lots of Lego pieces underfoot, but I would not trade any of this for anything in the world. 
Thanks for reading, 
Jacob Chodoriwsky | Lead Designer, Stratos
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Hey, it's me. Come say hi at a Comicon or a Hamilton game night sometime.
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Trying to quit World of Warcraft? Try Catan.

4/18/2016

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With over half a million results in Google.ca just for “quit World of Warcraft”, WoW has a reputation for being possibly the most addictive fantasy game ever made – or at least, the most successful. And rightly deserved, as it features a beautifully-crafted world and was, in my experience, the first MMORPG with good hit detection.
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That particular feature made it a more immersive experience compared to every MMORPG that came before it. I’m sure there were great qualities to these games, but the combat just didn't connect with me. Being a big fan of games like Tekken 3, I just couldn’t get into games where collision detection was way off.
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World of Warcraft: beautiful world, and perhaps the first MMO with good hit detection.
WoW was extremely well put-together even beyond having your attacks actually connect on-screen, and had a powerful effect on some of my friends.
I still remember that time when one roommate’s girlfriend would go log into WoW on his PC as the first thing she did upon visiting - even before saying hi to any of us, including him! That's when I knew there was something wrong.
Over time, however, the hooks of Azeroth were simply not enough to overcome the laughter and chaos that accompanied nearly every match of Catan, a now legendary board game that appeared among us around the same time. While I definitely still respect the old classics, it was a revelation to play a board game that had the design maturity of video games with respect to balance, pacing, and strategy – while also being a more truly social experience than anything online.  This new way of engaging in role-playing-like scenarios with friends was truly a life-changer.
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Settlers of Catan: the go-to game for getting people unhooked from World of Warcraft.
Not all of our roommates quit World of Warcraft. But some did, and we all played Settlers of Catan regularly, at some points even daily. It quickly acquired a bigger presence in our apartment than WoW, and left us with many more memories to boot. Come-from-behind victories always kept us on our toes thanks to multiple ways to earn Victory Points, leaving whoever lost itching to play again and settle the score.
Seeing the power of games like Catan to bring people together and keep players interested right to the end was a real inspiration for us. When co-designer David Gundrum and I first dreamed up Stratos, our goal was to make something accessible and social like Catan and other Euro games, but with a rich and beautiful RPG-like world and combat. Our inspirations there definitely stretch back much further. How many of you 90s gamers still love Shining Force or Final Fantasy Tactics, to name only two?
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First-timers Zach and Natalya enjoying a round of Stratos at A-Game Cafe in Toronto, Ontario
This whole episode helped us to understand what we love most about different kinds of games. RPG and fantasy-themed games don't have to be quite so battle-centric, and but we felt inspired by the idea of a Euro style game being more dynamic with RPG elements. 
So, if you’re in love with Catan, or trying to wean someone off of WoW, I feel like we've made something you'll appreciate. 
Thanks for reading - I hope to hear from you, too, about games that have had a major impact on your life. 
Sincerely,
Jacob Chodoriwsky | 
Lead Designer, Stratos
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    Jacob Chodoriwsky is the lead designer of Stratos and CEO/Co-Founder of Board and Tale Games Inc. He lives in Hamilton, ON with his wife Rebecca and twin sons Zechariah and Elijah.

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