Game Chef Review 42: Divine Conflict by S R Pant
Divine Conflict
Ingredients: 8 [Dream (4), Stillness (2), Dragonfly (1), Abandon (1)]
Everything is here is varying degrees. The crux of the game is the Dreamscape of lost and deranged gods, and the dreaming mortals called in to fix it. Stillness applies as a commodity in the game, something that is being restored to the gods as they regain their sanity. dragonflies are corrupt being in the dreamscape, and the concept of abandoning are also present, but these links are more tenuous.
Theme: 5
Once again, this game fits into an existing niche, but the designer has made a deliberate attempt to say that this is a niche that they are working with in an experimental fashion and that this game is devised for a different audience to their usual fare. So I've got to give moderate points here.
Would I Play This?: 4
Probably not in it's current state, but there are some great ideas here, and with a bit of refinement I'd certainly be willing to give this game a closer look. There is a decent focus to the game, and everything directs to the way the players (not characters) are restoring the shattered minds of the gods. Honestly, if this was done in 6 hours, it's a great start, but I wouldn't try to play it yet.
Completeness: 5
A few leaps need to be made before this rule set becomes playable, this is a marvelous stream of consciousness game, a glorious train wreck of ideas... It really won't take a whole lot to get it working smoothly, and I think it would be worthwhile to pursue.
Innovation: 5
This is an ambitious project drawing on a lot of ideas from different sources, a lot of those ideas I've seen floating around in various game designs over the past couple of years. It's got a very "story-game/indie" vibe to it, but I can see how there has been an attempt to restrain and focus the experience (much to my relief). I can see how the numbers do need to be modified a bit, and I'd like to see something a bit more in the questing to reach the shrine, but it's taking steps that I appreciate.
Output Quality: 5 [Language (2), Layout (1), Imagery (2)]
The language feels a bit too disjointed and "point-formed" for me in this incarnation, it gives great pointers for how the game might be played out, but needs to be more refined and rounded out. It just reads as though it's rushed. The layout is functional generally, but a bit erratic. I've given other games without images, a single point for imagery, and I used icons from game-icons.net for the majority of imagery in my game, so I can't fault the design for that.
Overall: 58% Pass [24+10+4+10+5+5]
For a 6 hour design, this is awesome... when compared to designed that used a few days to refine things (or even the full 9), it's maybe not quite so spectacular. Still there's ambition in this sucker, it's like a diamond in the rough. A lucky strike has revealed true potential, but now there's the long slog of refining and polishing the gem.
Ingredients: 8 [Dream (4), Stillness (2), Dragonfly (1), Abandon (1)]
Everything is here is varying degrees. The crux of the game is the Dreamscape of lost and deranged gods, and the dreaming mortals called in to fix it. Stillness applies as a commodity in the game, something that is being restored to the gods as they regain their sanity. dragonflies are corrupt being in the dreamscape, and the concept of abandoning are also present, but these links are more tenuous.
Theme: 5
Once again, this game fits into an existing niche, but the designer has made a deliberate attempt to say that this is a niche that they are working with in an experimental fashion and that this game is devised for a different audience to their usual fare. So I've got to give moderate points here.
Would I Play This?: 4
Probably not in it's current state, but there are some great ideas here, and with a bit of refinement I'd certainly be willing to give this game a closer look. There is a decent focus to the game, and everything directs to the way the players (not characters) are restoring the shattered minds of the gods. Honestly, if this was done in 6 hours, it's a great start, but I wouldn't try to play it yet.
Completeness: 5
A few leaps need to be made before this rule set becomes playable, this is a marvelous stream of consciousness game, a glorious train wreck of ideas... It really won't take a whole lot to get it working smoothly, and I think it would be worthwhile to pursue.
Innovation: 5
This is an ambitious project drawing on a lot of ideas from different sources, a lot of those ideas I've seen floating around in various game designs over the past couple of years. It's got a very "story-game/indie" vibe to it, but I can see how there has been an attempt to restrain and focus the experience (much to my relief). I can see how the numbers do need to be modified a bit, and I'd like to see something a bit more in the questing to reach the shrine, but it's taking steps that I appreciate.
Output Quality: 5 [Language (2), Layout (1), Imagery (2)]
The language feels a bit too disjointed and "point-formed" for me in this incarnation, it gives great pointers for how the game might be played out, but needs to be more refined and rounded out. It just reads as though it's rushed. The layout is functional generally, but a bit erratic. I've given other games without images, a single point for imagery, and I used icons from game-icons.net for the majority of imagery in my game, so I can't fault the design for that.
Overall: 58% Pass [24+10+4+10+5+5]
For a 6 hour design, this is awesome... when compared to designed that used a few days to refine things (or even the full 9), it's maybe not quite so spectacular. Still there's ambition in this sucker, it's like a diamond in the rough. A lucky strike has revealed true potential, but now there's the long slog of refining and polishing the gem.
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