“Get up, it is time to take pleasure in a day route on the mountains…”
We’re Guillem Coll and Ferran Renalias, the designers of Trekking. With this diary, we might wish to share the design course of and expertise that has made this sport evolve since its inception, focusing additionally on the workflow of designing a sport as a staff.
Planning the Route: An 18-Card Sport
Guillem: Firstly of 2021, I found a brand new format of video games that excited me: the well-known pockets video games popularized by Button Shy. I used to be fascinated by the wide selection of potentialities that a lot of these video games provided, utilizing only a few playing cards and elements to ship a deep gaming expertise with out envy in the direction of their bigger counterparts.
In mid-February 2021, Salt & Pepper Video games introduced a design contest for a pockets sport with the situation that the elements consisted of 18-24 playing cards — and nothing else. I embraced the problem with enthusiasm to discover new and unique makes use of for the playing cards and implement distinctive mechanisms, as with such restricted elements, one should actually be unique to face out from the remainder of the proposals.
I favored how these video games approached puzzle mechanisms with variable goals in every sport, usually revolving round dividing playing cards into 4 plots of various terrains to construct patterns. Due to this fact, I used to be anticipating my sport to comply with the puzzle theme however with a unique contact.
After a couple of days contemplating numerous concepts, I ended up selecting to discover a proposal that divided the cardboard into 4 plots, however not in two columns and two rows, as different video games did; as an alternative, a card was divided right into a single column and 4 rows. Playing cards have been positioned subsequent to 1 one other, connecting one of many 4 colours with the identical shade on the opposite card in order that they have been positioned at completely different heights since on one card, yellow could possibly be within the first row and on one other, within the third.
First assessments of connecting playing cards
I favored the shapes that shaped on the desk and the mechanical originality of breaking away from the linear placement of playing cards. Shortly, a theme got here to thoughts that match completely with the presence of the desk and the shapes shaped by the playing cards: mountaineering. The silhouette shaped by the playing cards match completely with the profile of a mountain; it was very evocative.
Starting the Journey: The First Growth
Guillem: Initially, I wished to provide the mountaineers a extra lively position, with gamers ranging from one facet of the mountain and attempting to advance as a lot as potential. Every of the 4 altitudes may have a ray symbolizing power on the facet of the cardboard, and if you positioned the playing cards, when you matched rays of the identical shade, your mountaineer may advance.
The power idea for advancing your alpinist
After attempting a couple of video games and making iterations, I wasn’t satisfied by the mountaineers’ lively position of transferring by the mountain they have been constructing, so I made a decision to shift the essence of the sport — forming the silhouette of a mountain — in the direction of a puzzle sport, as the unique thought was.
For the puzzle system, I added three parts: mountaineers, flags, and shelters, which could possibly be pink or black. These parts have been discovered at one of many 4 card altitudes and needed to be matched in accordance with the goals of that sport. Typically you earned factors for every mountaineer and flag of a unique shade on the identical top, and at different instances for every mountaineer discovered between two flags of the identical shade.
Closing proposal of the 18-card sport
Desirous to take advantage of the elements, I placed on the again of every card a unique variable goal divided into three classes: brown (for mountaineers and flags), blue (for shelters), and yellow (for the form of the mountain silhouette).
I favored the altitudes having an emblem that needed to be matched with the adjoining card, contemplating that the mixtures have been huge as the peak assorted and the playing cards may share extra or fewer segments. To emphasise this side of the design, to the three scoring classes (brown, blue, and yellow) I added a fourth white image: the Yeti, which subtracted factors if linked.
Scoring was easy as you multiplied the factors listed on the scoring card by the amount of symbols of that shade that you just had linked.
After taking part in many video games, adjusting numbers, and rethinking sure points, I thought of that it was mature sufficient to undergo the competition, which acquired many proposals from candidates. The sport, titled “Himalaya”, turned a finalist, capturing the eye of the jury, who contacted me to precise curiosity within the thought and suggest enhancements.
Encounter in a Shelter: The Want for Development and Teamwork
Guillem: Though I used to be happy with the work performed and what the pockets sport proposed, I felt that the proposal demanded progress in the direction of a bigger sport with the implementation of recent mechanisms. I noticed that the silhouette of the mountain mechanism had potential that could possibly be significantly better exploited in a unique sort of product than what I had at that second. This shift that the product wanted was an abrupt change from the sport I had, and I had so internalized the earlier proposal that it was troublesome for me to distance myself to provide it a 180º flip.
For a couple of years, I had been a daily follower of the podcast Laboratorio de Juegos, which covers matters associated to board sport design, usually that includes interviews and collaborations with authors to share their experiences. In one of many episodes, they invited Ferran Renalias, a famend writer whom I personally admired so much, an writer who’s characterised by all of his designs being co-authorships. In this system, he defined the advantages of this work methodology and the way it allowed him to progress extra rapidly and have the imaginative and prescient and expertise of two folks with completely different approaches.
At that second, I used to be clear {that a} good choice to develop the sport and be capable to have that exterior and renewed imaginative and prescient of what it would want was to method it as a co-authorship — so I wrote to Ferran, with whom I had already met at some gatherings, to clarify the sport and suggest my intentions. Luckily, he favored the premise and agreed to work collectively to make it develop — which ought to be apparent as in any other case we would not be penning this design diary!
Ferran: When Guillem contacted me, I knew him as a result of a prototype referred to as “Txotx” had caught my consideration in a contest, a design now launched as Cazamanzanas. When he offered the proposal to collaborate, he despatched me the foundations and the sport prototype in order that I may research and perceive it. I particularly favored the way it managed to create the profile of a mountain by inserting playing cards sideways. This concept was genuinely central to the expertise.
The GPS board
Nonetheless, and as we mentioned later after a primary evaluation, the sport by no means conveyed any story or expertise; you by no means felt transported to the mountain at any level. The sport was roughly an summary puzzle.
Persevering with the Journey: The Second Growth
Ferran: Seeing the potential of the sport, we determined to embark on a growth with a extra crucial and distant look that I believed may contribute. The principle level to handle was the narrative. The sport needed to make you’re feeling on the finish that you just had loved a terrific day within the mountains. With this purpose, we determined to introduce a map of the realm, the place you possibly can transfer, handle power, and hyperlink with the elevation curve of your GPS.
We began with a map of the actual Pyrenees, creating completely different factors marking the completely different elevations. From this, we linked completely different elevations with strains, coloring them in accordance with their elevation: 100m – inexperienced, 200m – yellow, and 300m – pink. We additionally added the colour in accordance with the elevation on the GPS playing cards, linking it with the route on the map and recording your expertise in the course of the day.
One of many first map boards
We additionally launched power administration in the course of the day, permitting you to decide on extra or fewer playing cards from a river of playing cards based mostly on the fatigue stage. With this, we launched relaxation playing cards, permitting you to “skip a flip” to get well. We additionally added shelters in the course of the map to get well straight when passing by. The extra power you will have, the extra flexibility you will have when selecting which route card to make use of in the course of the journey.
The power observe on the sport
Noon: Última Ronda Contest
Guillem: In October 2021, the revered podcast and channel “Última Ronda” introduced that it was organizing a prototype contest. Our sport was a household+ stage, not as advanced as most of the video games evaluated within the contest, and we thought it was an excellent alternative to place the sport to the check and obtain the opinion of an knowledgeable viewers. Luckily, Trekking was chosen among the many contest’s six finalists.
Displaying the sport in Última Ronda’s contest
Within the last part held in mid-2022, we performed a sport with one of many six collaborating publishers. The chosen writer was TCG Manufacturing unit because the group thought that the design may match higher into their editorial line. We broadcasted a sport with the jury and Gonzalo Pastor, editor of TCG Manufacturing unit. That taking part in was very enjoyable and fascinating, and it strengthened that he favored the sport so much and can be delighted to strive it once more. After some conversations over the following two months, they confirmed that they wished to publish the sport.
Midafternoon: The Third Growth
Ferran: At this level, we wished to share our imaginative and prescient with the writer, aiming to make the ultimate growth to regulate the sport to the goal editorial product.
The ultimate prototype
Essentially the most noticeable change was breaking the map board into 9 double-sided items, topologically forming a torus. I made this alteration utilizing cereal bins throughout a trip in Eire. (The glamour of board sport design!) Combining 4 of the 9 completely different items elevated the sport’s variability, which was crucial to supply replayability with out including further parts.
Engaged on the 9 map boards and their a number of connections
The ultimate map board
In the identical vein, we expanded the scoring goals in order that in every sport the animals, the summits, and the topography scored in another way. We additionally wished so as to add a further layer of planning in power administration, incorporating variations in shelters and altering climate circumstances halfway by the sport.
On all of the playing cards, we added narrative parts, enriching the general narrative of the video games.
Sketch of the backs of the target playing cards
On the person boards, we added small vignettes by which we recalled completely different experiences in the course of the day, including a further layer of interplay between the map and GPS. Moreover, making the most of the opposite facet of the GPS board, we launched 4 barely tougher asymmetrical boards to extend the variety of the video games.
Sketches of expertise vignettes
The final level we developed was the solo mode. We wished to recreate the expertise of a sport with extra folks by minimizing upkeep and replicating the interplay of the map when reaching summits and seeing animals. That is why we created the “pixapí”, a deck of 9 playing cards and 4 pawns that replicates individuals who go to the mountains, make a whole lot of noise, and scare the animals.
The automa playing cards for the solo mode, together with one of many “pixapin” pawns
Midday: Time to Get pleasure from It
As soon as our half was completed, the ultimate results of the sport is especially because of the magnificent editorial growth of Jose D. Flores, the illustrations of Michel Verdú, and the graphic design of 221B Studio.
Trekking on the desk
Trekking has been a collective expedition that took form when Guillem began his journey. Alongside this journey, Ferran joined the journey, bringing a brand new perspective, and over time, our paths crossed with the TCG Manufacturing unit household, strolling collectively on the identical tempo.
A climbing meeple in the course of a sport
Thanks for accompanying us on this journey that has been very thrilling and stimulating. We glance ahead with nice pleasure to seeing how the sport reaches the tables, permitting you to share a terrific day of Trekking yourselves.
Ferran Renalias and Guillem Coll
Ferran and Guillem — two completely happy designers in love with their sport
“Get up, it is time to take pleasure in a day route on the mountains…”
We’re Guillem Coll and Ferran Renalias, the designers of Trekking. With this diary, we might wish to share the design course of and expertise that has made this sport evolve since its inception, focusing additionally on the workflow of designing a sport as a staff.
Planning the Route: An 18-Card Sport
Guillem: Firstly of 2021, I found a brand new format of video games that excited me: the well-known pockets video games popularized by Button Shy. I used to be fascinated by the wide selection of potentialities that a lot of these video games provided, utilizing only a few playing cards and elements to ship a deep gaming expertise with out envy in the direction of their bigger counterparts.
In mid-February 2021, Salt & Pepper Video games introduced a design contest for a pockets sport with the situation that the elements consisted of 18-24 playing cards — and nothing else. I embraced the problem with enthusiasm to discover new and unique makes use of for the playing cards and implement distinctive mechanisms, as with such restricted elements, one should actually be unique to face out from the remainder of the proposals.
I favored how these video games approached puzzle mechanisms with variable goals in every sport, usually revolving round dividing playing cards into 4 plots of various terrains to construct patterns. Due to this fact, I used to be anticipating my sport to comply with the puzzle theme however with a unique contact.
After a couple of days contemplating numerous concepts, I ended up selecting to discover a proposal that divided the cardboard into 4 plots, however not in two columns and two rows, as different video games did; as an alternative, a card was divided right into a single column and 4 rows. Playing cards have been positioned subsequent to 1 one other, connecting one of many 4 colours with the identical shade on the opposite card in order that they have been positioned at completely different heights since on one card, yellow could possibly be within the first row and on one other, within the third.
First assessments of connecting playing cards
I favored the shapes that shaped on the desk and the mechanical originality of breaking away from the linear placement of playing cards. Shortly, a theme got here to thoughts that match completely with the presence of the desk and the shapes shaped by the playing cards: mountaineering. The silhouette shaped by the playing cards match completely with the profile of a mountain; it was very evocative.
Starting the Journey: The First Growth
Guillem: Initially, I wished to provide the mountaineers a extra lively position, with gamers ranging from one facet of the mountain and attempting to advance as a lot as potential. Every of the 4 altitudes may have a ray symbolizing power on the facet of the cardboard, and if you positioned the playing cards, when you matched rays of the identical shade, your mountaineer may advance.
The power idea for advancing your alpinist
After attempting a couple of video games and making iterations, I wasn’t satisfied by the mountaineers’ lively position of transferring by the mountain they have been constructing, so I made a decision to shift the essence of the sport — forming the silhouette of a mountain — in the direction of a puzzle sport, as the unique thought was.
For the puzzle system, I added three parts: mountaineers, flags, and shelters, which could possibly be pink or black. These parts have been discovered at one of many 4 card altitudes and needed to be matched in accordance with the goals of that sport. Typically you earned factors for every mountaineer and flag of a unique shade on the identical top, and at different instances for every mountaineer discovered between two flags of the identical shade.
Closing proposal of the 18-card sport
Desirous to take advantage of the elements, I placed on the again of every card a unique variable goal divided into three classes: brown (for mountaineers and flags), blue (for shelters), and yellow (for the form of the mountain silhouette).
I favored the altitudes having an emblem that needed to be matched with the adjoining card, contemplating that the mixtures have been huge as the peak assorted and the playing cards may share extra or fewer segments. To emphasise this side of the design, to the three scoring classes (brown, blue, and yellow) I added a fourth white image: the Yeti, which subtracted factors if linked.
Scoring was easy as you multiplied the factors listed on the scoring card by the amount of symbols of that shade that you just had linked.
After taking part in many video games, adjusting numbers, and rethinking sure points, I thought of that it was mature sufficient to undergo the competition, which acquired many proposals from candidates. The sport, titled “Himalaya”, turned a finalist, capturing the eye of the jury, who contacted me to precise curiosity within the thought and suggest enhancements.
Encounter in a Shelter: The Want for Development and Teamwork
Guillem: Though I used to be happy with the work performed and what the pockets sport proposed, I felt that the proposal demanded progress in the direction of a bigger sport with the implementation of recent mechanisms. I noticed that the silhouette of the mountain mechanism had potential that could possibly be significantly better exploited in a unique sort of product than what I had at that second. This shift that the product wanted was an abrupt change from the sport I had, and I had so internalized the earlier proposal that it was troublesome for me to distance myself to provide it a 180º flip.
For a couple of years, I had been a daily follower of the podcast Laboratorio de Juegos, which covers matters associated to board sport design, usually that includes interviews and collaborations with authors to share their experiences. In one of many episodes, they invited Ferran Renalias, a famend writer whom I personally admired so much, an writer who’s characterised by all of his designs being co-authorships. In this system, he defined the advantages of this work methodology and the way it allowed him to progress extra rapidly and have the imaginative and prescient and expertise of two folks with completely different approaches.
At that second, I used to be clear {that a} good choice to develop the sport and be capable to have that exterior and renewed imaginative and prescient of what it would want was to method it as a co-authorship — so I wrote to Ferran, with whom I had already met at some gatherings, to clarify the sport and suggest my intentions. Luckily, he favored the premise and agreed to work collectively to make it develop — which ought to be apparent as in any other case we would not be penning this design diary!
Ferran: When Guillem contacted me, I knew him as a result of a prototype referred to as “Txotx” had caught my consideration in a contest, a design now launched as Cazamanzanas. When he offered the proposal to collaborate, he despatched me the foundations and the sport prototype in order that I may research and perceive it. I particularly favored the way it managed to create the profile of a mountain by inserting playing cards sideways. This concept was genuinely central to the expertise.
The GPS board
Nonetheless, and as we mentioned later after a primary evaluation, the sport by no means conveyed any story or expertise; you by no means felt transported to the mountain at any level. The sport was roughly an summary puzzle.
Persevering with the Journey: The Second Growth
Ferran: Seeing the potential of the sport, we determined to embark on a growth with a extra crucial and distant look that I believed may contribute. The principle level to handle was the narrative. The sport needed to make you’re feeling on the finish that you just had loved a terrific day within the mountains. With this purpose, we determined to introduce a map of the realm, the place you possibly can transfer, handle power, and hyperlink with the elevation curve of your GPS.
We began with a map of the actual Pyrenees, creating completely different factors marking the completely different elevations. From this, we linked completely different elevations with strains, coloring them in accordance with their elevation: 100m – inexperienced, 200m – yellow, and 300m – pink. We additionally added the colour in accordance with the elevation on the GPS playing cards, linking it with the route on the map and recording your expertise in the course of the day.
One of many first map boards
We additionally launched power administration in the course of the day, permitting you to decide on extra or fewer playing cards from a river of playing cards based mostly on the fatigue stage. With this, we launched relaxation playing cards, permitting you to “skip a flip” to get well. We additionally added shelters in the course of the map to get well straight when passing by. The extra power you will have, the extra flexibility you will have when selecting which route card to make use of in the course of the journey.
The power observe on the sport
Noon: Última Ronda Contest
Guillem: In October 2021, the revered podcast and channel “Última Ronda” introduced that it was organizing a prototype contest. Our sport was a household+ stage, not as advanced as most of the video games evaluated within the contest, and we thought it was an excellent alternative to place the sport to the check and obtain the opinion of an knowledgeable viewers. Luckily, Trekking was chosen among the many contest’s six finalists.
Displaying the sport in Última Ronda’s contest
Within the last part held in mid-2022, we performed a sport with one of many six collaborating publishers. The chosen writer was TCG Manufacturing unit because the group thought that the design may match higher into their editorial line. We broadcasted a sport with the jury and Gonzalo Pastor, editor of TCG Manufacturing unit. That taking part in was very enjoyable and fascinating, and it strengthened that he favored the sport so much and can be delighted to strive it once more. After some conversations over the following two months, they confirmed that they wished to publish the sport.
Midafternoon: The Third Growth
Ferran: At this level, we wished to share our imaginative and prescient with the writer, aiming to make the ultimate growth to regulate the sport to the goal editorial product.
The ultimate prototype
Essentially the most noticeable change was breaking the map board into 9 double-sided items, topologically forming a torus. I made this alteration utilizing cereal bins throughout a trip in Eire. (The glamour of board sport design!) Combining 4 of the 9 completely different items elevated the sport’s variability, which was crucial to supply replayability with out including further parts.
Engaged on the 9 map boards and their a number of connections
The ultimate map board
In the identical vein, we expanded the scoring goals in order that in every sport the animals, the summits, and the topography scored in another way. We additionally wished so as to add a further layer of planning in power administration, incorporating variations in shelters and altering climate circumstances halfway by the sport.
On all of the playing cards, we added narrative parts, enriching the general narrative of the video games.
Sketch of the backs of the target playing cards
On the person boards, we added small vignettes by which we recalled completely different experiences in the course of the day, including a further layer of interplay between the map and GPS. Moreover, making the most of the opposite facet of the GPS board, we launched 4 barely tougher asymmetrical boards to extend the variety of the video games.
Sketches of expertise vignettes
The final level we developed was the solo mode. We wished to recreate the expertise of a sport with extra folks by minimizing upkeep and replicating the interplay of the map when reaching summits and seeing animals. That is why we created the “pixapí”, a deck of 9 playing cards and 4 pawns that replicates individuals who go to the mountains, make a whole lot of noise, and scare the animals.
The automa playing cards for the solo mode, together with one of many “pixapin” pawns
Midday: Time to Get pleasure from It
As soon as our half was completed, the ultimate results of the sport is especially because of the magnificent editorial growth of Jose D. Flores, the illustrations of Michel Verdú, and the graphic design of 221B Studio.
Trekking on the desk
Trekking has been a collective expedition that took form when Guillem began his journey. Alongside this journey, Ferran joined the journey, bringing a brand new perspective, and over time, our paths crossed with the TCG Manufacturing unit household, strolling collectively on the identical tempo.
A climbing meeple in the course of a sport
Thanks for accompanying us on this journey that has been very thrilling and stimulating. We glance ahead with nice pleasure to seeing how the sport reaches the tables, permitting you to share a terrific day of Trekking yourselves.
Ferran Renalias and Guillem Coll
Ferran and Guillem — two completely happy designers in love with their sport