This project is my application to the ENJMIN contest (Mars 2017). The subject was the novel Discourse on Voluntary Servitude by Etienne de La Boétie
In this tabletop game, 2 to 4 players will try to establish their dominance over the fictive city of Karthan.
One of them is the Monarch: their goal is to stultify the people and make them more docile with the help of brothels, taverns, games and arenas.
The other player(s) are Citizen(s): they want to educate the people by building schools, libraries or forums. But at night, they also plan to bomb the Monarch's buildings, to wake the people and lead them to the revolution!
This was my first "big" solo project. In order to complete it, I had to change a lot of my bad habits (never showing the game to anyone before it's complete, ignoring the feedback of people that I judged "not competent enough"...). Taking into account every feedback I could get and opening myself to listen to others has had a huge positive impact on this game.
I first designed the concept of the game, as I wanted it to reflect to a precise player experience: being on the edge between cooperation and treason, worrying about fake alliances and exulting when this long-thought plan finally comes to light and defeats everyone!
Then, I designed the mechanics. I wanted the Monarch to feel alone against all, creating a contrast between their supposed power dominance and their actual role into the game. The Citizens can unite and communicate together, while the Monarch has to guess what's their next move.
In the end, after numerous playtests and iterations over the rules (French only), I managed to stop adding things and just sending my application as it was.
I had several proofreaders and playtesters, and it is thanks to them that I managed to produce a game that I was proud of in the end.
My application to the school passed, and I was accepted at ENJMIN in 2017. To this day, it is this school who taught me the most about how to become a better game and level designer.