Gamers logo

After Almost Six Years of Development, I've Finished Making a Superhero Card Game

Extraordinary! The Superhero Card Game for One to Four Players

By Roger Alan CottonPublished 5 years ago 10 min read
Like
Illustration Commissioned from Unlikely Heroes Studios for Extraordinary!

What was supposed to be just a one month break from designing a space trader board game to solve some design issues, became a near six-year journey into creative and personal hell.

After spending a year designing a space trader board game, called Across the Void, I was stuck on how best to proceed with the game. I couldn't figure out how to make the game turns short enough so players wouldn't get bored waiting for other players to complete their actions. I was a novice designer, and I had not yet learned everything I have since learned about designing games for the tabletop industry.

So, I decided to take a break from the space trader and do a "quicky" game. I thought I would be able to complete a fast-paced, simple superhero card game within a month's time. Then, I thought, I'll get back to my real project...

Well... I did make a simple, fast-paced superhero card in a month that I titled, Hometown Heroes. After a lot of play-testing, I started thinking it was good enough to develop as a serious product. One good enough to compete with the Big Boys (Marvel and DC), each of whom have released DC Deck-builder, Legendary, and the Versus System. Another well-known superhero card game (by Greater Than Games) is Sentinels of the Multiverse.

Against this existing field of formidable games, I decided to continue to develop Hometown Heroes until it was as good, if not better than those other games. Yes. Such arrogance...

I had been play-testing numerous versions of my card game with a friend, Joe Gabbard, who is an artist and graphic designer. Joe really liked how the game was shaping up from the initial design. Together, we found there were problems, though. For example, one player would fall behind and not be able to catch up. Another problem with the design was that as I added improvements to the game, the game started taking longer to play.

The initial game design took only 10 to 15 minutes to play. By the third month of development, the game took 45 to 60 minutes. This was a real concern, as a standard card game is supposed to be quick, and have an easy set up time. This way, players can play more than once during an hour's time.The reason my game started taking longer to play was because of what I was hoping to capture in the game: beyond just combat, I wanted players to be able to have their characters perform heroic feats and villainous acts that affected Hometown, USA (the game's setting). Every one of the other superhero card games on the market were focused on combat; with hardly any sense of narrative. I was determined to have super-heroic tropes be the center of my game, so that dynamic narratives were created as the game was played.

Therein began my descent into madness; as my design goal required mine to be two games in one: a combat game and a narrative game. Also, the premise of my game was that one player controls a league of heroes and the other player controls a league of villains. So, each league would consist of numerous character archetypes (such as: brawler, gadgeteer, mage, speedster, time controller, etc.).

This meant there would be a lot of cards in each players' draw decks; which in turn, meant each card had to serve dual purposes, and, had to be playable by more than one archetype in play. Otherwise, players would too often end up with unusable cards.

I am by no means a math whiz. Certainly not one with a keen grasp of probabilistic mathematics. But, I believed I was up to the challenge.

Yes. Verily. Arrogance...

Designing a card game like this is far more complex than I first imagined. I have forgotten how many iterations of the game's prototypes I have since designed and developed. There are dozens of variations of the game design, as well dozens of variations of each of the types of playing cards. This equates to hundreds of files.

During this time, I commissioned great character card art from an artist whose style I really liked. However, I needed action scenes illustrated, and the artist told me that that was not his forte. I spent time searching the internet looking for other artists who could match that style, but I was unable to do so.

So, I commissioned character art from another artist, who also did a great job—in a completely different art style. I learned afterward, that he didn't want to do scene illustrations, and that he didn't really do environments or items. Thus, I began looking for artists who could do his art style. With little luck.

The main thing I learned from these experiences is to never commission art until the game design and layouts are set in stone. And, don't select an art style that is so distinct that it cannot be replicated by other artists. A game like mine requires hundreds of illustrations. So, a team of artists who can approximate a given art style is needed.

This was an expensive lesson.

Somewhere along the way, I added a game board for the game; thinking it needed one. This caused me to stray waaaay out into the weeds for a year. By this time, I was three and a half years into development.

Each time I thought I was done with the game, play-testing found some new issue that needed to be addressed. I didn't want to rush a Kickstarter campaign, because I wanted to be absolutely sure that the game was as good as I could make it.

So, I journeyed on, through the valley of the shadow of doubt and despair.

I, then, decided to get rid of the game board, as it would have added more expense to manufacturing, and thus, a higher MSRP at the retail sites. And, play time would have gone up to 90-minutes.

There is a saying that creatives tell each other, "Good and finished is better than perfect and unfinished." I had to remind myself of this. Over and over and over. But, I wouldn't listen. The game just had to be how I envisioned it. That's the only way it'll stand a chance against my competitors. Also, I wanted my first game to be special. Add prideful to my arrogance...

So, I trudged on. I took the game to Protospiels, Unpubs, and game stores. I received very positive feedback and encouragement. Along with suggestions or complaints of things that needed to be fixed.

Each time I'd return from one of these events, I'd end up completely redesigning one or more aspects of the game. Which necessitated more time to recreate new prototypes, and then do play-testing. I have actually created two or more completely different designs of the game that could be their own games.

During this development time, I had changed the name of the game to Extraordinary!

As with all long-term endeavors, my confidence in the game began to flag. I felt I had painted myself into one corner or another. It became harder and harder to keep from procrastinating on finishing prototypes. Longer and longer periods of time passed before I finally made strides and breakthroughs.

I began to feel discouraged, and then depressed. My marriage had already been deteriorating for years, and my sadness and heartbreak over the state of it made it nearly impossible to continue working diligently on the game.

For nearly a year's time, I abandoned the project altogether; feeling like a failure who had wasted an unbelievable amount of his life trying to complete something "as stupid as a card game."

I did graphic design for other developers' board and card games. Which filled the void and made me some money. Then, a year and a half ago, I returned in earnest to my game's development.

As I worked on it, I had hoped I could turn things around with my wife. Alas, that was not meant to be.

Eight months ago, I was told that our marriage was over, and I was invited to leave. I was devastated, terrified, in shock, and incredibly heart-broken. I couldn't imagine my life without my wife and family.

I found myself persona non grata in what had been a marriage of 25 years, and my home of 19 years. For the first week after, I lived in my car. Every moment was surreal, as I didn't know what I was going to do for money, for food and gas, and where I was going to take showers, etc.

I was able to stay temporarily in my mother's apartment for two weeks. She could not have long-term visitors, however, so it was but a brief respite from the inevitable return to my car. Luckily, one of my brothers offered a daughter's room that was temporarily empty while she was away at university. I hated to impose on them, but, it did enable me to finally feel safe, find a job, and to start saving money for my own place to live.

In the first six months of my banishment, I struggled to keep from being overwhelmed by the myriad emotions that hourly washed over me. I missed my wife and children terribly. The only thing that enabled me to have any hope was in continuing to develop Extraordinary!.

Over the next three months that followed, I began to feel better, and the version of the game prototype I was working on seemed to be The One!It wasn't. I went to KingdomCon in San Diego last week and watched three sets of players play-test Prototype Version 50. As I did, I felt the game was not as fun as it had once been, and that it had deviated from the fast-paced, easy to play goal I had set for the game.

So, this week, I went back to the drawing board and returned the game's design back to the same design I had created during the first five months of its development. In other word's, the game is now practically the same design from five years ago (with a number of design refinements I have figured out over the years since).

Now, as I work on recreating the cards needed for Prototype 51, I am excited with the notion that THISis The One!, again.We'll see. Hopefully, my arrogance and stubborn persistence will pay off.If it does, that would be extraordinary.

Please check out my game on Facebook!

The web site is under construction. I will be posting a link for the free "Print and Play" version of the game soon.

Narrative Playing Card

Sample EPISODE CARD I designed for the superhero card game, Extraordinary!

There will be seven comic book issue cards that come in the starter set of the game. Comic book issue cards each give a synopsis of their story lines.

Each comic book issue is comprised of three Hero League-focused Episode cards and three Villain League-focused Episode cards. In all, there will be 42 Episode cards in the came.

As you play through Episode cards, you play out the comic book issues' story lines.

Primary Playing Card Types

The two primary cards in the game, which are separated into two draw decks, are the Archetype cards (which represent superhero/villain archetypes), and their Action cards. Each archetype has seven Action cards, all of which are shuffled together in the controlling player's Actions Draw Deck.

In addition to these card types. there are Resource Cards (unpictured), which represent NPCs, Locations, Equipment, Tech, and Vehicles. All of these cards have Victory Point values, and game play effects.

You gain Resource cards by completing Episode cards.

Game Board

Latest Version of the Game Board

I ultimately decided to eliminate the game board from this game. I intend on using it for a worker placement-style superhero game, in the future.

table top
Like

About the Creator

Roger Alan Cotton

Independent Game Designer, Graphic Designer, 2D/3D Animator, and Writer based in Poway, CA (San Diego County).

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.