The Project
Master Tactician is a single-player print & play RPG that features a turn-based battle system. The player takes the role of a tactician controlling the abilities of 3 heroes as they fight their way through various battles, ultimately facing against the Dragon at the end of the game board.
Above is a picture showcasing the typical setup for this game and various components.
Below are the two PDFs that can be used to download and play the game.
*The components will need to be printed out and assembled to play. The rules can be printed out or simply downloaded depending on user preference*
The Process
This game was created as an assignment for an Intro to Game Design course at the University of Utah. After the course ended I continued working, and later completed the game.
As this was a solo assignment, I did all of the work on this game. This included the different stages of development, beginning with an initial concept, creating a prototype off of that concept, and iterating on the game until the final version.
I also conducted various playtests with others and used the feedback and observations from these playtests to fix issues and develop the game further.
Due to the format of the game and lack of artwork, this game allowed me to focus solely on the design process and practicing my game design skills.
Here is the game’s itch.io page where you can download and play the game:
The Purpose
As I was designing and playtesting this game, the main goals that I kept coming back to were to make this a balanced and fair game that gave the player the power of choice in their play.
I developed the game board in a way where there were multiple different paths that the player could traverse, making it so they could replay the game and fight different bosses and develop different strategies.
I also combined random chance with choice. For instance, the player randomly rolls the die, but can choose which path to go down. The player draws a card and receives a random item, but can choose when they would like to use that item. The opponent’s attacks are random, but the player can choose which hero to use and what strategy they will implement.
Lastly, I wanted to create an experience that provided challenge, which made the reward of winning the game that much more meaningful. I wanted to create a game where the player can lose, and they feel like it was a poor strategy that led to their loss. So, the player will then develop a new strategy for their next play through, allowing the player to learn from their mistakes and win the game.
