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In the next blog of this series, Nathan explains different game genres and mechanisms. Often gamers new to this hobby get bombarded with many terms. Each one might be specific to the gaming community. In this blog, he explains games with asymmetric or variable player power.
All Animals Are Equal But Some Are More Equal Than Others
In most games, each player starts with an identical role or ability. This, coupled with a defined endpoint, means that all start the game equally. Players know what is expected of them. They understand their opponent’s game plan because it is identical to their own. This is not necessarily so when players have asymmetric powers or abilities.
This mechanic perhaps reflects real life a little more. I am more than happy to take on certain tasks with my own set of skills but my wife categorically refuses to allow me to turn my hand to plumbing. Similarly, I leave the cake decorating to her as she is superb at that. My skills are better at consuming cakes.
With asymmetric and variable roles with different powers, it is normal practice for each player to know what skill each other has to bring to the table. This mechanism should not be confused with hidden roles or games with variable targets to be reached. There will be some overlap and, indeed, there will be a few games where an individual’s game plan will be deliberately hidden from others because their role is different.
Many of the asymmetric power games have a co-operative element. These will encourage team conversation and careful working together to achieve a shared goal. This blog will showcase five well known games or demonstrate a game where each player starts with a different role or power.
Room 25
This is a co-operative challenge for two to six players (or eight with season 2 expansion). As prisoners in a futuristic jail, you need to escape to the exit (room 25) within a defined number of turns. It is loosely based on the science fiction films, The Cube and Schwarzenegger's The Running Man. Each room in the jail is an upturned card, laid out as part of a 5 by 5 grid. Their contents are only revealed as players explore. Many of them contain traps and dangers and a few cause instant death! Each player has a standard set of abilities, explore, peep, push, and these need to be “pre-programmed” at the start of each turn. However, each has a specific ability to assist. For some, it might be to carry one player to another tile. For another, they could destroy a room (and the traps within it). Others might be able to hide from the guards or open locked spaces. The team’s success in Room 25 is dependent on how players work together to use these specific abilities to overcome the dangers.
Season 2 expansion even brings in an IT expert and robots who can explore on your behalf. They can take the pain of being thrown into an acid bath rather than yourself. It is tense, fun, and a game that has been one of my favourites for years.
Forbidden Island
Gamewright games make some fantastic games. The Forbidden series; Island, Desert, and Sky, are all excellent. These are all co-operative games and Forbidden Island is the original. Opinions vary which is the better game. All have their strengths, but for a clean, slick game, showing asymmetric player power. However, Forbidden Island would be my first choice.
This is a game for two to four players. Here, players need to explore an island to reach certain parts and claim treasures. All the time the island is sinking under the waves. As parts of the island are lost to the seas, so travel between key points becomes more difficult or impossible. As the game progresses the rate of erosion increases and if the exit square (the helicopter landing pad) is submerged, then all is lost. Alongside worker movement across the tiles, each player has a hand of cards. In order to collect the treasures a full hand of that treasure card must be held, along with the player actually making it safely to that space on the island.
Some players have the ability to shore up the island more effectively (the engineer) and others can travel more readily around obstacles (the navigator). Water obstacles form no barrier to the diver or the pilot, so they could be better used tracking down inaccessible treasures.
Forbidden Island is a lovely game to introduce new families to the wonders of gaming. Do not let the term “gateway game” put you off. Forbidden Island can be hard. Coupled with the opportunity to create your own pattern and island shape, there is tremendous replayability here. I have had Forbidden Island for over 10 years and still have not tired of it.
Flashpoint
In Flashpoint, by Indie Boards and Cards, the players take the role of heroic firefighters. Their task is to work as a team to rescue the victims trapped inside a burning building and then get out before the fire goes out of control or the building collapses.
As in real life, the players must work together. With up to six players everyone can take the opportunity to drive the fire engine! The board is a floorplan view of a home. At the start, there are a number of different fires already burning. These might flash over, and cause the fire to expand or even explode, damaging some of the house structure. As the game progresses each fire-fighter advances into the house extinguishing fires and looking to identify the pet cat or the aged grandmother who is trapped inside.
As well as basic movements, each player is a specialist. A paramedic can more readily resuscitate and heal a victim. The fire captain can move others around the building (from the safety of the fire cab). The imaging technician can find victims more easily etc.
In more advanced games hazardous and flammable chemicals will cause an explosion. This is where the hazmat expert can be useful. With experience, there are a number of tweaks to increase the game's challenge. One of these is to fix the individuals player’s ability for the whole game. In this situation, the players cannot use any other abilities apart from their own and therefore need to work closely and maximise their own opportunities. Flashpoint is a great game in the style of pandemic.
Pandemic
What list of asymmetric roles would be complete without Matt Leacock and Tom Lehman’s Pandemic. There are numerous iterations and reprints to cover everyone’s taste. At its core, this co-operative game has players pitting their wits against four viruses (in the base game). These are spreading around the globe. This game does show how the current Covid pandemic can only be solved by coordinated effort and careful teamwork.
The quarantine specialist may reduce the spread of the virus between adjacent cities. An operations manager can quickly build a research and analysis lab in a distant country. This will assist in making a cure. The medic might be able to cure a city and therefore reduce the chance of transmission.
Of all the different versions and expansions, I prefer playing Pandemic with the On The Brink and In The Lab expansions. These bring a mutated (fifth virus) into the frame along with a more virulent strain that is more difficult to eradicate. In order to defeat these diseases, you also need to use specialists in the laboratory to create vaccines. This is where the virology expert can be so useful.
I know that Pandemic is not to everyone's taste especially at the present time. Some games emulate reality but this game predicted the realities we are currently in.
Kanagawa
This is one game that does not fit into the co-operative style. This is a gorgeous little game base, of all things, on Japanese art! You are all students of the master painter and your task is to get to grips with different painting styles to create a masterpiece. However, to start, each player has a different skill. Some might be able to paint forests, others mountains, and still others oceans or plains. Over time players will acquire all of these skills but in the early part of the game, only one or two of these may be mastered.
Each turn the different “lessons” available are laid out on a bamboo school board. As players develop their skills so they might add to their print. Each print might have one of four different subjects; trees, animals, characters, or buildings. By each having different abilities the lesson cards will have different subjective values. One player may be unable to add to their print (because they cannot yet paint oceans) whereas others might feel that this card would really enhance their work of art. Over the game each player masters different skills and gains diplomas in that ability.
Kanagawa is a very pretty game although the theme may seem strange. It plays very smoothly and has gorgeous artwork.
There are many other games with an asymmetric or variable player role. These include Root or Jaws. These can all make gameplay more interesting. This can be a new concept to new gamers but will improve replayability of a game as each different player role provides a different perspective on how to play well.