Prototype: A Zoopendice Idea Took Over

I didn't mean for it to happen, but I got stuck on my other project and, well, oops - I did it again. I stumbled into another game design, and this time, the brain fog didn't clear, but its smoking gears have churned out a new idea: Zoopendice (not final title), a zoo-themed tile-laying game.

It's an idea that has flittered through my mind several times, and I've always been indecisive about it. I originally wanted to make a roll-and-write, but there are plenty of zoo-themed roll-and-writes out there. So, I took a look at other zoo games, and they all seemed to focus on the animals themselves. For this game, I wanted to focus on the experience of being at a zoo.

The habitat-building aspect lent itself well to tile-laying, as seen in other games. But I wanted to simplify those mechanics and take inspiration from the classic Carcassonne. Instead of placing meeples, players would be putting down habitats and attractions.

In Zoopendice, you're trying to score more points by laying out your zoo and putting in a variety of habitats to win the most guests' favor. The game takes the idea of fields from Carcassonne, but instead of roads being in the middle, I moved them to the edge of the tile. This allows thde game to work on a grid style. I found having the roads on the edge opened up placement options and allowed for quicker decisions.

Each habitat consists of an animal size (small, medium, or large), a rarity represented by a 5-prong star (with each filled section corresponding to a level of rarity), the food the animal prefers (plant or meat), and the time of day they are most active. Attractions, on the other hand, are single-plot items that can be used each round to gain favor with people, each with their own most desired types of animals and attractions.

Players score points for every criteria met by their habitats and attractions. For example, if you have 5 plant-eating animals, that's 5 points. If you have 2 animals active during the day, that's another 2 points. And if you have a food vending machine, that's another point. The person who scored the most points with that person gets that persons point. The person with the most points when the land tiles run out wins.

I know this isn't a novel idea, but it's mine, and I love working on it. Not all ideas need to be novel; they just have to be fun for you, and if other people like them, well, that's just a bonus in my book.

Zoopendice is heavily inspired by Carcassonne, and it captures the feel of most zoo games. It's a simple concept, but I believe it has the potential to be a delightful and engaging experience for players.

As I mentioned, I got a bit sidetracked from my other projects, but I'm going to go back and spruce them up eventually. For now, I'm focusing on refining Zoopendice.

I'm excited to see where this prototype takes me, and I can't wait to share this game with you all. Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day!