Space Alert
Contents
Brief
The players are astronauts on a ship beset by both internal and external dangers. Initially, all players plan their orders, which are carried out after everyone if done. If the ship is not destroyed, the characters survive. If not - tough luck.
Main Gameplay Design Patterns
Cooperation, Team Play, Tension, Real-Time Game, Time Pressure
Platforms
N/A; it's a board game.
Gameplay
Space Alert is carried out in two distinct phases; one Real Time-phase, in which all players plan their actions for the entire game, and one where these actions are resolved.
Real Time Action Planning Phase
The Narrative Structure of the game dictates that the players are the crew onboard a space ship, their main goal being to Survive for ten minutes despite all the Enemies that try to destroy the ship. This phase is played out by listening to a random sound track telling what happens, i.e. where and when Enemies will appear. The players can Move around the ship -- leading to Spatial Immersion -- using Cards that may also be used to carry out one of the following actions: use the computers, shoot or distribute energy to shields or storages. This energy is a Non-Renewable Resource. Enemies can either be Evaded or, preferably, shot down. Being unable to destroy or Evade an Enemy results in a Penalty in the form of Ability Losses as damages on the ship.
Since this phase is played out in [[Real-Time Games|Real-Time], it generates Time Pressure which in turn results in Tension. Very much information is known, e.g. how much damage an Enemy can take, the fire power of the ship's weapon's etc. This Stimulates Planning but to balance this the game also requires a lot of Timing; Enemies can only be shot upon once they have appeared, and it is Rewarding to shoot at an Enemy Simultaneously. Thus, lots of Social Interaction is required to succeed, but due to Time Pressure this does not always work out.
With the help of command cards, the players plan their actions in order to destroy incoming enemies and fix on board problems. This is done simultaneously over a set period of time during which the different dangers are only gradually revealed. After this initial phase, the players enact their orders, often with humourous results. If the ship survives a set number of turns, it jumps back into hyperspace and the players have survived. Their success is gauged by how damaged their ship is and by how many enemies they have managed to destroy. The main difficulty lies in coordinating the player's actions during the frantic realtime part of the game. The game comes with different "scenarios" of varying difficulty, controlled through the use of different sound tracks on the cd that comes with the game.
Example Game Mode 1
The first part of the game, where the players listen to the soundtrack and place actions. A frantic experience requiring both coordination and foresight.
Example Game Mode 2
The second part of the game, in which players enact the orders from the previous round. This part of the game contains no actual gameplay/player input; it is only an enactment of the decisions previously taken. An experience with much laughter and hand-wringing as players realise that their actions are unccordinated (e.g. A fires the cannons, but B only loads them the turn after) or made impossible by unanticipated events (e.g A tries to use the lift, but an enemy attack has destroyed it).
Main Gameplay Design Patterns
Assymetrical Abilities (Based on random card draw in the beginning of the game)
Other Noteworthy Aspects
Developer
Main Designer: Vlaada (Vladimír) Chvátil
Publisher
Czech Games Edition Heidelberger Spieleverlag Quined White Goblin Games (QWG) Rio Grande Games
