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
Time Pressure, Cooperation, Team Play, Tension, Real-Time Game
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, i.e. in which round. Each player has twelve slots -- rounds -- where Cards can be placed to show if the player does something that round. 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. The placement of Cards is not Turn-Based. Players placethier cards upside down, but may tell the others what they plan to do, thus stimulating Social Interaction and Team Play.[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. The result is that players often feel that they have much more Imperfect Information than they actually do; for instance they may well communicate exactly what everyone does when but in practice thie is not done.
Resolution Phase
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
