Wigan Carnage

I took Marooned to Wigan Wargames club last Friday... I wasn't pushing to get it played but thought that if there was an idle moment then I might just get it out.

There was an idle moment.... and I did! But more about that anon.

I must stop to shower praise on Wigan Wargames as a club, it is the most wonderful unexpected group of people around. I have been going there for about a month and a half and I can honestly say that it is the most welcoming, tolerant and fun group of gamers I have ever met. £3 for an adult and £1.50 (I think) for a child to go and play some of the best games around with people who really don't mind teaching you what to do... and enjoy playing the games win or loose! Brilliant... If you are around the Wigan area then I suggest wholeheartedly that you get down there one Friday night from seven and get playing the games!

Back to Marooned!


Two of the members and myself had finished one game and were looking for something else to play near the end of the night so I asked them if they wouldn't mind helping me out by having a play test of something that i brought along. They said that would be fine and so i took them to a free table and set up the game.

It was a bit of a test for me to teach the game to people that I don't know very well but that are well versed in games and those sorts of mechanics.

The first thing I found out was that one of the rules that seems very simple to me... really isn't! Or at least the way that I explain it to people doesn't make it plain enough.  It took one of the playtesters quite some time to get his head round it and I think that may have spoiled his enjoyment of the game a little.

Having said that both Gamers said that they did like playing it and after the first game was played they immediately started resetting the board for another game... always a good sign.

In the past I have always played when I have taught the game... there is no doubt that this is the easiest way of getting people to see the mechanics but one thing I have noted is that it tends to infect people with my style of play.  Marooned can be played in a variety of ways and there will be lots of different strategies available for play, that is one of the points of playtesting, you want to see if someone can 'break' the game, to see if any one strategy can be used to always win. As I have said before, people think that just because I invented the game that I must be some kind of Grand Master at it, nothing could be further from the case... Yes I have had a lot of experience playing the game, more than anyone else at this point but that doesn't mean I'm the best player of it by a long chalk! I have a strategy and I would describe it as conservative racing play which was why it was fun to watch the two players I was with go at it...

They were so aggressive in their play! It was pure carnage! A Grand Guinol of  Game play! Hilarious!

The first game was won with only one of each players pieces making it across the board. The second game fared little better and it was interesting to see where my game play differed from theirs. Next time I am going to play against one of them with my style and see which comes out on top.

The reaction was good, as I say the resetting up at 12.15am says it all to me really, they seemed intrigued by the game and wanted to investigate it more. Some good suggestions were given re; design and certainly more food for thought.

Also having revisited this for this blog I have had an idea for a set of boards... a last man standing set where there are no OUT blocks, lots of death trap squares and the winner will be the person whose pieces last the longest! Oh yes! This would probably be an expansion set and may well see the introduction of the DEATH MEEPLE!

Sorry... I got carried away there. but that is one of the good things about Marooned for me, certainly at this stage it is still finding out what kind of game it is, and it has built into the structure the ability to be more than one type of game within one box... you like cerebral strategy... I can do that for you no prob... death fest... please just try this board... group play... certainly... just down this aisle!

The next thing is to get the sets made ready to go with the people to the game convention and to teach the people who are going how to play.

Best get on with it then... Oh and See you at Wigan Wargames!

IH OUT