Are numbers bad? Here’s a great post from Paul Gestwicki about Grok?! and Crown and Skull, two recent tabletop games where taking damage removes player abilities rather than reducing hit points. This is a powerful emotional design choice: Losing an ability somehow feels more real than losing hit points, creating hard choices and compelling story beats. It’s also practical: Without hit points there’s one less annoying little number players need to track....
What makes unrepeatable games possible? Should tabletop games be replayable? I think this question is a trap. Maybe it’s better to ask: What makes unrepeatable games possible? The most popular games are highly replayable: If someone “plays Chess,” they probably have a competitive streak hundreds or thousands of plays deep. Gentler regional favorites like Hearts and Euchre are also heavily replayed, but for different reasons: Each play is an opportunity to connect with friends and family, a diversion to wash away the stress of everyday life....