WarOfZones
+Sketch notes on System Dynamics
Values
War of Zones is a game on city management and planning. The main goal here is to teach about zoning and the rules that come with it across different cities in the world. Players are tasked to build properties on different zones, and collect rent after each round is over. Players win by either reaching a set goal of money first, or by having the most money after a set limit of rounds. During each round, a status effect will stay in play, in which rules or events happening in other countries are used to affect the game. For example, the setting up of UNESCO heritage sites will change certain tiles permanently and prohibit players from building in those tiles. By the end of the game, players should have a basic understanding of zoning in cities, and some rules and problems that are actually happening across the cities of the world. We also target young adults as our audience, hoping to encourage them to start thinking about the housing system at an earlier age. We also hope to teach about value of investments, and to plan for unexpected events that could happen.
Arc
The main arc of our game is the status cards that are drawn at the start of each round. These cards are unique and provide stories and events that are never repeated in other rounds. While the core loop of the game stays the same, the event/status effects add different restrictions, rezones the tiles, or affect different properties in different zones each round.
The set up phase is also an arc by itself. Players get to randomly choose where to place a number of tiles — residential, industrial, municipal, commercial, and water tiles — onto the tile board. After the set up is over, this process is never repeated.
Loop
The main loop of the game is that at the start of each round, there is a status effect card that is drawn and is in play for the entire round. Each player now take turns to build on a spot they desire, with the restriction of how much money they currently own. Who goes first is changed every round, rotating clockwise. At the end of each round, players get to collect the rent from the spots they have invested in. At every point of the game, players get to strategize themselves and select spots that are ideal for them.
