Category Archives: News

Monster Zoo – Deck Building & Zoo Management

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Monster Zoo is a game I have worked on for the past few months. In the game, players take on the role of new Zookeepers, trying to fill their empty Zoos with Monsters from the wild. (The same theme as Monster Zoo: Draft)

The game’s main mechanic is deck-building, similar to Ascension or Dominion, but with much more interaction and a bit of what I’m calling “zoo management”. As you acquire more cards and start to build out your deck, you’ll also move cards from your deck to your Zoo. While cards are in the Zoo, you’ll earn points, but you expose yourself to other players who can steal cards from your Zoo. So there’s a back and forth strategy between building up your Zoo or making your deck stronger.

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Here’s the PNP version, so you can try it out at home:

I’ve already started to play test the game and so far the response has been very positive. I’m excited to develop this game fully and get it out to Kickstarter later this year. Keep an eye out for that!

Monster Zoo is a deck-building zoo management card game for 2-4 players that lasts about 30 minutes. I’m really looking forward to your feedback.

 

Monster Zoo: Draft – Version 0.1

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Monster Zoo: Draft is a card game that I have been working on for the past month. It’s a lighter, easier to play game with the same theme as it’s older brother Monster Zoo. In the game, players take on the role of new Zookeepers, trying to fill their empty Zoos with Monsters from the wild.

The game’s main mechanic is card drafting (inspired by 7 Wonders & Sushi Go). Players are dealt 7 cards to start the game. Each turn, all players choose 1 card from their hand, plays the card, and passes the remaining cards to the player on their left.

As cards go around, players will be trying to complete sets of Monsters and prevent other players from doing the same. You can try to build a large set for a ton of points, but run the risk that another player will stop you from completing your set. There are also special cards that add deeper strategy elements. The game should feel light and fun to play with a wide variety of ages and gamers.

I think it’s in a good place for playtesting now, so here’s the print-and-play version:

Monster Zoo: Draft is a light card drafting game for 2-5 players that lasts about 20 minutes. I’m eager to hear your thoughts!

First Step

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Starting a new journey is an exciting and scary adventure, you never know where it will lead, where that first step will take you.

Inspired by my wife and son, I’ve decided to venture into the land of game publishing. This is my first step.

As a new games publisher and designer, I’m still figuring everything out. It might be helpful if I list out what I hope this blog will be about:

  • The blog will be primarily about Ruby Cow Games and it’s progression from an idea to a real games publisher. I’ll discuss how a game is taken from idea to a physical product as I am working through the process. I imagine things won’t always work out smoothly, so we’ll talk about all the setbacks as well.
  • I will discuss game design and games that I am working on. This is something I have become increasingly interested in over the past few years. I’m hoping that this will generate some lively feedback about the games and help me improve them.
  • There will also likely be some other random topics, although I’ll try and keep things focused on game publishing, game design, and Ruby Cow Games.

As for where this will go, we’ll have to see when we get there. Thanks for taking this first step with me.