Considering frames

New card frames are in the works. They're good enough for playtesting. The colors are sharp and the different factions and card types are easily discernible at a glance . ..but

 When discarding to start the round,
the lowest Level goes first, so using
Binoculars give better chances to react.

New frames could assist the intuitiveness of the plays. A number could be in a corner for play level; a different corner could house the discard level; and for some cards, another corner could have a score value bonus in it.

Scope was one of the first arts.

 The art box will also change with new frames and finding a design that works best for Combiner Story could also speed up the art production process.

Extra eyes are always welcomed. Is there anything in the current design of Combiner Story that isn't as easy as it could be to understand? Comment below.

Vampires revealed

Combiner Story was always about representing a "zombie apocalypse" situation, but also from the start the dead faction would have other tribes. My 5yo insisted on it. Combiner Story started as a card game played with my child but we both kept coming up with ideas until most of the final cards were set. Unfortunately, the complexity grew out of the range suitable for a 5yo.

Card art and frames subject to change.

While most Humans are in the Level 2 range, the Dead faction boast higher numbers. Vampires are like mini-bosses. Powerful, but usually with a drawback or disruption effect.

The Enthraller is best played when going second to surprise the Survivors who thought they had a chance of escaping. Their gamble is his treat. He converts them to Zombies, brought back from your Lost to your discard pile to eventually get shuffled back into the playing deck.

Level 6 is good enough to win most battles, but playtesting revealed a perceived weakness in this card because at the time it didn't combine with anything on its own. The natural choice is having the Enthraller combine with Zombies. Now he is a bridge to that tribe, truly a mini-boss with his own bodyguards and army of undead.

While Survivors combine best with items, the Dead combine with each other.

Now that Vampires have been revealed, what other terrors do you suspect? Comment below.

Crafting the game

Combiner Story started out as "The Crafting Dead" — a name that turned out to be taken, but at it's core, Combiner Story is a crafting game.

Players are challenged to combine their cards in an arrangement that will lead them through the story.

 

Survivors have the most flexible combination options and can pull off some bombastic plays. But the Dead have overall stronger cards and can be quite wicked.

Playing as the Survivors, you may have to sacrifice rounds to setup a more worthwhile win, but as the Dead you'll have hordes of Zombies and other nasties to disrupt the heroes.

Over the past playtest sessions, the team has found and developed some ingenious combinations.

Who would you like to play as the most? Which faction would you like to see members of next? Comment below.