This year Carnage is going to try something new in the board and card game arena. A good friend of Carnage for a number of years, suggested a new type of event for the convention, a design prototype event. Matt Golec, after going through the process of getting his game, Penny Press published, made the suggestion that the convention offer some space for aspiring designers to show off their prototype games. We immediately loved the idea, of putting together designers with a large group of play testers. So this year in the pre-registration book you may have noticed the Carnage Design Prototype Gathering all day Saturday in the Escapade room. We are offering, with the help of local and not so local designers, a number of prototype board and card games for you to try out and enjoy.

One group that helped with making this event bigger than we had dreamed is the Vermont Gaming Community Design Group. They run a weekly workshop, “Let’s Make Games Vermont.” The workshop is focused on the design of traditional tabletop games. Members test each other’s prototypes and provide feedback and suggestions as well as share individual talents and experiences such as design, illustration, game theory, prototyping, fundraising and manufacturing. It is free to attend and open to the public. For more information join their Facebook group under Let’s Make Games: Vermont.

We would like to thank all the designers, Matt, and the VGC Design group for helping to make this event possible. Please be sure to check out the links throughout the article for more information on the groups and individuals that helped to make this event possible. So without further ado, here is a list of the games offered with more detailed descriptions. Please be sure to stop by and see the hard work, the creativity and the dedication put into these games. Give them a play and help the designers out with your comments and feedback.

No Honor Among Thieves (Designed by Adam Watts) is a competitive/cooperative game for three to six players, in which each player assembles a crew of thieves and sets out to see who can steal the most lucre from the rich and powerful of the kingdom. Working alone is difficult, but working together leaves you open to betrayal by your so-called allies–or gives you the chance to betray them, and take it all for yourself. Be careful with your backstabbing knives, however. Thieves like to say they have a code of honor, but once that illusion is broken, there’s no going back. What will you risk to be the richest and cleverest thief in this city of rogues?

Chimera (Designed by Adam Roy) In an underground laboratory, a powerful organism called, “Chimera” has been designed by the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence. The most complex creature alive, it contains the DNA sequences of all flora and fauna, and the ability to express those genes at will. With a limitless capacity to adapt, and a clearly malicious intent, this creature has the raw, biological power to wipe us off the face of the planet. It’s up to a finite and dwindling band of humans to escape, and destroy the creature before it can infect the world. Of course, you can never tell if that civilian hasn’t been infected already. Human or Chimera, choose from several sets of distinct decks from which to slowly build your side with the addition of technological marvels or deadly creatures. Navigate the changing map to escape or eliminate the opposition. As staff and civilians try desperately to escape, the Chimera is there to ambush, trap, and outright attack them at every turn. Use human ingenuity to evade or destroy the fledgling lifeform before it takes on the traits of the most deadly creatures in the world and eliminates the last of those humans that could stop it. Or be the one to wipe the humans out for good.

Frontier Planet (Designed by Orson Bradford) Humanity has established a precarious foothold on a distant world. Yet, the new home is unlike the gentle Earth: it has different gravity, extreme temperatures, meteor storms, and a variety of other hazards. Never fear, pioneers are tough. With careful management, and strong leadership, even this hostile rock can be tamed. Unfortunately, the greatest danger may lie within. Each player struggles for control, choosing to working for the common good or for themselves, in order to become the colony leader by the end of the game. If they can’t work together, the colony will fail and all are doomed. The stakes are high on the Frontier Planet!

Last Van Standing (Designed by Tim Shaw) In the future, wandering crews explore what remains of the world, fighting over relics and burning one another with magical flames. Choose a faction, assemble a crew, construct a Van – your crew’s home, chariot, and totally sweet ride. Will you outmaneuver your foes or ram them head on in a knock-down drag-out fight to be the Last Van Standing? Turn any tabletop into a magical apocalypse in this rules-light, fast tactics game of miniatures and toy cars for 2 or more players.

Skyrise (Designed Alex Cutler-Freese)  Welcome to Skyrise, the city-building game where players both collaborate and compete to build a thriving metropolis block by block! Lay down residential and commercial tiles and then claim them with your stackable building blocks to break ground on towers that will rise high above the playing field. Score extra points by building near common city buildings like banks, schools, and parks. You can also get a leg up on the opposition by working on secretly-held contract cards that offer players unique and challenging tasks to complete for bonus points. Cities expand both horizontally and vertically as the game progresses, and no two cities will ever be alike! Handles 2 – 4 players with a game length of approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

Interregnum (Designed by Aviary Games) In Interregnum you will compete for the crown against 2-4 other players. You begin with a paltry collection of peasants, nobles, money and military might and must quickly shape your lands and resources into a powerful engine capable of securing the throne for you. But along the way you have choices to make – will you aid the regent faithfully, hoping to earn his favor through honorable service? Will you attempt to blackmail him? Will your power reside in currency, military might or politics? And what will you do about your rivals, who may attempt to undermine your efforts at any moment… unless you strike out at them first.

GATUCA: The DNA Dice Game (Designed by Douglas Hettrick) Evolve quicker, smarter and more vicious! GATUCA is a two player, dice based, combat game. Control the very DNA of your existence as you go head-to-head in this quick two-player game. Outwit your opponent as you simultaneously decide how aggressively to attack and defend. The first to destroy all of their opponents life wins. While your defeated foe will be just another withered dead-end on the evolutionary tree.

A History of Chaos (Designed by Scott Kimball) For centuries now nothing has changed. Armies rise and fall again and again. Conquerors attempt to make a name for themselves no matter the price in blood. Families and countrysides are torn apart while their stories become buried in the rubble, and for every victory there are countless dead. People in this land never seem to learn that sometimes the Pen is indeed mightier than the Sword. All we can do is hope that perhaps someday the story won’t repeat itself. Factions utilize unique creatures to fight for control of land and resources in this strategic card game based on managing unknown chaos. Obliterate any fool that gets in your way, but be sure to watch your back. Use spoils of war to obtain powerful items from the Shopkeep and wreak further havoc on your foes. Become a legend and pass down your heritage or fade into obscurity and lose it all in A History of Chaos.

S.U.E.T the Card Game (Designed by John LeMaire of First Stall Productions) So you want to become a member of the Society of Ultimate Evil and Terror, huh? Well you’ve come to the right place. S.U.E.T the Card Game is a game where you take the role of one of four evil geniuses trying to gain entry into this… illustrious(?) organization.