We all say this every year, but this years Fastaval program is really good. I must admit, I was a bit miffed at being rejected two years in a row. But reading the program, I can now see that at least two games come close to what I wanted to make, and they look damned good, so I understand now.

So to help myself pick among all these great games, I’ve written my at times random thoughts on each game and speculate a bit on how much I want to play it. Maybe this can also help you in your choice.

I won’t write much on what the game is about, just my thoughts, you can read about the games themselves on the webpage, I’ll link each one, sorry it’s just to keep the text from becoming too long. It ended up being so long that I’m still gonna cut it into several posts each covering a handful of games.

When we sign up for Fastaval, we have to give the games, we want to play, a priority from one (I really, really, really wanna play this game) to four (if there’s nothing else, I want to play this game) or just nothing. (That can sometimes mean that a four is really good, if you find everything else in that time slot good as well, other times a average game will get a one because there’s nothing else.

In this write up I’ll give each game a “Do I want to play this?” priority from 1 (a lot) to 5 (ah properly not, not that it’s a bad game, it’s just not for me.) This does not mean I will sign up for them, a lot can change and also it depends on how the program is put together. But lets get to it:

And I lost my fangs

This game won me at: “the mood will be cute and childish but with room for feelings which also belong the world of adults.” I looooove stories like this, and knowing Cleo, I know that her quirky mind can pull it of.

I’m not really into vampires (I think it’s all a bit overhyped), but I really like the atmosphere she creates in the text. So I’m a bit in doubt. That is until I read the “Player type” section: “You like vampires, quirky characters and telling small but important stories” Except for vampires, which i don’t particularly hate, I love everything else in that sentence, small but important stories sounds like just the right thing for me.

Do I want to play this?: 1
A big surprise here, but it sounds so cute in a sad, but good way.

Brasst Issinn

So I like the metaphor in this game. It’s about growing resentment and held back feelings that threaten to break out among a family that have been cooped up way too long during the long dark winter. But at the same time we follow the journey of the youngest child out on the ever thinner ice. So his journey becomes a metaphor for the building storm back home. I like that!

But having said that, it just doesn’t feel like a game for me. I normally like storytelling, but it just seems to unpleasant for me. It’s one of those: sounds great but not for me games.

Do I want to play this?: 4
Not really but can’t really explain why.

Children of Dunsain

Troels makes really good and tough stories using indygame like mechanics. I had a blast with his First World War game Dulce et Decorum. And this sounds like it will let you create a really cool and dark setting and then explore it hard!

And thats where I lose a bit of interest, it’s sound like you play against each other, and I don’t really like that. But thinking about it, maybe it’s not, I’m not sure. But again the characters doesn’t sound like some I want to play. Maybe it’s that, I don’t like too negative characters, let them have some redeeming points.

Do I want to play this?: 3
I’m really not sure about this one.

Christmas on the moon

So this is sadly an example of a flavor text that does nothing, maybe Alien fans get more from it than I do, but for me it gives me nothing to understand the game. This is Michael’s first game so it’s understandable, writing these “foromtaler” (I really don’t know a good english word for them) is damn difficult, I still suck at it.

Anyway, It’s sounds like a rather board gamey role play and the text does say it’s classic in it’s style. That’s great! Be clear about what your game is, it helps people a lot. For example I now know that it’s not for me, but I’m sure it’s perfect for them who shout buh at all that arty farty stuff, (which I in turn love.)

One thing: why is it christmas? That will probably make sense when you play the game, but here it seems a bit misplaced.

Do I want to play this?: 5
No not at all, I’m really not into gameist role plays, but I like that it’s so clear about what it is for a game, that means it’ll get the right players.