Spirit Song GDD

Week 4 - Assignment 4
Strategy Card Game Design, GRATIS and Single Player Playtesting
Spiritsong
By Alexander Milford
An All v All Strategy Card Game

for 2-4 Players
Ages 10+
GRATIS Outline
Goals
● The short-term player goal is to play cards that they think will best satisfy the requirements for a
Harmony card to be collected. This also involves the possibility of the player using other cards to
amplify their attempts, as well as bluffing or discarding.
● The mid-game player goal is to obtain several Harmony cards, and to have a variety of cards to
potentially play from their hand.
● The person that has the most Harmony cards at the end of the game wins!
Rules
● The main deck composed of the Elemental Spirits is shuffled, and each player is dealt 5 Elemental
Spirit cards total, 1 at a time, alternating between players, before the start of the game.
● The side deck composed of the Lesser Spirits is shuffled, and each player is dealt 2 Lesser Spirit
cards total, 1 at a time, alternating between players, before the start of the game.
● Players will roll a die to determine their position in the turn rotation. The person that rolls the highest
will be able to pick their position in the turn rotation, between 1-4. The other players’ positions in the
turn rotation will be determined by logically placing them in an order, in such as when moving in a
clockwise direction the player who got to pick their position has their turn at that chosen position.
● The Harmony cards’ deck is shuffled before the start of the game.
● At the beginning of each round, before the start of the 1st player’s turn, a Harmony card is drawn and
placed at the center of play to be collected as a prize if that Harmony card’s requirements have been
met by a player.
● A round is concluded when either a player collects a Harmony card.
● When a round is completed, any player cards that were played towards acquiring a Harmony card
are shuffled back into their respective decks. Players are then dealt cards from the respective decks
until each player has 5 Elemental Spirits, and 2 Lesser Spirits total.
● At the start of each round after the 1st, and after the next Harmony card is drawn, players may
choose to discard up to 3 of their Elemental Spirits, and 1 of their Lesser Spirits. After each player
has discarded, (if any), the discarded cards are shuffled back into their respective decks, and each
player is then dealt back the same number of each type of card that they discarded, (if any).
● These are the actions I can take when it’s my turn.
○ Action 1 – The player can draw 1 Elemental Spirit card if applicable.
○ Action 2 – The player may play an Elemental Spirit card.
○ Action 3 – The player may play a Lesser Spirit card to utilize its effect.
○ Action 4 – The player may empower an Elemental Spirit.
○ Action 5 – The player may claim a Harmony card if they have the required components.
● At any point in a player’s turn, the other players may use 1 of their Lesser Spirit cards where
appropriate. No more than 2 players may do this per each player’s turn, thus limiting the total Lesser
Spirit cards playable by players other than the current turn player to 2.
● The game is concluded after all the Harmony cards have been obtained.
● The person that has the most Harmony cards at the end of the game wins!
● The players may decide to alter the game’s end condition to a set number of Harmony cards being
obtained, or the first person to acquire 3, etc... to change the length of time it takes to finish a game.
Actions
 Action 1 – Draw, Non-Meaningful, player draws 1 Elemental Spirit card if they currently have less
than 5 in their hand at the start of their turn.
 Action 2 – Play Elemental Spirit, Meaningful, player can choose between several cards to play to
provide a tactical advantage. The card must be compatible with the current active Elemental Spirit.
o Rule 1 – cards of the same Element
o Rule 2 – cards of an Element that counter that specific element, ex. Fire beats Earth, Water
beats Fire, Earth beats Air, and Air beats Water
○ Rule 3 – cards of a neutral Element that are of a higher Spirit Ranking, ex. Lowest to Highest
rank: Wisp, Sprite, Shaman, Dragon, Goddess
● Action 3 – Play Lesser Spirit, Meaningful, player can choose to play a card to enhance their own
position, or to effect other various gameplay changes, the player may also choose to save their
Lesser Spirits for when they are in a pinch, etc.
● Action 4 – Empower an Elemental Spirit, Non-Meaningful, player can empower the Elemental Spirit
they played on their last turn to convert that card into a resource that can be used to acquire the
current Harmony card. This is done by playing an Elemental Spirit card 2 turns in a row. The 2 cards
are then removed from the active Element pile and placed as a resource in front of the player.
● Action 5 – Claim Harmony card, Non-Meaningful, player can claim a Harmony card once they have
the necessary resources a Harmony card requires, ex. 3 Empowered Fire Spirits, and 2 Shamans
Transitions
● Start Game
● Round 1 Start
● Harmony card drawn
● 1st Player’s Turn
● Draw Phase
● Play Phase
● Counter Phase
● End Turn
● Nth Player’s Turn… etc.
● Round 1 End
● Shuffle, Re-Deal Phase
● Round 2 Start
● Harmony card drawn
● Discard, Shuffle, Re-Deal Phase
● 1st Player’s Turn…
● End Game
● Tally Player’s Harmony cards, Determine Winner
Items
● 80 x Elemental Spirit cards
● 16 x Lesser Spirit cards
● 9 x Harmony cards
● 1 x Die
Setup
● Cards are held in the player’s hands, as well as an area in front of them for their Empowered Spirits
or Lesser Spirit cards. The current active Elemental Spirit card is placed in the center of play as a
pile, next to the current round’s Harmony card.
● A Harmony card is drawn and placed at the center of play on top of the Harmony card deck.
● The main deck composed of the Elemental Spirits is shuffled and placed to the right of the Harmony
card deck, and each player is dealt 5 Elemental Spirit cards total, 1 at a time, alternating between
players, before the start of the game.
● The side deck composed of the Lesser Spirits is shuffled and placed to the right of the Elemental
Spirit deck, and each player is dealt 2 Lesser Spirit cards total, 1 at a time, alternating between
Single Player Playtest #1 Photo
Single Player Playtest #1 Questionnaire
(at least one paragraph per question)
1. In 2 or 3 sentences, how would you quickly (but accurately) describe your game to others?
Spiritsong is a strategy card game where you compete with friends to bring harmony to nature. You play
using spirit cards that embody different elements of creation, fire, water, earth, and air. The winner is
whoever collects the most harmony cards by using the Elemental spirits that they are given wisely.
2. Did you run into any loopholes or dominant strategies with your design? If so, how did you alter the
design to fix these issues?
I did not run into any loopholes or dominant strategies. I suspect that it will become more apparent if there
are some after conducting tests with other people.
3. What are some of your thoughts on your design? Did the mechanics you made on paper translate well
when actually playing the game? For example: What were the most used actions, least used actions?
I thought that my mechanics I designed on paper translated well into playing the game. For example, I
made it so that players could not use Lesser Spirit cards more than twice on another player’s turn to
prevent “gang-up” behavior. I also designed each round to refresh the playing field, so that player’s that
had already won a previous round would not have an unfair advantage and begin “snowballing” victories.
4. How long did your game setup take? How was the presentation and usability of your materials? What
improvements can you make for the next playtest to go more smoothly and look more professional? For
example: did you use card sleeves, were you trying to shuffle loose leaf paper?
No more than a couple of minutes. The presentation is rough because my power cord stopped working for
the computer I was designing the cards on. So, I had to make some quick ones to get this assignment
done. I’m not going to waste the high-quality matte paper and card sleeves I bought on these generic
looking cards that I had to make super-fast. I ordered a new power cord from Amazon, it should be here by
Wednesday.
Single Player Playtest #2 Photo

Single Player Playtest #2 Questionnaire
1. After a second playthrough, did you run into any new loopholes or dominant strategies with your
design? If so, how did you alter the design to fix these issues?
I did not run into any loopholes or dominant strategies. I suspect that it will become more apparent if there
are some after conducting tests with other people.
2. After a second playthrough, what are your new thoughts on the design? Did the changes you make from
the first playtest improve your game? Explain some of those changes and how they improved or detracted
from the game experience.
I tweaked some of the Harmony cards’ requirements to be more ‘winnable’. Some of the conditions were a
little too difficult to achieve, and it made winning the game take more time than it should have. After
implementing the cards requiring less resources to be collected, it made the game shorter and more fun to
play, because I was able to win, ha-ha!
3. After your presentation updates from playtest #1, how did your play experience improve? Were there
any issues with the user experience? How can you continue to improve the flow of your game for the next
test?
See answer from playtest 1. I’m making my own art and designs for this game, so it will look very nice. I
bought high-quality, thick matte paper to print the cards on. I also bought clear card sleeves for them, and I
plan on laminating the cards into the sleeves after they’re placed inside. I think this will provide a very
clean and professional look. It will also preserve the quality of my cards for many years of play.
4. Which actions did you use the most, which did you use the least? Were some not used at all? How can
you balance out your actions to create multiple, interesting paths to victory?
I used all the actions evenly for the most part, but then again, I did design the game, so it makes sense
that I would be interested in using every option at my disposal. Again, I think this section will be much more
telling after I get some other people to test out my game.
Group Playtesting and Flowchart
Group Playtest Photo #1

Group Playtest #1 Questionnaire
1. Describe the Meaningful Choices available to your players during this playtest. Did these choices lead
to interesting strategies, or was there a dominant strategy / obvious choice always available? Were there
multiple viable ways for players to achieve victory? What improvements can you make from these
observations to enhance the Meaningful Choices available?
By playing a Lesser Spirit card a player can choose to enhance their own position, or to effect other
various gameplay changes, the player may also choose to save their Lesser Spirits for when it is needed
most. By playing an Elemental Spirit card a player can choose between several to provide a tactical
advantage. The card must be compatible with the current active Elemental Spirit, but this can be done
multiple ways, which provides several ways to win.
2. Did your rules do a good job of explaining the player actions and overall flow of the game? What
questions did your players ask you during the playtest about your rules? What steps will you take to clarify
those sections of the rules? Were there any instances or situations that were not covered by the rules at
all?
My rules overall did a good job of explaining the game. The players of this playtest asked about which
Elemental Spirits overturned each other, as well asking about what each Lesser Spirit does. They had
some difficulty remembering the power structure and type advantages of each Elemental Spirit. I plan on
putting the function of each of the Lesser Spirits directly on the cards to alleviate this.
3. What are some of your thoughts on your design? Did your players have any contributions or thoughts
on your design? Are you planning on changing your design based on those observations? Explain your
decision.
My players enjoyed the design of my game, praising the artwork as well as the pacing. I received
compliments on it being fun and thought-provoking. Some of the suggestions I got were to make it a little
more simple or easier to understand some of the card’s advantages or functions. I’m going to redesign the
card backs so that there will be a clear diagram showing the power structure between the four elements so
players will have something in their hand to remind them.
1. After your updates from the first playtest this week, describe the Meaningful Choices your players
made this time. Did these choices lead to interesting strategies? Did you eliminate any dominant
strategies, or are they still present? What other improvements can be made to the mechanics of the
game?
The meaningful choices were mostly the same. This group of players used the Lesser Spirit cards more
than the first group did. This did provide players with more options, as well as ways for them to win. I
personally thought the game was more interesting when played this way. I still wouldn’t call it a dominant
strategy though, because it doesn’t guarantee anything and can be countered with strategy.
2. After updating your rules and cheat sheet, did players understand how the game was to be played?
Did you encounter new questions that were not addressed in the rules? How can you continue to clarify
and simplify the explanation of your rules?
The players had a good understanding of the rules, I didn’t get asked as many questions as before. Having
the power hierarchy of the Elemental Spirits on the card backs helped a lot with that I think. One way that I
want to simplify the explanation is by using less words to communicate my ideas. I think sometimes I can
overexplain things and make them seem more complicated than they really are.
3. How did your design changes after the previous playtest change the gameplay? Were these good
changes, or did they negatively affect the game? Are you finding that these iterations are smaller tweaks
or larger mechanical changes? With this in mind, do you feel like you are close to the “final design” of your
game?
The design changes that I made were good changes. The players were less confused because they
always had a reference on the card backs of the Elemental Spirit hierarchy. I feel like my design is getting
close to my final design. One suggestion that was given was to get rid of the turn requirements on the
Harmony cards, because the game was fun without the added pressure of it, just based on the interactions
the players were having with one another. I like this idea, and plan on taking it out with my next iteration.

1. What type of gameplay emerged from this next playtest? Did you encounter different Meaningful
Choices for your players, or were they the same as last time? Is the gameplay varied enough to remain
interesting for multiple playthroughs?
These players used more strategies to thwart their opponents more than the last two groups. The other
two groups were mainly focused on doing what they needed to do to win, while this group was more
competitive. Cards were played to shutdown other player’s strategies, and some players even did things
out of spite, that provided them no tactical advantage whatsoever. I thought this was funny and made the
gameplay interesting.
2. Were you able to explain your game by only reading from the Rules? Did you need to supplement
your rulebook with clarifications and examples? If so, how could you incorporate that information into a
more effective set of rules for the next playtest?
Most of the rules were explained well enough from reading. The only thing that I did in addition to that was
simply hold up the different card types while explaining, which I thought provided a good visual example. I
think this will be a good thing to include in with the instruction manual we are creating in week four. I plan
on using visual representations and easy to read charts on my cheat sheet and instruction manual.
3. How has the game changed since your original design? Reflect back on the changes and iterations
you’ve made since your single player playtests. Think about the critiques and feedback you have gained
from other players and how their input has shaped your game.
Since my original design, I have doubled the number of Elemental Spirit cards from 40 to 80. Originally the
Harmony cards had turn requirements, then I made the requirements easier, and then I got rid of the turn
requirements all together. The game was fun enough on the players interactions with one another that
made the added complexity of the turn requirements unnecessary. I made the cards easier and simple to
read by adding graphics to the card backs. Overall I think the suggestions and critique I have received has
improved my game.
Flowchart
Rulebook, Cheat Sheet, Observed Playtest and Final Reflection
Rulebook
Thematic Backstory
Spiritsong takes players on a journey to harmonize with nature using various elemental spirits of creation.
Play types of spirits with advantages over your opponents to shift the struggle for resources in your favor.
Use these resources to bring harmony to the world, and solidify your place as the Deity of Balance!
List of Game Components

● 80 x Elemental Spirit cards
● 16 x Lesser Spirit cards
● 9 x Harmony cards
● 1 x Die
● 1 x Rulebook
● 1 x Reference Guide
Game Setup
● A Harmony card is drawn and placed at the center of play on top of the Harmony card deck.
● The main deck composed of the Elemental Spirits is shuffled and placed to the right of the Harmony
card deck, and each player is dealt 5 Elemental Spirit cards total, 1 at a time, alternating between
● The side deck composed of the Lesser Spirits is shuffled and placed to the right of the Elemental
Spirit deck, and each player is dealt 2 Lesser Spirit cards total, 1 at a time, alternating between
● Cards are held in the player’s hands, as well as an area in front of them for their Empowered Spirits
or Lesser Spirit cards. The current active Elemental Spirit card is placed in the center of play as a
pile, next to the current round’s Harmony card.
Objective
Obtain Harmony cards by gathering and activating the resources required for them. The person that has the
most Harmony cards at the end of the game wins!
Turn Overview
Here is where you will structure out the overview of a players turn. This is typically done with a paragraph of
explanation followed by a numbered list where players can follow along with each step. You do not want to
go into too much detail in each step here, instead you can point players to the next section for more details
on complicated turn actions.
Turn Overview Numbered List Example:

1. Draw 2 Cards from the draw pile, keep them hidden.
2. Choose 1 to put into your hand and put the other Face Down in the Discard Pile.
3. Select one of your cards from your hand and play it.
4. Resolve the actions on the card and end your turn.
Details Regarding Various Game Mechanics

Here is where you should go into more detail regarding your designed game mechanics. Explain the design
you have developed in this section, going into more detail when necessary. Page 4 of the sample
Rulebook from Pandemic is a great example of breaking down the different actions available to a player
and how they work.
Ending the Game

The game is over after all the Harmony cards have been obtained. The player who has collected the most
Harmony cards by this point is the winner. In the event of 2 or more players having an equal number of
Harmony cards at the end of a game; all cards and hands are shuffled into their respective decks, and a
single round will be played by said players. The player that wins that single round is determined the winner.
Examples of Play
Here is where you should outline a sample turn(s) of your game. Typically this is the first few turns that
players will take to start the game. It can also be an outline of a more complex turn that often confuses
players. Page 5 of the Pandemic Rules explains a simple turn at the top, followed by clarification of
complex interactions below it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
In the FAQ, you can list answers to some frequently asked questions from your playtesters. You should first
try to write your rules and instructions in a way that answers these questions outright. If there is not a
natural place to answer that question and it cannot be solved with a rule change, you may want to include it
here.
Is this an example question?

Yes, and this is the answer.
Documentation Updates (Patch Notes)

Here you will be keeping track of the changes of your Rulebook as it continues to take shape. You should
be noting important updates and when they were made. Smaller updates like spelling and grammatical fixes
are not necessary to list. Think of this as the Patch Notes to your game, which you keep a running tally of to
keep track of your design history. It is important to keep track of the changes you make so that you can
reference them for future changes.
For Example:
Version 0.2 - After Observed Playtest #1

Clarified the Turn Overview after players were often confused on what was available as an action.
Made the Overview shorter and easier to remember, and added further explanation to the Details
section.
Cheat Sheet
Observed Playtest Photo #1
How long did this playtest last in minutes?

15 Minutes
Observed Playtest #1 Questionnaire
1. Were your players able to understand the rules and mechanics of your game by reading the rules you
provided? What changes would you make to how you present the rules for the next playtest? Did your
players reference the cheat sheet? Did they find the information clear and useful? What changes could be
made to improve the cheat sheet?
2. Tell us about some of your observations from the playtest. Were players getting frustrated, when and
where? Were they excited? What were some notable reactions to the game? Try to explain why you think
these reactions happened and if they were a part of the design goals of the game.
3. How was the user experience of the game? Were players able to shuffle and deal cards easily? Were
the descriptions and text on the cards, rules, and cheat sheet clear? What can be improved here for the
next playtest?
4. Describe the meaningful choices you providing for your players. Are they using all of those
meaningful choices, or only some? What changes to your design could further improve your game?

17 Minutes
1. Did your group encounter any dominant strategies during the second playtest? Did you encounter any
unexpected player strategies?
2. How long did it take for the group to learn your game this time? Were your rules and cheat sheet
updates effective? Are there any other iterations you can make to improve the clarity of your game rules?
For Example: Provide a Sample Turn.
3. What sort of gameplay dynamics emerged within this group? How did those dynamics affect the
gameplay? Would you encourage or discourage those dynamics for future games?

20 Minutes
1. Can you put this version of your game down in front of a group of people, walk away, and have them
fully understand how to play the game? If yes, how did you achieve this. If no, what needs to be done to
get there? For Example: Are your Rules Clear? Is your Cheat Sheet Helpful? Are the cards concise and
descriptive?
2. Did each gameplay session feel unique? Were new strategies and interactions happening each time
a group played, or was the same strategy used every game to win? How can you ensure that your game
remains interested and replayable?
3. What feedback did you get from your final group of playtesters? What were their impressions of the
game? Did they offer any helpful or unique insights on the design of your game?
Final Reflection Questionnaire
(at least two paragraphs per question)
Here you will record your experience with documenting, prototyping and testing your first game design. Go into
as much detail as possible, this is incredibly helpful when you come back to reference this project in the future.
1. What did you learn about game design documentation?
2. What did you learn by using the iterative design process?
3. What did you learn about play testing?
4. What did you like about your game? What didn’t you like?
5. How can you improve your process the next time you make a game?

Spirit Song GDD

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Spirit Song GDD

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Week 4 - Assignment 4

Strategy Card Game Design, GRATIS and Single Player Playtesting

An All v All Strategy Card Game

Single Player Playtest #2 Photo

Group Playtest Photo #1

Group Playtest Photo #3

List of Game Components

Turn Overview Numbered List Example:

Details Regarding Various Game Mechanics

Ending the Game

Is this an example question?

Documentation Updates (Patch Notes)

Version 0.2 - After Observed Playtest #1

How long did this playtest last in minutes?

How long did this playtest last in minutes?

How long did this playtest last in minutes?

1. What did you learn about game design documentation?

2. What did you learn by using the iterative design process?

3. What did you learn about play testing?

You might also like