Design Diary #4: Refining
In my last design diary, I talked about the invaluable insights from playtesting—how feedback helped me rethink parts of the game, refine its mechanics, and let go of ideas that weren’t quite working. Since then, I’ve made some changes, and I wanted to share the thought process behind them.
Alex
I'm trying a new format for this design diary. Let me know your thoughts on if it works or not!
Problems
- Not enough cards for four players
- Gameplay needs more structure
- Lack of hidden information
Change Log
Scoring and Turn Structure
Old: Players could score poker hands when discarding excess cards or at the end of the round when the deck was low.
New: Players no longer get points when discarding. Instead, on their turn, a player can choose to score instead of rolling for new cards. All other players can decide to participate in scoring, revealing their best poker hand. The points awarded for each hand and the total needed to win have been rebalanced.
Reason: The old end-of-round rule was clunky. Giving players the choice of when to score makes the game flow more smoothly. This also relies on more hidden information, forcing players to weigh the risk of an opponent having a stronger hand.
Supporting Four Players
Old: A standard 52-card deck didn’t have enough cards for four players.
New: Hand size reduced from 7 to 5, and two community cards introduced. Players can use these shared cards to build their five-card poker hand during scoring.
Reason: Reducing the hand size lowered the total number of in-play cards for four players from 39 to 33. Removing the round structure also meant discarded cards could simply be reshuffled. This made four-player games viable. The addition of community cards created more interesting gameplay interactions as players competed to use them strategically.
More Hidden Information
Old: Players received two face-down cards they could never discard.
New: Players start with one face-down card. Any card dealt into the seventh slot is always face-down. Players can now discard any cards.
Reason: Since players roll a seven fairly often, this lets them collect more face-down cards, which may prove useful. Allowing discards of any card—not just face-up ones—also removes unnecessary rules.
A Sprinkle of Surprise
Old: Two community cards were in play at all times.
New: Only one community card is dealt at the start. The second is dealt after players commit to scoring.
Reason: Before the final community card is revealed, one player will have the strongest hand. But the final card introduces an element of luck, offering a last-minute opportunity for someone to improve their hand.
The first time I tested this, I upgraded from a weak two-pair to a full house—beating my partner’s hand. “No way, what the hell?!” she complained.
We both cracked up. I was thrilled, and she was scowling (in a good way). Moments like that are uncommon but memorable—the exact kind of excitement I wanted in the game.
Putting it All Together
We play tested all of these changes, and the new scoring system really helped improve the game’s flow. The old end-of-round scoring felt clunky, but giving players the choice of when to score made turns more strategic. It also made the decision-making process much more interesting—players had to weigh whether to push their luck and roll for a big hand or play it safe and score early.
This change, combined with the added hidden information, made for a much more engaging experience. We had to keep check of our opponents hands to see if they were likely to score and what we needed to come out ahead. Overall, I’m really happy with how these adjustments shaped the game, and I’m excited to see how they hold up in future playtests.
Let me know what you think of this new format for design diaries!
Prototype Files:
I include protype files relevant to this blog post so you can see the inner workings of ongoing designs or even try the game at this early stage. I often use the Affinity tool suite for digital workflows.
Additional Components Required:
- Standard 52 card deck
- 2 dice
- a score tracking token per player