We have been hard at work developing Vesta Mandate, and we have some updates! Expect to see a Quickstart for Vesta Mandate on itch.io and DriveThruRPG very soon! Here’s a sneak preview of what we have been working on:
In Vesta Mandate players have different Hidden Agendas that they pursue.
Something we’ve always wanted to emulate is the hidden role element in board games. It’s something that keeps the game tense. As a player, you’re constantly wondering: what are the other players up to, exactly?
We’ve learned a ton from playtesting! Players tell us that they’re engaged, even when other players have spotlight, as they watch them to figure out their Hidden Agendas and Secrets.
It’s always an “Oh shit!” moment during playtests when a player does something that seems unexpected or strange but builds up to a big reveal. Players throw their hands into the air as the table feels a sudden sense of shock at what appears to be a massive blunder. Later on, players feel the gravity of the situation as their Hidden Agenda is revealed.
In so much good TV and literature, characters are revealed slowly. Whether it’s a tabletop game of Good Society or Brindlewood Bay, we love learning secret information about player characters!
During one playtest, a character had a secret affair with the leader of the Gutter Punks gang. She was able to get information out of the leader. But unfortunately her Secret was revealed, showing up on monitors and screens all around the Station. While fending off the PR debacle publicly, we later had a dramatic scene in which she is confronted by her husband during downtime.
These two systems help form the backbone of moment to moment gameplay and entangle into your Reputations with the actions on the station as well as the other Councilors that you work with.
If you’re interested in the Kickstarter, come check it our here in our last week before it ends!
Thanks for the support from all of our backers! Keep an eye out for more updates and a Quickstart very soon.
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