New expansion for Ruins is ready and it is a high time to tell you about all new features you will find in this little box. I say little box, because unlike New Era and Winter Ruins will be sold in a small package (like LCG packs from FFG). 40 cards, rulebook. Nothing less, nothing more.

What’s new?

Firstnew type of cards is above – these cards not only let you store resources, but also – if you manage to have it full, let you gain something as a reward. If you have many barrels of fuel, you will be able to search the countryside to discover new locations (draw new card). If you have many Guns, it is quite easier to convince some people to join your empire (gain incorporation tokens).

It’s not that easy to fill these cards, but if you manage, they give quite a good benefit.

Other type of cards that you’ll find in the Ruins are cards that let you draw cards from discard. It doesn’t sound very cool, but believe me, it changes the game a lot. It lets you hunt for cards discarded by your opponent. It lets you bring back card that you’ve just rebuilt, it lets you discard a card and then take it immediately back. In hands of smart testers, these cards were doing magic tricks.

BTW: do you like democracy? If you use Leaders from 51st State, you may want to have two Leaders at the time, right? It is possible now – you just need to build Parliament. You will also find here two new Leaders. Very strong ones, I have to admit. Leaders that change the game and influences the game play a lot. I hope you will like them.

Few weeks ago Michał Oracz wrote article about randomness in games and explained why he tend to put randomness into every of his designs. If by any chance you haven’t read his article yet, here is a link. I must agree with Michał and I must confess that I also – on purpose! – put randomness into my designs. Today I’d like to add small appendix to Michał’s article and explain what exactly randomness in games means to me. And why I try to add it to every game I design.

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I have this gamers group here in Gliwice. I don’t play with them, but I know they are active and once a while I ask them to help me. Some of them helped me with Pret-a-Porter, some other helped me with Robinson. I totally disagree with their approach to our hobby, I regularly provoke them and try to irritate them and poke and… Yeah, we banter a lot. Really. A lot.

They are those hardcore gamers who play only Trajan, Agricola, Brass, Le Havre, Caylus… They play every Friday. They call it League. They have ranking, prizes and all that stuff. And they hate randomness. They try all those heaviest possible euro games and after one play they decide if the game was good enough to be part of the League and may be played as a part of ‘playing for ranking’. If there is any luck in the game, the game is lost.

Yeah, that kind of gamers. You know them. Or perhaps you are one of them. These heavy euros maniacs are everywhere. And so many of them is afraid of luck element. They are afraid of unknown. They are afraid of uncountable. They are afraid that things will suddenly turn in unexpected direction and all their calculations are worth nothing.

I make fun of them every time I meet them.  I make fun of their fears. I say that they are poor players.

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Random element in the games bring unexpected to the table. And along with unexpected, it brings challenge. It throws troubles right into your face and say: ‘Deal with it.’ It makes you improvise. It makes you adjust your plans and strategy It makes you think with tension, it puts ‘Fuck!’ word into your mouth and makes you crawl to get out of unexpected troubles. It gives emotions. It makes you prove your worth.

Randomness lets you prove you are best. No matter what.

Randomness throw some horrible shit in your way. Now you try to win. Do your best.

And if you win… Yeah, that’s the feeling.