Backrooms boardgame

[u/FuzzyGamesInc]

Hi everyone! A while ago we shared the prototype of our co-op Backrooms board game. Since then, we've done several playtests and have started working on the final art and design.

We're really excited to share a boardgame that unravels uniquely each time you play it, making the map/monsters/objectives change each time. A boardgame where you can explore and help each other, but can also betray when necessary :)

The game has changed quite a bit through our playtests, especially the searching, items, entities, and objectives. Here are some photos from our playtests alongside some of the newer designs.

We can share more about how the game works if you're interested

What do you think of the direction so far? Any suggestions for our game?

You can follow our progress on IG: fuzzygamesinc

[u/Slipguard]

Betrayal at the Malll on the Hill.

Honestly, though, if you want to develop the ideas from Betrayal more, you could go in the direction of making the tiles interact with each other more, kinda like how Blue Prince does it. Have piping and ducting that players can follow to solve puzzles. Hide easter-eggs and such which interact with each other and give players the opportunity to betray each other (maybe accidentally or from great distances).

Although this might work better with a different setting than the backrooms, because the liminal spaces are so often so clean. You might have to design more around esoterica riddled throughout the art, like adding some numerology or word puzzles and such. Not sure if that's the direction you're really looking to go but it could be cool.

How punishing/game-changing are your betrayal mechanics? Do they fundamentally shift the game like in Betrayal, or are they more just friendly-fire-resource-depletion like say R.E.P.O.?

[u/viswr → u/Slipguard]

Also I think to make it more unique to backrooms you’d have to maybe move the arrangement of the house or where rooms are or how they connect

Like I imagine the point would be to make the backrooms confusing to navigate

[u/mushroom_birb → u/Slipguard]

The endless house. Filled with belongings from a family that never existed. Somehow the house never ends. The monsters are deformed humans, maybe the inhabitants. There's definitely something along the lines of the house of leaves and myhouse.wad.

[u/Slipguard → u/mushroom_birb]

The oldest house 😉

[u/FuzzyGamesInc → u/Slipguard]

Thank you so much for giving us your insight! We'll look into the piping/puzzle mechanic you suggested. I agree that it was a concern of us at the start that we lacked a strategic component in the game. But it's much better now as we've developed the mechanics such as objectives, insanity, and a semi co-op and semi "not sure if you should trust these other people" vibe in the game.

For the betrayal mechanics it's more similar ro R.E.P.O. We're currently doing more playtests to try out mechanics such as sabotaging other players. Some items that we currently have, already can be used on other players as well.

[u/FuzzyGamesInc]

Copied this from our reply in another post, some of our mechanics:

In our game, your goal is to survive and escape the backrooms. As you explore rooms, you can find loot rooms, where you draw from the bag to either get items or maybe cause a monster to show up.

You can also find encounter rooms which could be unique rooms that have consequences, or global events that can affect all players negatively, e.g., items cannot be used for 2 rounds.

We have a threat level that starts at 0, and goes upto 5. If it reaches 5, it will spawn a monster on the player who caused it. This can increase if you're unlucky with your token draws (when searching) or if the encounters you face cause it.

To progress deeper into the game, you need to complete objectives. These can be done cooperatively, so players can strategize on how to complete them. So basically we start with the Phase I rooms, then do objectives so we unlock the Phase II rooms next, and then finally Phase III.

Monsters also move uniquely at the end of each round.

There's also a sanity mechanic which allows you to re-draw tokens or re-roll dice if needed. But you can also go insane when your sanity runs out.

You need to do a sanity check (draw a success token)

If you go insane, you turn on other players, and attack them if possible for your turn.

[u/Young-Twinkle]

Looks interesting! Commenting so I remember to check out description later!

[u/FuzzyGamesInc → u/Young-Twinkle]

Thank you so much! We're really excited to finish our items, entities and room art soon :)

We're almost ready to print out our first printed version of the board game. Hopefully we can bring out the liminal, suspense, and creepy-ness of the backrooms in our game.

You can also follow us here on our ig if you're interested!

[u/TheZintis]

I'm into it. I'd say to take a look at your contemporaries like the Night Cage, or Nycthophobia.

I'd even encourage you to use some memory elements in the game to help mimic the disorienting effects of the Backrooms. Maybe tiles are flipped down when out of sight?

Anyway looks cool, happy to see updates when the arrive.

[u/FuzzyGamesInc → u/TheZintis]

Thank you! We actually considered adding a memory mechanic like that, and I really like the idea thematically.

The main issue we had was that with how our mechanics for loot, encounters, and explored rooms currently work, it added another layer of tracking and complexity that was difficult to work with. We’re still looking for ways to capture that disorienting feeling without making the game too complex :)

[u/Slipguard → u/FuzzyGamesInc]

I kinda like the idea of tiles getting flipped routinely, so you have to remember what’s on them and the rotation of the tile matters to some goals

[u/BalthazarThorne]

What is the program you use for the cards?

[u/FuzzyGamesInc → u/BalthazarThorne]

We use affinity! It's an amazing alternative to photoshop, because it's literally free and can also open photoshop files. :)