Deck-building Games Guide #3 – In-Game Events and how to make them interesting!

Hello hello! It's been a long time, I apologize for my absence but on a personal note, I just felt a bit uninspired and out of ideas. Now I am not, so we can keep talking about all things design!

So today continuing my deck-building guide, we'll be talking about how in-game events work as well as what variables to keep in mind before we make some! Alright on that note, let's get to it!

What Events are you talking about Akash?

Well, events in deckbuilding games come in form of "random encounters" which could net the player either a positive effect or a negative effect, based on some randomness or some trade. A lot of things to take in right? Let's break it down by taking a few examples, then we can make one for our own wrestling game!

Example 1: Fight in Tight Spaces

Fight in Tight Spaces is an excellent deck-building game. The combat system and the cards work so well together that it's hard to put down once you pick the game up! But the event design in it might be one of it's weaker points, Let's take this one for example -

Lot of randomness, am I right?

So you access the event through one of the paths and you're shown this screen. One of the problems here is that all options have a chance of the player losing something, it may be health or currency. And the chances to lose-gain something are almost equal, which makes the choices less interesting.

So we can take away one thing, the % chance of randomness needs to be varied in order to make the choices interesting.

Let's look at another example to get a better understanding.

Example 2: Slay the Spire

Slay the Spire on the other hand needs no introduction. Although getting to an event is the same, you have to choose to go to one. Nothing's stopping you to skip them but Slay the Spire makes it much better to go into one because they're just that interesting. Already we can notice a few differences -

1. The positive outcomes are colored. It makes them much obvious and clearer.

2. Your choices themselves are labeled. It's a very small thing, but lore-wise it starts to make sense!

3. An option to leave is present. Although it's event-dependent, most events in Slay the Spire have it. It can offer the players another meaningful choice if they don't want to engage with the randomness.

So how do we make them interesting?

It is simple and it's not, as is everything in life. :D

Don't worry, to facilitate this, I have created this small matrix of questions and variables that you can use as guidelines for creating interesting events.

Questions	Answers	​Why
​How many choices do the players have?	Maybe 2, Maximum 3.	Remember too many cooks, spoil the broth. The choices need to be meaningful enough that the players coming to the event have their purpose justified.
Does it have any outcomes?	Positive Outcome or Negative Outcome, w/ chance	Something gained or something lost can make the event much interesting! Remember randomness do not need to be even and too small! It may leave a bad taste in player's appetite.
Can the player leave?	Yes/No	As I said, this isn't super important to have if the event choices are interesting. Also if you already have 3 different options in place, you can ignore this.
​What can be gained/lost?	Cards? Relics? Health? Money? Nothing?	Makes the stakes higher or lower! Players can also use this to possibly remove some negative traits/things they might have carried over previously.

So with this small matrix in hand, why not make an event?

Example Event: Sir Punch A Lot's Training Grounds

He'll knock you out. In a civilized fashion.

So here's the event! As you can see we have an interesting scenario, with very varied options! Here's the matrix for it -

Questions	Answers	Options	Chance
​How many choices do the players have?	3 choices
Does it have any outcomes?	Mixed Outcomes	1. Free Card	100% Chance
		2. Get Relic	33%Chance
		3. Start a Fight, Get Special Relic After	100% for both
​​Can the player leave?	No
What can be gained/lost?	Card, Relic, Health

As you can see, the choices are varied enough that the player can think about what they actually want to do! And that's the most important thing, not making an event "boring". Let's explore some scenarios with the choices -

1. Get a Free Card - This can be useful if a player has a lean deck, has no big negative outcome if the player doesn't want to take a chance. Alternatively, players will avoid this choice if their deck is efficient and contained.

2. Chance to get a Relic - No negative outcome, but a chance of a positive outcome. This is the "safe" option that most players can opt for, with the caveat being that they might or might not get something.

3. Fight and Get a Special Reward - High Risk, High Reward scenario. More experienced/risky players can opt for this and get something substantially helpful for their progress.

See? With 3 choices themselves, we can give different lanes that the player can go! Ah, the beauty of game design!

Again, small events in deck builders can be special! Just proof of that is our mustache friend above.

That's it for now my fellow readers. Cheers! And until next time, stay safe. Akash :D