One of the most wonderful things about working with GMT is that GMT One exists, recognizing the value of solo play for historical gamers. There was always going to be a solo system developed for Cross Bronx Expressway, but early in the design I had no idea what shape it would take. Because of its […]
Cross Bronx Expressway: A Solo Urban Planning Sandbox Read Post »
Designer BlogsShortly after finishing the third installment of this series about the tactility of the pieces, I took some time to capture a multihand playthrough of my physical prototype. Let me tell you a secret. I lost. In fact I lost in the first decade, three times in a row. Granted, this was the “Bronx is
Cross Bronx Expressway: Losing and Seeing The Bronx Read Post »
After Action Report, Designer BlogsA challenge (and sometimes a critique) of historical games that cover modern topics is that the story does not always end when the game does. Current events have a way of framing these games in a new light, as the circumstances continue to change and new information about them is revealed. Cross Bronx Expressway is
Cross Bronx Expressway: Picking up the Pieces Read Post »
Designer BlogsAs soon as an event deck was introduced to the design of Cross Bronx Expressway, it was clear that it needed to be split into periods. Covering 60 years of history, for the game to have an event from the 1940s played in the 1990s only works if you abstract away all of the historical
Cross Bronx Expressway: Building Historical Narrative Arcs Read Post »
Designer BlogsAsymmetric game design often lives and dies on the way players relate to their positions, frequently expressed through factions. In historical simulations, the faction design provides a framework through which players can execute their strategies. When done well the strategic choices presented to them create a decision space which mirrors the history, or at least
Cross Bronx Expressway: Positioning Players in the Bronx Read Post »
Designer BlogsThe map for Cross Bronx Expressway shows eight out of twelve community board districts in the southern section of the Bronx. A few communities in the city of New York, in the state of New York, in the country of the United States, on this planet we call Earth. The game zooms into this small
Cross Bronx Expressway: Modeling History Through City-Building Read Post »
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