Ruinn Development
I have been a massive fan of trading card games like Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon TCG ever since I was a child. Ruinn is my attempt at designing a card game using the lessons learned from the vast history of trading card games as a roadmap to develop a multiplayer-focused game in an industry dominated by 1-on-1 formats! Built using the resources provided through Sheridan’s Co-op On The Edge (COTE) program, Ruinn won 3rd place and earned $1000.00 towards the development of the product! (Figure 2)
In November 2020, my friend and co-founder of Ruinn Zachary Whistle asked for my help in designing a card game to help provide industry-like experience to Bachelor of Illustration students at Sheridan. The project garnered a large amount of attention and many people joined in on the project. However, this influx of people proved to be too much to handle and amidst some miscommunication, the project slowly fell to the wayside given the COVID-19 pandemic and academic responsibilities.
Around April 2021, after not having secured an in-industry co-op position, I decided to apply to Sheridan’s COTE program using the framework developed in the previous winter’s semester. The COTE program is a small business incubator meant to help startup projects acquire the skills and resources necessary for launching a business venture. Using the framework developed in the previous winter’s semester, my partner Mya Cordner-Cassidy, and I pitched the reformed game Ruinn which was accepted into the program (Figure 3).
Figure 2: Final Pitch Deck presented to industry guests. Won 3rd place and $1000.00!
Ruinn - The Game
Ruinn is a multiplayer free-for-all collectible card game that takes place in a world ravaged by distinct warring factions, all vying for control of ancient eldritch weaponry called Vestiges. You play as your factions General and, utilizing the tools your deck holds, must reduce all other General’s health to 0, or control all the Vestiges in the game. Ruinn mimics many concepts found in Magic: The Gathering’s most popular format Commander (EDH) but expands on concepts that Magic’s design framework cannot capitalize on due to the 1-on-1 core design philosophy. Ruinn hopes to carve a niche for itself in the admittedly saturated card game market as the premiere multiplayer card game experience!
You may wonder…
“What separates Ruinn from other Trading Card Games?”
Though Ruinn was designed off of the backs of the industry titans, there are several concepts that are unique to the design of Ruinn that provides many new avenues for emergent gameplay!
Ruinn has a significant amount of distinct mechanics that are all expandable for multiplayer free-for-all gameplay!
Figure 5: 1-on-1 Gameplay layout showcasing mechanics & zones during gameplay
Combat Gameplay
As opposed to other card games where damage is resolved immediately during a damage phase, Ruinn aims to provide additional gameplay depths by having a phase and location-based battle system. The concept meshes the structural combat of Magic: The Gathering with the position-focused mechanics found in Hearthstone or Legends of Runeterra. The result involves a sequenced combat experience that takes place within 6* combat slots and resolves sequentially from 1-6. This slight divergence from traditional gameplay allows further intricacies in design and gameplay decisions. This difference gives further utility to effects that trigger from effects that occur in combat, such as units dying, dealing damage, or being blocked.
Programs:
Excel, Adobe Premiere, Adobe Photoshop, Google Suite
Figure 1: Ruinn Collectible Card Game Logo (Illustrated by Zachary Whistle)
Figure 3: Initial Pitch Presentation used to enter into Sheridan College’s Co-op on the Edge Program
Figure 4: Example General Type Card Frame. (Illustrated by Zachary Whistle)
General Focused Design
Other card games have starting values that each player shares when entering a game. In Ruinn, concepts like mana accumulation, deck-building requirements, and even starting health values are dictated by the general you have at the helm of your army. Deck building is a core gameplay facet of Ruinn and giving players both restrictions and a variety of options will allow users to have unique emergent experiences no matter what they choose.
Multiplayer Mechanics
Alternative Trading Card Games and Collectible Card Games struggle with accommodating larger playgroups, despite the obvious market demand for them. Magic: The Gathering’s “Commander” (EDH) format is a multiplayer casual experience designed originally by players. This fan made format has grown into the most popular way to play, however, there are notable design limitations games like Magic have to conform to in order to maintain competitive integrity amongst the plethora of alternative formats in the game. Ruinn is designed with the multiplayer experience in mind without the above restrictions competitors have to keep in mind!