This might be me overthinking this and I should just fill in my gaps with my own judgement but a few questions reading through the game:
1. When marking a Desperation or a Wound, is the design intent that the character draw a card at that moment (so it has an assigned value like Calling Cards)? Or that a random Diamond or Heart, respectively, will be drawn from the player's individual decks every time a deck is needed (Raise the Stakes or Duel)?
2. I would like to clarify Suit matters most line: Does a Heart always beat all other suits and a Spade or Club always beats a Diamond? Or does a Heart always beat only a Spade and a Club always beats only a Diamond?
3. In a more than 2 player game, there are more than 1 people playing The City on any given turn. So say the Bloodhound goes to a supporting character, which is played by one of The City players (so the Bastard is not directly in the scene). Could the other The City player(s) grab the Bastard and call in the the Two Dozen goons to interrupt that scene (trying to suddenly interfere with the Bloodhound: they are getting to close to something or someone), or is the design intent that the other The City players are more passive if not directly in the scene?
Really loving the interactions and dynamics, just want to make sure I understand the design intent (and not re-invent the wheel since the game has already been playtested).
Great questions! Thanks for asking, this is helpful for me to know what needs clarifying.
1. The intent is when you mark a Desperation or Wound that it's immediately added to that character's deck, and then the same Desperation or Wound stays with them until they unmark it / clear it. So if Barf has a his three calling cards and a wound in his deck, and then he marks a Desperation mid-duel, you immediately shuffle that Desperation (a random Diamond) into his deck, and it stays there even into the next scene if say his opponent runs away next round. But the value/rank of Desperation and Wounds comes up rarely enough that the exact card or value is relatively immaterial relative to just having the Diamond or Heart in the deck, so if Barf's deck gets disassembled between sessions or something, the important thing is that it comes back with the same calling cards and number of Diamonds/Desperation and Hearts/Wounds next time he's on screen.
2. A Heart always beats all other suits, and a Diamond always loses to all other suits.
3. The intent is indeed that other City players could grab the Bastard and send in goons, or even grab another character and enter the scene. Doing so might be socially impolite between players if other people aren't feeling it, and whoever's scene it is should really be the star of the show, but sometimes a great way to be the star is for the Bloodhound and her friend to be interrupted by goons and have to work together to defeat them (or whatever).
Happy to clarify further if you're curious about anything!
I'll probably include solo play suggestions in the final release of the game, but the short version is "keep the rules the same and do all the parts yourself!"
We played this at Big Bad Con and it was the funniest game, note perfect vibes, lots of ridiculous revenge-fueled violence that emerged from a very straightforward core mechanic. I had a great time!
I want to focus the game on the revenant’s flashbacks, exploring its life and downfall. But as the game progresses, it will also delve into the flashbacks of the person who is the target of revenge, revealing the complexity of their life and the choices that led to the betrayal.
It’s a bit like building up to that tense and enigmatic moment at the end of For the Queen, where you ultimately have to choose.
Band-aids and Bulletholes is a deck builder that emulates the revenge stories of John Wick, encouraging players to use lavish sets and film language to set the scene for each showdown - whether that's a shootout, a fistfight, emotional soul baring, a desperate plea for help, or something else.
The gameplay is intuitive and as quick-paced as you want it to be; linger on a character's smoldering cigarette between their fingers before they throw a punch, or make it quick and dirty and describe how the fight ends.
Create a whole mess for your characters in an astoundingly short time. Fall in love with Barf, then ruin his life and set him on a (maybe futile) quest for revenge.
This is my favorite game of 2024 and the year isn't even over.
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This might be me overthinking this and I should just fill in my gaps with my own judgement but a few questions reading through the game:
1. When marking a Desperation or a Wound, is the design intent that the character draw a card at that moment (so it has an assigned value like Calling Cards)? Or that a random Diamond or Heart, respectively, will be drawn from the player's individual decks every time a deck is needed (Raise the Stakes or Duel)?
2. I would like to clarify Suit matters most line: Does a Heart always beat all other suits and a Spade or Club always beats a Diamond? Or does a Heart always beat only a Spade and a Club always beats only a Diamond?
3. In a more than 2 player game, there are more than 1 people playing The City on any given turn. So say the Bloodhound goes to a supporting character, which is played by one of The City players (so the Bastard is not directly in the scene). Could the other The City player(s) grab the Bastard and call in the the Two Dozen goons to interrupt that scene (trying to suddenly interfere with the Bloodhound: they are getting to close to something or someone), or is the design intent that the other The City players are more passive if not directly in the scene?
Really loving the interactions and dynamics, just want to make sure I understand the design intent (and not re-invent the wheel since the game has already been playtested).
Great questions! Thanks for asking, this is helpful for me to know what needs clarifying.
1. The intent is when you mark a Desperation or Wound that it's immediately added to that character's deck, and then the same Desperation or Wound stays with them until they unmark it / clear it. So if Barf has a his three calling cards and a wound in his deck, and then he marks a Desperation mid-duel, you immediately shuffle that Desperation (a random Diamond) into his deck, and it stays there even into the next scene if say his opponent runs away next round. But the value/rank of Desperation and Wounds comes up rarely enough that the exact card or value is relatively immaterial relative to just having the Diamond or Heart in the deck, so if Barf's deck gets disassembled between sessions or something, the important thing is that it comes back with the same calling cards and number of Diamonds/Desperation and Hearts/Wounds next time he's on screen.
2. A Heart always beats all other suits, and a Diamond always loses to all other suits.
3. The intent is indeed that other City players could grab the Bastard and send in goons, or even grab another character and enter the scene. Doing so might be socially impolite between players if other people aren't feeling it, and whoever's scene it is should really be the star of the show, but sometimes a great way to be the star is for the Bloodhound and her friend to be interrupted by goons and have to work together to defeat them (or whatever).
Happy to clarify further if you're curious about anything!
Can't wait to see this develop. And I can't wait to hack it. So many smart concepts.
any thoughts on a solo hack?
I'll probably include solo play suggestions in the final release of the game, but the short version is "keep the rules the same and do all the parts yourself!"
We played this at Big Bad Con and it was the funniest game, note perfect vibes, lots of ridiculous revenge-fueled violence that emerged from a very straightforward core mechanic. I had a great time!
1. Ooo, this looks fantastic!
2. Side note – I hadn't heard of Mariner's Revenge Song before – DAMN!
3. This is really inspiring and will definitely come in handy, as I’m working on Trophy Revenant (working title).
It’s a game rooted in Trophy about a wraith clawing its way out of a cursed forest to return to the world of the living for revenge.
Oh that rules! Trophy feels like a great framework for a revenge game! Will keep an eye out for Revenant.
Oh, thank you, that’s kind of you! :)
I want to focus the game on the revenant’s flashbacks, exploring its life and downfall. But as the game progresses, it will also delve into the flashbacks of the person who is the target of revenge, revealing the complexity of their life and the choices that led to the betrayal.
It’s a bit like building up to that tense and enigmatic moment at the end of For the Queen, where you ultimately have to choose.
This game provides about as much excitement as one is legally allowed to have in a TTRPG. It 100% delivers on every bullet point it promises.
Band-aids and Bulletholes is a deck builder that emulates the revenge stories of John Wick, encouraging players to use lavish sets and film language to set the scene for each showdown - whether that's a shootout, a fistfight, emotional soul baring, a desperate plea for help, or something else.
The gameplay is intuitive and as quick-paced as you want it to be; linger on a character's smoldering cigarette between their fingers before they throw a punch, or make it quick and dirty and describe how the fight ends.
Create a whole mess for your characters in an astoundingly short time. Fall in love with Barf, then ruin his life and set him on a (maybe futile) quest for revenge.
This is my favorite game of 2024 and the year isn't even over.