Progress Report

The goal for research and development is to have the initial prototype of Razumijen playtestable for an initial run-through sometime between November (Thanksgiving) to December (Christmas) of 2008.

Design Goals

• Make stopping genocide “fun”
• Focus on cooperative gameplay
• Reward doing what is right, not what will “win” you advantage over others
• Rewards based on playing the best you can given the cards dealt and events occurring

• Playable by 2-7 players within 2-3 hours
• Playable by ages 12 and up; key target ages 15 to 45.

• Board: Map of West Balkans focused on (Former) Yugoslavia
• Components: Playing pieces, markers, dice
• Card Decks: 108 cards (Leaders, Powers, Peoples, Events, Interests)
• 4 Pages of Rules

Tonight, I am working on the list of leaders for the game.

I also lined up a few people to playtest in the future. Jana Krezo and her son Mario have agreed to be the first playtesters. Since Jana was the person who spurred me to go to Croatia, to Vukovar, to see the land for myself, I believe she deserves to be the first to see the initial fruits of my labor. The game will be dedicated in part to Jana, Mario, and all the war survivors and extended members of the various ethnic diaspora in the world.

I also contacted Keith Redfield, my former colleague and boss from both ComputerWare and Cisco. I’d like to dedicate the game in part to him, his former wife Sally, and their daughter Amelia. The term ameliorate is the key theme of Razumijen: to lessen and sooth the harmful effects of war and human hatred. I have a great deal to personally thank Keith for in my life, and this game is in great measure possible only because of the opportunities Keith gave me in my professional life.