As the days get shorter, the air turns colder, and natural generally transitions into “contemplate your own mortality” mode, I find myself avoiding thoughts of the grave by focusing on something cheerful, like tabletop game design! Today, for instance, I’m having some thoughts on the concept of “payoff” and I’d like to share them with you.
As a player, it’s satisfying to see the strategy you’ve been working on over the course of the game pay off in a fun and dramatic way. Here are some tips on adding that moment of sweet catharsis to your own game designs:
Hanging the Gun: In games, “payoff” typically comes from a sort of “Chekhov’s Gun” — something the player sees early in the game that promises to be awesome (“Wow! This card does a million points of damage!”), but “pays off” for the player later in the game. Make sure your players are aware of the payoff early enough in the game to take advantage of it.
A Promise of Payoff: When I look at the game and see something awesome that I’ll eventually be able to do, I suddenly have a goal (beyond just winning the game) a motivation to reach it, and a new strategy to help win the game. (“If I can build up enough pumpkin seeds, I can play the ‘Pumpkin Frenzy’ card and score 100 points! I’d better start growing more seeds!”)
Actual Awesomeness: Sometimes a payoff looks like it will be awesome, but in reality… it isn’t. Maybe there’s so much work to get there that the payoff isn’t worth it. Or maybe the payoff, which seemed amazing at first, turns out to merely be good or okay or a little sad actually.
Investing in Payoffs: Related to the above, every resource I invest in the payoff should actually go towards the payoff. When I dedicate myself to the payoff strategy, I shouldn’t have to worry about the resources being drained away by the rules of the game.
Don’t Deny the Payoff: One of the most frustrating things I’ve experienced in a game is when another player, with very little resource expenditure, shuts down the payoff I’ve been working towards all game. It’s one thing if we’re both racing to get the payoff, or if she spends a bunch of resources to deny me the payoff. But it’s something else entirely if she casually plays a card or rolls a die result that totally pulls the payoff plug.
Finally, it’s worth noting that your game might have a narrative payoff. For example, if your game is called “Pumpkin Rampage,” you’re implying to the players that there will be some sort of pumpkin-related rampaging before the game is done. Likewise, if the “story” of the game is a journey or mission, the payoff should be the end of the journey or the completion of the mission. (Even if the player fails to complete the story, that failure should also be a payoff, and not just the sound of air being let out of a balloon.)
Do you have any examples of “payoff” from your favorite games? Post them in the comments and share with the group!
