Intro Part 1: Game Play & Game Board

Hey! As we get closer to releasing our public beta, I’m excited to share with you about some of the unique features of the game.  Today, let’s talk about basic game play and the game board!

Background

In case you didn’t already know, Animon Arena is a combination of the excitement of real-time PvP with the strategy of collectible card games and dynamic abilities of a monster puzzle game.  So what does that exactly mean?

Several years ago a game called Puzzle & Dragons became crazy popular, especially in Japan, and it introduced the world to the genre of puzzle battle games.  While gem-based puzzle games like Bejeweled had been around for years, P&D used gem movements in a unique and creative way.

As a result, many different gaming titles have been launched over the years using puzzles as “triggers” to control the attacks of various types of monsters, creatures, heroes and villains.  At Trippin’ Software, we’ve been fans of this genre for a while, but felt we could bring something new and creative to it, especially with PvP gameplay.  That’s one reason why we created Animon Arena.

 

Basics

• Objective: Win the battle! How? By defeating all of your opponent’s Animon before he defeats yours.  Once your health = 0, then it’s game over.
• Team Size: Maximum of 5 Animon per team
• Gems:  There are 6 different gems: 5 elements and 1 healing

 – Fire   – Water   – Ground   – Electric   – Air   – Health

• Gem Board: 5 rows x 7 columns.  The game board is a real-time shared puzzle board.  That basically means that the same gems are seen and moved by both players during a PvP battle.  This is one of the most unique features about our game, and allows players to not only generate attacks for their team, but players can also strategically manipulate gems to control and limit the moves of their opponent.

• Attacks: Match 3 or more gems to attack your opponent. All Animon corresponding to the gem-type of the matched gems will perform an attack.  Matching 7 gems generates an all-team attack.
• Ability Cards: Each player is given 5 ability cards corresponding to their selected animator (trainer) at the beginning of the match.  I will talk more about ability cards in a future post.

• Animators:  Yeah, I know, it’s a creative name 🙂  Animators are basically trainers for you Pokemon fans. Each player selects an animator and builds a team of up to 5 animon. Animators will have specific ability cards and sometimes specific animon associated with them.

 

1st Player Advantage – 2nd Player Shields

In all real-time, turn-based PvP games there is always someone that gets to make the first move.  This typically results in a disadvantage to the 2nd player.  This is called “First Player Advantage”.  Games such as Hearthstone have successfully addressed this problem.  We believe we have also found a good solution to this issue, while adding a unique twist to the game.

In Animon Arena, the 1st player is selected randomly.  If you are the 2nd player, prior to the match you will be given the opportunity to place a shield on one of your animon using a shield ability card.

If a shield is applied to an animon, the shield will remain on the animon until that specific animon is attacked.  If an animon with a shield is attacked, 100% of the attack damage will be stopped.  The shield will be removed from the animon automatically after 1 attack occurs.

 

Game Board Layout

Your team is always on the left side of the screen and your opponent’s team is always on the right.  The ability cards are in the middle and the attack gem board is at the bottom.  Players have a limited amount of time to make their turn.  A players turn is completed in 1 of 2 ways:

1. Time runs out
2. Player moves a gem piece.

Once a player begins moving a gem piece, they have a limited amount of time to complete the move.  Once the time runs out or the player releases the gem piece, then the move is completed.  If there are any 3 or more gems that are matched that corresponds to the same element of any animon on the player’s team, then the animon will perform an attack.

 

Health Bar

The health bar is at the bottom of the screen.  If the health bar reaches 0, then you lose the battle.  There are 4 stars on the health bar.  The player will be awarded any stars less than or equal to their current health at the completion of any battle he/she wins.  Collecting these stars allows the player to open Star Card Packs.  I will talk more about card packs in a future post.

 

That’s it for now.  I hope you’re getting excited about Animon Arena, because we are!  We’d love to hear your thoughts and comments, so feel free to share them in the comment section below.

Alan

Next blog post in this series:  Ability Cards