Card and Board Games - iPhone Game Blueprints - page 127

ity of autonomous moving around the game board. Being placed at any square, a
robo-zombie begins to walk slowly in the direction chosen at random, making only
one step at a game phase. He roams till he meets one of the following characters:
• Opponent : The robo-zombie tries to fight, failing to realize that his chances
are not resplendent. In most common cases he loses, but the opponent gets
nothing because there are no batteries inside these poor creatures, as with
robo-golems. If they meet at the door square, the robo-zombie helps the
monster with his power like a robo-golem does.
• Opponent's robo-golem/Opponent's robo-zombie : The robo-zombie
fights with him. If he wins, the opponent's creature is destroyed, but the play-
er's robo-walker continues his journey.
• Player : The robo-zombie assists with opening doors and fights the monsters
from containers. If they reach each other at an empty square, the robo-zom-
bie simply continues his promenade.
• Player's creatures : They work as a team till one of them leaves the corres-
ponding game square. Robo-zombies can also change their direction.
Just like his step-brother golem the robo-zombie should be wrecked in parts and
returned to the spares deck after a battle. The only exception is if there is a fight
between the creatures; the one who wins, continues his life cycle.
I like the robo-zombie very much because it is the example of board game mech-
anics, which suits electronic realizations more than analog ones. Because it is not
comfortable and sure to move a robo-zombie by hand in each move, remembering
their directions, and so on. But the application can make such operations easily and
visual.
The game uses initially a small wizard to create a robo creature. First of all, when
the inventory gets enough parts to create a robo-golem or a robo-zombie, special
icons should start blinking. If the player taps them, the inventory window centers at
the screen. All the parts that are not related to creature generation become inactive
(dark or semitransparent); the player has to choose all the parts he wants to spend
on, and then he taps the Create button. After that, the game shows the fullscreen
image of a game map, so the player can put his creature at the board. Don't forget
about some allusions to Dr. Frankenstein ; the sound of lightning, electric noises, and
a sinister laugh are very appropriate.