A project by a group of craft gin-loving designers to create a board game called "Gin Crafters" has started on Kickstarter, and as of this writing, we have received 1,377,309 yen in support, 196% of our goal. We can make the specifications and perks more luxurious depending on the amount of support we receive, so we hope you will help us make this the best game possible.

日本語版のnoteはこちら

Gin Crafters is a board game that allows players to experience craft gin production. As far as we have been able to find out, this is the first game in the world to deal with this subject. There are many games that feature alcoholic beverages, but there must be none that focus on gin making. As a creator, I am happy that there is no precedent, but because there are so many unknowns, I wanted to make this a crowdfunding project to see how people react to it. To our delight, more people than we had imagined have been attracted to the concept, and since the pre-registration period, in addition to board game fans in Japan and abroad, we have received attention from gin and alcohol lovers and people in the restaurant industry.

Thanks to this, the team has been motivated and is now almost finished developing the game content, which will be completed and submitted after incorporating the feedback and reactions we received during the crowdfunding process.

This note is the story behind the crowdfunding of “Gin Crafters," including the concept and design intent of the game project.

Concept of the project

Gin Crafters was developed as a game that allows players to make gin and experience the fun of gins.

There are two main ways in which Miyazaki begins to think about a game: "What will be expressed in the game (theme)" or "What will be played in the game (system). Gin Crafters is a project that began with the former in mind.

There are two main ways in which Miyazaki begins to think about a game: "What will be expressed in the game (theme)" or "What will be played in the game (system). Gin Crafters is a project that began with the former in mind.

In other words, it is not a project to create a game because craft gin is fashionable and put it on the flavor, but rather a project to create a game to experience the world of craft gin because it is so interesting.

I first became interested in gin several years ago when I was given the opportunity to try craft gin at a board game event. Until then, gin was something I drank with a gin and tonic at a pub without being aware of the brand. However, when I entered the world of gin, I was impressed by how interesting the different botanicals can make a big difference in impression, and how flexible it is to change the way to drink it depending on the meal or situation, and how stylish it is.

This project is exactly the same, but for projects like this one that start with a theme, the starting point is the ego of wanting more people to find what impressed me interesting.

When I was unsure about the game design, I went back to the method of making gin, its history, and the materials used to make it. As I will explain later, for example, it was decided from the beginning that "juniper berries" would be an important item.

And with the understanding of these egos and concepts, the project for "Gin Crafters" began in collaboration with JUGAME STUDIO, who also loves gin.

Elements at the Core of the Game System

Gin Crafters is a medium-volume game that takes about 40 to 60 minutes to play, 90 minutes with the expansion set. The winner is the one who collects the most victory points by collecting ingredients, making gin, and building up the distillery's reputation.

Actually, we've cut down quite a bit on the elements we wanted to include. The world of gin making is full of particulars, so if I want to make it more complicated, I can add as many flavors and increase the volume as I want. However, the concept of this project was to let as many people as possible know that "craft gin is fun! So we focused on the finishing touches of gin making, especially in the basic set, to create a system that allows you to get to the fun part right away.

Simply put, the process of making gin is to soak herbs and spices called botanicals in strong alcohol and add aroma. It is very simple. I have even made it at home.

As a genre, it is a distilled spirit, and usually there are more steps involved, but I think one of the charms of gin is the freedom to do without.

However, even so, the one thing that all drinks that call themselves gin must adhere to is the use of the juniper berry botanical.

Not many people have seen the actual berries, but if you have ever had a gin and smelled the berries, you will say, "That smells like gin!”. If it were not for the juniper berries, the botanical would be something other than gin, even if it is made by the same process.

That's why we made the game system so that if you don't have juniper berries, you can't even make gin. If you can't make gin, you don't get victory points. To put it more radically, if you play without juniper berries, it is very difficult to win the game.

With that premise, you need to have other botanicals that are in line with the gin recipe ideas you have, so there are quite a few times when you will find yourself in a dilemma. However, I think the process of creating a gin with no clear order of priority is similar to the actual trial and error process.

Focus on Game Design

At the core of “Gin Crafters" is a game system that is intended to recreate and experience the process of gin creation without being too heavy-handed. In this section, I would like to introduce a more detailed and particular aspect of the game design.

It is about giving players the nourishment that only a board game can provide.

This is not limited to “Gin Crafters," but if a group of adults are going to get together and spend a good amount of time together, we want them to have an experience that they can only take home with them from the event. We believe that the value of playing board games lies in being able to enjoy a session that can only be created by people who happen to be together at that moment through the medium of board games.

What is necessary for this is the elements of decision-making and mutual interference.

First, let's talk about decision-making. It can be described as the feeling that what you think and decide affects the outcome of the game. For example, in “Gin Crafters," the order of which gin recipe to produce and the timing of purchasing ingredients from the market are elements that correspond to that. At first, it is fun enough just to use the ingredients on the cards you have without thinking too much about it.

However, as the game progresses and you get used to the game, you will be able to see what other players are trying to do, in what order and with what effect, and you will be able to make more choices. As you get used to the game, however, you will be able to make more choices, and you will find yourself in a dilemma because you will not be able to easily make a decision that no matter how you think about it, this is the right one. It is fun to look back after the decision is made and say, "Oh, I should have chosen this one at that time," or "I was worried, but this choice was the decisive factor for victory," and to talk about how "I didn't tell you, but actually it would have been bad if you had taken this action at that time!" This is the kind of conversation that can only be had when playing board games together in person.

Next, let's talk about mutual interference. This is when players influence each other in a game. I believe there are two main types of interference: passive interference and active interference.

Passive interference is when interference with the game as a whole results in other players being affected. In “Gin Crafters," botanicals and juniper berries that appear on the market disappear when someone buys them. So, even if you don't intentionally think of interfering with other players, the result can be as if you did. The person who is hit may feel "Damn," but it is also understandable that it is just the way it is. This is the kind of reluctant interference.

Active interference, on the other hand, is to take some action and influence other players with clear favor or harm. This is not the case in Gin Crafters. The reason is that it is a very selective system. Choosing someone to do harm is not something you normally do in everyday life, and it can be a big psychological burden for some people. The person who is hit may not feel good about it either. As a player, Miyazaki personally loves this kind of active interference, but he knows that many people do not want it.

However, it is also true that active interference has the potential to raise the joy per session. Playing with each other, doing the foul techniques that can only be done in that game and only in the ring, brings pleasure and a sense of freedom. Playing with a group of friends who enjoy each other's company is the best experience of all.

In “Gin Crafters," we have created an action called "Sharing Botanicals," which aims to strike a balance between passive and active interference.

Normally, in order to complete a gin, you must have the botanicals for the recipe yourself, but you can "borrow" one from another player and make your own gin. The botanicals of the lender are not lost, and the lender receives 2 coins from the stock in return.

The borrower can cheat a little, and the lender benefits the other player but also benefits him/herself, so it is a win-win situation. There may be times when you would rather borrow from them, and this can lead to some mysterious conversations. I don't think that this is part of the actual gin-making process, but it is a system that I thought of as a way to add flavor to the game to make it more fun.

In this way, "Gin Crafters" is based on actual gin making, but with the added elements of decision making and mutual interference that make it fun to play as a game.

So, that was the story of “Gin Crafters" project concept, core elements of the game system, and particulars of the game design.

If you are interested in more detailed information (project overview, detailed rules, expansion sets, artwork, etc.), please take a look at the project page. Even if you just want to share the page, you're more than welcome!
* This text has been translated using DeepL. Thank you for your understanding.