ZeroSum

This is a complex macro-economics card game for multiple players. Each player runs a country and sets financial priorities, which are then played out on a global stage with or against the other players.

A valid (though simplified) macro-economics model underpins the game, driven by the card choices of the players. Each player can decide that their goal is to achieve competitive (financial) dominance or "enlightenment" (reduced unemployment and reduced wealth gap).

Here are links to some current documents and images for background about the game.

• Game board: current test-play board
• Sample cards

Art needed

The art needed for this game is described below, with current examples. The goal of the art is to suggest the 7 concepts in simple but appealing cards, board, and box cover with some common style. Target age range is 12-25 years, but should also be appealing to adults, not 'dumbed-down'.

Images on cards

There are 59 cards in the deck (many reuse the same images, 22 unique images). There are 7 unique topics across all the cards, 5 countries, and miscellaneous other concepts. They should all be done to the same style. Each of the 5 countries should have its own color and can have its own style, but the styles have to work together.

Here is the full set of play-test cards to give you an idea.

• set 1
• set 2
• set 3
• set 4
• set 5
• set 6
• set 7
• set 8

Each card that has a country on it (35 cards) will have its major country color on the back of the card. The backs can be anything, but keep them simple.

The game has 9 TAX cards, 4 are duplicate images. Eight of the cards are the three tax categories (Tax rate for the top 10%, Corporate Tax rate, Tax rate for the middle 50%, and Tariffs), with one up and one down for each category, and one is a no-change card

Five of the cards are COUNTRY cards. These can be anything, just an image and a title. The 5 country names are: Alhambra,Laucatan,Sinhasa,Bucillo,Xingha. Make them all quite different. Each country should have its own unique color that is replicated throughout the app and on the game boards. You can also use pattern or texture differences or other indicators to help color-challenged players, color should not be the only indicator.

There are 10 CATASTROPHE cards, again 4 are duplicates. These also just need to suggest the concepts.

Some of these cards may change as a result of further play-testing.

Background image for the rules

Box cover

The game board

The current plan is to use a simple board with 8 separate graphs, approximately 5" x 5" (26cm x 26cm), and digitally 1575px x 1575px. Each player will have a token for each graph and that token will be moved up or down on each graph at the end of each round to the place where their trade balance sits. The only critical part of each graph is a bar through the middle where 0 trade balance is. Gradations easy to follow in 5 increments up and 5 increments down are required, and probably some indication of the 5 different vertical spaces for the 5 players to move their tokens up and down (eg, color bars or vertical lines). The board might change with more play-testing, but most likely only text or with the addition of another board with other graphs.

To save cost and especially shipping, there will probably not be any board shipped with the game. The board squares will be available as images for download.

App Icons

The major menu items will each need icons (and color suggestions! -- or could use images as buttons):

• Set priorities
• Change taxes
• Calculate changes
• Trade Balance Details

There is also the opportunity to influence or direct the design of all the app screens if you want to.