The video games crash is destroying an industry!

It's the early 1980's.

There are too many consoles. Too many games. Not enough players.

Decisions have been made that are destroying an industry in its infancy.

Can you survive the crash?

Can you choose the right games to release and the right time to release them?

Can you build a company that will survive and thrive?



In Press Fire To Start, 2-4 players compete to build the greatest company reputation in a time of turmoil for the video games industry. Consoles are dying. Computers are thriving. You are a video games publisher and each decision you make about which games to release by which designers and when will change the way your company is perceived.

Press Fire To Start is a card game where each card represents a game in one of five Genres by development teams from one of eight countries. On your turn you'll take two games which will be added to your hand of four. From your hand you'll choose one game for release, and one game to reject. Choose wisely. The game you reject will be available for your competitors.

Will you be an all-rounder, releasing games across all genres? Or will you specialise. The risks are high if you specialise. You may saturate the market. But get it right and your reputation will grow.

Press Fire To Start requires planning and an awareness of your competitor's releases. Do you have the vision to guide your company to success? Play Press Fire To Start and find out.

AireCon 2020

Playtesting

Press Fire To Start

Board game version

First public prototype
Players are video game publishers in the 1980's.

The 1980's was an exciting and traumatic time to be a video game publisher. The video game crash of 1983-1985 almost destroyed the industry when it was still finding its feet.

In Press Fire To Start players have to develop and release games, generate sales, survive the crash, and build a Company Reputation that will stand the test of time.

This first prototype board game version of Press Fire To Start contains a lot of the gameplay ideas that I'd like to appear in the final game.

The game is still early in it's development cycle. Almost all of the ideas within the game will undergo changes, and some will be cut entirely as it finds its final form.

My aim for the AireCon playtesting was to find the parts that work and the parts that don't, listen to my playtesters, and take what I learn into the next version.


Thanks to all of my playtesters for their time, comments, and ideas.

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