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JP's avatar

Maiya's comment made me also want to share how the game of tic-tac-toe is called in my home country, Brazil. We call it "jogo da velha", which, in a translation from Portuguese, means something like "the game of the old woman/lady".

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Maiya's avatar

Certainly fascinating to think about :)! Thank you for sharing.

I think, for me, it probably depends on what I'm after in a game... and what type of game it is. Waxing can be really a nice way to gradually learn the mechanics of something, and new things always seem more "shiny"... though there might be a point where it's too much – although that probably also depends on the pacing of the increases.

Dynamic can be quite nice, it gives more a sense of control.

I can see a waning space potentially being super atmospheric if used in the right context, like, in a game about surviving a long winter, or something like that?

That said, even static can be great, if the options are great and/or many from the start! Or, the space can stay the same size, but the options swapped out – I'm currently reading "Under Hollow Hills" by the Bakers, and you always have the same number of "plays" (moves, options), even the same ones, but other things in the game changes – most notably your appearance/imagery, through stepping toward summer/winter, and your bonuses to your plays also change around. An interesting contrast to most other broadly PbtA games, where you often can gain more moves over time. I also just read "Wanderhome" by Jay Dragon, a Belonging Outside Belonging game; and there (mostly) the number of things marked on your sheet stays the same, but they can evolve/change over time, getting swapped out as your character changes. And I guess, all the while, the "some things you can do" list stays the same – unless you swap playbooks, which you do have the option for on an advancement (either by your character retiring and you making a new one, or them changing so much they need a new playbook). And I suppose, the things you can do are essentially endless, moves/plays/things you can do are just some, not all, the options.

(Also, as a fun aside, we call tic-tac-toe "luffarschack" over here in Sweden – which means something like, "tramp/vagrant('s) chess" ^^)

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