Human Interface: Nakamura Tower (2016)

Human Interface: Nakamura Tower (HINT) is a board game that is a unique combination of many elements known from tactical and skirmish games, RPGs and board games. The game is based on a struggle between two powerful megacorporations that takes place in the title tower.

HINT is designed for 2+ people but through different scenarios can be played alone, in cooperation or against other players. The story happens in the near future when the world is dominated by new technologies.

In HINT you will lead a team of selected professionals of a given faction. Each of them has unique skills and abilities, each one can be given weapons and other equipment, be enhanced genetically or cybernetically. All characteristics and modifiers are presented on special character and equipment cards (you don’t need to constantly flick through the rulebook). Each character card has a limited amount of slots that can be filled with equipment and modifications. The player can purchase additional equipment to replace the current item depending on the “group’s assets”. You may like your heroes or hate them but they will no longer be just anonymous pawns.

The game is played on a board showing the interior of the Nakamura corporate tower that is under attack by its rivals. The characters are moved using spaces on the board. This eliminates the need to measure distance when moving and fighting thus quickening the pace of the game and allowing to avoid misunderstandings. Each space presents a specific tactical situation that influences the characters placed on it.

Game mechanics are fairly easy as we wanted to achieve a perfect balance between a fun game and rules that enable a lot of tactical possibilities. The basic rules are easy to learn but the possibilities of their use grow significantly in combination with the characters’ skills and capabilities of equipment. The characters are defined by their basic physical and mental abilities and modifiers, which make it easier or more difficult to perform some tasks, that make them unique. These modifiers result from their skills, special training or cyberations and other equipment. The rules do not use any dice and the testing mechanics are based on cards that we call CanDo. The description on the card, its value and colour influence the final result of the test. The numerical value also states the location of a hit and additional effects connected to it.