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Saqqara first started with the idea of using a dice for something other than being rolled. Let's be honest – dice get a lot of slack from all the other components. They're always getting picked on by the meeples and wooden discs for relying too much on luck. So I wanted to restore some pride to the dice community. Thus, there is one die in Saqqara – but you won't be rolling it! I also wanted to build a game in which each player has his own deck of cards. The contents of the decks are identical, though, so it's all about when and how the players use their cards.
What on Earth Is a Nomarch?
No, it's not a mispelt monarch. The theme of Saqqara was greatly influenced by the game mechanisms. When I first started creating the game, I knew an ancient setting would best suit the design. After doing some research, I read about a time in Egypt's history when the power of Pharaoh was weakened. During this period, the district leaders – known as nomarchs – were left to defend and develop without any help from the government. Eventually one district would grow in strength, and from there a new Pharaoh took the throne. "What a cool theme for a game!" I thought.
From Prototype To Production
Here you can see some of my earliest prototypes. The original game – at this stage titled Nomarchs and Pharaohs – had just four development tracks. There was no Nile for scoring additional victory points and no market phase, but it was enough to catch the attention of White Goblin Games.
When WGG first contacted me, I had to admit that the game was still in its baby stage, with me making changes to the gameplay on a daily basis. When it came time to send over a prototype, I decided to go with a basic black and white outline version of the board.
How Has the Game Progressed?
With the help of White Goblin, we tweaked the gameplay, which opened up a whole new angle on the game. Pyramids replaced the original "development tracks", offering more room for strategy and replayability. We also added additional cards and further rules to help balance the gameplay. Matthias Catrein was brought on board to illustrate Saqqara, and he came up some amazing artwork, which really helped to bring the game to life.
The End Result
Saqqara is a very open-ended game. Players won't often feel forced down a path that they don't want to take. My advice? Don't overcommit to the market (unless it's really worth the effort) and never underestimate the value of saving or collecting even just one resource. I look forward to hearing all the various strategies that players develop.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy Saqqara!
Shem Phillips
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