Designer's Note: "Super Miblitz"

Introduction

At the Game Market Online Afterparty hosted by Hallelujah Rockboy, there was a suggestion that "it might be interesting to write a designer's note in an interview format using AI."

This article is written by actually having a conversation with ChatGPT to document the design intentions and other details.

Q:
First of all, could you briefly introduce this game, "Super Miblitz"?

Itoo:
This game is themed around charades and cheating. It is played by two teams: the Genius Pair team, who perform a charades quiz full of cheating, and the Miyaburi (Seeing Through) team, who observe them to guess which ones are the cheats. Miblitz is a portmanteau combining
Miburi (gestures) and Blitz (meaning lightning/raid; often used when simple and short rules in overseas games are named Blitz Mode). The "Super" part was added for a "used retro game" feel. The image cited is a "cassette tape," but the image is of a collection of Famicom boxes lined up just like that.

Q:
How did the inspiration for this game come about?

Itoo:
I analyzed "Insider Game" to see what made it fun, and realized that "pretending not to know" is easier and more accessible to everyone than "pretending to know." Also, in "Insider Game," the
who is the insider? (WHO) was the mystery (the puzzle to be solved in the game), but my initial idea was that in this game, the mystery could be "what does the insider know?" (WHAT). As an aside, I would like to make a game where WHEN is the mystery someday.

Q:
How did you translate that structure into the game's rules?

Itoo:
The role equivalent to the insider in this game is the [Respondent]. That player participates in the charades quiz while cheating on three out of the four topics. They then perform a charades quiz game where they must hide what they are cheating on in front of an audience. This involves high pressure, specifically involving rules such as "all by yourself," "being observed by those around you," "up to two incorrect answers allowed," "90-second time limit," "taking on difficult questions from the start when tension is at its peak," and "immediate loss if you fail to answer a non-cheating question correctly." I believe that because there is pressure, the sense of accomplishment when succeeding is stronger.

The opposing [Miyaburi Team] is intended to serve as a device to generate pressure while also aiming for them to enjoy themselves casually. Specifically, they are required to observe the charades quiz and "see through the cheating questions." In this version, by setting the composition ratio of questions to "Acting:Serious = 3:1," I think it makes it easier to spot "obvious acting," creating a situation where the Miyaburi team can easily laugh. Also, the fact that there is a discussion phase is a feature of the Miyaburi team, and I believe that one of the top three fun points of a board game is the "
post-game analysis." I also want players to enjoy the talk during the game, like a post-game analysis, about "which one is the cheat?" (※If you can completely see through 3 out of 4 cheating questions, you will inevitably have seen through which one is not cheating.)

The [Questioner], who is the partner of the [Respondent], also faces a dilemma. The Questioner has not only the "gesture part of the gesture quiz" but also the "choice of what to use as cheating material" to deal with.
An example image is shown below. You draw 4 cards from the deck and choose 3 to use for cheating from the 4 questions: "Driver's License", "Soap Bubble", "Steak", and "Necktie".
The problem here is, "What should I leave behind as the non-cheating problem?" You want to leave a low-level one that is definitely understandable, but that creates a situation that is also easy for the Miyaburi (Guessing) team to understand. On the other hand, leaving a high-level one naturally increases the difficulty, which puts a burden on yourself, and creates a dilemma where you will lose if the respondent cannot answer correctly.

(Postscript) I added this level system not just for the Questioner's gameplay, but because I believe it also provides a starting point for the Miyaburi team to think, making it "easier to find clues."
I think reading people is also an important element of board games, so it's interesting to become paranoid, thinking, "Isn't that guy going to pick a high-level one right away?"

Also, I made the game short overall. As a creator, I have a strong desire for everyone present to be able to play both the Questioner and the Respondent and play it many times. I made it so that it can be completed within 5 minutes, including setup.

Q:
What kind of fun do you feel was created by adding a "cheating element" to the "gesture quiz"?

Ito:
In the early stages of development before arriving at the gesture quiz, I was thinking of a "word game" or a "drawing quiz." Such substitutions are easily possible for the current version of Miblitz as well.

However, the reason I ultimately chose gestures is that it is the most ridiculous and funny. For example, if you are told to "do a gesture for conveyor belt sushi," anyone will make strange movements, and it seems impossible that the correct answer could be derived from such movements. But in this game, you are forced to cheat and guess it. I felt that the laughter coming from that strangeness is a major core experience of this game. I don't think either of the aforementioned options would result in the same level of laughter.

Q:
I'd like to ask about the game balance. Both the Genius team and the Miyaburi team have ways to win, but what measures did you take to ensure that one side doesn't become too advantageous?
Also, please tell me about any difficulties you had with the balance during playtesting and any points of adjustment.

Ito:
Actually, there is a clearly advantageous side, and it is intentional. For players who have exceeded a certain level, the design is basically such that the Genius team is easier to win with. This is based on the idea that "in social deduction games, the minority side should be stronger." That increases the desire to "try playing the minority side," and it is because I believe the minority side is the protagonist of this game.

I struggled with the selection of topics. I think the first play of this game is really, really important, and I tried to be careful so that accidents (i.e., patterns that don't get exciting) caused by the topics wouldn't happen. For the keyword leveling, I set things that require a story or where the gesture itself becomes strange, or things that are a bit minor as words to a high level, and conversely, things that are easy to express as objects or things seen more in daily life to a low level.
However, there is a limit to the means of gesture itself, and difficulty differences inevitably arise within the same level. In fact, after the release, I received feedback such as "there was a difficult level 4 and an easy level 4."
Furthermore, because my perception was not thorough enough, I have also received opinions that "there are some things where level 2 is easier than level 1 even on the same card." I reflect on this point and would like to connect it to the next version.

Q:
What kind of experience or emotions do you want players to feel through this game?

Ito:
I want the Pair team to feel the thrill and the joy of victory. On the other hand, I want the Miyaburi team to enjoy it while laughing casually.

As for the feeling of the Pair team, I am aiming for an experience close to a "clutch" in the FPS "Valorant" (Valorant). During a match, there are situations where you have to fight against 3 people on the enemy team while you are alone or with just one teammate. Depending on the match situation, intense pressure arises, especially if it's the last round where you can't afford to lose. When you win in such a tight situation, there is a moment where "the feeling is shared with your teammate." It's a sense of unity and excitement that makes you want to high-five even though it's online.
In "Super Miblitz," I hope that moments where the Pair team can feel "we did it well, nice!" will be born, and that they can experience that kind of feeling.

You might not understand if you don't play VALORANT, but this is a reference video I found while writing this article. If there is anyone who plays both VALORANT and Miblitz, please talk to me. I don't mind if you say, "They're completely different!"
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OH5B0LHtegU

Q:
If you have anything you would like to convey to those who will play "Super Miblitz" from now on, or those who are interested in it, please let me know.

Ito:
I think I have created a good game that is in the lineage of Insider Game. It is a very strange game to call it a game of observing a gesture quiz, but it is an interesting game, so I hope you will pick it up. Thank you.

Booth: Here