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[Game of Moans] 0.2 Preview: The Memory Minigame
We're roughly 45 days away from hopefully dropping 0.2, so we want to start to open the stream of information about what you can expect from the next build but we don't want to show off too much too quickly. It's always nice when there's a few surprises waiting in an update so that you're plesantly surprised as opposed to just meeting expectation.
What we have to show off today, then, is a brand new minigame coming to "The Whispers from The Wall". What we're currently dubbing, "The Memory Minigame" (real name pending) is an age old classic where you have to correctly match sets of cards from a face down position. When creating the minigame, we wanted to figure out a thematic way to link this with the gameplay purpose of raising the player's knowledge stat. Knowledge and Memory seem like, at least at a basic level, two things that often go together so it was settled that we would use The Memory Card game to do just that.
So, to raise your KNOWLEDGE stat in the game (more about stats in the future), you'll have to go to Maester Luwin in Winterfell to use his state of the art memory table found conveniently in the Winterfell Rookery (accessible through the library). This will be where Maester Luwin spends most of his time from now on, as well. The actual act of unlocking the minigame will be done through a quest, so expect some requirements to be met before you're able to use the minigame to start progressing your KNOWLEDGE stat. Here's a sketch of the table that you'll no doubt be visiting many a time during your frequent stays in Winterfell (yes, Winterfell will still be a major location even during this content drop).
If you don't know what a Memory Minigame is, here's a quick refresher. A number of sets (2 cards make a set) is dealt out onto a board in face up position and then shuffled around randomly. After a specific amount of time, the cards are then flipped over and the player (you) has to click on a card to flip it over again. Then, and here's the challenge, you have to remember where the other card of that set was on the board and click on it to flip it over. If you memorized it correctly, you should be seeing the same card as the one you originally clicked. These cards stay up and you move on. If you see a different card of a different set, the cards flip back over and you have to try again. This process keeps going until either time runs out or you get all the cards in a face up position. Here's a mockup of the board and layout.
Sounds simple, right? It definitely will be at the start when you're accessing the minigame for the first time. We'll add additional mechanics that challenge you deeper the more Knowledge levels you grow so you're challenged to reach the higher levels of the Knowledge stat. For extra clarification, the Knowledge stat will be capped during 0.2 and we plan on adding more levels to that post 0.2. It will also be the first of many stats / minigames that we plan on eventually adding to the game in future updates. Here's an extremely early mockup of the UI and general look of the minigame created by someone who definitely isn't an artist.
Every time you get a pair correct during a Memory minigame run, you'll get XP that immediately is added to your Knowledge XP bar (this bar will be shown right in front of you while you're playing for that immedate satisfaction). Then, depending on how many wrong selections you make and how long you take getting there, you'll be given a bonus XP chunk that should reward you for your time spent. On another note, we'll give you your first run of the memory minigame free of charge as part of the quest to unlock it. After that, though, it's going to cost you. We haven't decided on the exact cost yet, but it's definitely going to cost something. This is done to add some impact behind your decisions and so you are pushed into doing other things instead of just purely maxing out your Knowledge stat immediately.
So, now, let's get to the fun NSFW stuff. Thematically, we wanted the card game to match the purpose behind the game which is to - surprisingly - arouse the player. What better way to do this than naughty playing cards? We had a lot of fun coming up with sets of cards with unique designs that show off interesting situations that aren't directly shown in the game yet. These even contain characters who won't directly be in the game for a long while yet. So, basically, you're able to get a taste of other characters without even having to meet them. Here's a fun little group of sketches of a certain Winterfell lady enjoying some fresh air showing maybe what you can expect from some other cards.
What this means is that you're going to REALLY enjoy playing the minigames not only because the gameplay behind the minigame is a tried and true enjoyable and simple experience but because it grows your characters stats and, of course, you get some very enticing eye candy to look at during it. Here's the current top down look at what the memory minigame will look like.
So we've shown off the Daenarys and Sansa cards, and you can bet there will be many more we might show at a later date but will definitely be in 0.2. Below will be high-res versions of both the back of the card and the current cards we've shown off. That's everything for this 0.2 Preview, we'll be doing a whole lot more in the following weeks to get you guys nice and excited for the future. Let us know your thoughts below or on the discord! We're open to engaging about ideas! We want to see lots of suggestions and ideas about playing cards you might like seeing. Thanks for reading!