[This is the thirteenth entry of 18 in a game design journal series introducing Spheres & Farms, a game about real estate brokerage branding in the Puget Sound region. Previous]

Spheres & Farms is a card-assisted game, not a card-driven one. In this game, cards both generate listing opportunities and introduce events that occasionally occur. Cards neither steer the game, nor propel it forward, but do shape it through, on the one hand, delivery of the essential function of generating “listings” of homes for sale; and on the other depiction of relevant and realistic contingencies that contribute to the authenticity of the simulation. Cards provide input to the results of player decisions, but do not necessarily limit what players can do. However, the cards will shape player strategy and occasionally deliver key turning points in the game.

The prospecting/event card deck and card contents

The prospecting/event card deck consists of Cards are one-sided, with “Spheres & Farms” and potentially other branding on the reverse. On the obverse, each card is divided into two halves. The top half will display the prospecting results in three columns: labels on the left, the results for a market-driven (“market”) listing at the center, and the results for an aggressively priced (“aggressive”) listing on the right. In the columns will appear squares in colors to match one of the OC colors—one square in the market column, and two in the aggressive column, along with coded instructions for solicitations from marketing spheres and a DR10 maximum to win. Results are not listings won, but rather listing opportunities to be rolled for: first on the indicated table for location, then a second die roll to win. A player is not required to proceed with a listing opportunity until after rolling for it, but any mandatory events must still be played. This includes all events following an aggressive solicitation.

The bottom half of each card will describe an event and its effects. Some events are conditional on the current phase of the ECT. Some events are mandatory to the active player. Non-mandatory cards may be played or not played at the drawing player’s discretion if that player has announced a market-driven solicitation; if the solicitation is aggressive, any event card subsequently drawn is mandatory. One card simply indicates that the deck is to be reshuffled, which should be done immediately upon drawing it.

The procedures for resolving the card details above and the reasoning behind them will be further described in the next journal entry entitled “Prospecting for listings and incurring events.” The remainder of this entry will describe the event card contents.

There are favorable events, including promotions, as well as unfavorable events. The events feed promotions, as these are often triggered by offers from external advertising channels outside the realty office's or brand's control. Almost all unfavorable events can be regarded as contingencies—outlier incidents that cannot be easily planned for, but that do inflict pain when they occur. Some events are duplicated on different cards to reflect their relative frequency of occurrence. The card drawn for its event is drawn after any and all listing cards are drawn; the events on the cards used for listing opportunities are ignored when those cards are drawn. An event card must be drawn after a market solicitation even if the player has already decided to discard the event. That event remains optional to play. Again, the event is mandatory if the agent’s solicitation was aggressive, or in any case if the event is marked as mandatory. (Numbers and card counts below are tentative.)

Event card directory

No. Card Title and Description Count
1 Celebrity listing

Automatic high-end listing: If sphere marketing, roll DR10 ×3, sum results, subtract from 100, and match on U/S table. If geographic marketing a location with the “trophy” amenity symbol, a successful listing is automatically placed on the same card. Listing remains until closed by play of “Celebrity sale.”

1
2 Celebrity sale (by area type)

Automatically close and record any celebrity listing by the drawing player.

1
3-4 Flippers

Treat as no result during a bust. Otherwise, add a “flipper” marker to the flag on the dial for the last listing sold by the active player. When the flag should normally be removed, it automatically converts to another listing for any of that player’s agents farming that area

2
5-6 Contingency failure

Roll a DR10. On 1-3, return the active player’s most recently closed listing (player’s choice among ties) to the location card, resetting the for-sale marker to the first (“1”) position. Reduce the P&CR and VP totals.

2
7-8 Undisclosed encumbrance

Roll a DR10. On 1-3, the player must select either the current listing or another listing of this agent and either (a) convert that listing from market pricing to aggressive pricing, OR (b) subtract two from any selling die roll this turn.

2
9-10 Hidden structural faults

Roll a DR10. On 1-3, the player must select either the current listing or another listing of this agent and either (a) convert that listing from market pricing to aggressive pricing, OR (b) subtract two from any selling die roll this turn.

2
11 Listing break-in/burglary

Randomly select a listing by this office and roll a DR10. On 8-10, disregard this result. On 4-7, treat the listing as expired. On 1-3, reprice it to “aggressive.” In either case, advance all sold flags on the same location card by two steps, or remove if >3 on the dial.

1
12 Disciplinary action

Roll a DR10. On 1-3, the active player must transfer all current listings by one of their agents to others. Move that agent’s farm(s) to the edge of its current location card. No listing rolls may be made for that agent for one full turn.

1
13 Fraud

Roll a DR10. On 1-2, the drawing player randomly selects one of their agents. On a second DR10 of 1, permanently remove that agent from play; on any other result, randomly select one of that agent's listings and treat it as if expired.

1
14-15 Overambitious seller

Price strategy for the latest listing by the active broker is converted to “aggressive.”

2
16-17 Well-informed sellers

Add DRM +2 to next selling roll for any listing by the active broker.

2
18 Competition recruits

The two top agents in play by experience numbers (among all players) are permanently removed from play. Managing players may distribute listings assigned to those agents among their remaining agents.

1
19-20 Agent retires/launches business

The active office loses their most experienced agent. The player may distribute listings assigned to that agent among the remaining agents

2
21-22 Agent exits/changes brands

Choose randomly from agents with just one or no current listings (exception: if the office has a broker farming the Homebuilders box, that broker must be selected). Disregard if none qualify. If that agent has a listing, the player may assign it to another agent.

2
23-24 Developer solicitation

On a DR10 of 5-10, the active player may add an agent with project qualifications and open a project. Add +2 DRM if any farm (of any player) is in the FB1G marketing sphere.

2
25-26 Short-selling agent

(Treat as no result except during a bust)
This player only may draw one demand token from the sidelines in each of two different colors to any farmed location or marketing sphere, then draw and consult a second listing card for a new listing.

2
27-28 Small-market dominance

An agent has sold a property in an exurban market for which there is no location card. The active player rolls a DR10 and records the equivalent amount of P&CR points (but no matching VPs).

2
29 Act of God/Force majeure
(If 1‒2 is rolled on a DR10, roll again below and apply the results):

Damaging winds (1‒8): roll on Exurban LL Table; the resulting location and each of the surrounding locations each receive +1 DRMs to both listing and selling rolls for the remainder of this turn. Earthquake (>8): roll on Urban/Suburban LL Table; the resulting location and each of the surrounding locations each receive +1 DRMs to both listing and selling rolls for the remainder of this turn.

1
30 Infrastructure failure
(If 1‒2 is rolled on a DR10, roll again below and apply the results):

Bridge out (1‒3). On a roll of 1 or 2, roll on the U/S LL Table; on 3, roll on the Exurban LL Table. The resulting location is subject to a +1 DRM on both listing and selling rolls for the next three turns. Ferry service interruption (4‒10): Randomly select any location with the saltwater amenity icon. That location receives +1 DRMs to both listing and selling rolls for the remainder of this turn.

1
31-32 YIMBYs

Any urban residential (“U”) location card on which the active player has visibility is eligible for a new low-rise project launch.

2
33 Radical city council

Upon play, remove this card from the deck and substitute the Chaos card (#34), Anti-Gentrification (#35), and Major Employer Relocation (#41) below. Reshuffle deck for next play. This card has no other effects.

1
34 Chaos
(omit from deck until #33: “Radical city council” is drawn)

The effects of “Listing break-in” are applied to two listings on the same or different high-rise (“H”) or urban residential (“U”) cards. If the active player has no such listings, the effects may be applied to listings of another player. Roll a DR10. On 8-10, disregard this result. On 4-7, treat the listing as expired. On 1-3, reprice it to “aggressive.” In either case, advance all sold flags on the same location card by two steps, or remove if >3 on the dial.

1
35 Anti-gentrification
(omit from deck until #33: “Radical city council” is drawn)

Upon a DR10 of 1‒3, remove this card from the deck and place it face up within view of all players. No new projects are allowed in Georgetown, Columbia City, or Upper Rainier Beach through the end of the game. Aggressive pricing is henceforth automatic for any listings in these locations, as well as Beacon Hill and Central District.

1
36 Transit-oriented development

Any urban location card with an employment icon on which the active player has visibility is eligible for a new low-rise project launch.

1
37-38 Foreign buyers

If the active player has a farm in the FB1G marketing sphere box, that player draws another card and wins an automatic listing according to either BNCG appearing on that card. If there are no matching demand tokens in the box, the player may draw them in from the sidelines. Roll the location on the U/S listing location table.

2
39 China tightens currency controls

Shift the two lowest-value demand tokens (if any) from the FB1G marketing sphere to the sidelines box on the economic cycle track.

1
40 Employer hiring spree

Treat as no result during bust. Otherwise, roll DR10 to select employer market and refill demand tokens to that market’s starting level for the year: on 1‒3, CRITM; on 4‒5, Aerospace; if >5, there is no result.

1
41 Major employer relocation
(omit from deck until #33: “Radical city council” is drawn)

Roll DR10, then consult the Major employer relocation chart and follow the major employer relocation rules [to be cited here upon formalization] for Amazon, Microsoft, or Boeing according to the results.

1
42-44 Waterfront promotion

The active player may run a promotion for any agent farms in locations with a waterfront symbol (either freshwater or saltwater). Any player’s agents may win listing opportunities as a result. See the rules governing promotions.

3
45-47 Golf property promotion

The active player may run a promotion for any agent farms in locations with a golf amenity symbol. Any player’s agents may win listing opportunities as a result. See the rules governing promotions.

3
48-50 Equestrian promotion

The active player may run a promotion for any agent farms in locations with an equestrian amenity symbol. Any player’s agents may win listing opportunities as a result. See the rules governing promotions.

3
51 Media moves the market

Roll a DR10. On 1‒5, randomly select and shift one demand token from each marketing sphere to the sidelines box on the economic cycle track. On 6‒10, randomly add one demand token from the sidelines to each marketing sphere (as many as are available, up to eight tokens; randomly select marketing spheres).

1
52 Building supply shortage

All Project Construction, Project Occupancy, and Project Presales counters are advanced by one turn on the combined records track.

1
53-54 Interest rate change

The active player immediately rolls on the Economic Cycle Advance Table to determine whether a change occurs in the Economic Cycle. Any change takes place at the end of the current round of prospecting.

2
55 Reshuffle deck 1

Schedule of entries

  1. Spheres & Farms™ design and strategy journal: Introduction
  2. The agent and brokerage as real estate brands
  3. How price and place matter
  4. Visualization, testing, and learning
  5. Spheres & Farms™ game summary
  6. Game procedures and routines in the context of agency law and practice
  7. Game components; agent counters and cards
  8. Farming methods; market selection
  9. More about marketing spheres; the economic cycle track (ECT)
  10. Economic cycle effects on marketing spheres
  11. Location cards: the Spheres & Farms™ "game map"
  12. Location card contents, office locations and maintenance
  1. Prospecting for listings and incurring events
  2. P&CR points: promoting and selling listings
  3. Construction projects and pre-sales
  4. Visibility points: accumulation and scoring
  5. Sequence of play