My talk from GDC Next in LA, on November 6th, 2013. ABSTRACT: In the past decade, cooperative games have become an important category for tabletop play. Best-sellers like Pandemic and Flash Point: Fire Rescue are just the tip of the cooperative iceberg, with dozens more filling game store shelves. Meanwhile, in the online computer game field, quests and character specialization imply cooperative play, but the games don't necessarily embed cooperative mechanics in their code. This session will bridge that gap by highlighting specific tabletop mechanics that encourage, support and even limit cooperation, and suggest how they can be used in online games. It will do so using many references to specific tabletop games. TAKEAWAYS: Attendees will learn about the design of cooperative elements in tabletop games, including cooperation styles and anti-cooperative incentives. They will be able to discuss basic cooperative theory, including elements of limited communication, hidden information and costly assistance. Finally, they will be able to apply these tabletop lessons to online design.

1. Cooperative Gaming:
Tabletop Lessons for
Online Games
Christopher Allen
Owner, Publisher, Producer—RPG.net
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2. Christopher Allen
Publisher:
Producer:
Co-Founder:
Co-Author:
www.RPG.net
Beyond the Mountains of Madness, Arkham Horror,
Infinite PDF App, Numerous iOS & Online Social Games
iOSDevCamp
iPhone in Action (programming)
Touched: Revelations (graphic novel)
A Friendly Game (forthcoming)
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3. What is a Cooperative Game?
“Cooperative — an association of persons
for common benefit.”
—Merriam–Webster Dictionary
“Players are given a common task that they
must achieve, and they realize very quickly
that they are doomed. The players realize that
the task is essentially insurmountable, so
competition and selfishness is replaced by a
true spirit of togetherness against the
common evil.”
—Reiner Knizia,
“A cooperative game is a
game where groups of
players may enforce
cooperative behavior.”
designer The Lord of the Rings (2000)
—John Nash on Game Theory
“Pure cooperative games rely on
the players working for a common
goal against a board and game
system that will shift each game.”
—Richard Lanius,
designer Arkham Horror (1987)
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4. What is a Cooperative Game?
“A game design such that
players must cooperate in order
to achieve a mutual goal,
usually survival against an
‘oppositional’ system.”
— Christopher Allen
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5. What is Cooperative Play?
“Activities where players
cooperate in order to achieve
individual goals.”
— Christopher Allen
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6. Spectrum of Cooperation
Solitaire
Competition
Cooperative
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7. Spectrum of Cooperation
Solitaire
Competition
Cooperative
One vs. Many
/ Secret Traitor
Individual Ranked
Partners / Teams
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8. Online Cooperative Games
There is a long history of online
cooperative team games…
NetTrek (1988)
First Internet team game
Two 8-player teams PvP
Doom (1993)
First big commercial hit
2- & 4-player teams PvE & PvP
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9. Online Cooperative Play
But in the last 15 years online cooperation has
been more focused on cooperative play…
Ultima Online (1997)
First US major with significant
cooperative “guilds”
Everquest (1999)
First US major with with “epic raids”
Up to 72-player cooperative PvE
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10. Cooperation & Online Games
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Cooperative Play
➡ cooperate to achieve individual goals
Cooperative Games
➡ cooperate to achieve mutual goals
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11. Tabletop Cooperatives
Shadows over Camelot (2005)
Cooperative with Traitor
Arkham Horror (1987,2005)
Early true cooperative game
Battlestar Galactica (2009)
Great Cooperative with Traitor
Pandemic (2008)
Great True Cooperative
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12. Applying the Tabletop to Online Play
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13. Applying the Tabletop to Online Play
Supporting Cooperation
Oppositional Design
Limiting Communication
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14. Supporting Cooperation
Strategic Cooperation
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15. Supporting Cooperation
Strategic Cooperation
•Symmetrical Strategy
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16. Supporting Cooperation
Strategic Cooperation
•Symmetrical Strategy
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17. Supporting Cooperation
Strategic Cooperation
•Symmetrical Strategy
•Asymmetrical Strategy
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18. Supporting Cooperation
Strategic Cooperation
•Symmetrical Strategy
•Asymmetrical Strategy
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19. Supporting Cooperation
Tactical Cooperation
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20. Supporting Cooperation
Tactical Cooperation
•Shared Resources
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21. Supporting Cooperation
Tactical Cooperation
•Shared Resources
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22. Supporting Cooperation
Tactical Cooperation
•Shared Equipment
•Shared Tasks
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23. Supporting Cooperation
Tactical Cooperation
•Shared Equipment
•Shared Tasks
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24. Supporting Cooperation
Tactical Cooperation
•Shared Equipment
•Shared Tasks
•Shared Combat
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25. Supporting Cooperation
Tactical Cooperation
•Shared Equipment
•Shared Tasks
•Shared Combat
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26. Supporting Cooperation
Tactical Cooperation
•Shared Equipment
•Shared Tasks
•Shared Combat
•Limiting Shared Tasks
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27. Supporting Cooperation
Tactical Cooperation
•Shared Equipment
•Shared Tasks
•Shared Combat
•Limiting Shared Tasks
•Special Powers
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28. Supporting Cooperation
Tactical Cooperation
•Shared Equipment
•Shared Tasks
•Shared Combat
•Limiting Shared Tasks
•Special Powers
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29. Supporting Cooperation
Victory-Focused Cooperative
Play
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30. Supporting Cooperation
Victory-Focused Cooperative
Play
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31. Supporting Cooperation
Survival-Focused Cooperative
Play
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32. Supporting Cooperation
Survival-Focused Cooperative
Play
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33. Supporting Cooperation
Teamplay
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34. Supporting Cooperation
Teamplay
•Hidden Teams
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35. Supporting Cooperation
Teamplay
•Hidden Teams
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36. Supporting Cooperation
Teamplay
•Hidden Teams
•Dynamic Teams
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37. Supporting Cooperation
Teamplay
•Hidden Teams
•Dynamic Teams
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38. Opposition Design
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39. Opposition Design
Opposition in Online Games
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40. Opposition Design
Opposition in Online Games
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41. Opposition Design
Opposition on the Tabletop
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42. Opposition Design
The Oppositional Cycle
Trigger
Activation
Cascade
Decay
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43. Opposition Design
The Oppositional Cycle
Trigger
Cascade
Activation
Decay
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44. Oppositional Design
Oppositional Results
THREAT
Immediate
CONSEQUENCE
Future Concern
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45. Oppositional Design
Oppositional Movement
Triggers
THREATS
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46. Oppositional Design
“In the Lord of the Rings, the players are given a
common task that they must achieve, and they
realize very quickly that they are doomed. The players
realize that the task is essentially insurmountable,
so competition and selfishness is replaced by a true
spirit of togetherness against the common evil. The
evil is me, or at least all the nasty obstacles I build into
the game system to work against the players!”
—Reiner Knizia,
designer The Lord of the Rings (2000)
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47. Limiting Communication
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48. Limiting Communication
Communication should be
restricted
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49. Limiting Communication
Communication should be
restricted
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50. Limiting Communication
Information should be hidden &
confusing
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51. Limiting Communication
Information should be hidden &
confusing
How many swords?
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52. Limiting Communication
Limitations should be
surmountable
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53. What makes a great Cooperative?
•It should be possible to fail
•The future should be unpredictable
•Choices should be uncertain, difficult,
and allow for loss
•The game should have momentum and
be repeatable
•Cooperation should improve over time
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54. Great Tabletop Cooperatives
Saboteur — intro collaborative with traitor-like gameplay
Shadows over Camelot — influential traitor cooperative
Battlestar Galactica — sophisticated traitor cooperative
Castle of the Devil — hidden teams
Descent: Journeys in the Dark — overlord
Forbidden Island — intro true cooperative
Hanabi — limited communication cooperative
Arkham Horror — foundational true cooperative, long but good
Pandemic — influential true cooperative
Ghost Stories + White Moon — advanced true cooperative
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55. This talk based on:
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A Friendly Game: The Design, Theory & Practice of
Tabletop Cooperative Games
by Christopher Allen & Shannon Appelcline
We haven’t chosen a publisher yet, so feel free to contact
us for more information!
ChristopherA@RPG.net
ShannonA@skotos.net
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