All Your Games, Toys, and Puzzles Are Belong To Flatpack

There’s a difference between games that are modded, hacked, remixed, and mashed-up and what I call a “real” Frankengame. A Frankengame is like the Winchester Mystery House: A sprawling mass of mini-games and tacked-on expansions that make make even Dominion players think you’re going too far. StikBash is definitely a Frankengame due to it’s open-ended make-your-own-cards gimmick, but my ever expanding collection of chess variants is starting to coalesce into a Frankengame too. I figure Flatpack, a game that assimilates puzzles and other games, qualifies as well.

Space Cadets is a good place to start since it’s a game made up of minigames. Using the Torpedoes track and disk adds a bit of shooting to an otherwise pacifistic game. Occasionally the WRENCHes will get a hold of a railgun or some other near-future instrument of destruction and will be forced to take something or someone out. To succeed, all the play has to do is land the red token in the farthest damage band.

• ONE SHOT, ONE KILL, AND THEN FEEL REALLY BAD ABOUT IT
• Type: This is not a standard puzzle. Turns and time do not apply.
• Difficulty: This is a Easy puzzle. Each adjustment to the chart allows the WRENCH to place the token one range closer (the default being the furthest range band).
• Hints/Time: N/A.

Solitaire Chess can be used for anything, but political or social games fit best.

• THE DANCE
• Type: This is a Timed puzzle. At base, the players have 3 minutes to capture all but one piece.
• Difficulty: This is an Medium puzzle. The WRENCHes get three chances to adjust the chart.
• Hints/Time: For each adjustment on the chart above Frustrated, the player is given a puzzle one level easier.

Shakespeare Blackout Games is a book of monologues and sonnets paired with challenges, such as creating a piece with only words that start with vowels. Then the reader redacts words from the piece to create something new. This could be used to communicate with a sentient computer that only speaks and understands poetry.

• FANCY TALK
• Type: This is a Timed puzzle. At base, the player has 1 minute to create a poem that conveys what they want to communicate to the computer. They may choose any page in the book to start with, but must choose only 1 page and adhered to that page’s challenge.
• Difficulty: This is an Medium puzzle. The WRENCHes get three times to adjust the chart.
• Hints/Time: For each adjustment on the chart above Frustrated, the player is given an extra minute.

Dexterity games, like marbles, or my favorite, KootiKooti, can make excellent stand-ins for chase scenes. This puzzle represents a mad dash to avoid whatever beast or robot the Troublemaker conjures up.

• RUN AWAY!
• Type: This is a Turn based puzzle. Set up a standard game of KootiKooti. The object is to exit the table from the opposite side. If the Troublemaker’s KootiKooti stik pins a player’s stik, the WRENCH is captured.
• Difficulty: This is an Hard puzzle. An adjustment to the chart allows the WRENCH to make an extra move at any time.
• Hints/Time: N/A

Since the future seems to be very prefab, Lego bricks can be used to represent the WRENCHes using an automated factory or giant 3D printer to build an vehicle just in time to escape a horde of whatever. In order to succeed, the WRENCHes much build a vehicle that looks functional to the Troublemaker.

• DIY ESCAPE CRAFT
• Type: This is a Time based puzzle.
• Difficulty: This is a Medium puzzle. Each adjustment of the chart buys more time to create the Escape Craft.
• Hints/Time: The base Time is 2 minutes. Each adjustment buys the WRENCH 1 additional minute.

A short game of Neuroshima Hex can represent the WRENCHes helping a ragtag squad of survivors (The Outpost) fend off killer robots (Moloch). The survivors’ HQ, which could also be transporting non-combatant refugees trying to make their way to the PCs’ town.

• WAR IS HEX
• Type: This is a Turn based puzzle. Play a normal game of Neuroshima Hex with the following changes: 1) The Troublemaker does not place an HQ; 2) The WRENCHes’ HQ only start with 5 hit points; 3) The WRENCHes only have to survive 10 turns to win.
• Difficulty: This is an Medium puzzle.
• Hints/Time: Each adjustment to the chart buys the WRENCHes’ 5 additional hit points.

(Note that Neuroshima Hex is coming out with a 3rd edition, which will include solo play puzzles.)