The latest feedback Carousel got from a very influential partner was that it was too complex for a casual player but too simple for a hardcore one. They weren’t interested in a filler game for a hardcore player.

Among my playtesters are several hardcore gamers who like to play it inbetween much longer games. It’s a puzzle, a braintease where you have interesting choices in every turn. It’s also a race, so it doesn’t drag for too long.

I didn’t develop the game with a target audience in mind because I didn’t intend to sell it. I just found an underused mechanic and had fun with it until I had something original. As soon as I noticed interest on it I started pursuing it. Times are rough and publishing a filler game for a hardcore audience could be risky at the moment.

This means I’m no longer working with Mesaboardgames on this project. I really liked working with them though, and would certainly do so again now that I know what type of game they’re looking for.

What’s next? I’ll be talking to other publishers, having fun with other themes and looking at other ways of putting it out there. Suggestions welcome!