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Calvinball Tactics

Starts as tic-tac-toe. Ends as procedural theater.

This layer adds special pieces and card hands. Soldiers self-propel at turn start, Ghosts cohabit cells, Anchors lock territory, and every card play competes against your 2 AP economy.

Turn 1Player XAP 2Deck 12Discard 0

Board Sandbox

Select an action, then click a cell. Standard pieces are X/O, Soldier is XS/OS, Anchor is XA/OA, and Ghosts appear as top-right GX/GO markers.

Current Hand

Choose an action, then click a cell. Card plays are now live.

Public Game Log

Turn 1: X opened the file and drew 3 cards.

Referee Office

Spend 2 AP to submit a dispute or piece definition. The ruling is binding and permanently logged for this session.

Ruling Register

No rulings yet. File the first complaint.

Design Pillars

  • Rule changes always cost actions, so chaos has an opportunity cost.
  • Cards constrain mutations so players cannot invent everything at once.
  • The referee is binding, even when the ruling sounds like city hall fan fiction.

In This Build

  • 3x3 tactical sandbox with place, erase, move, and card actions
  • Special pieces: Soldier, Ghost, and Anchor with distinct behavior
  • Shared deck + per-player hands (3-card start, draw 1 at turn start, max hand 5)
  • Server-backed referee rulings with seriousness score and public log

Next Systems

  • Board mutation graph (line drawing, anchors, and closed region detection)
  • Secret win condition cards and reveal bonuses
  • Disruption cards and out-of-turn counters
  • Async share-link multiplayer with persisted room state