A Case of Intergalactic Murder

There’s been a murder. (Or just an event; maybe there are multiple types of games to play.)

Gameplay

All players have several pieces of the puzzle, right on their phone.

However, they may not communicate in any way … except their own made-up language.

Each player’s phone gives rules about how the language works.
You automatically get more rules and puzzle pieces over time.
But you can also buy more words and information, at the cost of complexity in your language. (For example, buying a new word, means you get a maximum or minimum on your sentence length.)
Similarly, some words have no meaning, but an effect. (For example, including word X means you are allowed to make your sentence longer.)

Objective

The goal? Answer the main question ( = solve the murder) within X turns.

There are X cards on the table with random objects. You are supposed to grab the correct ones and place them in the correct order.

Slight Twist: Space Theme / Story

There’s a great danger/catastrophe coming to the universe. You must collaborate with all alien races to invent something to prevent it => Alternative name = “(Un)Intelligible Inventors!”

IDEA: Why restrict it to language? Maybe we can also draw shapes, or make (animal) sounds, or make gestures!

IDEA: Make languages descent from each other? So one person might say “minski” when they mean “table”, and then a descendant language would say “mins”

IDEA: For variety, there should be many types of events, dangers and solutions.

IDEA: Maybe there are some things that cannot be undone. For example, one part of the invention must be boiled, or cut, or whatever. This would add a question of urgency as to what information you’re relaying.

IDEA: Maybe those cards on the table are also needed to get power-ups? But they also belong to players, so you need to ask them if you may have it?

Cards on the table resemble objects. You turn over a set of them, then draw a symbol that “connects” them for others to guess. (The human whose turn it currently is, is each allowed to turn over a few of them that they think are connected. In a sense, they decide which information they want.)

Then, later in the game, you use those symbols (that people hopefully figured out) to steer them toward specifics items they need to pick.

There are two teams: aliens and humans. Yet you win on your own within your team.

If an alien gets 3 of their things guessed, that alien wins.
At that point, the human that has the most chips (no matter where they came from) is the winner of the game.

This could be adapted to my game by only allowing players to use descriptors sometimes, instead of giving them the actual word for what they need. Maybe each player has a dictionary that grows over time, as they do research and stuff.

THE PROBLEM IS that you need to somehow be able to connect the random words and sentences of a player, to certain themes/words/parts of the board. Otherwise you can never figure out their language.

What We Need (I Think)

One player who is allowed to speak freely (in the common language of all players)
One common reference. (Such as cards on the table with symbols/words, or locations on a game board. Perhaps one phone, from the person who can speak freely, is placed on the table to provide a dynamic game board.)
Objectives and messages that are varied (so you can’t just guess them), yet can be translated over time if you work hard.
(All languages descent from each other, so there are commonalities players can use to figure stuff out.)

This would allow connecting the words someone says to common objects and goals on the game board.

Perhaps it’s easier if every player has a few bits of information they need to transmit. These are very specific sentences, like “You need to grab a hammer” or “John killed Mary with a spoon” => this would require using personal pronouns, the correct verb tense, etc. of your language

PERHAPS IT’S BEST TO USE DIFFERENT TIERS OF IDEAS:

“Intergalactic Inventors” => everyone has 1-3 instructions that need to be followed to build the right invention
“Intergalactic Inspectors” => a specific murder/event has happened, everyone knows a tiny bit and needs to combine that. (For this, you’ll need more different words and verb tenses.)

At the end of each turn, everyone checks their instructions and says “X correct!” ( = how many of their instructions are fulfilled).

This can be 0, of course. You’re also not allowed to say which are correct. (In fact, you’re not allowed to communicate anything in any way, except by speaking your language.)

Only once all are correct, do you win the game.

WAYS OF COMMUNICATION

Symbols
Shapes
Morse code-like structures
Actual language
Gestures and movements
Position (placing or arranging yourself, others or pawns in a certain way)

Sources

About alien intelligence and communication: https://web.media.mit.edu/~minsky/papers/AlienIntelligence.html

About the necessities/complexities of inventing a language: https://www.vulgarlang.com/

The game “First Contact” is more reminiscent of Codenames.

There's been a murder. (Or just an event; maybe there are multiple types of games to play.) ## Gameplay All players have several pieces of the puzzle, right on their phone. However, they may not communicate in any way ... except their own made-up language. - Each player's phone gives *rules* about how the language works. - You automatically get more rules and puzzle pieces over time. - But you can also *buy* more words and information, at the cost of complexity in your language. (For example, buying a new word, means you get a maximum or minimum on your sentence length.) - Similarly, some words have no meaning, but an _effect_. (For example, including word X means you are allowed to make your sentence longer.) ## Objective The goal? Answer the main question ( = solve the murder) within X turns. There are X cards on the table with random objects. You are supposed to grab the *correct ones* and place them *in the correct order*. ## Slight Twist: Space Theme / Story There's a great danger/catastrophe coming to the universe. You must collaborate with all alien races to invent something to prevent it => Alternative name = "(Un)Intelligible Inventors!" **IDEA:** Why restrict it to language? Maybe we can also draw shapes, or make (animal) sounds, or make gestures! **IDEA:** Make languages *descent* from each other? So one person might say "minski" when they mean "table", and then a descendant language would say "mins" **IDEA:** For variety, there should be *many* types of events, dangers and solutions. **IDEA:** Maybe there are some things that cannot be undone. For example, one part of the invention must be boiled, or cut, or whatever. This would add a question of *urgency* as to what information you're relaying. **IDEA:** Maybe those cards on the table are *also* needed to get power-ups? But they also *belong* to players, so you need to ask them if you may have it? Cards on the table resemble objects. You turn over a set of them, then draw a symbol that "connects" them for others to guess. (The *human* whose turn it currently is, is each allowed to turn over a few of them that they think are connected. In a sense, they decide which information they want.) Then, later in the game, you use those symbols (that people hopefully figured out) to steer them toward specifics items they need to pick. There are two teams: aliens and humans. Yet you win on your own *within your team*. - If an *alien* gets 3 of their things guessed, that alien wins. - At that point, the *human* that has the most chips (no matter where they came from) is the winner of the game. This could be *adapted* to my game by only allowing players to use *descriptors* sometimes, instead of giving them the actual word for what they need. Maybe each player has a *dictionary* that grows over time, as they do research and stuff. **THE PROBLEM IS** that you need to somehow be able to *connect* the random words and sentences of a player, to certain *themes/words/parts of the board*. Otherwise you can never figure out their language. ## What We Need (I Think) - One player who is allowed to speak freely (in the common language of all players) - One common reference. (Such as cards on the table with symbols/words, or locations on a game board. Perhaps one *phone*, from the person who can speak freely, is placed on the table to provide a dynamic game board.) - Objectives and messages that are *varied* (so you can't just guess them), yet can be translated over time if you work hard. - (All languages descent from each other, so there are commonalities players can use to figure stuff out.) This would allow *connecting* the words someone says to *common objects and goals* on the game board. Perhaps it's easier if every player has a few *bits of information* they need to transmit. These are very specific sentences, like "You need to grab a hammer" or "John killed Mary with a spoon" => this would require using personal pronouns, the correct verb tense, etc. of your language PERHAPS IT'S BEST TO USE DIFFERENT TIERS OF IDEAS: - "Intergalactic Inventors" => everyone has 1-3 instructions that need to be followed to build the right invention - "Intergalactic Inspectors" => a specific murder/event has happened, everyone knows a tiny bit and needs to combine that. (For this, you'll need more different words and verb tenses.) At the end of each turn, everyone checks their instructions and says "X correct!" ( = how many of their instructions are fulfilled). This can be 0, of course. You're also not allowed to say *which* are correct. (In fact, you're not allowed to communicate anything in any way, except by speaking your language.) Only once *all* are correct, do you win the game. ## WAYS OF COMMUNICATION - Symbols - Shapes - Morse code-like structures - Actual language - Gestures and movements - Position (placing or arranging yourself, others or *pawns* in a certain way) ## Sources About alien intelligence and communication: <https://web.media.mit.edu/~minsky/papers/AlienIntelligence.html> About the necessities/complexities of inventing a language: <https://www.vulgarlang.com/> The game "First Contact" is more reminiscent of Codenames.