I Know A Guy

A game to both show the effectiveness of “networking” and to ridicule how important it is. (Because people who are far more skilled or better suited are skipped entirely.)

Map / Setup

On the table is a row of “events”. You know the whole calendar in advance (when the game starts), and you simply move through it from left to right. (Though some special cards/variants might hide the future.)

Gameplay

On your turn, you make a decision for each person you have.

Either send them to an event of this round. (Place their token on that card.)
Or send them to grab a new project.

If you have enough points/money, you can buy a new person. (Otherwise you might get it as bonuses from events/projects.)

Events

At the end of the round, all players at the same event give each other their business card. That “person” now knows the other person.

If you make no connection (there is nobody else or some power prevents it), you get the rewards from that event.

Some events have requirements: you can only visit if you meet them. (Above/below some qualifications, above/below some network, events to which you must be “invited”?)

Some events have a max space. Some events happen simultaneously with previous ones, others want to be in their own round.

At the end of each round, all events from it are removed, used or not.

Projects

Most projects are free to pick up, though some require your person to meet some requirements.

When you pick up a project, you can’t do it yourself. You must call on all connections of this person. If they have the skills (combined), you can execute it.

They can refuse. Because if they accept, they can’t use that person themselves in this round (or the next if already used?).

If they accept, everyone involved gets the bonuses from the card.

Verdict

Should work, though I have some doubts.

Doesn’t this need too much material? With 4 players, if each can have 3 persons each, who all have ~6 business cards … we need 12 * 6 = 72 tokens already! (And that’s without all other cards needed: events and projects.)
- Link each person with a specific icon/business card. Some people only have 1 or 2 to give out.
- Each person card then appears only once. And it can be small (maybe rectangular), as it only needs to show the skills/powers it has, and its business icon.
- Make these tiny rectangles, so I can fit all tokens on only 2 A4 pages.
- Use one card for both events and projects.
This can soon feel a little stale/abstract/boring. How can I spice it up and make it more attractive? A sense of conspiracy / backstabbing / something chaotic?
How do different persons from the same player work? They are automatically networked? They can’t network?

A game to both show the effectiveness of "networking" and to ridicule how important it is. (Because people who are far more skilled or better suited are skipped entirely.) ## Map / Setup On the table is a row of "events". You know the whole calendar in advance (when the game starts), and you simply move through it from left to right. (Though some special cards/variants might hide the future.) ## Gameplay On your turn, you make a decision for each person you have. * Either send them to an **event** of this round. (Place their token on that card.) * Or send them to grab a new **project**. If you have enough points/money, you can buy a new person. (Otherwise you might get it as bonuses from events/projects.) ### Events At the end of the round, all players at the same _event_ give each other their business card. That "person" now knows the other person. If you make no connection (there is nobody else or some power prevents it), you get the rewards from that event. Some events have requirements: you can only visit if you meet them. (Above/below some qualifications, above/below some network, events to which you must be "invited"?) Some events have a max space. Some events happen simultaneously with previous ones, others want to be in their own round. At the end of each round, all events from it are removed, used or not. ### Projects Most projects are free to pick up, though some require your _person_ to meet some requirements. When you pick up a project, you **can't do it yourself**. You must call on all connections of this person. If _they_ have the skills (combined), you can execute it. They can _refuse_. Because if they accept, they can't use that person themselves in this round (or the next if already used?). If they _accept_, everyone involved gets the bonuses from the card. ## Verdict Should work, though I have some doubts. * Doesn't this need too much material? With 4 players, if each can have 3 persons each, who all have ~6 business cards ... we need 12 * 6 = 72 tokens already! (And that's without all other cards needed: events and projects.) * Link each person with a specific icon/business card. Some people only have 1 or 2 to give out. * Each person card then appears only _once_. And it can be small (maybe rectangular), as it only needs to show the skills/powers it has, and its business icon. * Make these tiny rectangles, so I can fit all tokens on only 2 A4 pages. * Use _one_ card for both events and projects. * This can soon feel a little stale/abstract/boring. How can I spice it up and make it more attractive? A sense of conspiracy / backstabbing / something chaotic? * How do different persons from the same player work? They are automatically networked? They _can't_ network?