VivaJava is a game of forced cooperation where players are split into teams and have to work together to create best-selling coffee blends. But, because these teams can change each round, only one player will win. It plays in 60-90 minutes and will support 3-8 players.
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| Play-test Origins '11 |
My main goal in designing VivaJava, was to create a game where players were not working together to beat the "game system," but working together because it is in their best interest to do so. By players joining new teams each round depending on what region of the world they choose, the key to victory is determining how best to utilize your new team members in order to forward your own interests. In the typical Euro-style, the game is less confrontational and emphasizes strategy over random elements. Also, it is specifically designed to be un-winnable without cooperation and requires players to communicate well in order to be successful.
DeveJava is unique in many ways. Unlike most games that have cooperative elements, DeveJava has a clear and singular winner at the finish. The game has very little down-time as many actions can be taken simultaneously and players are constantly discussing their options. Components are also unique and integral to the experience. Each player receives their own "Roaster;" a canvas bag where coffee beans are stored and a Research Shack where players can spend points to upgrade their ability to make and invest in blends. To create blends, beans are pulled randomly from a player's roaster bag. This gives the game a tactile experience, allowing players to feel like they are truly creating something together and adds a level of tension when that one lucky pull is desperately needed. A good player, however, will use their various research abilities to control what is in their roaster at any given time.
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| Victory Point Track |
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| World Map |
Gameplay is deceptively simple and is usually easy to understand after one round of play. Each round has three distinct phases. During the 1st phase, each player in turn order chooses a country to explore by placing their pawn. The player then receives that color bean and any ability on the disc. Players are then split into teams based on which region they chose. During the 2nd phase, teammates decide whether to Blend or Research. Do we have enough similar beans to create a new blend? Or should we go our separate ways and research? All teams decide and carry out their actions simultaneously. And lastly, during the 3rd phase victory points are awarded for each blend a player helped create on the best-seller list. This cycle is repeated until one of three game-ending conditions are met. Victory points are then counted and the player with the most is victorious.
