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'9 Lives' and 'Space Dogs' are Pinoy-made card games about our beloved fur babies


If you adore cats and dogs, then you’ll get a kick out of “9 Lives” and “Space Dogs”—two tabletop card games developed by Philippine-based game developers.

Both games were part of Unbox: The Pinoy Tabletop Sessions, an event held on September 14, organized by Yabang Pinoy with the cooperation of Onboard Game+Gastro Pub.

9 Lives: enjoyable, endless suffering

In the feline battle royale known as “9 Lives,” things can get downright nasty as two to five players attempt to outwit, outplay, and outlast each other to become the last cat standing.

“9 Lives” throws you, as cats, into situations that can either benefit or kill you.

There are numerous ways to survive the chaos, including screwing over your opponents. And “while you want to eliminate other players as soon as possible, playing too aggressively could backfire really bad and fast,” said developer Prome Works.

While the game is straightforward, winning is never guaranteed. "You need to really outwit your opponents down to the very last moment.”

Visit the official “9 Lives” website for the detailed rules explanation!


 

 

Prome Works, a team helmed by Project Head Yves Suiza, is happy to have created such a cutthroat game that immerses players in “enjoyable, endless suffering.”

“‘9 Lives’ presents death in a fun way; mostly comical exaggerations which lead cats to die,” said Prome Works.

The developers didn’t initially intend to make a game about cats; their first priority was the game’s mechanics.

“It was actually the dying over and over again concept [that] made us decide that cats, having nine lives, would be the most fitting theme for the game,” said Prome Works. “We wanted it to be a very casual game, and so we went with having cartoonish art to give the game a light feel.”

 


Developing “9 Lives” had them worried it would be considered another clone of “Exploding Kittens” but once the developers learned to live with the comparison, they concentrated on making a game whose unique character could “outshine” the shadow cast by “Exploding Kittens.”

The hard work paid off; those who’ve played “9 Lives” describe it as being “distinctively different” from “Exploding Kittens.”

Prome Works endeavors to help promote the Philippines’ budding tabletop industry, and was proud to be a part of Unbox.

“It’s always an honor to showcase our game alongside great local game developers,” said Prome Works. “Yabang Pinoy’s support in this advocacy is truly heartwarming and inspiring. We received nothing but love from this awesome event.”

“9 Lives” was successfully funded via Kickstarter and will soon be released in the market, according to the game’s Facebook page

Space Dogs: a hecking good time

After a meteor destroys their planet, the cosmic pupperinos of “Space Dogs” face a homelessness crisis. But two to four players can change their fates by finding them new homes on Earth!

Rehoming a dog entails matching a dog’s attributes with what a potential human owner wants in their canine companion. For example, a human may want an extremely intelligent dog like a poodle, a sporting dog like a Golden Retriever, or a combination of various elements.

But “Space Dogs” can be savage, too. Yes, you can do your opponents a bamboozle by using cards that trigger special events like alien invasions!

“Space Dogs” was developed by Play Platter, a startup established by sisters Crystal (Game Designer/Developer) and Maisie Tan (Game Developer/Research & Development).

“There are around 30 dog breeds in a ‘Space Dogs’ deck so you will encounter different types of doggos as you play along,” said Crystal. “The art is cute and eye-catching and the rules are simple and light to keep things refreshing. There are also doggo stats and fun facts about breeds to keep you entertained while you play.”

Play Platter created “Space Dogs” to bring people together.

“Does too much digitalization make us lonely?” said Crystal. “We created ‘Space Dogs’ to offer a reprieve from the digital world that surrounds us, encouraging face-to-face interaction with family and friends, participating in friendly competition and recreating camaraderie.”

 


It took almost two years to develop “Space Dogs.”

“Behind a manufactured game are hours and hours of time dedicated to game conceptualization and [playtesting] before it enters the production and distribution phase,” said Maisie. 

According Maisie, “Unbox provided the perfect opportunity to introduce the world of tabletop gaming taken from the perspective of local game creators. It was so inspiring to be surrounded by other game developers who share the same vision of bringing people together through games.”

“Space Dogs” was received well at the event.

“Some [players] got competitive and were strategizing early on,” said Maisie. “Others were just leisurely playing while simultaneously entertaining themselves with the doggo trivia and cute art.”

“Space Dogs” can be purchased via its official website, or the physical stores listed in the Play Platter Facebook page.

Great Pinoy-made tabletop games

Unbox exhibited 9 games in total, including “NoSaDa” by Gamescolar, “Escape from Enigma” by the Mystery Manila team, and the following games, which were previously featured on GMA News Online:

— LA, GMA News

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