It’s Been a While… and a Lot Has Changed
- M
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Hey everyone,
It’s been many moons since my last update. I’ve been deep in the trenches: heads down in development while juggling odd jobs to keep things afloat. It’s not always easy balancing both worlds. There are days where I feel completely locked in, energized, and proud of what I’m building… and other days where doubt creeps in, and I feel a little lost in it all. Sometimes, I'm anxious about the next steps of this game, which is bringing it to the public spotlight and marketing it to the crowdfunding masses. I think folks will want to play this game, but crowdfunding a game is a daunting task and a huge responsibility.
But zooming out, I feel incredibly grateful. Not everyone gets the chance to pour their heart and soul into something like this. Crash Site isn’t just a project for me. I feel like I'm supposed to be doing this, and it means everything to me. Now, I'm standing on the shoulders of giants who delivered amazing games before me. So many talented game designers have shown us how it's done.
More than ever, I'm feeling inspired and motivated. I'm ready to give you guys the game you've always wanted within the sci-fi action genre. Crash Site will. Be. Awesome!
Anyway, enough of the sappy talk. Let's get to business.
A New Action System (and a Big Leap Forward)
One of the biggest evolutions in Crash Site has been the complete overhaul of the Action system. Out with the old cube-based system—honestly, it had its time, but it became fiddly, visually cluttered, and didn’t leave much room for character expression. Managing a board full of wooden cubes just wasn’t cutting it anymore.
In its place: a 4x4 Action Grid for each character, using square Action Cards. This change has been a game-changer. Each character now has their own unique grid layout, turning their dashboard into something that actually feels like a personalized control panel. It’s cleaner, easier to read at a glance, and way more expressive. You can look across the table and instantly understand what another player has available... or what they’ve burned through.
Actions are tracked simply by flipping cards, which still has a touch of tactility without the chaos of cubes. It’s not perfect (there’s still a little bit of fiddliness), but it’s a massive improvement in usability and clarity.
And then there’s Augment Cards. These are unlockable power-ups tied to specific playstyles. Hit a condition, activate the augment, and it runs for four rounds—tracked by rotating the square card each turn. Simple, clean, and satisfying.
On top of that, I’ve introduced an escalation mechanic: each turn, players gain access to one additional Special Action. This creates a natural ramp in power, opening up chaining opportunities and longer, more explosive turns.
And this escalation pairs perfectly with the next big change…
Event Cards: Bringing Combat to Life
The old Enemy Die system? Gone.
It did its job, but it was… a little bland. Rolling a die to trigger a vague enemy behavior just didn’t create the kind of moments I wanted this game to deliver.
Now, we have Event Cards. Each Event Card introduces:
Flavor text to set the tone
Clear, step-by-step enemy activations
Occasional twists—like opportunities that benefit players or allied units
This system makes combat feel cinematic. Each Event Phase now has identity. It tells a story. There’s still a standard D6 Event Die, but now it’s used within specific Event Cards for targeted randomness rather than being the whole system.
The result? The Mission Book can focus more on narrative and scenario design, while Event Cards handle the moment-to-moment tension and perfect pacing.
Combat Dice: Tuned and Thriving
Damage has also gone through some serious refinement. The dice system now includes:
Low Crits (single parentheses): You can choose to keep the result or reroll it, pushing your luck at the risk of hitting a blank (each die has one blank face).
High Crits (double parentheses): These trigger an exploding dice mechanic, letting damage stack and creating those big, memorable hits.
It’s fast, it’s punchy, and it creates meaningful decisions without slowing things down. I’m really excited about where this landed, but I’ll definitely dive deeper into this in a future post.
A Cleaner, Stronger Table Presence
A big focus lately has been presentation. Everything is moving toward a cleaner, more professional look. The player dashboard now resembles a futuristic control panel, fitting perfectly with the cybernetic warriors you’re playing as. Health is tracked with a dial for now, and characters have a separate pad for equipping up to six items.
It just feels better on the table. Less abstract. More thematic. More immersive.
And as I push further into this phase, I’ll be actively looking to bring on artists and illustrators for character designs, enemy creatures, and environmental art. I’m incredibly lucky to already have a talented graphic designer helping tie everything together behind the scenes, making sure the entire experience stays cohesive. I'll touch more on that in a later blog post.
Locking in Movement (Yes, Squares!)
After a lot of testing, I’ve officially locked in the square grid movement system.
I know hex lovers, hear me out.
For Crash Site, squares just work better. Especially with ranged combat, line of sight, and cover mechanics, there’s far less ambiguity. It’s faster, cleaner, and more intuitive; particularly during longer engagements.
Square grids are going to be fun again. I promise.
Smarter, More Thematic Enemy Design
Another important shift: Enemy Effects are no longer universal.
Instead of relying on generalized rules, effects are now written directly into each mission using clear, highlighted instructional text. This allows encounters to feel more tailored, more narrative-driven, and way less abstract.
Every fight can now have its own identity.
Where Things Stand
Right now, everything is starting to click into place. The systems feel tighter. The table presence feels stronger. The experience feels more alive. And through it all, I’m crafting every card, every component, every mechanic with intention, care, and love.
See You Soon
If you’re heading to the Level Up Retreat this weekend, I can’t wait to connect in person. Seriously, come say hi.
More updates soon. I’ve got a lot to share.
—Matt, Earthen Games LLC
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