Building Gnome Henge

Sometimes a game idea goes from my brain to a prototype in minutes; I conceptualize and then create in one seamless process. That hasn’t been the case with Gnome Henge; figuring out the right mechanics and components, and how I wanted the whole game to come together, took several months.

It started with the idea of using Jenga bricks as a component so that you build something as you play. I hoped this would give the game a three-dimensional aspect that would be fun to explore and give it real table presence. As you can tell from the pictures, it’s evolved a lot from there. I’ve had to learn to use a 3D modeling tool as well as acquire and figure out how to use a 3D printer, and that was just for the stones. I’ve considered a dozen different mechanics around the core concept of gnomes building an astrological henge until I landed where I am.

In Gnome Henge, you play as a tribe of gnomes working (semi) collaboratively to build a henge. Unfortunately, you and up to three other players have different schematics that define which constellations the henge should align to. Over the course of the game you’ll collect, place, destroy, and move stones, but you also have the option to consider alternate constellations and gain points by completing constellations in their season.

The game involves dice for worker placement, shared area management, objective fulfilment, and the chance to build your own monument along the way.
I’m delighted to have a solid prototype built after several rounds of testing with a less-than-ideal selection of random components. Now to more testing!