Yesterday I talked a bit about the three core pillars of gameplay in Super Squad High – being a student, being a superhero, and having a social life! Of the three, the social life aspect is a truly unique element of the game. As I mention in Wednesday’s design diary, the comics and tv shows that inspired the game all feature relationship challenges for their heroes. It’s only natural that classmate relationships feature as a major part of the game.
From a rules perspective, Classmates function as both an objective and a resource for players. As an objective, Classmates unlock clues that bring the players closer to winning the game when players form relationships with them. As a resource, a Classmate that is a Bestie or Sweetheart can be activated for an extra powerful action that gives both a board action and a heal (for Sweethearts) or a Like (for Besties).
Relationships with Classmates also function as a “soft reward” – a part of the game that enriches and motivates a player independent of mechanical benefit. (Designer Gil Hova has talked a lot about soft rewards, you can find a deeper dive in this Ludology podcast!) Classmates have cutely illustrated portraits and entertaining personalities that unfold as you learn their traits. Though there are mechanical benefits to choosing a particular Classmate or choosing Bestie vs. Sweetheart, the story that emerges from interacting with Classmates adds an additional layer of fun to the game.
Super Squad High includes 8 double-sided Classmate cards, each side illustrated with a unique Classmate. It’s important to us that every player is able to see themselves reflected in the characters in the game, so Classmate illustrations include a wide variety of appearance, identity, and ability. Classmate personalities are defined by 3 traits (Happy, Sad, Flirty), with 8 possible traits for each slot, for a total of 512 possible personality combinations.That’s over 8000 possible unique people you could meet in your game, providing a whole lot of variety from one game to the next.
Building a relationship with a Classmate depends on chatting with them to learn their traits (something you can do in class instead of doing schoolwork) and taking them on Meetups. Meetups are a social outing with a single Classmate where you spend time bonding with them. Thematically, it’s up to you whether you frame it as romantic or friendly, and romance is entirely optional. Mechanically, a Meetup requires taking an action at a city location that matches the Classmate’s interests (Geeky Classmates like the Science Center, Trendy Classmates like the Dance Club, etc). Another player reads a series of story prompts to you from a Meetup card of the same interest, outlining the course of your social encounter. For each prompt, you give a creative answer that reflects one of the Classmate’s traits. If the answer matches the Classmate’s trait token, you proceed to the next prompt. Completing all three prompts allows you to form a relationship and gain progress on the Clue track.
If you don’t know one of the traits of a Classmate, you are still free to guess! This often results in some of the best moments in the game. Guessing right feels like a big win, with cheers around the table. Guessing wrong plays out like an awkward teenage attempt at relationships, as you take a big swing to impress someone you like only to discover they are not into it!
Players are free to embellish their Meetup answers as much as they want, which leaves space for a storyrich experience if that’s your thing! The system works perfectly well with simple answers too. We explored a lot of design options for Meetups, and I think we have hit a great balance with gameplay tension, approachability in terms of storytelling, and replayability.
That’s all for today. Join me tomorrow for a deeper look at crime fighting in Super Squad High, and how the teamwork rules create opportunities for players to work together!