ANTI-8
Company
Solo Dev
Duration
2020 - 2023
(ongoing)
Genre
Competative, strategy, family-friendly, time-based
Platform
Boardgame
Roles
Game Design (all)
Writing (all)
Production (all)
Art (all)
Overview
Anti-8 is a fast-paced, two-player board game in which rival arachnologists brave the wilderness simultaneously to capture deadly spiders and claim scientific glory before time runs out.
My Main Contributions
Core Game Design
Designed all mechanics, rules, and systems solo, balancing pacing, fairness, replayability, and simultaneous turns within a strict 20-minute playtime.
Mechanics & Systems
Created spider-specific mechanics rooted in real-world biology, where habitat placement dynamically affects difficulty, damage, and player risk-reward decisions.
Player Experience & Accessibility
Designed rules and visuals for children aged 6/7+, prioritising clarity, readability, and intuitive learning while maintaining strategic depth.
Educational Design
Embedded learning directly into gameplay through mechanics, illustrations, and factual spider behaviours, allowing play to function as both narrative and education.
Playtesting & Iteration
Organised and ran extensive playtests (in-person, remote, mailed prototypes), iterating on balance, flow, and clarity based on player feedback.
Production & Management
Managed the full development pipeline independently, tracking progress and deliverables in Trello and promoting the game online.
A flowchart of Anti-8’s gameplay loop, highlighting available moves, player actions, and win/lose states. These loops were crucial in designing and refining the game’s rules, with both evolving continuously through playtesting and iteration.
Below are examples of how I integrated extensive research on spider biology into the game's mechanics. Firstly, here are two written examples of a spider mechanic. Underneath that, the left image shows the second to last prototype of a spider card and the right shows a more finalised design.
HOBO SPIDER
Real-world trait:
Can’t climb and is extremely fast.
Mechanic:
In garden or woodland habitats, players can “climb” to capture it safely. In any other habitat, the spider will bite and flee every time the player fails to roll a 1 or 6, making it a dangerous and evasive opponent.
GOLIATH BIRDEATER
Real-world trait:
Poor eyesight.
Mechanic:
Players roll to test distance. A roll of 1–3 means the player is spotted and bitten before capture (taking
damage). A roll of 4–6 means they’re far enough away to sneak up and capture the spider safely.
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I ran extensive playtesting sessions with players of all ages and abilities, recording each session and documenting insights to inform iteration. As the gameplay took clearer shape and the design matured, the board evolved in tandem.
