Schemers

Odyssey: The Prophecy – Why Are Objectives Distributed Randomly?
2025/5/7 0:53
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Japanese version of the blog post : https://gamemarket.jp/blog/192475

 

Hello, this is Geonil.
At this year's Tokyo Game Market, I will be exhibiting Odyssey on Saturday.
I’ve decided to write this blog post to explain why I intentionally added the additional mode, The Prophecy, to Odyssey, and to delve into the system where each player's goal is randomly assigned.

I’m always thinking about the concept of “goals” in trick-taking games.
Whether it's about taking tricks in a balanced way, forming specific patterns, or struggling with how to divide acquired cards—
I believe that these kinds of new objectives are the true essence of what makes trick-taking games feel fresh again.

In Odyssey, choosing whether to play a card from your hand or use a token to play a card from the center is a critical decision.
Using a token allows you to avoid the lead suit more easily, but it also turns that suit into a new trump—granting power, but also introducing risk.

For that reason, “predicting” the number of tricks you’ll win doesn’t hold much significance in this game.
Players can choose to lead with a token to discard a card or avoid the lead suit to win a trick.
Ultimately, the game emphasizes the importance of situational decision-making.

Instead of predictions, what I considered more meaningful was the question:
“Will the total number of tricks exceed or fall short of the combined goals?”

This becomes a core element that shakes the very flow of the game—it changes how rare or valuable a trick feels.
Should you avoid this trick, or take it?
That dilemma, rooted in uncertainty, is what this mechanism brings to life.
And I added one more layer of novelty:
“What if the goals are predetermined, but no one knows what they are?”

The sum of all goal numbers is 11.
In a game with only 9 tricks, one of the four goal cards is always left out.
This means the total number of tricks players aim for changes depending on which card is missing—
and that fundamentally alters the scarcity of tricks in the game.

However, these goals are secret. Players only know their own.
Once a player achieves their goal, they reveal their card.
As the game progresses, the truth slowly unfolds...
Was the total number of tricks too high? Too low? Or perhaps just right?

I’ve come to realize how compelling the tension created by this slow revelation can be.
When a player deliberately avoids a trick they could have taken—
what could their true intention be?

That is the reason I added The Prophecy to Odyssey.
I can confidently say that this mode brings a true sense of innovation to the game.
I hope you’ll take notice.

rulebook : https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/299889/englishkorean-rules-for-odyssey , 

rulebook for the prophecy : https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/299891/engjapkor-rules-for-odyssey-the-prophecy

reservation : https://forms.gle/fv36t71MxAN6BghSA

 

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