A Mob is Born

While I was at BGG.con 2014. I was telling another game designer about a game I was showing at the convention (Subcontractor), and he said the game’s description reminded him of a concept he learned about in his MBA program, The Iron Triangle. Basically this concept says that businesses can offer their products or services with only two of the three demanded qualities (quick, quality, and inexpensive). Customers want all three, but the business can only offer two.

Upon hearing this description, I began to dream about how this concept could be put into game mechanics. Mobsters of the Iron Triangle was born. In the game, players take turns playing the role of the Mob Boss who wants to hire a mobster (one of the other players) to do a mob-related job. The game uses a deck of cards; the cards have dual roles. If played by the Mob Boss, one part of the card represents the job the Mob Boss wants completed. If played by a mobster, the other part of the card represents details of an offer to do the job.

I entered the game as part of the Ion Award competition at Salt Con. It didn’t make it into the final round. Keep checking back here as I report on the latest news with this game. I have continued to refine it and will soon begin to identify companies that may be interested in it.