How We Made It: Sakura Grove

In both the iOS version of Entanglement and the online Sakura Grove expansion, we've added new modes that twist the basic mechanics of Entanglement to explore new gameplay possibilities. We're really proud of how these modes turned out, so we thought it would be fun to take time to discuss what those modes are (for those who haven't played them) and some of design decisions that went into making them. We'd love to hear your thoughts on the new modes, so tell us what you think in the comments.

We'll start with Sakura Grove.

Mechanics
Sakura Grove introduces several new mechanics to Entanglement. First, players have a limited number of tiles. The player starts with seven tiles, and each play consumes a tile. When a player runs out of tiles, the game ends.

New to the board are cherry tree tiles and the golden center tile. The cherry tree tiles are pre-placed tiles located around the board. They have straight paths running through them. If the path passes through a cherry tree the player earns an extra tile to place.

The golden center tile is the starting point for the player’s path. It has 'u' paths on all of its edges. Each time the player’s path passes through a 'u', the player earns bonus points (points worth specific amounts not related to the length of the move). The amount of points received increases with each ‘u’ the player passes through.

Finally, there are no borders in Sakura Grove which means the only way to lose is to run out of tiles.

How It Came Together
The final design for Sakura Grove came together like a puzzle with each piece falling into place over the course of a few weeks.

The core idea was provide a wall-less mode that allowed players to focus on creating complex paths without the threat of walls ending the game prematurely. Needing a constraint to prevent players from playing infinitely, the tile count limitation seemed like a natural fit.

The pre-placed tiles that would later become the cherry trees were the next addition. These were introduced out of concern that the board would lack texture if there were no elements for players to consider as they created their path. Wanting to introduce more purpose to the pre-placed tiles I (Todd) initially suggested that the tiles give points for passing through them with points earning you additional tiles at certain intervals (50, 100, 150, etc.). Derek, as he often does, ignored me prefering a simpler (read: wiser) solution and directly linked earning extra tiles to passing through the pre-placed tiles. Initially, it took two passes through the tile to earn a extra tile (this is still true in multiplayer), but we found that under these conditions single-player games ended too quickly because of the amount of work required to earn an extra tile. Also, expressing the mechanic was proving troublesome. Once we decreased it to a single pass, the game felt faster and more rewarding.

While working on Sakura Grove we were thinking about how to make the new mode look unique, and we found that the pre-placed tiles provided a logical opportunity for this. Wanting to differentiate the pre-placed tiles from the standard tiles, we initially decorated them with bushes, which worked well with our Asian garden theme.  On seeing the bushes, one team member suggested that the pre-placed tiles be cherry trees that bloomed as the player passed through them. Everyone agreed this provided appealing feedback and further enhanced the theme. In the end, these cherry trees (known as sakura) would provide the name for the mode and the expansion as a whole.

How It Plays
The new mechanics significantly differentiate Sakura Grove from the classic Entanglement gameplay. The lack of walls gives the game a lighter, care-free feel. There is no fear of dying from a miss-click or a misread line. Instead, the end of the game is clearly forecast by the counter. What matters instead is that each tile be played as smartly as possible to weave through the board to rack up points and extra tiles. The shape of the board encourages you to create tightly knit bundles. These bundles pay-off in long moves earning large point values. Weighing what to pursue when (score easy tiles/points in the short term, or risk your limited tiles to set up a longer more valuable move) provides a mental challenge for those who hope to master it.

Well, that’s Sakura Grove. Look for another post on Gold Rush from the iOS version in the near future. If you’re interested in checking out Sakura Grove, you can find it in the main menu of Entanglement by clicking on “More Modes”.

Sakura Grove Hot-seat Multiplayer

We just updated the main menu over the weekend so if you have purchased the Sakura Grove expansion set, you now have access to the hot-seat multiplayer versions of the expansion modes as well.

To make things interesting in the Sakura Grove mode itself, you do not receive a tile for each pass through a cherry tree; rather, it takes two passes for a single tile, which allows you to "steal" bonus tiles from your rivals before they are able to make the second pass.

To access the new multiplayer versions of the expansion set modes, login, and then click "Multiplayer" on the main menu and you will see a new listing of the modes to choose from. Choose the one you want to try, and then select the number of opponents. If you haven't played Entanglement recently, you may need to refresh the page to get the latest version of the app. If you haven't activated the Sakura Grove expansion set and want to, go to the main menu and click "More Modes".

Up next: the Daily Challenge mode.

Entanglement: Sakura Grove Expansion

Love Entanglement and want more? Try the brand new Sakura Grove Expansion! Explore an engaging new game mode with a wild twist, two stylish maps, and a daily challenge to see who is the best at Entanglement!

• Sakura Grove - A completely new game-play mode for Entanglement! You have a spacious garden surrounded by cherry trees, but you have a limited number of tiles to play. Acquire more tiles by directing your path through one of the cherry trees, which blooms every time you pass through it. How far can you go? You’ll have to see for yourself!
• Hana Blossom - A new flower-shaped map for Entanglement with the original rules. The map is larger but the petals provide an interesting challenge; it’s easy to get into one, but make sure to plan your way out, or your game will end quickly! This is a wonderful challenge for advanced Entanglement players.
• Lotus Petal - A new tiny map for Entanglement also using the original rules. It is a great training ground to practice your ability to string together long paths and plan future moves. You can also play the map quickly enough to have a nice slice of Entanglement fun in the time of a commercial break.
• Daily Challenge - A new challenge every day for Entanglement players! Will you be the best player today? We haven’t quite finished this mode yet but we’re working hard on it. Anyone who buys the expansion will automatically get access to the Daily Challenge mode when it is completed.

All of the above come in a package for $1.99. We’re planning to add a few more features to this expansion to make it super-special, but we don’t want to announce it quite yet. Everyone who buys it now will get the four modes above and any additional content we add to the Sakura Grove expansion.

To get started, open Entanglement and select "More Modes" from the main menu. If you have the Chrome App installed and it says "Coming soon!", you may need to refresh the page in your browser to get the latest version of the web app.

We’ve been hard at work taking Entanglement to a cool new place and we hope you’ll enjoy it. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know; thanks!