Checkpoint



Game’s Conceptual Design


Checkpoint is a small-scale asymmetrical game based around travelers’ attempts to get through a security checkpoint at an airport.

Players who are playing the role of Travelers will have a game board representing their carry-on luggage, which is in the form of a 6x5 grid. Players will place any number of items, which can be various shapes and sizes, face-down on the grid. The items they decide to bring can range from mundane things like clothing, electronics and personal items, to various pieces of contraband that wouldn’t be allowed on an airplane. Each item has point values attached to them. The player’s goal is to pack their bags with as much stuff as they can fit in their bag, as well as possibly sneaking contraband items through the checkpoint in order to maximize their score.

Travelers are opposed by the Security Agent, who is in charge of making sure nothing against the travel guidelines makes it past their security checkpoint. The security agent is given a ‘cheat-sheet’ to the shapes of known articles of contraband that they can consult while scanning the passenger’s bags. In order to scan the traveler’s bags, the security agent flips a set number of objects within the traveller’s bag that they believe might be contraband. They can confiscate the items they flip, preventing the traveler’s from gaining points and earning points of their own!

Possible Game Modes:

  • The travelers are late for their flight and will all need to get through the checkpoint within a designated time period.
  • The travelers are required to pack specific items for their trip, likely based on a randomized set of cards.

Rounds should be relatively quick, only lasting around ten minutes total. Playable by two to five players.



Rules of the Game


The game starts with a pile of cut-outs of different shapes and sizes, each depicting either general item or a piece of contraband. Before beginning the game, each player pulls one piece from the pile and reveal that item to the group. The player who drew the item with the highest point total will play the role of the security agent, and the other players will be travelers trying to get their bags through security. The game will then be played in three phases: The Packing, Search and Return phases.

    Packing Phase

  1. Travelers draw four items from the items pile and return two to the pile that they do not wish to bring with them on their trip. Travelers can continue to draw items in this manner, selecting items they want to pack for their trip until they have ten items total to pack in their bag.
  2. Travelers then arrange their selected items in their bag face-down according to the grid.
  3. Packed items may overlap, but there can only be three overlapping grid locations per bag. If the Security Agent notices more than three squares on the grid where two or more items are stacked, the bag is considered Overstuffed and that traveler will lose 100 points from their final score.
  4. Anything that cannot fit comfortably into the traveler’s bag is left behind. Players do not get any points for items left behind.

    5. Search Phase

  5. After bags are packed, travelers draw two special ability cards from their deck. They may play one of them at any time when the security agent is scanning their bag.
  6. The security agent may slide a maximum of two pieces either horizontally or vertically in order to get a better look at items inside the bag, but the security agent cannot flip over any items.
  7. The security agent then selects two items and removes them from the player’s bag, keeping them face-down.

    8. Search Resolution

  8. Travelers may play special ability cards before the First Search phase is resolved.
  9. Whatever is left in front of the security agent after any cards are played are items that are considered confiscated. They are then flipped and the point cost for the confiscated items are added to the security agent’s point total.
  10. The points for the remaining items in the bag are calculated for each player.

    11. Return Phase

  11. Travelers may pull three more items from the item pile at the start of the return phase, selecting two that they want to bring with them. They may then move around the contents of their bag and place the new items inside, following the same restrictions as the initial packing phase.
  12. The same searching procedure occurs on the return trip, except that the security agent can only select two items from each traveler’s bag.
  13. Travelers may draw two and play one special ability card in this phase.

    14. Return Resolution

  14. The return phase follows the same scoring system as the initial search.
  15. Scores for both rounds are calculated and the player with the highest final score is the winner!

    16. General, Contraband & Special Ability Cards can be viewed here





    For a detailed description of the project & references, please access the design document here.

    Supervised by: Geoffrey Engelstein