Sanity Test for Paw of Duty

I made a few recommendations about how to restructure a little, but for the most part, this rulebook is in the right order. Make heading for the missing sections, and you're most of the way there.

Two of the three requirements listed. I can only give this a 0 or 3. If I could, it would get a 2.

This is a pretty good intro. It tells me who I am in the game, and what I need to do. However, I would prefer this to stay closer to the story than the game. In other words, don't use the in-game terms here, and instead, write more of a story to bring your players into it.

I read "Control Victory" as a command, as in I have to control the victory. It wasn't until the last sentence that says "A Control Victory" that I realized the control was an adjective and not a verb. I recommend putting that "A" before "Control Victory" like in the last sentence to make it clear that "Control" is an adjective, not a verb.

I don't understand when you check for a Power Victory. Is it after someone attempts a Control Victory and fails? Or is it after a certain amount of time where no one has achieved #1?

Good list and counts

Thank you for showing the fronts AND backs of the different cards. Quite important when there is more than one deck.

This is too convoluted. You've mixed gameplay and strategy tips in with the setup. This page should be strictly the things that get the game ready to play. The properties of the Claws Out card and the TIP, should be moved to an appropriate section in the gameplay.

1. Is there a specific way to arrange the cards? If not, specify "Randomly." Or if it doesn't matter at all, say that.

2. Again, take out the strategy from this step.

3. This sounds like each player just needs 9 random black *or* white tokens. Specify that each player gets 9 matching tokens, or something similar.

5. I recommend combining this with step 2. If someone is already searching through the deck to find cards, tell them ALL the cards they should be looking for.

6. I think this means that the each player should have 2 separate decks? It's worded just weird enough that I'm unsure. Specify to shuffle them separately, if that's the case.

8. Can I discard one at a time, and redraw one at a time? Or do I have to discard all at once?

None, but not totally needed. You've got the image of the board, and nothing starts on it, as far as I can tell. If anything, I would show a picture of the Claws Out and Radio cards, so your players know what to look for.

All the graphics you have at the beginning to explain how to read the cards should be here instead. When I see info like that before I even know how to set up the game, I skip them. So start this section with the images, and only the terminology necessary to explain the images. Any terms that go with gameplay should just be introduced and explained at that time. You should be able to eliminate the terminology page altogether.

But as for the terminology, Target is confusing. The kitties are not facing any direction except back at the player. Specify which was is "in front" based on which way the card is facing, not the kitty.

GAMEPLAY

I always like a rulebook that gives me the general outline of the game before it goes into specifics about a turn. Does this game play in rounds? How many? Is it turn-based? What triggers moving to the endgame? Or do we just keep going back and forth until someone wins? That helps understand each part of the rulebook and where this step fits into the whole game. I believe your game would benefit from this.

2a. When you describe which way the kitty is facing here, it makes sense.

3. I assume that you can do one action more than once with the right amount of lines, but specifying that wouldn't hurt.

6. Does the color of the paw tokens matter? Or is it just three total? This is where you can explain what a friendly kitty is.

COMBAT

1. This section starts with, what seems like, an exception. Is there a basic form of combat that normally happens? Start with that. What happens if I attack with a card other than those two? Is that possible?

2. You don't need the NOTE under the the a and b. Also, if these don't necessarily happen in that order, just use bullets instead of letters or numbers.

I recommend rethinking your numbering system. Instead of just going straight though 1-9 (which implies that each step is just the next thing to do), break it up into sections to show that things don't always happen in a set order, AND that all the things don't happen every turn. My recommendation would be:

Taking a Turn

Combat

Control Victory

Power Victory

That way, at the end of each section, you can say something like, "If A happens, go to C, but if B happens, it's the next players turn." I think it would help organize and give more of a flow chart feel instead of a straight-through play.

The combat example is good, but seeing as I don't have the cards in front of me, I would also like to see the card being played, so that I understand what it is I can do with it.

While it is spread throughout the end of the gameplay, there is not a dedicated section that explains all the parts of the endgame. This would be very helpful, especially because there is more than one way to win, and things happen even after a player has declared they are eligible for a victory. A clear heading is also necessary so that it is easy to reference during the game.

For the most part, I could play this game. I would really need to have the cards in front of me to be able to read the tactic cards to really understand.

I didn't have too much trouble understanding what was intended. Change the order and the numbering a little bit, and that will make it that much clearer.

Dark and gritty images and background, but the text was perfectly readable. Great balance.

Great, clear art with easy-to-read title.

Same notes as ad.

Easy to read and doesn't distract from the background.

The closeup photos of the components are good. I would also like to see a splay of all the pieces that come with the game, and possibly a setup picture of the game ready to play.

I recommend removing the stars from your description. They feel like bullet points, but the text doesn't read like bullet points should. If you remove the stars, that removes the confusion.

Your brief overview of gameplay is fine, but I would also like a sales pitch in this area. Tell me what makes this game unique, and why I should buy it. Then go into how to play.

Also, the pictures really break up the text. It would be easier on your readers to have a paragraph of text first, then some pictures. The overview in the rules is pretty good. And while I realize that this text is very similar, it's much easier to read and comprehend in the rules when the whole paragraph is together.

The 30 second video does nothing for your page. It's a nice animation, but doesn't really tell me anything.

The 1-minute video is better with the voiceover, but still doesn't give me a good sense of how the game is played. It also ends abruptly which left me wondering if the video cut out.

Instead of aiming for a how-to-play here, this space would be better served as a sales pitch. Think of Kickstarter videos at the top of the page that entice you to keep scrolling to learn more. Show me your game with the great art, and the fun gameplay, and make me want to then turn to your description to learn more.