Sanity Test for Choose Your Crew: Rockband

The Cards Explained section in particular has too much information too early for a new reader to properly digest. It would work better to have each type of card briefly introduced (what you have now with each card's caption would work well), and then move the detailed effects of each card to after the section on Game Play (and maybe even after the section on Ego Battles). The Colours section seems to be redundant to the set up information under game play and could be eliminated. In all, I'd recommend you:

-- Expand "The Deck" to contain a sample and brief description of each type of card

-- Follow that with a "Set up" section that combines the information current under "The Colours", "The Play Area" and the beginning of "Game Play"

-- Then "Game Play", "Ego Battles", and finally

-- A section with all of the detailed effects of the cards.

On box and rules

Introduction and overview are kind of mashed together in the Objective section, which servers neither purpose very well. It would be better to start with a theme-only description of the Choose Your Crew's world and the role that each player has in that world. Something like: "In the cut-throat world of Rock 'n' Roll no dirty trick is too low. As a manager of an up and coming band, you're prepared to try to every trick in the book to make sure your group comes out on top..."

What you have under objective is actually pretty good, but could wording could be shifted more toward game terms. "... Each turn you'll have an opportunity to supplement your own band with Backstage Passes and new Crew Members, or tear down your opponent with scandalous Magazine Headlines. When the timing is right, launch a one-on-one ego battle to try and eliminate an opposing Band Member outright..."

Would be even better with a count for each type of card ("20 Band Members, ...")

Pictures are there and good, but description of function and parts is all text. Would better if that could also be done graphically. So instead of "The numbers in the top left corner indicate..." a text box with an arrow pointing to the top left corner

Good to have a diagram. "Players may not choose the same coloured Band" is slightly ambiguous. "Both players..." or "...same coloured Band as each other" would be more clear

Effective, but fairly primitive. A better diagram would have miniature versions of the five starting cards to re-emphasize that each player starts with a full set of one color of Band Member, and that the other spots are place holders for cards that may be acquired later

Game play description is comprehensive, but might be too wordy in some areas. It would improve things to have easy to digest summaries apart from the more lengthy descriptions. So:

"Each turn:

1) refill hand to 7 cards

2) play one card from your hand (required)

3) declare an Ego Battle attack (optional)"

Otherwise, there's a lot of hunting through paragraphs of text to find specifics.

Rule that Gold Albums cannot steal a crew member of the opponent's chosen color should be repeated under the Gold Album section

Sample cards are shown for reference with play examples. Could be enhanced to better show that, say, the Magazine Headline is played from the attacking players hand, or show how the Gold Record moves a crew member from one player's play area to the other.

Catchy illustration, compelling tagline

Good combination of card close-ups and actual photos. Could add a photo of a game in progress.

Distracting background noise, pacing a bit slow, could be better scripted