Celestial Conquest
Overview
Celestial Conquest is a space strategy board game for 3–6 players, made for ages 12 and up. It mixes dice-based battles, resource collection, movement across the galaxy, and tech upgrades — all in a way that’s easy to learn and fast to play.
I started with a very large and complex idea in the form of a Game Design Document. My main goal was to take that big idea and shape it into something simple, clear, and fun for everyone. A lot of games in this genre have too many pieces and confusing rules, which makes them hard to pick up — especially for new players. I wanted Celestial Conquest to be different.
The focus was on keeping the rules simple, the setup clean, and the gameplay smooth — without losing the depth and strategy fans enjoy. The result is a game that works for both experienced players and those new to board games.
Platform: Tabletop Simulator
Team: 3
Role: Game Designer
Duration: In development for 10 months (ongoing)
Release: More Info Here!
NOTE: All screenshots and videos reflect the work of the entire team (art, design etc.).
Design Process
Original Game Loop
The original game concept was a large-scale strategy game with multiple moving parts. I was tasked with refining the vision into something playable and appealing for both casual and experienced players.
Original Game Loop
Exploration → Explore star systems and uncover new planetary tiles
Colonization → Claim and occupy new planets using starships
Events → Trigger and respond to dynamic galaxy-wide events
Resource Management → Extract and manage resources from planets
Fleet Development → Build new starships or upgrade existing ones
Asset Management → Organize and optimize your planets and units
Diplomacy → Form or break alliances through negotiation
Combat → Engage in battles over contested tiles
Territory Control → Capture and secure strategic planetary regions
Tech Progression → Advance on the tech tree to unlock new abilities
Defense Planning → Fortify your position against incoming threats
Strategic Execution → Complete long-term goals for victory points
Loop → Repeat all phases until the game ends
Refined Game Loop
Explore → Move across the board to discover and reach new planets
Colonize → Roll the dice to successfully conquer unclaimed planets
Collect → Extract resources from colonized planets after conquest
Interact → Trade, negotiate, or engage in combat with other players
Upgrade → Spend resources to improve your modules and abilities
Event → Resolve a global event card that changes gameplay for all
Score → Earn points from planets, upgrades, battles, and bonuses
Loop → Repeat turns until the endgame condition is triggered
Physical Prototype
Game Evolution
Real-World Playtest
We conducted a 90-minute physical playtest with 4 players to observe how the game plays in a live, tabletop setting. This session helped us identify edge cases, clarify rule interactions, and refine player experience based on live feedback.
The video below is a 3.5-minute timelapse capturing the highlights from 20 minutes of raw gameplay footage.
Scroll through the gallery to see moments from the session — from strategic decision-making to dice-roll suspense and module upgrades in action.
This playtest was crucial in validating the game's pacing, clarity of mechanics, and fun factor — all of which shaped the next round of iteration.
