You'd Better Watch Out

Print and run a megagame for 14-40 players

This pack contains all the files and instructions you (and 3-5 willing helpers) need to prepare and run the megagame You'd Better Watch Out. Set in a North Pole embroiled in corporate politics and personal ambition, this is a fun and silly game with hidden teeth and an emphasis on negotiation.

The Player Handbook is available for free - have a read of it, and see if this sounds like your kind of game.

In addition to purchasing the pack, you'll need to print out about 300 pages' worth of game materials, and acquire (or already own) some generic game components (and a few bespoke ones). Depending on local pricing, and how fancy you want to be, this might cost you anywhere from $50-$200.

You'd Better Watch Out has run four times now, to an enthusiastic reception. It's been improved after each run to make it a more balanced and streamlined experience, but I'm sure there are still improvements to be made. Feel free to contact me at any point to ask questions about the design decisions or to highlight areas where the game doesn't seem to be working as intended.

Best of luck - I hope you (and your players) have a blast!

Game promo copy

'Twas the morning after Christmas – and Santa is missing! Where has he gone? Who’s in charge now? Will Christmas be ready in time, or is this the end of the North Pole?

After a successful Christmas, the elves of the North Pole wake up to find Santa missing – and with him, centuries of accumulated magic! Is this a callous desertion, or foul play? Worse still, with the magic missing, parts of the North Pole are starting to fade away. Can the elves manage without The Big Man? And – asking for a friend – who’s in charge now?

You Better Watch Out is a megagame driven by a set of easy-to-learn board game rules for resource management and worker placement, with the emergent gameplay opportunities common to megagames as a medium.

As one of the elves, you’ll spend the day engaged in high-stakes toymaking with a side of cut-throat corporate politics. The North Pole must be saved – but working too hard for the greater good will make it that much easier for others to pursue their own personal goals. Sounds like You'd Better Watch Out...

AI disclosure

The faction briefing documents for this game were written with AI assistance.