The Role of the Player in Agency: Where Theme Meets Mechanics
We’ve all played card, board, and role-playing games that left lasting impressions, and we each have our favorites. For me, the best games are immersive, considering the role of the player as central to the action. Some games keep this subtle while others make it plain.
In Agency, our goal is to ensure players feel deeply connected to the game’s events and invested in its outcomes.
When you pledge loyalty to one of the game’s many Factions (link to article here), you step into the role of a cunning Spymaster. Your mission is clear: assemble a team of agents and gather the contacts, assets, and gear they need to complete missions and win. Agency is designed to immerse players in this role, making their choices vital and impactful.
Player as Spymaster
At the heart of Agency is the promise of an immersive experience. Our card game roots are in classics like Magic: The Gathering and Legend of the Five Rings, where larger-than-life personalities and dynamic characters kept us coming back, set after set.
While we loved the freedom of role-playing games, we knew that level of choice would be challenging. Instead, we’ve struck a happy medium by positioning the player as a high-level mission planner, like a head of station or officer in charge.
As Spymasters, players evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their personnel, assembling the most talented squad to tackle each mission.
Since characters and personalities evolve, with shifting loyalties and outcomes that emerge through gameplay, Additionally, while each Faction has a leader, personified as an individual, we didn’t want players to assume that role either.
This approach allows players to stay flexible and strategic without being tied to a single character or card. By design, this prevents disruptions such as a card or character that let’s say, meets an untimely end due to player choices or outcomes.
Because of this, Agency thrives on dynamic storytelling driven by player decisions, offering the flexibility needed to keep the narrative fresh and engaging.
Worldbuilding Through Player Choices
With Agency, our mission is to create a present day world filled with dynamic characters and then let you call the shots. However the choices you make as a player, whether intentional or not, will shape the world of Agency and its story in impactful ways.
Explicit choices by players, for example, will directly influence the narrative by making storeline decisions as Spymasters.
Implicit choices, however, will shape the game’s evolution more subtly. By observing how players use strategies, cards and characters, we can identify which ones have the greatest impact on game outcomes, guiding future stories and developments.
Whether you’re planning a mission or building a deck to execute your strategy, your actions don’t just determine your success; they shape the evolution of the game.
With Agency, you’re not just playing another game, you become an integral part of how it evolves.
As a player, you can take the game in any direction. How you choose to use that influence and control is up to you. Whatever you decide will be part of an immersive and engaging experience.