![[WIP] Dice Volley — a 2-player abstract strategy game with a dice tumble mechanic.](https://preview.redd.it/d7lz35cut50h1.png?width=140&height=72&auto=webp&s=284976a6ab119114cde2b1a929f8b8e0f7d33719)
[WIP] Dice Volley — a 2-player abstract strategy game with a dice tumble mechanic.
Hey everyone!
I'm Lucca, a first-time board game designer from Brazil, and I'd love some honest feedback from this community before I finalize my entry for the 2026 1-Card Print and Play Contest on BGG.
Dice Volley is a 2-player abstract strategy game that simulates a volleyball match on a 2×3 grid. Each player controls 2 dice as Athletes, and the core mechanic is tumbling — every time you move an Athlete, the die rotates 90° and the new top face becomes its current value. That value determines how strong your serves, sets, attacks and blocks are.
The whole game is built around spatial planning: you have 4 actions per turn to defend the ball, set up your teammate, and counter-attack. After setup, there's no randomness during play — pure strategy.
Specs:
- 2 players · ~15 min
- Components: 1 card, 4 standard D6 dice, 3 wooden cubes
What I'm looking for:
- Honest first impressions of the rulebook (is it clear? where do you get lost?)
- Thoughts on the tumbling mechanic — does it feel intuitive or confusing?
- Balance feedback if you actually try a game
- Any rulebook didactic suggestions you'd give to a first-time designer
I've already had one amazing playtester, she give me detailed feedback that helped shape the current v0.3 of the rulebook, but I'd love more eyes on it before the deadline.
Links: