Twentieth Century Games

One pitch a day: in August of 2011, I dedicate twenty minutes each day to writing an « elevator pitch » for a story or a game.

This turn-based strategy game aims to circumvent the early game lack of options or late game excess of them common to growth-based strategy games by changing the perspective of the player after some key events occur. There are two or three periods in a game and the tone of each one depends radically on the outcome of the former ones. Full victory can only be achieved at the end of the last period.

First example: scientists predict Earth will be destroyed within a generation.
The first period tells the story of the mad rush between the powers that be to build an interstellar space-worthy ship. It ends when the ship leaves Earth.
In the second period, the party which launched the ship gets to rule it, while other players can play dissenters. The ship travels and its occupants go through a series of internal and external challenges. It ends when the ship arrives near a planet.
In the third period, colonization begins. The captain of the ship at the end of the arrival party has won the game.

Second example: different organizations try to take over the world to shape it according to their beliefs.
In the first period, individuals experience adventures in their formative years and build the bonds and assets that will allow them to found their organization.
In the second period, the player controls a whole organization. It ends with an organization successfully taking over the world.
In the third period, depending on who holds the power, the player tries to quash the rebels or the remnants of his organization, gone underground, try to unshackle the world.

Third example: in ancient Egypt, pharaohs rule.
The first period takes place at this time and the player rules the country against invaders and enemies. He must balance that function with the acquisition of occult power in order to last long enough to build himself a tomb able to withstand millenia.
In the second period, the dead king gets resurrected nowadays as a mummy and tries to use its assets to defeat other immortal enemies.