I just read an article which explored the idea that a spider’s web was possibly an extension of its consciousness. At the very least, it was a part of its sensory system. It’s tendrils extend into the world and providing information in the form of vibrations about what is happening around the spider. It was an intriguing idea, and started me thinking about how to represent this in a game.

A typical tableau or engine builder probably wouldn’t be able to emulate this, but maybe an abstract game with a grid on which markers are placed in an ever expanding pattern. Events on the periphery could perhaps trigger a chain reaction which would somehow affect players pawn which could travel along this “web” like construct.

It’s an interesting approach and needs a little more thought, but I’m sure there is a game in there somewhere.

Lets create an artificial construct which might simulate spider behavior. It doesn’t have to be accurate but it should appear plausible. The game could have the following functioning parts:

  • Spiders respond to external stimuli like a fly landing on their web.
  • This behavior is an automatic reaction of the spider
  • They build elaborate webs
  • They cannot build and monitor their webs at the same time.
  • there is a central hub or home base in their web structure from which they monitor their webs
  • Spiders gain energy by eating flies
  • They expend energy by building webs.
  • Flies appear at random
  • The larger the web, the more food they can consume.
  • Spiders can choose to eat food or store it for later.
  • Capturing food damages the web and it must be repaired
  • Spiders compete for territory with other spiders
  • If an opponent’s spider enters a spider’s web, this will result in a battle.
  • Battles will result in a loss of energy which will have to be replenished.
  • The victor in a battle can steal an opponents food
  • A spider can lure an opponent into its web by moving adjacent to it and plucking the neighboring web.
  • If a spider runs out of energy it dies.

The webs can be constructed by laying marker pieces out on a grid. These webs can be free-form with each player being a different color. The home base would be a special marker and the beginning point of the web construction.

The spiders can be represented by a special pawn which can be placed over any web marker. It will be moved around the webs and will travel around the edge as the web is built. It must move to the home base to monitor the web and look for flies. The player has to decide whether or not to build or repair the web, monitor the web, eat some stored food.

The flies could be represented by a deck of cards. Some of the cards will have coordinates for bug-hits. These cards are revealed turn by turn and will randomize the bug hits in the webs. When a bug hits the web and a spider is monitoring it, it is captured. If the spider is not monitoring the web, a dice is rolled to determine if it will escape the web. This might happen repeatedly until the spider retrieves the food.

This is starting to sound like a viable concept for a game. I’ll have to give it some more thought and perhaps make a game out of it one day. It you have any thoughts about this game concept, let me know, I would be glad to hear them.