It Takes a Village

Game Overview:
It Takes a Village is an interactive historical simulator based around the Navajo tribes
living in Arizona between 1400 and 1859. The game utilizes both digital and non-digital
elements to create an interactive group experience. Players form a tribe and then select a
chieftain that will have the final say in all decisions the tribe must make. The tribe will then be
presented with series of decisions that will affect their overall success as a tribe. The tribe may
vote however they wish, but the chieftain will always have the final say. Each decision will affect
the tribes health, population, resources, and reputation. If resources are not managed properly
the tribe will likely not survive. After several decisions have been made, the tribe has the choice
to put a new chief in charge in case the previous chieftain made too many poor decisions or
displeased the tribe with their own decisions. All of the events have at least some historic
backing. Some of the events take more creative liberty than others however with the players
making major decisions that historically never happened potentially. Each event will be
accompanied by a small bit of historical information to help educate the players on that time
period.
Game Mechanics
Naming the tribe
Selecting a chieftain
Chieftain name
Selecting a chieftain path (war, peace, progression, tradition)
Selecting a region to settle in
Voting on decisions (critical story and random)
Event choices affect village
Resources
Population
Chieftain
Movement
Weather
War
Relations
Village Attributes and Dependencies
Tribe name
Chief name
Chief path
Chief experience
Current location
Population
Food
Water
Wood
Health
Womens role in society
Health

Herbs
Womens role in society
Chief path

Population
Current location
Womens role in society

Population
Current location
Womens role in society

Population
Current location
Womens role in society

Population
Current location
Womens role in society

Population
Current location
Spanish relations
Westernization

Food

Water

Wood

Herbs

Weapons

Peace/War
Chief path
Attack events
Trade events
Pueblo Relations
Chief path
Pueblo events
Spanish Relations
Chief path
Spanish events
Other Relations
Chief path
Other relations events

Chieftain Paths
War - Fewer trade events, more attack events, more plunder from attacks, -1 to
relations, -2 peace/war
Peace - More trade events, less attack events, increased chance of enemy raid,
+1 to relations, +2 peace/war
Progression - Bonus resources between rounds, improved population health, +2
Spanish/Pueblo relations, less movement events
Tradition - More resource events, more movement events, increased trade good
income, -2 Spanish/Pueblo relations
Critical Decisions

world?

Womens Role in Society - Do women have the same duties as men?

Equal
Women count towards war events
Small bonus to all resource growth
Homemakers
Women do not count towards war events
Increased population score
Increased trade goods
Gatherers
Women do not count towards war events
Increased food income
Increased wood income
Increased herb income
Womens Voting Rights - Do women have the right to vote?
No voting power
Women can no longer vote
1/2 voting power
Womens vote should only be taken as worth half of
a mans
Equal voting
Women and mens votes should be considered
equal
2 voting power
Womens vote should count for more than that of a
mans
Farming - Do you accept the Pueblo influences?
Yes
Less movement events
Bonus to food production
Bonus to Pueblo relations
Catholicism - Do you accept the Spanish religion?
Yes
Bonus to Spanish relations
Bonus to peach/war
Increased disease events
Westernization - Do you begin to adapt your culture and trade with the modern

Yes

Bonus trade goods

More trade events
Bonus to Spanish relations
Bonus to weapons
Increased disease events
Livestock - Do you accept the practice of keeping livestock?
Yes
Increased food production
Increased disease
Chance of livestock events
No
No livestock events

Increased gathering events

Revolution - Do you aid Mexico, Spain, or stay neutral?
Mexico
Bonus supplies
Decreased Spanish relations
Spain
Increase Spanish relations
Neutral
Crossfire events possible
Mexican American War - Do you side with Mexico, America, or remain neutral?
Mexico
Plant Mexican flag in your village
America
Plant American flag in your village
Neutral
Plant own flag in village

Selecting a New Chieftain

Every so many events players can decide whether or not to elect a new chief
Depending on their chiefs path, critical events can be revisited after a new chief
has selected their path
Example: A traditional chief may revisit old business regarding
westernization if the village has chosen to embrace western culture.
Game Art
The game will be using a variety of different elements that are representative of the
native Navajo tribes. The Navajo architecture, cloth patterns, pottery, and tools will be
represented throughout the game. The landscapes have all been chosen from areas native to
Arizona. There are also several assets that will be of Western influence. These will help show
how the different cultures began to come together during the time the game takes place. The
game is meant to be a historical simulation so all assets must appear from the time period
indicated.
Game UI
The game will consist of a singular tile based UI. There will be a section for displaying
the current events, the current choices to be made, village resources, and the results from the
current event. The bottom section of the screen will display current location, village huts, and
additional art that is relevant to the current progression of the tribe.