Judo - Survival

Main Menu UI Game
Game open scene
Mode Selection panel
Online Mode Selection Panel
Online Matchmaking Panel
Tutorial Screen
Ads Screen
Match Start Scene -1
Match Start scene -2
Pause Screen
First Zone Elimination + Dead Tiles Mid game scene
Zone Elimination Screen -2
Mid Game Scene

Inspiration

The main inspiration came from survival video games and roguelikes, where every decision has weight and the world changes based on your actions. I liked the emotional pressure those games create, and I wondered why board games rarely explore that space.

What if pieces didn’t come back?

So instead of adding more powers or rules, I asked a simpler question: What if pieces never came back? What if the board itself slowly vanished?

That idea became Judo – Survival.

What it does

Judo – Survival is a turn-based board game where actions have permanent consequences. When a token is eliminated, it’s gone for the rest of the game. In many cases, the tile where the kill happens also becomes unusable, which slowly reduces the playable space.

As the game goes on, movement becomes tighter, riskier, and more stressful. There are no safe zones and no full resets. You don’t win by playing perfectly — you win by surviving longer than everyone else.

How we built it

I built the game step by step, starting with a very basic board and dice system. Once that worked, I added permanent elimination, then dynamic tiles, and then bots so the game could be played solo.

I tried to keep the rules simple and avoid overcomplicating things. Most of the time was spent testing how systems interacted rather than adding new feature

Challenges we ran into

Balancing was the hardest part. Because the board changes permanently, even small tweaks completely changed how the game felt. Too many dead tiles made the game frustrating, and too few made it boring.

Another challenge was explaining the rules. Since this doesn’t behave like a normal board game, players often assume it will be forgiving — and it isn’t. Making that clear without overwhelming new players took a lot of iteration.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

1.Turning a simple idea into a fully playable game

2.Creating tension without complex mechanics or visuals

3.Making the board itself part of the strategy

4.Watching players genuinely pause and think before making moves

One of the best moments was seeing players realize, mid-game, that their early decisions were now trapping them.

What we learned

I learned that taking things away can be more powerful than adding new systems. When players know there’s no reset, they naturally play smarter and more carefully.

I also learned how important playtesting is. Many of the best parts of the game came from watching people struggle, adapt, and survive — not from the original plan.

What's next for Judo - Survival

The next step is improving tutorials and onboarding so new players understand the survival mechanics faster. I also want to refine multiplayer and continue balancing based on feedback and Publish The game on play store .

Long-term, I want to explore how far consequence-based design can go in casual board games without making them inaccessible.