Is there a first-player advantage
Compare seats and starting conditions while keeping the same strategies.
ZONE IN / BOARD GAME DEVELOPMENT
Board game
testing & analysis
Examine balance. Compare strategies.
Test your next rule change.
We work with designers and publishers to turn rules and design questions into a clear testing plan, useful findings, and practical recommendations.
SUSHI GO! / GQS
Mechanism profile
6.7/ 10
- Rules reliability8 / 10
- Fairness & balance6 / 10
- Meaningful decisions6 / 10
- Strategy diversity8 / 10
- Strategic depth4 / 10
- Game progression8 / 10
135,440games tested
8approaches compared
2–5players
Sushi Go!Original edition · Report V1.6
View assessmentRULES & SCORINGBALANCE & STRATEGIESVERSION COMPARISONSREPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Start with a design question
Is one card or role too strong
Look at its payoff, cost, access, and the alternatives players give up.
Can one strategy dominate
Compare competing approaches across player counts and opponents.
Did the change actually help
Re-test the original and revised versions under matching conditions.
Case studies
Two independent studies of published games, showing the questions, findings, and recommendations.
CARD DRAFTING / 2–5 PLAYERS
Sushi Go!
When is blocking an opponent worth the card you give up?
- Five or more competitive approaches at every player count
- Eight strategies, compared across player counts
RESOURCE & ENGINE BUILDING / 2–4 PLAYERS
Splendor
Does a points-first approach work at every player count?
- Strategy advantages change with player count
- Two strategy hints checked in matched re-tests
Testing services
Focused testing
One card, role, strategy, or player-count question, with a defined comparison and report.
Mechanism assessment
A broader review of rules, balance, decisions, strategy options, and game progression.
Changes & re-tests
Compare versions, check side effects, and decide which changes to keep.
Your project report
- 01Overview & key findings
- 02Mechanism assessment
- 03Performance across conditions
- 04Priority issues & causes
- 05Recommendations & re-test plan
What happened. Why it matters. What to change
Findings are paired with readable charts, specific examples, and actions. You can see what to retain, what needs attention, and how the next version will be compared.
- Prioritized findings and explanations
- Comparison charts and tables
- Recommendations and an agreed re-test plan
- Supporting data and rules notes, as agreed
How a project works
Agree the question
Review the rules, development stage, and the decision you need to make.
Build & verify
Represent the agreed rules and check actions, scoring, and endings.
Compare & explain
Run the agreed conditions and investigate the differences that matter.
Review & re-test
Discuss the report and compare the next version where needed.
A few practical questions
What stage should my game be at?
A playable prototype with reasonably stable rules is a good starting point. Bring the current rules and the question you want to answer; we will agree what needs to be represented in the model.
Can you test just one question?
Yes. A specific concern about a card, role, strategy, or player count can be scoped as a focused project. The initial rules setup is included in the scope discussion.
What will I receive?
A report with the findings, supporting charts, priorities, and recommendations. The agreed package can also include comparison tables, rules notes, and a re-test of the next version.
WORK WITH ZONE IN
Tell us what you want to test
Your game’s stage, player count, and main question are enough to start a conversation.