Chapter 84: Game Trial

Hearing Chen Xu's words, the players on-site immediately erupted in excitement.

After all, those few short sentences had revealed information that was simply too astonishing.

Two games would have mobile versions, and during the exhibition, players could directly download and try them out.

In addition, there would be one final grand finale.

Honestly, most players didn't pay much attention to this so-called grand finale.

After all, it was just empty talk, and although Nebula Games had produced several popular titles, none were big titles—nothing grand enough to truly excite them.

The crucial point was—did this mean they could experience the games without queuing?

Suddenly, everyone noticed the large screen at the Nebula Games booth, which had already begun playing promotional footage of the games.

Alongside it was a massive QR code, clearly meant for players to scan and download.

Players gathered at the Nebula Games booth quickly pulled out their phones and started scanning the code.

After all, wasn't the whole reason they came to the game exhibition to experience the latest games from various developers?

Now, there was a game they could download just by scanning a QR code, experience instantly, and without any waiting—it was only natural everyone wanted to give it a try.

Most male players prioritized scanning and downloading Sanguosha.

Compared to the overly Q-style cute Fall Guys, Sanguosha's art style was clearly more appealing to them.

Moreover, the Three Kingdoms was a household IP, inherently carrying a strong attraction.

On the other hand, many female players preferred the opposite—adorable little Fall Guys clearly piqued their interest more.

Of course, not everyone followed this pattern. There were also male players with a maiden's heart who chose to try Fall Guys first, as well as female players who opted to experience Sanguosha first.

Additionally, some players still specifically queued up to experience the differences in the PC version.

Others chose not to play on mobile at all, instead opting to play offline using physical cards.

After all, playing board games face-to-face simply felt more engaging.

Thanks to arriving early, Zhang Yi's group managed to secure one of the first trial opportunities.

All five of them lined up for Sanguosha, having noticed from the introductions that Sanguosha could accommodate exactly five players at once—perfect for their group size.

Fall Guys, on the other hand, supported a maximum of four players in a team, and in non-team modes, players were randomized, so they decided to try Sanguosha first.

Another reason was a lingering psychological trauma.

After all, they had previously experienced what Chen Xu described as “light-hearted, harmonious, and heartwarming.”

Although the game's visual style did appear to match that description, Zhang Yi had a nagging premonition that the actual experience might be completely the opposite.

They didn't choose to play with physical cards, but instead opted for the PC version.

It was much more convenient, and according to the staff nearby, physical cards only allowed players to read the text rules themselves, while the digital version featured a new player tutorial mode, helping players understand the game much better.

After a brief opening CG, the game transitioned into gameplay.

For the opening CG of Sanguosha, Chen Xu didn't add any flashy animations.

It was simply a comic strip, showcasing the generals from Sanguosha.

After all, this was a board game.

Once inside the game, the trial began with an endgame battle scenario.

The player took on the role of the Lord, controlling the general Liu Bei.

"The voice acting is amazing! And the visual representation isn't bad at all!" Zhang Yi whispered with emotion.

He had never played a card game before.

Well, unless Dou Dizhu counted—then he had played one.

Still, in Sanguosha, he could already sense certain details.

For example, when successfully using an Attack card, along with the reduction of red hearts representing health, there was a dynamic feedback of blade flashes striking the general's portrait—powerful and impactful.

The sound effects and feedback in the game were also perfectly executed.

When health was lost, the general's portrait would be splattered with blood, and as health decreased, visible wounds would appear on the portrait.

Clearly, the card portraits weren't just a single static image.

Depending on the state—intact or injured—there were corresponding visual representations.

Different equipment cards also had unique special effects.

This transformed an ordinary card game into something surprisingly engaging.

The game continued.

The simple tutorial mode mostly involved following system prompts.

Its main purpose was to help players understand the basic operations and functions of the cards.

After all, the core gameplay of Sanguosha revolved around its card battle rules.

If the system guidance in this aspect wasn't sufficient, players would struggle to grasp the points of enjoyment.

Meanwhile, on the large screen at the Sanguosha section of the booth, footage of Zhang Yi's group playing was being broadcast.

This allowed waiting players to observe and better understand the game, sparking whispers and discussions about Sanguosha's performance.

"It feels a bit like Dou Dizhu!"

"This is way more complicated than Dou Dizhu!"

"Yeah, and I feel like playing the Spy is really hard. Everyone else has two teammates, but the Spy is all alone."

"It's not that simple. Think about it—when the Lord and Rebel are fighting, whichever side you help gains the advantage. Isn't that exciting?"

"But what if both sides attack me?"

"Then I'd help the side that didn't attack me first and eliminate them!"

"I think the Spy's main role is control the field. Whether you eliminate the Loyalist or the Rebel, the other side will have no choice but to cooperate with the Spy, or they'll lose immediately."

"Then the victory reward for the Spy should be even better."

"Exactly! One versus four!"

"Look! The Lord has an extra skill—and an extra health point!"

Although they could download and play themselves, some players chose not to experience it personally, instead watching the gameplay displayed on the big screen.

The overall rules of Sanguosha weren't difficult to grasp. The tutorial was purely meant to teach players the basics—factions, basic operations like Attack, Dodge, Peach, equipment cards, and how horses affect attack range.

More advanced mechanics—such as general skills and synergies, or using Cross the River and Demolish the Bridge and Take a Goat in Passing to steal unjudged cards like Indulge in Pleasure and Forget Home or Lightning from opponents—were reserved for subsequent side tutorials.

For the exhibition trial, these elements didn't need to be included.

Once the official version launched, players who completed these side tutorials would receive a general and a permanent skin as rewards.

This was essentially the standard three-pronged approach of multiplayer online games.

Offer rewards to attract players to complete quests, use quests to teach players the game, and provide rewards to encourage players to stay in the game.

This routine had been overused by mobile games in his previous life.

Hundred free pulls at launch, sixty free pulls at launch, giving away orange cards and gold cards at launch—these were all based on the same model.

It even spawned an entire industry chain known as starter accounts.

Studios would create numerous accounts, rely on these free pulls, and then sell the accounts based on luck.

Still, one couldn't deny that this method was extremely effective.

At least in the early stages of a game, its appeal to players was immense.

(See the red-colored text for recommendation votes and Monthly Pass? They say if you click in and then tap the voting button in the bottom right corner, you'll become handsome!)

(End of Chapter) <>