Fine-Tuning Steam Cities & Equestrian
This month we focused heavily on playtesting, refining mechanics and balance based on all the incredible feedback from our community. A huge thank you to everyone who joined our sessions — your insights are shaping the future of both Steam Cities and Equestrian!
Steam Cities – Global Rebalance
Over the past weeks, we’ve been diving deep into a full rebalance of Steam Cities. Here’s what changed:
- Laws – Several cards were overpowered and have been reworked for fairer gameplay.
- Events – Some event cards granted too many Victory Points, allowing the game to end as early as Year 2. These have been scaled back to ensure a more balanced progression.
- Ministers – Ministers that felt too strong have been adjusted. Their abilities can now be used only once per year instead of once per season.
- Cities – Steam City previously scored higher than others because it lacked the “Ultimate Weapon.” Now, all City upgrades award 10 VP, while other Cities have been rebalanced with adjusted upgrade costs and rewards, making choices more strategic and challenging.
- Rules & Naming – To avoid confusion: 1 Turn = 1 Season. A Year has 4 Turns.
Equestrian – Rebalance & Rules Review
Equestrian also received key balance updates this month:
- End-of-Year Market – At the end of each year, if a player doesn’t own a second stable and hasn’t bought a horse, they may now enter the market to acquire one. To do so, they must sell their current horse; if short on funds, they can sell one of their prizes for coins.
- Prizes, Coins & Victory Points – The conversion system has been reworked:
- 3th Prizes = 1 Gold = 1 VP
- 2nd Prizes = 2 Gold = 2 VP
- 1st Prize = 3 Gold = 3 VP
Note: Gold will no longer count as Victory Points at the end of the game.
🎲 Playtesting Every Wednesday – Join Us!
We continue to host weekly live playtesting sessions on Discord. If you’d like early access, enjoy shaping new mechanics, or simply want to hang out with fellow board game fans, we’d love to see you there:
👉 Join our Discord
🛠 Behind the Scenes – Building the Future
Alongside playtesting, we’re moving forward with exciting next steps:
- Funding Progress – We’ve submitted applications for government grants to help us secure the resources needed to bring Steam Cities and Equestrian closer to production-ready demos and full illustrations. Fingers crossed!
📅 Coming Up Next
- Gaelcon 37 – Dublin
We’ll be bringing our prototypes to the table at Gaelcon this October! Everyone’s welcome to come playtest with us:
👉 Gaelcon Info
💡 Final Notes
A big thank you to everyone who kept the spark alive during our July break. Your feedback, enthusiasm, and encouragement are what push us forward. We’re closer than ever to making these games a reality — and we can’t wait to share the next steps with you.
Let’s keep building together.
— The Seven Castles Games Team
Seven Castles Games 
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