I’m sure there is a game in here…
Still living in a building site. Yesterday someone managed to break part of the lighting, so now we need an electrician. Today one of the key builders is off sick. No wonder nothing has been built on time or in budget since the pyramids (Sorry Mr Khufu, can’t be done, mate… ).
Of course, me being me, I’ve started designing the game of the awfulness, as something to take my mind off things. Or, at least to see the lighter side (I’m sure there is one). Actually, I think this makes the perfect topic for a take that! style game. Certainly it feels like someone’s playing crappy cards on me all the time…
I’ll get my own back next turn 🙂
Quirkworthy 
Based on my experience of moving house last year, I think someone already made the game of having work done on your house.
Certainly a contender.
I could definitely see this. “Self-Build: The Game of Renovation, Restoration and Relocation”.
Find yourself a plot, get planning permission and build your perfect home… Or not, as you contend with local councils, unreliable builders, planning regulations and, worst of all, your unscrupulous, devious, back-stabbing neighbours!
Hilarious fun for all the family!
I always thought the Money Pit idea was a plausible one. This is slightly different. Need a catchy title though…
“Can’t be done, mate” would be the cancel card
For Self-Build game, you also need a ‘Round Tuit’ object that only one player or NPC can have at a time, is easily misplaced or incorrectly identified. Plus plenty of Distraction tokens representing pretty much every excuse under the sun, which are nullified by whoever has the Round Tuit at the moment.
Every player thus takes a different role, as Carpenter, Gibber, Mixer etc, and the Event Deck is full of all manner of pitfalls from ‘Can’t lay the cement today, weather’s turned to crap.’ to ‘But that’s a supporting wall, you can’t do that!’ and ‘No pay? No way.’ cards.
Make it asymmetric.
The Homeowners are trying to keep the job on time and under budget.
The Contractors are trying to pad the price, cut cost, and stay on time (ish) so they can move on to the next job.
The Subbies are trying to increase the cost through extra work and want to drag things on to pad the hourly rate, and don’t care if it never gets finished so long as they get paid.
Needs work but having three almost-similar but not quite victory conditions is the goal.
That would work. It sounds like you’d be stuck needing exactly 3 players though. Who else could we add? Planning department? Building Inspectors?
In France we have a formulation : “Inspecteur des travaux finis”, someone that arrives when all is already done and the guy comes to tell what should have been done… and of course he doesn’t feel ashamed ^^
What about two different home owners (mr and mrs) who want slightly different things? Still want it within budget and on time, but both want to sway the project one way or another.
Have you ever seen a film called (I think) Mr Blandings Builds HIs Dream House? That’s got some amusing ideas in.