Welcome to People Behind the Meeples, a series of interviews with indie game designers. Here you'll find out more than you ever wanted to know about the people who make the best games that you may or may not have heard of before. If you'd like to be featured, head over to http://gjjgames.blogspot.com/p/game-designer-interview-questionnaire.html and fill out the questionnaire! You can find all the interviews here: People Behind the Meeples.
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| Name: | Tony Allen |
|---|---|
| Email: | tada232@gmail.com |
| Location: | Grand Prairie, TX |
| Day Job: | Structural Drafter |
| Designing: | Over ten years! |
Tony Allen
Interviewed on: 1/11/2019
Tony Allen has been designing games for quite a while and now has two that he's looking for a publisher for. If you're in Texas look him up and maybe you'll get the opportunity to play Isle of Trez or Chain of Evidence.
Some Basics
Tell me a bit about yourself.
How long have you been designing tabletop games?
Over ten years!
Why did you start designing tabletop games?
Bought a board game that turned out to be a lousy game. So, as being out to sea in the Navy, I improvised changes to it and it became much better.
What game or games are you currently working on?
Isle of Trez, Chain of Evidence
Have you designed any games that have been published?
No
What is your day job?
Structural Drafter
Your Gaming Tastes
My readers would like to know more about you as a gamer.
Where do you prefer to play games?
At my parents’ house.
Who do you normally game with?
My parents.
If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
Azul, The Mind, Cryptid, Alhambra
And what snacks would you eat?
Chips
Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
No
What’s your favorite FLGS?
Gen X Comics and Games in Hurst, TX
What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Azul, Blokus
What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Drafting, Deck Builder
What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
7 Wonders
What styles of games do you play?
I like to play
Board Games, Card Games
Do you design different styles of games than what you play?
I like to design
Board Games
OK, here's a pretty polarizing game. Do you like and play Cards Against Humanity?
Sometimes
You as a Designer
OK, now the bit that sets you apart from the typical gamer. Let's find out about you as a game designer.
When you design games, do you come up with a theme first and build the mechanics around that? Or do you come up with mechanics and then add a theme? Or something else?
Both
Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
No, no
Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
No
Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
Playing board games.
How do you go about playtesting your games?
Family, BGG.CON
Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
Alone.
What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Finding a publisher.
If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Myst
What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
How the business end is so anti-me.
What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Be original! Know what's out there and do something different.
Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Currently looking for a publisher I have:
Yes
Games I feel are in the final development and tweaking stage are:
Yes
And the oddly personal, but harmless stuff…
OK, enough of the game stuff, let's find out what really makes you tick! These are the questions that I’m sure are on everyone’s minds!
Star Trek or Star Wars? Coke or Pepsi? VHS or Betamax?
Star Wars, Coke, VHS
What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
Line dancing, Indy movie watching, YouTube videos
What is something you learned in the last week?
My allergies are worse than I thought
Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Classic Rock, none, independent
What was the last book you read?
Don't remember
Do you play any musical instruments?
No
Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I'm 59 but look 45, I can juggle, Disco dancer
Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
Not here
Who is your idol?
Rand Miller
What would you do if you had a time machine?
Redo my life.
Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Both, depends on the situation
If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Batman, duh
Have any pets?
No
When the next asteroid hits Earth, causing the Yellowstone caldera to explode, California to fall into the ocean, the sea levels to rise, and the next ice age to set in, what current games or other pastimes do you think (or hope) will survive into the next era of human civilization? What do you hope is underneath that asteroid to be wiped out of the human consciousness forever?
Board games, of course.
If you’d like to send a shout out to anyone, anyone at all, here’s your chance (I can’t guarantee they’ll read this though):
Hey Dominic Crapuchettes!
Thanks for answering all my crazy questions!
Thank you for reading this People Behind the Meeples indie game designer interview! You can find all the interviews here: People Behind the Meeples and if you'd like to be featured yourself, you can fill out the questionnaire here: http://gjjgames.blogspot.com/p/game-designer-interview-questionnaire.html
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