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: | Mike De Greef |
|---|---|
| Email: | degreefmike@gmail.com |
| Location: | Belgium (west-Europe) |
| Day Job: | webdesigner |
| Designing: | Two to five years. |
| Webpage: | www.bipolarthecardgame.com |
| BGG: | Bipolar |
| Facebook: | Bipolar the Card Game |
Mike De Greef
Interviewed on: 5/3/2020
This week's interview is with Mike De Greef who is working on a game about bipolar disorder, called Bipolar. He hopes to break through taboos about talking about mental disorders through gameplay. Read n to learn more about Mike and his projects!
Some Basics
Tell me a bit about yourself.
How long have you been designing tabletop games?
Two to five years.
Why did you start designing tabletop games?
in a mental therapy session they ask to make a game ;-)
What game or games are you currently working on?
Bipolar the card game
Have you designed any games that have been published?
no
What is your day job?
webdesigner
Your Gaming Tastes
My readers would like to know more about you as a gamer.
Where do you prefer to play games?
i prefer to play games at friends homeplace
Who do you normally game with?
close friends
If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
Champions of Midgard
And what snacks would you eat?
yes, we would eat snacks
Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
soft 80's music
What’s your favorite FLGS?
Queen of Games
What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Kingdomino, Inis, Lord of the Rings
What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
deckbuilder / bribing
What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Mage Knight
What styles of games do you play?
I like to play
Board Games, Card Games, Video Games
Do you design different styles of games than what you play?
I like to design
Card Games
OK, here's a pretty polarizing game. Do you like and play Cards Against Humanity?
Yes
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?
First the theme and then the mechanics
Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
not yet ;)
Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
Jamey Stegmaier
Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
when i am resting
Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
for the moment i work mostly alone but i would love to work with other designers
What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
simplifying your game
If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
North and South
What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
first game then art
What advice would you like to share about designing games?
SIMPLIFY
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:
Bipolar the card game
Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
both
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 and VHS
What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
Padel
What is something you learned in the last week?
read less make more
Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Phill Collins, José Saramago, blade runner
What was the last book you read?
The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design
Do you play any musical instruments?
flute
Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I have Bipolar
Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
as a bipolar person you have so many crazy stories...
Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
My birth
Who is your idol?
Harrison Ford
What would you do if you had a time machine?
make a walk with Einstein
Are you an extrovert or introvert?
introvert
If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
superman
Have any pets?
not i know about
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?
Mage Knight / monopoly
Just a Bit More
Thanks for answering all my crazy questions! Is there anything else you'd like to tell my readers?
Talk about your mental problems
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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Nice
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