Tuesday, May 30, 2017

People Behind the Meeples - Episode 72: Dan Letzring

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.


Name:Daniel Letzring
Email:contact.letimangames@gmail.com
Location:Rochester, NY, USA
Day Job:Scientist
Designing:Five to ten years.
Webpage:www.letimangames.com
Blog:The Indie Game Report - Letiman’s Lessons/
BGG:Letimangames
Facebook:Letimangames
Twitter:@letimangames
YouTube:Letiman Games
Instagram:@letimangames
Find my games at:my website, amazon
Today's Interview is with:

Daniel Letzring
Interviewed on: 4/19/2017

Dan Letzring has been a great boon to the game design community. He's had a few Kickstarter successes with Dino Dude Ranch, Gadgeteers, and more. He's active in many of the general board game, game design, and publishing groups and is more than willing to share his experience and what he's learned. Read on to learn more about Dan and the projects he's working on. Groves, especially, sounds pretty cool!

Some Basics
Tell me a bit about yourself.

How long have you been designing tabletop games?
Five to ten years.

Why did you start designing tabletop games?
I got into game design when I wanted to create a game that embodied the crazy life of a graduate student. I was going for my Ph.D. at the time and was inspired by a comic strip (PhD comics) to create a game that mocks grad school the way the comic does. After that, I got the bug and never stopped designing.

What game or games are you currently working on?
Groves, an expansion to Dino Dude Ranch, and about 4 works in progress

Have you designed any games that have been published?
One of my games, Mint Julep, was published by Button Shy. I have self published 3 others (with 2 more self publishes coming this year).

What is your day job?
Scientist

Your Gaming Tastes
My readers would like to know more about you as a gamer.

Where do you prefer to play games?
I play games in my house with my wife and we usually have friends over once or twice a week after our kids go to bed. I also try to go to my FLGS a few times a month to play games as well. Sometimes I go to friends' houses but since I have two young daughters and my wife likes to play games too, we usually have people over our house instead.

Who do you normally game with?
My wife and I have about 4 different groups of friends who I regularly game with. There are also a handful of designers in my area that I try to coordinate frequent playtests with.

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
Usually we will play one game that is 1-2 hours long (something like Tzolk'in or Kingsburg) and then we will play 2-3 small fast games like Red7 or Eight-Minute Empires.

And what snacks would you eat?
something salty, crunchy, and delicious. Usually some sort of chips and dip or cheese and crackers. My wife makes a killer avocado-feta dip that is a big hit!

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
No, we never have music playing when we game. It would be fun to get some mood music involved that matches with the theme!

What’s your favorite FLGS?
We have 3 awesome ones that are about 15 minutes from my house and they are equally amazing in their own right. Millennium Games, Just Games, and Game Gamut. They are each a little different but they all work hard to forge great relationships with the community.

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
My favorite game is really any worker placement. Lately I have been playing a lot of them, like Tzolk'in and Kingsburg. My least favorite that I still enjoy is Codenames. I have found that I just don't like it as much as the rest of the planet but I will still play it when we have big groups and enjoy it. I just don't enjoy it as much as I think other people do. I do not like to bash other games, so I will not name the worst game I ever played but I will say it was long, boring and did nothing to improve its genre. It actually made its genre worse. But everyone has different tastes, so I am sure someone found some enjoyment in the game that shall not be named.

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Worker Placement is by far and away my favorite. My least favorite is probably pick up and deliver or dexterity.

What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Caverna probably.

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, Card Games

OK, here's a pretty polarizing game. Do you like and play Cards Against Humanity?
No

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?
It actually usually comes as mechanics first and then theme. And then I retheme and change mechanics and then retheme again. 8)

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
I entered the Button Shy wallet contest last year (2016). Although I did not win, I received a publishing contract for the game and it was on Kickstarter in April of 2017 with the contest winner Circle the Wagons.

Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
I enjoy Uwe Rosenberg as I love a lot of his games, I love Scott Almes and how many great games he has produced in such a short time, and I really look up to Matt Leacock for the amazing impact he has had on co-op games.

Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
They literally just pop into my head randomly as I am going about my normal day. There is no telling when it happens, but it just come out of the blue.

How do you go about playtesting your games?
i first play a crappy prototype with my wife to see if the idea is worth pursuing. if we enjoy it, I start putting it in front of my designer friends. There are a bunch in the area, so I get it to the table as many times as I can in a short period to see what we think of it. I start introducing it to different game group friends (some hardcore gamers, some more casual; so I get a good mix of opinions). Then I just keep getting it to the table and refining.

Once it feels like it is in a good place, I start reaching out to friends across the US for blind playtesting. I have made a lot of friends in the community and we playtest for each other often. The people in this business are so awesome!

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
All? My last two projects have been co-designs and it has been great. It helps that both have been with two really good guys whose strengths complement my strengths well (Steve Aramini and Michael Cofer). We have been able to work well together and approach the designs from different perspectives. Co-designing is also how I am able to publish, design, and do so much all at the same time. I do not think I could do it all as often as I do if I did the designs completely by myself. Plus, the different perspectives make for a better game IMO.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Really it is finding the time to do it all. Also, I am bad at graphic design, so making decent looking prototypes is very hard for me.

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Harry Potter 100%. Also maybe the Goosebumps series.

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
Working with other people is a wonderful opportunity. Do not be afraid to share your designs. Getting ideas from fresh eyes will only make your game better.

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Get it to the table as much as possible and be open to feedback and changing some things around. Not every idea that comes out of playtesting is going to make your game better (some may make it worse) but at least be open to suggestions from other people.

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Published games, I have: Dino Dude Ranch, Gadgeteers (co-design with Michael Cofer), Ph.D. The Game and Mint Julep (published by Button Shy).
This is what I have currently crowdfunding: Groves (co-design with Steven Aramini) that is a worker placement game that utilizes bag building. Placing any worker on a land tile will earn you the basic ability on that tile but if you pair the specific worker that matches that land type, you will also earn a bonus ability. The game is all about maximizing your pool of workers to optimize your resource generation. (planned launch is June 13).
I'm planning to crowdfund: An expansion for Dino Dude Ranch (co-design with Daniel Grek). This little addition adds some new decisions, more cuteness and lots of fun to our already popular family game Dino Dude Ranch. I plan to crowdfund it in the end of 2017.
Games that are in the early stages of development and beta testing are: a deck builder that is floating out in the middle of nowhere and needs a lot of love and a weird lobster trapping game that is pick up and deliver (which I hate) so I am in a love/hate relationship with this one.
And games that are still in the very early idea phase are: A science learning game (I think it is going to be bad but most concepts are, only a few make it to further stages).

Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
yes all of them. Publishers guild, designers guild, kickstarter advice groups, I am EVERYWHERE!

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, I have never seen Star Trek. Coke for sure, and definitely from the fountain. VHS, please rewind when finished.

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
I work out a lot and I collect PEZ (I have over 1800 different dispensers).

What is something you learned in the last week?
I learned about some Polynesian mythology. My daughter really likes Moana and I looked up some of the characters to see how true they were to the real life legends.

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
My music is polarizing, two of my favorite bands are Metallica and Dave Matthews Band. Some of my favorites are Godsmack, System of a Down, Korn and Shinedown.

What was the last book you read?
A book that one of my high school friends wrote and had published about a personal struggle she had to deal with in her life.

Do you play any musical instruments?
I have played the guitar for 20 years, I learned the Clarinet in elementary school and I have self taught myself a little piano.

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I can draw, I just don't really do it anymore.

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
I bought tickets to a concert in Scotland on a whim. I was originally looking for the tickets to a concert in Ireland and it was sold out but there were still tickets to the Scotland show and I bought them. Then I had to book a trip and figure out how I was going to pay for it and do it all.

Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
My wife and I were both in serious relationships when we met. She joined a lab I was working in and we shared bench space in the lab. We ended up hitting it off and a year or two later we were out of our relationships and in one with each other. Best decision we ever made.

Who is your idol?
Jim Henson

What would you do if you had a time machine?
Go see Dinosaurs. Or revolutionary war time. I am from Boston and the history there is really important to me.

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
extrovert 100%

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Batman. I always liked that he had no specific mutant abilities, he just could fight well and had cool gadgets.

Have any pets?
No, my wife and I aren't really animal people.

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):
I'll say hi to my wife and kids, and my family back home in Boston!

Just a Bit More
Thanks for answering all my crazy questions! Is there anything else you'd like to tell my readers?

I also like to help give advice for creators planning to run kickstarter campaigns. My blog linked above includes my lessons I have been writing about. I also do interviews for the Indie Game Report where I interview a kickstarter creator while the campaign is running. I focus less on the game and more on the decisions the publisher made on the campaign. It is meant to be a learning lessons for people planning to run a campaign themselves.

Thank you so much for doing this interview, I really appreciate you allowing me to be a part of this! [GJJ Games] No, thank you! I love learning about other designers and how everyone is different (and how they’re they same).




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

Did you like this interview?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

Friday, May 26, 2017

Eye on Kickstarter #21

Welcome to my Eye on Kickstarter series!  This series will highlight Kickstarter campaigns I am following that have recently launched (or I've recently discovered) because they have caught my interest.  Usually they'll catch my interest because they look like great games that I have either backed or would like to back (unfortunately budget doesn't allow me to back everything I'd like to).  But occasionally the campaigns caught my attention for other reasons.  Twice a month, on the 2nd and 4th Fridays, I'll make a new post in this series, highlighting the campaigns that have caught my attention since the last post.  In each post I'll highlight one campaign that has really grabbed my attention, followed by other campaigns I've backed or am interested in.  I'll also include links to any reviews I've done.  Comments are welcome, as are suggestions for new campaigns to check out!

You can also see my full Kickstarter Profile to see what I've backed or my old Eye on Kickstarter page that was too unwieldy to maintain.  Also, check out the 2017 Kickstarter Boardgame Projects geeklist over on Board Game Geek for a list of all the tabletop games of the year.

So, without further ado, here are the projects I'm currently watching as of the fourth Friday of May, 2017:


HIGHLIGHTED CAMPAIGN
Roll Player: Monsters & Minions
  • GJJ Games Review
  • GJJ Games Backed
  • People Behind the Meeples Interview
  • In 2015 I had the fortune to review Roll Player before it hit Kickstarter. This year I got to play the expansion and post up a review for that as well. Roll Player is one of my favorite newer games and I'm super excited for the expansion. Monsters & Minions add a whole new layer of strategy to the game and seamlessly brings in thematic elements like fighting monsters, earning XP, and going on a final big adventure. If you like Roll Player (and you should), Monsters & Minions is a must have expansion!


The King has raised a call to arms! Create your character. Earn experience and confront the vile monster terrorizing the village!

Roll Player: Monsters & Minions is an exciting new expansion to the critically acclaimed Roll Player -- the dice game that builds character! In Roll Player: Monsters & Minions, players compete to construct the greatest fantasy character, gather information about the looming threat and prepare for a final showdown against a Monster!





The Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight
  • This sequel to the critically acclaimed The Manhattan Project is actually the fourth game in the family, which also includes Energy Empire and Chain Reaction. This series of games is from Minion Games, a big supporter of independent designers here in the midwest. James Mathe, the owner of Minion Games, attends Protospiels and other designer events in the area and also runs a very popular blog about designing and Kickstarting games. The designer, Brandon Tibbetts, also attends Protospiels in the area. This looks just as exciting and interesting as the other games in the series, so be sure to check it out.


Halloween
  • Have I mentioned before that Halloween is my favorite holiday? I love everything about the holiday, and always have. The fall weather, the costumes, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, and of course, scaring people. I ran a very successful haunted house for three years in college and still look back fondly on those days. So it's no surprise that I've got my eye on a game called Halloween. The art and minis look great, the gameplay looks interesting, I'm just disappointed that there aren't any 3rd party reviews or actual gameplay video.


Sweetwater String Band - At Night
  • GJJ Games Backed
  • Once again I'm sharing a campaign that has nothing to do with tabletop games. This time it's a band that's looking to fund their third album. The Sweetwater String Band is one of the few artists I have on my MP3 player that my wife NEVER asks me to skip a song by. That's saying quite a lot! We love their upbeat folk rhythms and how they use a cello more like a fiddle. Lots of fun, and you should check them out!

And just so you can hear how awesome they are, here's one of their songs from an older album that I have on my MP3 player.

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Quick Review - Roll Player: Monsters & Minions - Kickstarter Preview

Roll Player: Monsters & Minions
Designer: Keith Matejka
Publisher: Thunderworks Games
1-5p | 60-120m | 10+
Quick Review - Roll Player: Monsters & Minions - Kickstarter Preview
Disclaimer

Way back in November of 2015 I reviewed a game that had a successful campaign on Kickstarter and was released to retail with very little fanfare or hype. I loved the game when I played, so did all the other reviewers. Although the game did well on Kickstarter, it wasn't until Tom Vassal got his hands on it that a lot of people started to take notice. Of course I'm talking about Keith Matejka's sophomore title, Roll Player. Roll Player earned the Dice Tower Seal of Excellence and nominations for several other Dice Tower and Golden Geek awards, and rightly so. The game is a tight mix of dice selection, puzzley strategy, and character creation that provides a great experience with a ton of replayability.

There was only one complaint that kept popping up in discussions and reviews, though. After taking an hour building an awesome character, it felt anticlimactic to just dump all those dice back in the bag and wipe all those stats away.  People wanted to do something with their character. Where were the monsters to battle? Well, Keith was listening and now he's back with the first expansion for Roll Player, Roll Player: Monsters & Minions. So, does battling monsters with your characters work as well as the base game's character creation process? Read on to find out.

Roll Player: Monsters & Minions is available on Kickstarter now through June 15, 2017.  You can pick up a copy of the expansion for $39 or get both the base and expansion for $89, including US shipping.

Overview:
OK, so maybe there were two complaints.  Some people also thought completing the character attributes was pretty unforgiving.  This made Roll Player somewhat challenging, and a bit AP prone.  Personally, I liked that aspect of the game, but some didn't.  The good news is that Monsters & Minions also offers a solution to that issue in the way of Boost dice.  These are transparent dice with three to eight pips on them, giving you a bit more flexibility with reaching those high attribute scores.
Those transparent Boost dice can help offset a few ones and twos, like that seven and eight down in the Charisma row.
The Boost dice are just a small part of the changes that Monsters & Minions brings to Roll Player, though.  The major update to the game is right there in the title.  Throughout the game you'll also have the opportunity to battle minions to gain experience points (XP), suffer wounds, and prepare for a final adventure and confrontation against the main monster. Monsters & Minions also adds support for a fifth player to the game, which is a very welcome addition.  There are also new Market cards, including Skills, Traits, Weapons, Armor, and a new type of card, Scrolls.  Monsters & Minions also includes two new races (gnomes and dark elves) as well as more class cards.  Finally, there are some additional minor bits, like reference cards and extra some standard dice to support a fifth player.
Look at all those combat dice and XP cubes!  You'll use them to battle minions, like the Zombie!
I won't go over how to play the base game of Roll Player here.  If you're curious about that, check out my review of Roll Player from 2015.  Here, I'll talk about the new features in the Monsters & Minions expansion and what they add to the base game.  Roll Player: Monsters & Minions plays pretty much the same as Roll Player, but adds some additional decisions during the game and a new Adventure phase right at the end of the game.  The additions to the core game fit in pretty seamlessly with the base game's mechanics.  The Adventure Phase adds a very quick (less than five minutes) adventure to the end of the game where you use your character to battle a main boss monster.  In all, the expansion only adds a handful of minutes to the overall game time.

When setting up Roll Player, there are a few more steps to go through to prepare the expansion content.  The expansion adds support for a fifth player, so there are a few minor tweaks to the setup of the Market.  There are new Initiative cards to support the fifth player, and since Monsters & Minions adds a number of new Market cards, there will be more removed from the initial deck at the beginning of the game, depending on the player count.  You'll also need to build the Minion deck, which has all the minor creatures you'll have the opportunity to fight when you go on a Quest instead of buying something from the Market, set out the combat dice, XP cubes, various tokens, and add the Boost Dice (and a few additional standard dice, to support the fifth player) to the dice bag.

Finally you'll need to set up the monster that you'll be fighting at the end of the game.  You'll choose one of the monsters that you'll have to face in battle.  This will be a monster that also has a class, but it'll be one of the classes not chosen by the heroes.  Then you'll select three Adventure cards, one for each part of the final Adventure: the Location, Obstacle, and Attack.  Each of these is secret and there are three of each Adventure card for each monster.  This means there are 162 different possible adventures for the end of the game.
To start the game you won't know what the Location, Obstacle, and Attack are going to be, until you battle some minions.
You'll know the main monster though, and can work toward that right from the start.
Once Roll Player: Monsters & Minions is set up, play proceeds generally the same as in the base game.  The new Boost dice will come out randomly along with the other attribute dice and give players some extra flexibility with completing their various attributes, and the new Market cards give some new options.  Specifically, there are some new traits and skills that help out with aspects of the minion and monster battles.  There are also the new Scroll cards, which give you one-time, immediate benefits.  The biggest change to the main game comes in the Market phase.
Scrolls can be bought in the Market for immediate one-time bonuses.
In Monsters & Minions you'll still have all the same options in the Market phase of the game: purchase a card or discard a card to receive two gold.  But if neither of those options is to your liking you now have a third.  Instead of going to the Market, now you can choose to go on a Quest.  When you Quest you'll encounter a minion that you'll have to battle.  Each Minion has a different requirement that will allow you to increase the number of combat dice that you'll be able to use in the battle if you meet those requirements.  For example, if battling the Zombie you'll get an extra combat die for each die in your Intelligence attribute row.
A roll of a 5 against the Gargoyle gets me one XP and one wound.
A battle is quick and simple.  Just grab the appropriate number of combat dice and roll them.  Your result will fall into one of several ranges listed on the card and that'll let you know your reward (or penalty if you roll poorly).  You'll gain some XP for the battle and maybe even an honor token or some gold.  If you roll poorly you might take a wound, which will hinder your efforts in the future, but you can spend XP cubes to reroll if you need to.  If you roll really well you'll also gain some knowledge of the upcoming battle against the main monster.  In order, you'll be able to peek at the Location, then Obstacle, and finally the Attack as you defeat more minions.
I spent an XP to reroll, and managed to roll high enough to avoid that wound and get an extra XP.
Each of these Adventure cards will give you clues to what aspects of your character you'll need to work on to have a better outcome when fighting the monster.  This may be things like, gaining combat dice for having a certain number of Traits, or how many dice you have in a certain color, or completing certain other achievements.  Getting peeks at these Adventure cards will let you develop a strategy during the main phases of the game that will help you in that final adventure.  However its definitely possible to disregard the final adventure completely and just focus on the original aspects of Attributes, Backstory, Alignment, and Market.  The Reputation points that the monster is worth at the end are big, but not big enough to make fighting the monster the only strategy.
Defeating the Chimera can earn you up to eight reputation points.
So that brings us to that final adventure.  After the main game is complete and everyone has all their Attribute rows filled up, then its time to go on a final adventure and see how you fare against the big, bad monster that's been terrorizing the peaceful village you hail from.  Just like with the minions, the monster will have a specific requirement that will affect how many combat dice you can roll, or maybe how much rerolls cost, or some other aspect of the final battle.  However this is changed up each game because the Adventure cards will be revealed to add additional conditions to the battle.  If you were successful fighting some minions earlier in the game, you'll know what some of these are.  If not, then they'll all be a surprise for you!  The Location, Obstacle, and Attack will be revealed, each player will collect the amount of combat dice as determined by the adventure, and then roll to see how successful you are against the monster.  You can spend XP gained throughout the game to reroll dice if you need to.  Depending on how high you roll, you'll earn some Reputation points, and if you roll high enough you can earn a lot of Reputation.  These are added to what you've earned through your Attributes, Backstory, Alignment, Traits, Armor, and Gold, and the player with the highest Reputation is the winner!
The final adventure is going to be against the Chimera in the Shadowy Cave.  If you successfully decipher the Arcane Runes
you'll get some needed help in the battle.  But watch out for the Chimera's Lightning Strike.  Chimeras are known for
guarding treasures, so if you have too much Gold you'll be it's main target!
Final Thoughts:
Roll Player: Monsters & Minions answers the question that was on everyone's mind with the original Roll Player: "What do I do with this awesome character I created?"  Monsters & Minions doesn't change a whole lot about the core game, but it gives you more options throughout the game.  The new minion battles don't extend the game much at all and meld seamlessly with the mechanics and theme you already know and love.  They give you something else to do with your character instead of just going to Market.  So if you like leveling up your character by gaining some (un)real-world experience instead of just buying stuff, you can!
This expansion adds a TON of new stuff, but it feels like it belongs and doesn't add any bloat.
The final battle against the Monster really only adds a few minutes to the game.  It can feel a little anti-climactic to decide the whole battle with just a single roll of the dice (with maybe a few rerolls), but this is thematic with the RPG aspects of the game where a roll of the dice decides your fate.  Fighting the monster is something you've likely been working toward the entire game, so if your strategy was to build up your strength for that final Adventure you'll be chucking a whole fistfull of dice and have plenty of XP to reroll any critical fails.
There are six monsters to battle, and six more for a solo game.  Now you can use your awesome characters!
The really nice thing though, is that it doesn't bog the game down in a long battle that some players may have chosen to not prepare for.  You can definitely still have a winning strategy by ignoring the minions and monsters completely.  To battle minions you'll have to sacrifice getting items from the market.  You'll also possibly be focusing on getting specific dice that will help you in your final battle, but not necessarily help you fill out your Attributes or Backstory.  So Monsters & Minions gives you more varied strategies that blend perfectly with the base game.  After a few plays you'll wonder how you ever played without fighting off the evil creatures that roam the wilderness!
I got to play Roll Player: Monsters & Minions at Protospiel Milwaukee in April and I can't wait to have my own copy to play!
Roll Player: Monsters & Minions adds what everyone wanted from the original game; the ability to fight the baddies with the characters you create.  And it does this without adding significantly to the complexity or time that the game takes.  Instead it takes the gameplay that you're already familiar with and adds to the strategic choices, giving an even richer gameplay experience in the same timeframe.  Roll Player: Monsters & Minions adds just the right amount of new experiences to keep the game exciting yet familiar; .The minion battles are thematically and mechanically perfect for the game, and the monster battle at the end of the game can help drive alternative strategies, without dragging the game out any longer.  If you enjoy Roll Player, the Monsters & Minions expansion is a must-have.  I'll be including it in every game of Roll Player that I play, once I get my own copy!

Roll Player: Monsters & Minions is available on Kickstarter now through June 15, 2017.  You can pick up a copy of the expansion for $39 or get both the base and expansion for $89, including US shipping.

Preliminary Rating: 8.5/10

This review is of a prototype game.  Components and rules are not final and are subject to change.


Did you like this review?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.












GJJG Game Reviews are independent, unpaid reviews of games I, George Jaros, have played with my family and friends. Some of these games I own, some are owned by friends, some are borrowed, and some are print and play versions of games. Where applicable I will indicate if games have been played with kids or adults or a mix (Family Play). I won't go into extensive detail about how to play the game (there are plenty of other sources for that information and I'll occasionally link to those other sources), but I will give my impressions of the game and how my friends and family reacted to the game. Quick Reviews will only get a single rating of 1-10 (low-high) based on my first impressions of the game during my first few times playing. Hopefully I'll get more chances to play the game and will be able to give it a full review soon.

People Behind the Meeples - Episode 71: Alex Wynnter

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.


Name:Alex Wynnter 2
Location:Australia
Day Job:I am a graphic designer, teacher and stay at home dad.
Designing:Five to ten years.
Webpage:http://brigadegame.com/
Blog:http://brigadegame.com/category/blog/
BGG:Brigade
Facebook:Red Genie Games/
Twitter:@BlueRoomBG
Instagram:@wynnter
Other:http://thevideoshop.com.au/dicehard/
Find my games at:https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByAILiQMhYbRfjh3ejNHUVktbFVvcXBSYmlNdTBXSmlKSFdqMlJaRy1paWtJZUV3ZnJDbTg
Today's Interview is with:

Alex Wynnter
Interviewed on: 5/20/2017

Alex Wynnter is a game designer from Australia who has one published game already, and a few more on the way. Next to hit Kickstarter will be Brigade, which I just received a prototype copy of a few weeks ago. So keep your eye out for a review of that one coming soon. If you'd like to learn more about Alex and the projects he's working on, read on!

Some Basics
Tell me a bit about yourself.

How long have you been designing tabletop games?
Five to ten years.

Why did you start designing tabletop games?
It was a sort of natural progression for me, I enjoy doing lots of personal projects and I am a graphic designer. When you see bad design work you always think of ways it could be improved, and I guess seeing some games and bad design work makes you want to improve them.

What game or games are you currently working on?
The Brigade is a game we are releasing on kickstarter in August. This is the main one that is about competing fire wardens trying to save a town in order to become the head honcho.

I have recently signed over a drafting game about scenery to a publisher which is exciting.

I am also producing a game called Velvet for the TGDA, to be sold in showbags at this years PAXAUS.

Have you designed any games that have been published?
I have, it was a long time ago, and it was self published. I am proud of the artwork, but like all things in the past, you think you could have done so much better things with it now.

What is your day job?
I am a graphic designer, teacher and stay at home dad.

Your Gaming Tastes
My readers would like to know more about you as a gamer.

Where do you prefer to play games?
I love playing games with my friends, at their house or mine. We have a regular fortnightly thing and I run a monthly event at the local library.

Who do you normally game with?
I enjoy gaming with my friends, they also love games I am inventing. I also play with my father and wife every couple of weeks.

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
We have a great selection between us all. Recently we have been playing a fair amount of Scythe and Abyss. We also love classics like Viticulture and Neuroshima Hex.

And what snacks would you eat?
Some of them love baking and actually bring some pretty good food. I am looking forward to a blueberry pie next games night hahaha.

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
We do usually have music playing, but it varies greatly. We have digital radio and there are so many stations. One of the main ones is Buddha Radio, otherwise we bluetooth hard rock or metal.

What’s your favorite FLGS?
We have quite a few in Melbourne, NLG Preston, NLG Ringwood, GoodGames Box Hill and Games Laboratory in the city.

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Currently I love Blood Bowl Team Manager, our group loves it so much we made a league where we play 10 games and retain decks with special house rules. I was lucky enough to chat to Jay Little about this.

Splendor is probably the least favorite that I still enjoy. I play a few gateway games with my wife as she isn't as into the more complicated games.

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
I love a good worker placement mechanic. I also love drafting - now - how to combine the two?

What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Agricola is something I love but my regular gaming friends are not big fans... It does have a hard theme to convince people to enjoy.

What styles of games do you play?
I like to play Board Games, Card Games, Miniatures Games

Do you design different styles of games than what you play?
I like to design Board Games, Card Games, Miniatures Games

OK, here's a pretty polarizing game. Do you like and play Cards Against Humanity?
No

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?
It all depends on the game, but I think I come up with an experience I want players to be able to achieve first, then think of a theme that matches that, then mesh the mechanics into it. It's prob not the best way to go about it, but for me that works.

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
I have entered only a few, but one I did win was a small competitive Game jam. We had some cool themes to work with and created a pretty awesome roll and move game, that was a good combination of bluff and push your luck.

It was an asymmetrical game, where one side (the monster) wanted to eat the child in the bed, the other side - the child wanted to prove to their parents the monster existed and to chase it away.

Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
Bruno Cathala is probably my favorite, but Antoine Bauza is a very close second.

Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
I get a lot of inspiration from the ideas in books. I don’t copy the books, but something will start to make me think and broaden as I think about it more. I spend a lot of time thinking when I take the dog out for a walk.

How do you go about playtesting your games?
We have a local testing group in Melbourne that I go to regularly, but there are several here. In the TGDA we are trying to work out a national playtesting circuit as well.

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
I like working as part of a team, I think working solo there are several times you need to be reeled back, or have mistakes pointed out, or things that are just not realistic or bad.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Rulebooks...

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
I have thought about this a few times, and my top few answers would be Asterix, Dinotopia and Dune.

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
Keep prototypes simple and ugly, little effort in display, otherwise people cannot focus on the actual gameplay or mechanics and have more trouble getting you to change things.

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Do it! Just put pen to paper and do it.

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Published games, I have: NinjitZoo
Games that will soon be published are: (working name) Dusk
(working name) Pass the Buck
(working name) Golden Idol

Currently looking for a publisher I have: Planitects
I'm planning to crowdfund: The Brigade
Games that are in the early stages of development and beta testing are: Asphyxia

Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
TGDA is the main one, and several board game related groups around the world.

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?
All of the above. Except VHS, I never had betamax.

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
Team sports, designing, illustration.

What is something you learned in the last week?
Microbes have their own protein engines that are way more efficient than anything humans have made!

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Alternative music, scifi/fantasy books, good movies :)

What was the last book you read?
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Do you play any musical instruments?
If I had money for how NOT musically talented I am, I would be a millionaire...

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I got nothing...

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
Had a baby, it's a rollercoaster!

Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
I got nothing

Who is your idol?
Robin Hobb is an amazing writer, and Kev Walker, RK Post are both amazing artists

What would you do if you had a time machine?
The future awaits!

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Depends on the situation.

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
The most powerful one.

Have any pets?
A great dog called Panda

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 to survive. No idea what should be crushed.

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):
Ben Hoban - Co-Creator of The Brigade

Just a Bit More
Thanks for answering all my crazy questions! Is there anything else you'd like to tell my readers?

Please check out our Kickstarter in August, The Brigade is a fantastic game, and I hope you get to see it on your table soon.

An octopus is my favorite animal hahaha.




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

Did you like this interview?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

People Behind the Meeples - Episode 70: Eddie Zakoor

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.


Name:Eddie Zakoor
Email:pavestal@gmail.com or eddie.zakoor@aol.com
Location:Chicago
Day Job:Shadow Squirrel Games
Designing:One to two years.
Webpage:wantedearth.com
BGG:EddieZ
Facebook:eddie.zakoor
Twitter:@WantedEarth
YouTube:Shadow Squirrel Games
Instagram:wantedearth
Find my games at:Kickstarter starting May 11th
Today's Interview is with:

Eddie Zakoor
Interviewed on: 4/19/2017

Eddie is a fellow Chicagoland game designer that I met back in March when he introduced me to his game, Wanted Earth, at one of the monthly game design nights I host. He is the imagination behind Wanted Earth and the Wanted Earth universe. Wanted Earth is a miniatures game currently on Kickstarter, that I reviewed last week. I also interviewed his design partner, Phil Vestal, last November. To learn more about Eddie and his other projects, read on.

Some Basics
Tell me a bit about yourself.

How long have you been designing tabletop games?
One to two years.

Why did you start designing tabletop games?
I wanted to create a miniatures game that was AWESOME and able to be easily and comfortably played anywhere. I wanted to get rid of periodic effects and anything tedious that could be mentally draining. I wanted to reduce setup time to less than a couple minutes and to reduce the overall time it takes to play a miniatures game significantly (we are down to 60-90 min atm). I wanted to create fun and unique hero/faction abilities. AND! I wanted to create a new epic sci-fi story to coincide with the boardgame (Comics).

What game or games are you currently working on?
Wanted Earth, On the Bus, and a top secret game I can’t discuss atm :P

Have you designed any games that have been published?
No

What is your day job?
Shadow Squirrel Games

Your Gaming Tastes
My readers would like to know more about you as a gamer.

Where do you prefer to play games?
Anywhere as long as I am in good company.

Who do you normally game with?
Many groups of friends.

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
Wanted Earth, Arkham Horror Card Game, Mage Wars, many more...

And what snacks would you eat?
Bread

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Sometimes. Depends on the Game.. I can listen to anything.. I like chill alternative music with sick beats. Wanted Earth will have its own soundtrack!

What’s your favorite FLGS?
Game Storm in Lemont IL

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Current favorite is Arkham Card Game. I have a love and hate relationship with Candy Land.

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Favorite is Wanted Earth.. least favorite.. a couple miniatures games that I won’t mention.

What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Mage Wars

What styles of games do you play?
I like to play Board Games, Card Games, Miniatures Games, RPG Games, Video Games, Other Games?

Do you design different styles of games than what you play?
I like to design Board Games, Miniatures 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?
Theme first.

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
No

Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
Joe Bergmann

Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
Things I like and I think are cool

How do you go about playtesting your games?
MANY different groups of friends and strangers. Word of mouth and contacts..

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
Team. My team is SiCK

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Working with Phil Vestal

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
SWG star wars galaxies MMORPG

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
That it was fun :O

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
It’s a process but well worth it. Find the right people to help make it possible and listen to good advice!

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Published games, I have: Wanted Earth, soon
Games that will soon be published are: Wanted Earth, On the Bus, and my super secret game
This is what I have currently crowdfunding: May 11th was our launch date for Wanted Earth on Kickstarter
Games I feel are in the final development and tweaking stage are: Some balancing but we're mostly finished.. (Wanted Earth)
Games that are in the early stages of development and beta testing are: On the Bus
And games that are still in the very early idea phase are: I can’t discuss it. It’s so secret

Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
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?
MMORPG's

What is something you learned in the last week?
That I have learned nothing. Thanks :/

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Love it all. I’m eclectic and eccentric. I’m eclentric.

What was the last book you read?
Killing Pablo

Do you play any musical instruments?
I will beat on anything with my hands?

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I have friends

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
Got stuck on a small boat off the coast of Mombasa. Had to use my beach towel as a sail.

Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
^

Who is your idol?
Joe Bergmann hands down

What would you do if you had a time machine?
I would mess with people

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
introvert mostly

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Wolverine without the claws

Have any pets?
I have kids

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?
I would like squirrels to not go extinct. LOVE those guys! And I would like Phil Vestal to be under that asteroid.

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):
Joe Bergmann - you are the most interesting man in the world

Just a Bit More
Thanks for answering all my crazy questions! Is there anything else you'd like to tell my readers?

PLEASE SUPPORT US ON KICKSTARTER
xoxo




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

Did you like this interview?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.