Tuesday, February 27, 2018

People Behind the Meeples - Episode 109: Casey Hill

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. Support me on Patreon!


Name:Casey Hill
Email:admin@arkongame.com
Location:California, United States
Day Job:I work a full time job as a marketing consultant for a SaaS tech company called ONTRAPORT in Santa Barbara, CA.
Designing:One to two years.
Webpage:Arkon
Blog:Game Design Blog/
BGG:Arkon
Facebook:Arkongame
Twitter:@ArkonGame
Instagram:@arkongame
Find my games at:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1080559033/arkon?ref=bj6jqw
Today's Interview is with:

Casey Hill
Interviewed on: 2/7/2018

Casey Hill is a designer from California who's first game is currently on Kickstarter, and doing great! Arkon is live for only four more days, so check it out now. It has incredible artwork and looks like an interesting game. So read on to learn more about Casey and his projects. If Arkon is any indication, we can look forward to more awesome games from Hill Gaming Company in the future!

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 started game design because I have a genuine love for what this hobby represents. Tabletop games are an arena where people from any walk of life, any gender, religion or political affiliation can come together over a shared passion.

What game or games are you currently working on?
My company’s first game, Arkon, is a non-linear strategy bidding card game set in a high fantasy landscape. It is currently on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1080559033/arkon?ref=bj6jqw

Have you designed any games that have been published?
Our first game is Arkon and we are self-publishing.

What is your day job?
I work a full time job as a marketing consultant for a SaaS tech company called ONTRAPORT in Santa Barbara, CA.

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

Where do you prefer to play games?
At my house or friend’s house.

Who do you normally game with?
My family and close friends

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
O man, it really depends! I love Star Realms, Splendor, Ticket to Ride, Mysterium, Pandemic, Scythe, Viticulture and so many others!

And what snacks would you eat?
I like cashews!

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Sometimes light Lord of the Rings or Gladiator soundtrack in the background sets the tone.

What’s your favorite FLGS?
Metro Comics in Santa Barbara, CA

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Current Favorite: Star Realms. Least favorite that I still enjoy, maybe something like Werewolf? Worst game = Oregon Trail. I drew the insta die card on the first round......

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Granted I might be bias on this as it's a central mechanic to Arkon, but I love flexible use cards. The worst thing in a game is when you get stuck and just have to wait or flat out have no shot. Flexible cards facilitate deep strategy and reduce "dead card in hand" phenomenon.

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

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?
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?
For Arkon, we built the mechanics first and then developed the theme.

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
I have not.

Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
Jamey Stegmaier is an incredible inspiration in the gaming world.

Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
I think brainstorming with my family and close friends.

How do you go about playtesting your games?
Often and with strangers. My philosophy is to get the game in front of as many people as possible, both reviewers and people you meet at game nights and gather the feedback.

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
Team, 100%. Everyone has their strengths and a team allows you to play to that.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Exposure. When you are a new game brand, even if your product is very well built, getting eyes on it takes time and energy and isn't easy.

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Ooo good question. Not sure on that one but I love everything high fantasy ( Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones etc.)

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
How long the process is! It took us 2 years from start to finish to build Arkon.

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Ask questions. Don't be shy about gathering feedback or taking advice. Look for trends. If you one person says something is broken, it's an anomaly. If 20 people say it, you want to pay attention to that.

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
This is what I have currently crowdfunding: Arkon

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

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 don't drink soda and I don't know what Betamax is?

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
I love to read and write.

What is something you learned in the last week?
How crucial Custom Referral tags are on your crowdfunding campaign. FB can tell you you are getting all the clicks in the world but if it isn't equaling conversions, that is bad. So use those custom tags and that will help you see what is happening.

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
I love epic instrumental, my favorite book is Name of the Wind and my favorite movie is Gladiator

What was the last book you read?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George RR Martin

Do you play any musical instruments?
I do not.

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I spent a year after college writing a book.

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
I once kayaked 30 miles from Catalina Island to the mainland.

Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
Randomly decided to go to an ice cream social (I don't eat sweets) and met my future wife my freshman year of college!

Who is your idol?
My parents, Richard Branson and Jamey Stegmaier

What would you do if you had a time machine?
Check out how the future looks, I'm super curious.

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Extrovert.

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Wolverine.

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?
I love tabletop and video games. Reality TV I could do without.

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):
Just to all the incredible members of the gaming community that help and support each other every day. We are all in this together and your kindness, constructive feedback and willingness to help your fellow gamer/designer is what makes these communities awesome.

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

This interview was pretty thorough!




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?  Pleasse show your support: Support me on Patreon! Or click the heart at Board Game Links , like GJJ Games on Facebook , or follow on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

Friday, February 23, 2018

Eye on Kickstarter #38

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 2018 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 February, 2018:



HIGHLIGHTED CAMPAIGN
Robin Hood and the Merry Men
  • Errol Flynn, Kevin Costner, Brian Bedford, Russle Crowe, or Cary Elwes - whoever your favorite modern Robin Hood is, it's a classic story that everyone seems to love. This looks like a great euro style game that's dripping with theme. The artwork is fantastic, too. This looks poised to be as great an interpretation of Robin and his Merry Men as any of the classics.


Nottingham 1100 A.D.: The True King is away in the Holy Lands and the town is under rule by the evil tyrant, Prince John. He has forced matrimony upon Maid Marian and locked her in his castle against her will. The young princess sends word of her captivity to fabled outlaw and her true love, Robin Hood.

He vows to save her with help from his Merry Men — faithful souls who would follow him to hell and back! But this time, Robin sees doubt in their eyes. Little John, Will Scarlet and the other Merry Men deem the mission so perilous—it could plunge Nottingham into turmoil. Torn between love for the princess and his town, Robin devises a plan to save both! He proposes a challenge, betting his men that none can protect Nottingham as well as he. If one of them bests him at this task, he will bestow his mantle of leadership to the victor! They accept his wager, and pledge to rescue Maid Marian, no matter the outcome.

Their quest will require bravery, cunning and all the wits they can muster! Will one of the Merry Men become Nottingham’s newest hero, or will Robin live up to his own legend?

Robin Hood and the Merry Men is a semi cooperative, but a highly competitive board game set in the folklore we all know and love. It’s a thematic euro style game that perfectly blends worker placement, hand management, set collection and dice rolling into a one big exciting crossover.

In Robin Hood and the Merry Men, players take on the role of a famous outlaw such as Robin Hood, Little John, Will Scarlet and Jane Fortune, and their mission is to protect the town of Nottingham from the tyranny of infamous ruler Prince John and the notorious Sheriff of Nottingham throughout 5 rounds of onslaught. If they succeed, a winner is declared-the player with the most VP becomes Nottingham’s greatest champion.





Swordcrafters


War of Supremacy


Stew & Arcane Bakery Clash
  • Another set of wallet games from Button Shy, this time featuring Stew, by Jason Glover, another Chicagoland area game designer that I see at several meetups a year.


Pandorum
  • This looks like a pretty cool take on a resource management, area control euro style game. The theme is pretty cool, the artwork is great, and the gameplay looks simple, yet pretty deep.


Legendary Metal Coins: Season 3
  • I won a set of the Season 1 Elven coins a few years ago and they're pretty awesome. If you like to bling out your games, these are big, solid metal coins with awesome designs.


City of Gears
  • Despite the similar theme, name, and same font used in the logo, City of Gears has nothing to do with Piecekeeper Games' Gearworks from last year. This one has been around as a PD game from The Game Crafter for a while and has been slated for publishing for a few years. It's great that it's finally seeing a wider distribution.


Infinities: Defiance of Fate
  • Resource management, map building, and dice drafting all sound great, and this game combines them all into what looks like a really awesome experience.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

People Behind the Meeples - Episode 108: Nathan Everett

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. Support me on Patreon!


Name:Nathan Everett
Email: losttreasuregames@gmail.com
Location:Sydney, Australia
Day Job:I work in the digital games industry, currently doing QA testing.
Designing:Five to ten years.
Webpage:www.losttreasuregames.com
BGG:Lost Treasure Games
Facebook:Lost Treasure Games
Twitter:@LostTreasureG
Other:https://tabletopgeneration.com/profile/losttreasuregames
Find my games at:Check out War of Supremacy on Kickstarter today!
Today's Interview is with:

Nathan Everett
Interviewed on: 1/2/2018

This week we get to learn a bit about Nathan Everett, a designer out of Sydney, Australia. He runs Lost Treasure Games and has his first game launching on Kickstarter today. War of Supremacy is gorgeous looking card game where players battle over territories. So take a look at his game today, and read on to learn more about Nathan.

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 always had a love of games growing up. This was mixed between digital gaming (Nintendo) and playing board games like Monopoly with the family. I also enjoyed designing games and had big ideas for large worlds and epic adventures. I guess this led me to the digital gaming industry with the main goal to show people all my creations and the worlds I created. While I have been working in the digital gaming industry, I did not feel I was working towards my goal. Therefore, I started working on my own card games as a hobby for the last 10 years. I enjoyed seeing my friends and family play and enjoy the games. Now I am finally pushing past it being a hobby and am now trying to get it printed and published through Kickstarter. Hopefully this is the start of many more games to come.

What game or games are you currently working on?
War of Supremacy will be my first Kickstarter (hopefully published) game. However, I have been working on another game in the same universe for 8+ years called Time of Ascendance. I have many other ideas, but those are the two that have been developed enough to be called ready.

Have you designed any games that have been published?
Not yet, but hopefully soon.

What is your day job?
I work in the digital games industry, currently doing QA testing.

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

Where do you prefer to play games?
Usually at home with friends or family.

Who do you normally game with?
Either my partner or with friends.

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
I enjoy most games and am happy to play any.

And what snacks would you eat?
Most game days are at mine, so I usually provide chips and lunch. However, I always bring down the paper towels before they touch the components.

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
No music, I prefer the communication between players.

What’s your favorite FLGS?
Don't really go to many, but would have to be Gametraders near my place.

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Favorite game - Currently either Carcassonne or Marvel Legendary. This is because I can play with my partner and friends who are only starting to get into boardgaming. They also offer a good amount of strategy. Least favorite that you still enjoy - I am not the biggest fan of social deduction games. Avalon is probably one of the social deduction games that I will play and enjoy. Worst game you ever played - What I dislike more than social deduction; Dexterity games. For that reason, I can't stand Jenga, and will usually refuse to play it.

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Favorite game mechanic - Deck building Least favorite - Dexterity

What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Mage Knight. Too much time for set/clean up.

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

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

OK, here's a pretty polarizing game. Do you like and play Cards Against Humanity?
With the right people

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 currently. I love fantasy and usually try base it around the world I created. I need to try design something outside my comfort zone in the future however.

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
Have not entered.

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?
I usually play a board game (or digital game) and then want to design something around the key gameplay mechanics.

How do you go about playtesting your games?
Usually dependent on what is being tested and the stage of development. Starts off with myself testing the core mechanics of the game. Seeing if its fun, flows and has potential. Once I feel there is a potential future I get my friends and family to playtest it and get feedback. Once it is closer to being ready, I go to local gaming groups to get feedback. Also conventions are a great way to get people. There are a lot of things you can discover from seeing people play the game. While feedback is great, seeing reactions throughout is probably the best way to gauge what needs to be changed and tweaked.

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
I work alone, however I have got amazing freelance artists to help and a lot of friends and family that provide feedback.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Generally - Finishing the game. The most enjoyable parts of game design is the initial design and getting the core mechanics solid and game flowing. The hard part is finalizing, balancing and completing the product. Personally - Putting myself and product out there.

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Fallout or Batman

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
Don't get too attached to your game. Feedback may hurt, but it is generally for the best.

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Design games for you. Design a game that you would enjoy and want to play. Designing games should be fun and a passion rather than a job and chore.

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
This is what I have currently crowdfunding: War of Supremacy
I'm planning to crowdfund: War of Supremacy
Games I feel are in the final development and tweaking stage are: War of Supremacy, Time of Ascendance

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

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. Both taste the same to me. VHS

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
Digital gaming. I love Overwatch. And also reading books.

What is something you learned in the last week?
Barenpark, Azul :P

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Music - Rock Books - Epic Fantasy Movies - Action/Comedy

What was the last book you read?
Stormlight Archive - Oathbringer

Do you play any musical instruments?
I failed playing the triangle in primary school

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
I have run a marathon.

Who is your idol?
Don't have one.

What would you do if you had a time machine?
See the dinosaurs.

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Introvert

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Batman

Have any pets?
nope

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?
There are so many great games that I don't want anything to be wiped out, except for maybe Jenga.

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):
Thank you to all my friends and family that have helped and given feedback on my games throughout the years. Especially my partner Maricar, who is probably fed up with all my ideas and talking about WoS and ToA.

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

Just want to say thank you for taking the time to read this. It feels amazing that anyone would want to. Also a big thanks to George for having this space for designers. It is truly appreciated. I would love to chat more, about boardgames or anything in general. Come say hello.




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?  Pleasse show your support: Support me on Patreon! Or click the heart at Board Game Links , like GJJ Games on Facebook , or follow on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

People Behind the Meeples - Episode 107: Adam Rehberg

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. Support me on Patreon!


Name:Adam Rehberg
Email:adam@adamsapplegames.com
Location:Minnesota - USA
Day Job:Packaging Engineer
Designing:Two to five years.
Webpage:http://adamsapplegames.com
Blog:http://adamsapplegames.com/blog
BGG:arehberg
Facebook:Adam’s Apple Games
Twitter:@adamsapplegames
Instagram:@adamsapplegames
Find my games at:http://adamsaplegames.com/games
Today's Interview is with:

Adam Rehberg
Interviewed on: 2/1/2018

Adam Rehberg is the founder of Adam's Apple Games, a new publisher out of St. Louis Park, MN. So far he's published two games, after successful Kickstarter campaigns - Brewin' USA was his own design and Truck Off by Ryan Lambert. Next week, his third campaign launches on Kickstarter for Swordcrafters, a really cool looking game where you get to build a three-dimensional sword! Read on to learn more about Adam, Adam's Apple Games, and the projects he's working on!

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?
I saw a great opportunity to merge two things I am passionate about. Board games and running my own business.

What game or games are you currently working on?
Swordcrafters coming to KS Feb 20th. You build a 3D sword that you hold as you play!

Have you designed any games that have been published?
Self-published Brewin' USA

What is your day job?
Packaging Engineer

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

Where do you prefer to play games?
Outside on the deck

Who do you normally game with?
Family and Coworkers

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
Between Two Cities

And what snacks would you eat?
Cheese and Crackers

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Yes, we let the google home roam.

What’s your favorite FLGS?
This one is tough! The Source in Roseville and Level Up in St. Paul are tied based on their open and accepting communities.

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Ra, Acquire, My latest prototype of a game called Dungeon Munchers

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Drafting, Memorization

What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Lords of Waterdeep

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 Board 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?
Theme and mechanics combined to make a rich experience.

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
Entered and featured on Tabletop Deathmatch season 2 with Brewin' USA. 3rd place!

Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
Vladimír Chvátil

Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
When listening to a game design podcast.

How do you go about playtesting your games?
Family, then Coworkers, then meetups, then PnP, then KS and Publish.

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
I like to work as part of a team. However I work pretty quickly so keep up!

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Managing both game design and development piece while also progressing and running Adam's Apple Games which is my publishing outfit. We have two games currently and working on our 3rd right now. Swordcrafters.

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Worms

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
Tough question! Most of the advice I have heard has been true, but I wish I had followed it closer. The one that still trips me up is creating too many assets before having a game fully designed.

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
A great sign you have a game, is when the first prototype finds the fun. When this happens, I usually move forward with the project and test the extremes of the current mechanics and balance. I open the flood gates to discover the answers to the "What If" questions, and then I close them when I'm confident which mechanics and balance feels best for the weight and audience the game is intended for.

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Published games, I have: Brewin' USA
Games that will soon be published are: Swordcrafters, Brewin' USA - Taproom Takeover
This is what I have currently crowdfunding: Swordcrafters - Going live February 20th
Currently looking for a publisher I have: None currently, but would look for a publisher if I create a game that does not fit within Adam's Apple Games audience.
I'm planning to crowdfund: Brewin' USA - Taproom Takeover
Games I feel are in the final development and tweaking stage are: Brewin' USA - Taproom Takeover
Games that I'm playtesting are: Planet Unknown
And games that are still in the very early idea phase are: Too many!

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

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, Neither

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
Brewing Beer, Golfing, hiking, soccer

What is something you learned in the last week?
How to drive in Mexico

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Rock music, Non-fiction, Documentaries

What was the last book you read?
I wear the black hat - Chuck Klosterman

Do you play any musical instruments?
Guitar, Drums, Piano, Trombone

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I'm afraid of goats.

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
Mudslide at a rock concert

Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
Swordcrafters tile design. It was initially designed as a 3-sided 3D object but it actually worked out really well as a 4-sided 3D object.

Who is your idol?
Sam Calagione

What would you do if you had a time machine?
Hmm... invest in bitcoin and open a brewery.

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Down the middle solves the riddle.

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Not really into super heroes myself, but I suppose Batman.

Have any pets?
3 dogs, two terriers and a weimaraner

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?
Abstract games

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):
Shout out to Rob Couch from building the game podcast... one of the inspirations to get into the hobby.

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

Go check out Swordcrafters live on KS Feb 20th! It's a game where you craft a 3D sword as you play.




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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Friday, February 9, 2018

Eye on Kickstarter #37

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 2018 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 second Friday of February, 2018:



HIGHLIGHTED CAMPAIGN
Fields of Agincourt
  • GJJ Games Review
  • GJJ Games Backed
  • I really liked this tile-laying, area control game and so did everyone I played with. This one is a winner! It's a great mid-weight strategy game that would work great as a gateway, yet has enough going on to keep even seasoned gamers thinking. It's easy to teach, plays quickly, has great player interaction, and has great strategic choices. Fields of Agincourt made it onto my top Kickstarter previews of 2017, and I expect it to land on my top 10 games of 2018 at the end of the year (and probably be pushing a Full Review rating of 90/100, especially if the component quality is top notch).


Fields of Agincourt is a combative tile-placement game featuring area control, tile drafting, tile stacking, and the plague! Our game is inspired by the Battle of Agincourt, but it is not a historical simulation. However, like Henry, players will use positioning, terrain, and tactics to win the day. The map will form as the game is played, with each player fighting for position for the final battle.The goal of the game is to defeat your enemies and be named victor... of the Fields of Agincourt!




Subatomic
  • I love science games and have most of the Genius Games line. They're a great combination of science and gameplay and Subatomic looks great!


Endeavor: Age of Sail
  • This is a reimplementation of 2009's Endeavor, which has been out of print for a while now, despite pretty excellent ratings on BGG. This new edition has updated artwork and top notch components.


Calamityware Platter: Gang's-All-Here
  • It's not a game, but it's still pretty awesome. My wife loves the blue and white patterned porcelain dishes and I love dinosaurs (ok, she thinks they're pretty cool, too). This is an awesome combination of both!