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: | Sean Scott Garrity |
|---|---|
| Email: | officialbakshagames@gmail.com |
| Location: | Winnipeg, Canada |
| Day Job: | Customer service |
| Designing: | Five to ten years. |
| Webpage: | www.bakshagames.com |
| BGG: | Baksha Games |
| Facebook: | Baksha Games |
| Find my games at: | Your FLGS, GenCon, Origins, Essen. |
Sean Scott Garrity
Interviewed on: 2/7/2018
Sean Scott Garrity runs Baksha Games and has published a number of his own games through that company. You can find games like Good Help, What's He Building in There, and more on his site or in your FLGS. He also has a number of other games in the works, so read on to learn more about Sean and his projects!
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 love games!
What game or games are you currently working on?
Halls of Judgment
Have you designed any games that have been published?
Yes, 6 of them.
What is your day job?
Customer service
Your Gaming Tastes
My readers would like to know more about you as a gamer.
Where do you prefer to play games?
Friends' places.
Who do you normally game with?
Friends
If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
Anything. We like euros right now.
And what snacks would you eat?
Chocolate!
Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Nothing.
What’s your favorite FLGS?
Game Knight
What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Fav - Noria. Least fav - Agricola. Worst - Gendu
What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Fav - worker placement. Least - deckbuilding.
What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Game of Thrones
What styles of games do you play?
I like to play
Board Games, Card Games, RPG 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?
Theme first.
Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
Yes!
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?
It's random. Sometimes a dream, sometimes a song.
How do you go about playtesting your games?
Build and get specific friends to bounce stuff off of.
Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
Alone, but I have to hire an artist. Know your limits!
What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Marketing. (Marketing budget.)
If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Dunno.
What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
Just do it!
What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Just 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:
Banditos, What's He Building in There?, Time Jockeys, Little Drop of Poison
Games that will soon be published are:
Get Me a Fresh Brain
I'm planning to crowdfund:
Halls of Judgment
Games I feel are in the final development and tweaking stage are:
Return of the Dragonbunny
Games that are in the early stages of development and beta testing are:
Untitled but yes.
Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
Several.
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?
Both, Pepsi, Beta.
What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
Disc Golf, Theatre, Film
What is something you learned in the last week?
A better way to make brickle.
Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Classic rock, Fantasy, Action if it's done well.
What was the last book you read?
Medusa's Web by Tim Powers
Do you play any musical instruments?
No, used to play the piano.
Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I won the Canadian Settlers championship and played in the World Championships in Essen.
Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
Went on a 3-day back-country canoe trip in Madagascar.
Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
There are no accidents.
Who is your idol?
Russell Wilson
What would you do if you had a time machine?
Give tours into the past for millions of dollars.
Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Introvert with extrovert leanings.
If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Thor
Have any pets?
Normally I have dogs, but my kids are too young just yet.
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?
Music / Celebrity for the sake of celebrity
Just a Bit More
Thanks for answering all my crazy questions! Is there anything else you'd like to tell my readers?
Love thy neighbor.
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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