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: | Martin & Lily Lockett |
|---|---|
| Email: | play@doublelgames.co.uk |
| Location: | Matlock, UK |
| Day Job: | Teacher & schoolchild |
| Designing: | One to two years. |
| Webpage: | www.doublelgames.co.uk |
| Blog: | www.doublelgames.co.uk/blog |
| BGG: | Martin Lockett |
| Facebook: | Double L Games/ |
| Twitter: | @doublelgames |
| Instagram: | @doublelgames |
| Find my games at: | Nowhere yet but watch this space. |
Martin & Lily Lockett
Interviewed on: 10/5/2018
Double L Games is a family operation. Their first game, Build, was designed by daughter Lily and father Martin. They've turned the positive feedback they've received from Build into a family venture that aims to get Build and more games published to reach the masses. So keep an eye on Double L Games, they may just have a hit on their hands!
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?
It grew on from being a keen hobbyist. We were given a game called - well I won't tell you what it was called. It looked beautiful but played really badly. We rewrote the rules so it became a cooperative game with a hidden traitor element. Hey Presto! We began as game designers.
What game or games are you currently working on?
Build: a game of deal, diplomacy and development.
Have you designed any games that have been published?
Nope, this is our first.
What is your day job?
Teacher & schoolchild
Your Gaming Tastes
My readers would like to know more about you as a gamer.
Where do you prefer to play games?
Home with family, our regular gaming group and our pop-up gaming cafe.
Who do you normally game with?
Mostly friends and family.
If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
TIME stories or Arkham Horror the card game.
And what snacks would you eat?
Crisps. Seabrooks Crisps
Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Yes, we generally play a thematically appropriate playlist
What’s your favorite FLGS?
Chimera in Nottingham or Spirit in Burton on Trent.
What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Current fave: Arkham Horror TCG. Least Favourite: Tsuro. Worst: Tsuro of the seas.
What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
My favourite game mechanic is the 'Epidemic' in Pandemic. I love watching a new player realise what this implies. My least favourite is the tedious roll and move in 221b Baker Street.
What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
TIME stories.
What styles of games do you play?
I like to play
Board Games, Card Games, Miniatures Games, RPG Games, Video 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?
Theme first mostly. I always think of board games as role playing games in another form. I want to be able to tell stories.
Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
Entered - yes. Won - No.
Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
Matt Leacock for definite. The simple elegance of Pandemic is wonderful.
Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
All over the place. A lot come from watching films or TV. I've written a lot of genre games. Horror, ScFi - they're all pulpy and soaked in the tropes of films and TV.
How do you go about playtesting your games?
We playtest with friends first, then take it out to local shops, clubs and cafes. Then to large meets and conventions.
Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
I find myself working alone but luckily my local area has a supportive and thriving network of game designers.
What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Personally, I'm coming n to the industry as a more mature person. I look around at the more established folk and they're about 10 years my junior!
If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Patrick O'Brian's Captain Aubrey books. Intricate naval battles and tense espionage.
What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
That it was possible.
What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Take part in the games designing community. There is no industry like it for supporting each other.
Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
I'm planning to crowdfund:
Build: a game of deals, diplomacy and development.
Games that I'm playtesting are:
Zombies on a Bus
Games that are in the early stages of development and beta testing are:
Children of the Night
And games that are still in the very early idea phase are:
Airlock; Creepy Man and Heist: the board Game.
Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
Yes, many - particularly the Nottingham Tabletop Industry Collective.
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?
Writing music
What is something you learned in the last week?
Chickens are great escapologists
Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Music: Indie. Books: Science. Movies: Action
What was the last book you read?
Civil War by Peter Ackroyd
Do you play any musical instruments?
Many instruments badly: guitar, bass, ukulele, recorder, keyboards
Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I want to be stand up comedian when I grow up.
Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
No!
Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
Finding funders for our game, Build.
Who is your idol?
Jarvis Cocker
What would you do if you had a time machine?
Visit HG Wells.
Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Introvert
If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
I don't want to be a superhero. Too much responsibility!
Have any pets?
We have chickens.
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 hope roleplaying game survive and I hope wilful self-delusion is wiped out.
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):
Hi Matt Leacock!
Thanks for answering all my crazy questions!
Thank you for reading this People Behind the Meeples indie game designer interview! You can find all the interviews here: People Behind the Meeples and if you'd like to be featured yourself, you can fill out the questionnaire here: http://gjjgames.blogspot.com/p/game-designer-interview-questionnaire.html
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