Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Press Release: Return To Dark Tower Artist Revealed

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Return To Dark Tower Artist Revealed

Tabletop newcomer Qistina Khalidah will be doing the illustration for Restoration Games’ upcoming Return to Dark Tower.

Sunrise, FL – July 30, 2019. Today, Restoration Games announced Qistina Khalidah as the artist for the highly anticipated Return to Dark Tower. This game of epic adventure features design by Rob Daviau and Isaac Childres, a mechanical cube tower, and an integrated app.

“We want Return to Dark Tower to be a unique experience from top to bottom. So we developed an original fantasy setting, free from the typical tropes of traditional fantasy. We needed an artist with a unique voice to bring that setting to life,” said Restoration Games owner, Justin D. Jacobson.

The company’s Visual Restoration Wizard, Jason Taylor, said they looked at dozens of artists before finding Khalidah through social media and her online portfolio.

“We knew immediately she was the right person for this project,” said Taylor. “Her work is striking and elegant. Her style of combining patterns and evocative poses with an almost illuminated somberness is perfect for the type of stories we want to tell with Return to Dark Tower.”

Khalidah, 25, lives in Malaysia and, while new to the world of tabletop games, has been doing freelance full-time for the past four years. She describes her style as a “mix of realism, surrealism, and a touch of Art Nouveau.” (“Artists of Color” Interview Series, https://www.art-by-mia.com/aoc/2018/10/28/artists-of-color-qistina-kalidah) Her work has previously been featured on covers for a variety of books.

“It’s a big opportunity to be working side-by-side with the team as the lead artist for this project,” Khalidah said. “I look forward to designing the strange, dark world of Return to Dark Tower.”
Restoration Games are completing development of the game, which is scheduled to release later next year, following a forthcoming Kickstarter campaign. They are releasing some of Khalidah’s first images for the game at Gen Con in Indianapolis, August 1-4.

About Restoration Games
Restoration Games is owned and operated by attorney Justin D. Jacobson. Design is overseen by their Chief Restoration Officer, the award-winning designer, Rob Daviau. Together, with the rest of the Restoration team, they find old games that just need a little love to be restored to their former glory and beyond. Their roster includes Unmatched, Downforce, and the smash hit Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar.


Additional Resources
For additional information, please contact Justin D. Jacobson, president, at justin@restorationgames.com or visit restorationgames.com/return-to-dark-tower.

Media assets, such as an art sample, headshots, and logos, can be downloaded directly from our designated Dropbox folder: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ai0kvwgvy05vk14/AAD6RCQpas2ycY8-UjMlYIZAa?dl=0

Qistina Khalidah’s prior work can be found on her Deviant Art portfolio page (https://www.deviantart.com/qissus) and on her social media pages (https://www.instagram.com/qissus, https://twitter.com/qissus)


Restoration Games, the Restoration Games logo, the Every Game Deserves Another Turn tagline, and Return to Dark Tower and the Return to Dark Tower logo are trademarks of Restoration Games, LLC.



Did you like this press release?  Show your support: Support me on Patreon! Also, 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.


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 182: Nicholas Yu

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:Nicholas Yu
Location:Rochester, NY
Day Job:Operational Excellence Analyst and Robotic Process Automation Modeler
Designing:Two to five years.
Webpage:www.zucchinipeoplegames.com
BGG:yutingxiang
Facebook:Zucchini People Games/
Twitter:@yutingxiang
Find my games at:Wherever board games are sold!
Today's Interview is with:

Nicholas Yu
Interviewed on: 7/12/2019

Nicholas Yu has been designing games for a few years now and has two published. His third published game, Adventure Tactics: Domianne's Tower, is on Kickstarter right now, through Letiman Games. Adventure Tactics launched yesterday and is doing great already! Be sure to check it out, and read on to learn more about Nicholas and his other projects.

Some Basics
Tell me a bit about yourself.

How long have you been designing tabletop games?
Two to five years.

Why did you start designing tabletop games?
It was on my bucket list!

What game or games are you currently working on?
Adventure Tactics: Domianne's Tower

Have you designed any games that have been published?
Yes, two previously: Hero Brigade and Eternal Dynasty.

What is your day job?
Operational Excellence Analyst and Robotic Process Automation Modeler

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

Where do you prefer to play games?
At a friend's house

Who do you normally game with?
Close friends

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
Something new we hadn't played before.

And what snacks would you eat?
Popcorn and pretzels.

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Usually not. Sometimes theme music for a tabletop RPG.

What’s your favorite FLGS?
Millennium Games.

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Current Favorite: The Mind. Least Favorite I Still Enjoy: Ticket to Ride. Worst Game: Some of my own play-test designs that I've tossed.

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Favorite: Deck-building (and engine-building). Least Favorite: Roll and move.

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

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, RPG Games, Video 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?
Usually theme first and then mechanics.

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

Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
Eric Lang, Mike Selinker. Not only for the game designs but how they conduct themselves as individuals and professionals.

Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
Other interests. Seeing something else and saying, "Hey, that'd make for an interesting board game."

How do you go about playtesting your games?
Guilt-tripping my friends.

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
Alone to start but bring in a team once the core design is complete.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Finishing a design, not moving on to the next shiny idea.

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Final Fantasy or Marvel Comics

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
There's no money in it!

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Design for yourself first. Don't make a game that you think will be a hit or that others will want to play. Make a game you want to play.

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Published games, I have: Hero Brigade, Eternal Dynasty
Games that will soon be published are: Adventure Tactics: Domianne's Tower
This is what I have currently crowdfunding: Adventure Tactics: Domianne's Tower launched on July 29th!
Games that I'm playtesting are: Hex-based tactical shooter.
Games that are in the early stages of development and beta testing are: Auto-card battler, row mechanic 2-player co-op
And games that are still in the very early idea phase are: Solo survival horror game

Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
Yes, 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 but Star Wars if I have to pick. Coke. VHS.

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
Video games, movies.

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Alt-rock. Fantasy and detective novels. Wide range of love for cinema.

What was the last book you read?
Child of the Daystar by Bryce O'Connor

Do you play any musical instruments?
Violin.

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I'd be a terrible person without my wife.

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
Tagged a bridge (graffiti art) when I was a teenager.

Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
My youngest son.

Who is your idol?
Corny, but probably my Dad.

What would you do if you had a time machine?
Destroy it. No one needs that kind of temptation or paradox-inducing doom.

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Both. Took the full Myers-Briggs test, ended up right in the middle.

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

Have any pets?
Not currently, but I love them!

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?
Card and dice games, they're durable. Or we'll go back to dice precursors (rolling literal bones). I hope reality TV is wiped out forever.

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):
My wife and kids!


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

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, July 26, 2019

Eye on Kickstarter #70


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 related reviews or interviews 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 2019 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 July, 2019:

Live Campaigns from Past Eyes:
Outburst Game Tables
Complexcity


HIGHLIGHTED CAMPAIGN
Bag of Spiders


Bag of Spiders features eight silly games that we have curated for your enjoyment, but you will find that there are many uses for your bag of spiders.
  • Bag of Spiders, a press your luck game for 2 - 5 players by Jeremy Davis
  • Last Spider Standing, a rolling war game for 2 - 4 players by Jeremy Davis
  • Squish, a social awkwardness game for 5 - 10 players by Carla Kopp and Jeremy Davis
  • Spider Leap, a dexterity game for 2 - 4 players by Jeremy Davis and Shawn Stankewich
  • Spider Sculptors, an artistic game for 4 - 8 players by Shawn Stankewich, Nick Kopp, and Jeremy Davis
  • Spider Poker, a bluffing game for 3 - 5 players by Zach Hoekstra
  • Spider-cala, an abstract game for 2 players by Zach Hoekstra
  • Mississippi Jackson And The Curse Of The Squeaky Inflatable Spiders, a very silly RPG for 2-6 players by Zach Hoekstra





Moonshot: The Next Giant Leap
  • Moonshot is a game about the space race of the 1960s. Play as either the US or Russians and see who succeeds first. I love games about space, and historical games are great, too, so this hits on both accounts. Plus they use the same tagline that I've been using for Race to the Moons. Also, curiously enough, this is the second game to make this list with the title "Moonshot". The first was way back in Eye on Kickstarter #1 back in 2016.


Etherfields
  • Etherfields is the latest game from Awaken Realms, who brought us last year's highest funded Kickstarter Project, Tainted Grail. They have a history of doing big projects with awesome art and miniatures and Etherfields is following right along with that pattern.


Gridopolis
  • Gridopolis is an award winning family game that's basically like a 3D checkers where the board changes as you play. On your turn you have options to either move your pieces or add onto/change the playing area. I won a copy in a giveaway, but haven't played it yet. It does look more interesting than your typical family abstract checkers variant though.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

People Behind the Meeples - Episode 181: Derek "Zyn" Buczynski

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:Derek "Zyn" Buczynski
Email:derek@riftwaygames.com
Location:College Station, TX
Day Job:I own Zyn Creative Studios. We provide graphic design, web development, sponsorship acquisition, and publication management. Most of our clients are Non-Profits, but we also offer services to general businesses and consumers.
Designing:Five to ten years.
Webpage:www.riftwaygames.com
BGG:Riftway Games
Facebook:Riftway Games
Twitter:@riftwaygames
Instagram:@riftwaygames
Other:https://www.indiegamealliance.com/members/member.php?id=3026
Find my games at:www.riftwaygames.com
Today's Interview is with:

Derek "Zyn" Buczynski
Interviewed on: 1/15/2019 (updated 7/22/2019)

This week we meet Derek "Zyn" Buczynski. Derek is a Patreon of GJJ Games, so thank you for your support Derek! Last year Derek ran a successful Kickstarter for Beasts: Edge of Extinction and he's currently working on an expansion, so look for that coming soon. He's also working on several other projects that he hopes to publish through his company, Riftway Games. Read on to learn more about Derek 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've always had a huge imagination. Before I hit double digits I had created my own superhero world - complete with custom action figures. I would tell their stories to anyone who would listen, building sets out of cardboard to put them through world saving scenarios. It took me into my 30's to fully understand it was all a precursor to developing tabletop games. Your only limit and your imagination, and I think that's just amazing.

What game or games are you currently working on?
Since wrapping up a successful Kickstarter for Beasts: Edge of Extinction last December, I’ve been working on its first expansion: Revenge of the Dodos. In it, eliminated players can exact their revenge by working together to help the game eliminate the final 2 players simultaneously. It’s an exciting new angle for an already fun game.

I'm also developing a board game based on the Unluckables by artist Kristie Silva. They're these cute little living dolls that absorb your bad luck, and in turn end up in all kinds of mischief and unlucky situations.

Have you designed any games that have been published?
Beasts: Edge of Extinction

What is your day job?
I own Zyn Creative Studios. We provide graphic design, web development, sponsorship acquisition, and publication management. Most of our clients are Non-Profits, but we also offer services to general businesses and consumers.

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

Where do you prefer to play games?
While I love the convenience of playing games in my home game room, there's just something magical about playing at gaming conventions. The atmosphere of hundreds of happy and excited players really enhances the experience.

Who do you normally game with?
At home with local friends, online with distant friends via Tabletopia, and lots of strangers at meetups and game game conventions.

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
Games that make it to my table most often are Horizons, Zombicide, Hellapagos, and Sushi Go. Of course, Beasts always makes it there at some point of the night or whatever new game idea I've printed out to test.

And what snacks would you eat?
It's actually become a tradition that I cook or grill players dinner before we get started, so everyone is required to come hungry! After that we'll typically have some chips and salsa to nibble on along with our drink of choice.

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Yes! Typically just some 90's or 2000's rock mix station via Pandora or Spotify. If we are playing something like Zombicide: Black Plague I'll find some eerie music playlist online, just to set the mood.

What’s your favorite FLGS?
We are pretty limited out here in College Station, but Clockwork Games provides a pretty nice facility for a gamer to both buy and play locally. I buy all of my card sleeves from them.

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
My current favorite game is Hellapagos. It's simple to play but really fun with a big group. My least favorite that I still enjoy is Cards Against Humanity. Worst game I've ever played was Quarantine.

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
I enjoy Take-That style games a lot, or anything that creates an emotional response from player to player interaction. I'm not a very big fan of auction mechanics, but they do have their purpose when implemented properly.

What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Descent: Journeys in the Dark, Second Edition

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?
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?
Many game designers will tell you to start with mechanics, and it's a sound concept. Unfortunately, my brain doesn't always work that way. I'm ADHD and have a difficult time keeping focus without putting things into mental containers. To me, a theme is a container and the mechanics are what I put inside it. Without having my container it can be a mess, mechanics scattered everywhere, stepping on them in the middle of the night like a lost Lego piece... If I first settle on a theme, game mechanics just tend to fall into place.

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

Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
I think there are way too many talented designers out there to pick just one, but if I had to, I'd probably say Richard Garfield. I have a lot of respect for his eclectic creativity.

Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
Usually the most inconvenient places, like in the shower or driving. I think things like running water or the sound of tires on a road stimulate my creative thought processes and really get my inner muse going.

How do you go about playtesting your games?
I start with my family and close friends, playing it repeatedly. I have to be able to over-play my own game without getting tired of it. Once it’s at that point, I know it’s ready to take to game stores, meetups, and conventions to get as much feedback from outsiders as possible. Recently, I started using Tabletopia to help with groups of people online. It is much easier for friends who do not all live near each other.

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
In the conception stage I like to work alone. I get too easily distracted by others, so I tend to lock myself up in my office and work out the blueprint for a game. After that, I rely heavily on my family and friends for input and will constantly bounce ideas off them. My artists can also inadvertently sway ideas for a game based on their artwork. It'll trigger new inspiration.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Time and money.

It becomes difficult to find enough time to work on games between a job and family. Some of it can just be self-imposed guilt. If my family is home while I'm locked up in my office and my fiancé’s 8 year old daughter comes knocking because she wants to play, it's really difficult not to just drop what I'm doing for her.

Otherwise, money is a huge challenge. While Beasts was a successful Kickstarter, it's still financially far from breaking even. All of the artwork was purchased before it hit Kickstarter, which only covered the cost of printing and shipping. Indie game design is really a labor of love, but it would be a wonderful thing to make games that could fully pay for themselves. I guess that's every designer’s dream though, right?

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Any property created by Margret Weis & Tracy Hickman. They have been creative inspirations to me for a very long time, and it would be an absolute honor to be tapped to develop a game for one of their properties.

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
There are no rules other than the ones you make.

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
There are no rules other than the ones you make! Seriously, don't ever let anyone dictate what your game can or cannot do. You make the rules. You are the master of your own realm; shape it to your vision.

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Published games, I have: Beasts: Edge of Extinction
Games that will soon be published are: Revenge of the Dodos - the first expansion for Beasts
Currently looking for a publisher I have: I am always willing to talk to publishers about any past, present, or future property to help reach more tables.
I'm planning to crowdfund: Revenge of the Dodos
Games I feel are in the final development and tweaking stage are: Revenge of the Dodos
Games that I'm playtesting are: Unluckables: Shadow Dilemma
Games that are in the early stages of development and beta testing are: Riftkey: Allies & Enemies
And games that are still in the very early idea phase are: Pirate’s End, Tainted Forest, and a currently unnamed second Beasts expansion

Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
The Boardgame Group, Board Game Revolution Community, Board Game Spotlight, Board Game Exposure, etc. Too many to count.

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 Trek. Neither. Betamax!

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
I’m a musician and songwriter. You can listen to some of my previously recorded music at https://www.reverbnation.com/lifesofar

What is something you learned in the last week?
That a gene inherited from the recently discovered ancient Denisovans help Sherpas and other Tibetans to breathe easy at high altitudes.

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
I listen to mostly rock, blues and their sub-genres. I read mostly sci-fi and fantasy novels, comic books, and articles from Discovery, National Geographic, etc. in relation to ancient life on earth; from ecosystems and megafauna to lost cultures and mythology. Similar interests in movies.

What was the last book you read?
Do comic books count? I recently reread Deadpool #1 from my collection.

Do you play any musical instruments?
My primary instruments are guitar and bass, with some minor skill on piano and drums.

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I have ADHD. Although some will say it's difficult to tell on the outside, on the inside my brain is a constant battlefield. That said, I don't believe I would be able to be as abstract and creative as I am now, if I wasn't. It's a blessing and a curse.

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
When I was a kid I built a small campfire on the side of our house to cook a hot dog. I was a boy scout and knew exactly how to make one, but put absolutely no thought into safety and briefly lit our garage on fire. Thankfully I was able to get to the hose quickly and put it out before doing any major damage. Sorry mom!

Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
I drove to Texas on a road trip back in 2009. While exercising, I slipped and fractured my foot in 3 places. The doctor put me in a boot, but it was so big that when I tried to hit my gas pedal it would also hit the brake. I had to use my left foot to drive myself home. I eventually accepted it as my fate and rented an apartment. I've lived in Texas ever since.

Who is your idol?
Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

What would you do if you had a time machine?
Save the dodos!

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Yes...I am.

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Doctor Strange. He really has some of the coolest powers.

Have any pets?
Not anymore.

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 think most non-digital games will continue. Obviously sports would survive, most being traditional and easy to pull off in some fashion. I think role-playing games will definitely prosper. I can only hope that hate and prejudice will finally be wiped out of the human consciousness.

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):
Love you mom! Thank you for always supporting and believing in me, even when no one else - including myself - did!

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

While the career of an indie game designer is always a work-in-progress, I owe that progress to everyone who ever has, and does, support me. Thank you all!




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?  Please 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.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Beard Snacks at Designer/Publisher Speed Dating event at Gen Con!

I'm thrilled to announce that Beard Snacks will be one of the games featured at the Designer/Publisher Speed Dating event hosted by the Indie Game Alliance at Gen Con this year!  The event will be Thursday, August 1, from 7pm to 9pm (there's a second session from 9pm to 11pm with different games) at the Slippery Noodle Inn at 372 S Meridian St.  If you're interested in checking out Beard Snacks (or a bunch of other great looking games), come on out!













Tuesday, July 16, 2019

People Behind the Meeples - Episode 180: Jeremy Davis

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:Jeremy Davis
Location:Birmingham, AL (or close anyway)
Day Job:I'm a Children's Librarian, so basically it's doing anything that I can to make Kids' lives better. I've been at my job for 25 years, so I guess I enjoy it. ( I really do!)
Designing:One to two years.
Webpage:www.gamegeek.ninja
Blog:www.gamegeek.ninja
BGG:gamegeekninja
Facebook:facebook.com/jermaday
Twitter:@gamegeekninja
Instagram:@gamegeekninja
Find my games at:Not yet, but they can get Bag of Spiders real soon.
Today's Interview is with:

Jeremy Davis
Interviewed on: 7/11/2019

I know Jeremy as a fellow reviewer with the Everything Board Games Reviewer Network. In recent years he's left reviewing to focus purely on game design and now he has his first game hitting Kickstarter today! Bag of Spiders is just one of many games that he's working on, so hopefully you'll see a lot more of his work very soon. In the meantime, read on to learn more about Jeremy and his projects.

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 reviewing games in 2015 and have gradually shifted in the community towards being a designer. I made the full conversion late last year. Designing allows me to use more of the creative side of my brain, and feels less like work.

What game or games are you currently working on?
I have lots. Bag of Spiders is going on Kickstarter July 16. Chicken Coup is probably a year out from being published. Awful Waffles is the one I want to work more than any other. And then I have Robots Need Love Too, My Cape is in the Wash, and Nebulous (all a ways away from finished).

Have you designed any games that have been published?
Just now my first game is going up on Kickstarter, so we'll see how that goes.

What is your day job?
I'm a Children's Librarian, so basically it's doing anything that I can to make Kids' lives better. I've been at my job for 25 years, so I guess I enjoy it. ( I really do!)

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

Where do you prefer to play games?
Anywhere really, but I'm usually the one teaching games so I play a lot at my library with kids and adults and sometimes at friends houses, but if you want to play on a table in the middle of the street, I can probably get behind that.

Who do you normally game with?
My family, my friends and anybody at the library. But my favorite game buddy is my niece Olivia(7).

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
As many games as possible. So probably fillers and gateway type games, but we also play Gloomhaven and other campaigns, so bring it on, we'll try it.

And what snacks would you eat?
Do you have any Twizzlers?

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
I don't mind it at all. At our library game nites for adults we play Geeky music. Usually at home it's just whatever we have on.

What’s your favorite FLGS?
We don't have one close to us. We used to have a couple, but now they are at least 30 minutes away and that is sad.

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
I lot of my favorites are still prototypes of my friends, but I will always play Azul or Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters. My least favorite is Munchkin...I just don't enjoy it anymore. As far as worst game ever played goes, I reviewed games for a while and came across some stinkers, but I'll keep those to myself. I don't know that saying would be good form.

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
I like most things. If it's got a good twist on an old mechanic, I'll usually enjoy it. I don't like bluffing.

What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Probably either Raptor (because it's 2 players) or City of Spies (because no one is ever in the right mood).

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

OK, here's a pretty polarizing game. Do you like and play Cards Against Humanity?
Not anymore.

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?
I usually come up with a name, or find pieces laying around and make something out of them. Awful Waffles came from the name. Chicken Coup came about late one night at a con when me and a friend had a bunch of chickens laying around. Bag of Spiders was a joke my wife made. She still says it is.

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
Not yet, but I haven't entered any either. I was gonna do the Haba one this year, but ran out of time.

Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
Nope, but I have a lot of really cool friends who are designers that help me out a lot.

Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
Usually in flashes, like the name hits or my wife says something funny.

How do you go about playtesting your games?
This is extremely hard for me. I can usually get my family to play them a bit, but a lot of times I have to get random people at conventions and at game nites to buy in for a session or two.

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
I love co-designing. 3 of my 6 games are co-designs.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Finding time to work on changes and playtest them. I have to keep my family first and my job second, so games end up being put on the back burner for awhile, but the good ideas keep coming back.

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Avatar, the Last Airbender (hands down)

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
Take feedback from playtesting with a grain of salt. Don't change the game fifty times before you need to. Not everyone is going to like your game . If you don't like the direction it is going after changing it, then you've done something wrong.

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Make games about something you know or are interested in. Or about Spiders, spiders are always cool.

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Published games, I have: None yet (but soon???)
Games that will soon be published are: Chicken Coup (year or two out??)
This is what I have currently crowdfunding: Bag of Spiders (July 16, 2019)!!!
Games I feel are in the final development and tweaking stage are: Awful Waffles
Games that I'm playtesting are: My Cape is in the Wash
Games that are in the early stages of development and beta testing are: Robots Need Love Too, Nebulous

Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
No

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, Diet Dr. Pepper, VHS (although the clock is still blinking)

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
Cartooning sometimes

What is something you learned in the last week?
Baby gates bite back, they really pack a punch

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
All types of music, this year I will see Metric and King Crimson in concert. All books, (I am a librarian) but I mostly read kids books. I watch any movie that's on, and my wife ridicules me constantly for my choices

What was the last book you read?
Ronan Doyle and the Bridge of Riddles

Do you play any musical instruments?
I played the Saxophone in Elementary and Middle school, but I tried it again 2 years ago and it was not good.

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I'm older than I look, does that count. I don't look 46.

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
I once ate a 5 year old Pez.

Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
My job. I started working at the library in college just to make money. Turns out it was exactly right for me.

Who is your idol?
My wife Jamie. She is beyond patient with me, my daughter and my niece. I will never understand how she does it.

What would you do if you had a time machine?
I used to think I would go back and tell myself not to be an idiot, but now I know it made me who I am. Lame I know. So probably go get myself a baby T-Rex.

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
EXTROVERT!

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Spiderman or Gambit - I need the agility/dexterity

Have any pets?
3 dogs / 2 cats

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?
Dear Asteroid, Please leave me some Co-Op games, and Aussie Rules Football thanks, also we could do without Politics for a while. Sincerely Jerm.

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):
Olivia, here's your name again in a board game setting. (She will eventually design a game).

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

The lyrics to the jingle: "Bag of Spiders, Spiders in a bag, Bag of Spiders!"

A little bit about Bag of Spiders, you say? Sure.

Bag of Spiders is 8 games in 1 that you play with a bag and 55 plastic Spiders. The games are based on all sorts of mechanics including Push Your Luck, Social Awkwardness, Dexterity, more Dexterity, even more Dexterity, Bluffing (not designed by me), Abstract and more. So far it has involved the talents of at least 6 or 7 different designers, but has been ridiculed and laughed at by many, many more. My wife wrote the lyrics for a jingle 5 seconds after the joke she made and my friend who is a sound engineer mastered it and produced it to make it sound real nice.

This game is silly and fun, and I hope you get to try it.




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