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: | Joel lewis |
|---|---|
| Location: | AUSTRALIA |
| Day Job: | Nurse |
| Designing: | Two to five years. |
| Webpage: | Nursesharkgames.com |
| BGG: | Jlewis87 |
| Facebook: | Nurse shark games or the Fluttering Souls board game group |
| Twitter: | @nursesharkgames |
| Instagram: | @nursesharkgames |
| Find my games at: | My first publication is through Good Games Publishing. Their social media pages will have more information about the release or check out their website at http://www.goodgamespublishing.com/ |
Joel lewis
Interviewed on: 8/14/2019
This week's interview is with Joel Lewis, the designer of the recently released Fluttering Souls, a fast card game about butterflies from Good Games Publishing. This gorgeous game made it's first appearance at Gen Con and sold out there! Read on to learn more about Joel 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?
As a form of bereavement. We suffered some losses as a family and designing games helped keep me distracted and cope with those losses.
What game or games are you currently working on?
An expansion for my first published game and a mint tin game for tgc mint tin competition
Have you designed any games that have been published?
Yes. Fluttering Souls
What is your day job?
Nurse
Your Gaming Tastes
My readers would like to know more about you as a gamer.
Where do you prefer to play games?
At home
Who do you normally game with?
My wife, two of my best mates Matt and Steph or my brothers
If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
At the moment. Raiders of the north sea and Planet. However whatever anyone brings/wants to play is A-okay
And what snacks would you eat?
Usually cheese, crackers, patte and fruit....and beer or mead
Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Not usually
What’s your favorite FLGS?
Good Games Cannington
What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Raiders of the north sea. Munchkin and worst I have no idea.
What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Most favourite would be Worker placement or tile laying. Least: roll and write, i just don't get it
What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Dungeons and dragons with my brothers and cousin. We have all moved away and don't have the time anymore.
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
OK, here's a pretty polarizing game. Do you like and play Cards Against Humanity?
At a party after a dozen beers sure.....but not usually
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?
Either. Fluttering souls was mechanic first but my current designs are theme 1st
Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
Entered, yes. Won, not yet.
Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
Phil Walker Harding
Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
From design contests. I find the constraints makes it easier to regulate my designs so I'm not trying to throw the kitchen sink at them.
How do you go about playtesting your games?
Playtest with my wife first. If its not broken then in groups. In particular Eric Spain whom i work with.
Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
Alone
What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Time to commit to designs between work and family life
If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
No idea. Something fun and nostalgic. Maybe ninja turtles but its been done. Something from my childhood. Nothing really stands out. Perhaps Street Sharks
What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
You will have a shelf full of failed or broken games before you make something beautiful
What advice would you like to share about designing games?
You will have a shelf full of failed or broken games before you make something beautiful
Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Published games, I have:
1
Currently looking for a publisher I have:
2
Games I feel are in the final development and tweaking stage are:
1
Games that I'm playtesting are:
2
Games that are in the early stages of development and beta testing are:
2
And games that are still in the very early idea phase are:
3 however the above does not reflect failed games or ones that worked as a game but failed to be a good game
Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
Tgc designers discussion. Tabletop game designers Australia. Board game developers guild. Board game design lab community
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?
Beach volleyball. Playing music
What is something you learned in the last week?
Koalas will often eat dirt as their staple diet of eucalyptus leaves lack calcium.
Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Music = folk, ska and rock. Books = marvel comics (daredevil and the punisher) Movies = most except war and supernatural horror
What was the last book you read?
Arnold Schwarzenegger's biography
Do you play any musical instruments?
Drums, percussion and the ukulele
Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I have an unhealthy fear of horses
Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
Got my feet tattooed at a friend’s stag do. Ziplined and trekked through the jungle in Laos
Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
I have been thinking about this for hours but have nothing.
Who is your idol?
My wife or my Nana (rip) two of the strongest people I have ever met.
What would you do if you had a time machine?
Nothing. I’d be too worried I’d mess up timelines and not meet my wife of have my son.
Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Usually an introvert but becoming more of an extrovert the older and more confident I become. At Gen Con 2019 (my first) I was an extrovert
If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Thor
Have any pets?
1 dog (labrador) called moose
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?
The entirety of my game collection lol. Thats hard because there are so many good games. Raiders of the North sea, Scythe, Dice Hospital, Fluttering Souls,
Century Golem Edition, Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate, Deep Sea Adventure, Jaipur, The Mind, Pandemic (Iberia) and Unfair and it's expansions and all D&D fifth edition books.
And please remove coriander (cilantro) from the face of the earth.
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 Alyssa, my son Caleb. My brothers Rhys and Luke
Just a Bit More
Thanks for answering all my crazy questions! Is there anything else you'd like to tell my readers?
A good publisher can make your design process a magical thing. I struck gold with Good Games Publishing. Work with someone who will push your design and question your decisions. It will help you grow.
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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