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: | Seth Cooper |
|---|---|
| Email: | support@blueprintgamingconcepts.com |
| Location: | Chicago, IL USA |
| Day Job: | Project Manager |
| Designing: | One to two years. |
| Webpage: | www.blueprintgamingconcepts.com |
| Blog: | www.blueprintgamingconcepts.com |
| BGG: | Blueprint Gaming Concepts |
| Facebook: | Blueprint Gaming Concepts/ |
| Twitter: | @concepts_gaming |
| YouTube: | BlueprintGamingConcepts |
| Instagram: | @blueprintgamingconcepts/ |
| Other: | |
| Find my games at: | FLGS Locator on www.blueprintgamingconcepts.com |
Seth Cooper
Interviewed on: 5/5/2020
In this week's intervew we get to meet another game designer that is fairly local to me. Seth Cooper is from Chicago and has run a successful Kickstarter for his first published game, a game about some dark Chicago history and lore: Crimes in History: H. H. Holmes' Murder Castle. If you're interested in some darker historical stories and games, be sure to check it out. And read on to learn more about Seth 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 have been an avid board game player for years and have thought of some new ideas and themes to pursue.
What game or games are you currently working on?
Crimes in History: H. H. Holmes' Murder Castle
Have you designed any games that have been published?
This is our first self-published game and is supported by 1800 backers from Kickstarter and post-Kickstarter late pledges.
What is your day job?
Project Manager
Your Gaming Tastes
My readers would like to know more about you as a gamer.
Where do you prefer to play games?
Like to host
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?
Wingspan, Terraforming Mars, Watergate, Smash Up, Scythe, Azul Stained Glass
And what snacks would you eat?
Veggie Trays, Brownies
Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Yes, 80s and 90s
What’s your favorite FLGS?
Dice Dojo
What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Wingspan; Puerto Rico; King of Tokyo (due to the rulebook and event card language)
What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Connections; Player Elimination
What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Steampunk Rally
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?
Come up with the mechanics first and then add the theme
Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
No
Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
Jamey Stegmaier
Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
In the middle of night, true eureka style!
How do you go about playtesting your games?
Design the game with playtesting approaches in mind, playtest with friends, playtest with game designers, then blind playtests
Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
Team
What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Building the right team
If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Back to the Future
What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
Find an artistic friend!
What advice would you like to share about designing games?
You really have to become a swiss army knife of as many trades as possible if you want to self-publish (game design, playtesting, manufacturing, fulfillment, marketing, rulebook editing, IT, etc.)
Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Games that will soon be published are:
2
And games that are still in the very early idea phase are:
1
Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
Yes
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 and Indoor Volleyball
What is something you learned in the last week?
Steampunk Rally has a sequel being Kickstarted!
Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
80s/90s; Devil in the White City; MCU
What was the last book you read?
Teammate
Do you play any musical instruments?
No
Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
DJ'd for 15 years
Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
Jumped off a tall waterfall in Hawaii without checking the bottom of the pool to make sure it was deep enough
Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
Car accident
Who is your idol?
I don't idol that many people. :)
What would you do if you had a time machine?
Travel to the future to understand how awesome or bad the future may be...
Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Introvert
If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Flash
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?
True humanity kindness; disease and guns
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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