People Behind the Meeples - Episode 43: Aric Jack

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:	Aric Jack
Email:	mozupro@yahoo.com
Location:	Tucson AZ
Day Job:	Lab manager for a Defense contractor
Designing:	Five to ten years.
Facebook:	Mozuproductions
Twitter:	@Mozupro1
YouTube:	Mozu Productions
Instagram:	@mozupro
Find my games at:	Local Tucson Cons: Rincon, Tucson ComicCon, and a few times a year at Tucons Unpub mini events and sometimes in store at our favorite LGS, Amazing Discoveries.

Today's Interview is with:

Aric Jack
Interviewed on: 8/29/2016

Aric Jack is part of the Mozu Productions team, a group of board game enthusiasts and designers that work to promote not only their own game designs, but other awesome games as well. Aric does reviews, convention coverage, game demos, and more. Keep an eye out for some Mozu Productions games, like AXIOM, hopefully coming to a game store near you sometime soon!

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?
Someone told me I couldn't

What game or games are you currently working on?
Several with my design partners at Mozu Productions, multiple medium weight card games, a Steampunk dice drafting worker placement game, a Steampunk asset control game, A sci fi space exploitation game.

Have you designed any games that have been published?
Not yet, got close twice though

What is your day job?
Lab manager for a Defense contractor

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

Where do you prefer to play games?
Home, LGS, Conventions

Who do you normally game with?
A few close friends and design partners

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
Abyss, Lanterns the Harvest Festival, DC Deck builder,

And what snacks would you eat?
Chips and dip

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
70's and 80's rock or 90's grunge

What’s your favorite FLGS?
Amazing Discoveries

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Favorite: Abyss, Least fav: One Night Werewolf, Worst: Puerto Rico

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Fav, tile placement Least: Social deduction

What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Frag or Lords of Waterdeep

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

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?
Both, but normally theme first

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
Entered yes, won, no... Kubla Con, 2002 I think

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?
Random lightning in a bottle moments, brainstorming with design partners or friends

How do you go about playtesting your games?
In house testing first, partners only, then bring in random friends. Then ship to an outside test group/local unpubs

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
Part of a team, co-designers

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Trying to create something that feels truly original and groundbreaking

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
Battletech

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
It's never enough, the ideas, good and bad, will never stop coming.

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Read this The Game Inventor's Guidebook by Brian Tinsman

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
This is what I have currently crowdfunding: none, I won't touch crowdfunding at this time, we aren't known well enough and I don't want to run a company, I want to design games.
Currently looking for a publisher I have: One, Axiom, Sci-Fantasy trick taker
Games I feel are in the final development and tweaking stage are: 2, Gears and Gauges, Sector Raid,
Games that I'm playtesting are: 3
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

Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
I follow some, but I'm not a member

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, Pepsi, VHS

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
Photography, Mt Biking, binge watching Netflix

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Grunge, 90's country, 70's rock / Sci Fi / any genre, as long as it's good, which most comedies aren't since the 80's

What was the last book you read?
The Ocean at the end of the lane by Neil Gaiman

Do you play any musical instruments?
no

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I'm a HUGE softy when it comes to dogs

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
Got stuck head first in a hole in a cave

Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
Lost while walking the foothills of Mt Etna, at night, while it was erupting

Who is your idol?
John Campea, Collider Movie Talk

What would you do if you had a time machine?
Go back and buy a bunch of Alpha and Beta Magic the Gathering boxes and singles and hold them until now.

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
a mix of both, more extrovert though

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Nightcrawler from the X-Men

Have any pets?
6 dogs, 4 Pugs, 4,8,13,15 a Puggle 7 and a Shepherd lab mix, 4

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?
Survive: Abyss, Lanterns, Axiom Wiped out: Cards Against Humanity

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):
Ben Affleck, "You were the bomb in Phantoms yo!"

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

I'd like to thank my design partners, Jamie Lewis and Mike McGinnis also in Tucson for joining me in this. Also Michael Girard for pushing me to get off my butt and submit games!

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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?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

Quick Review - Greedy Claw Crane Game - Kickstarter Preview

Greedy Claw Crane Game
Designer: David Sheppard
Publisher: Twitch Factory
2-5p | 20-30m | 8+

Quick Review - Greedy Claw Crane Game - Kickstarter Preview
Disclaimer

Have you ever played one of those claw games in an arcade or store, where you try to get the claw to grab a stuffed animal or silly toy and drop it down a chute?  I had a friend that was uncannily good at those games.  He had a whole shelf full of the stuff he won from those claw games.  Whenever I played though, the claw would grab the prize I wanted, only to slide right off it, like a Chicago Bears wide receiver trying to catch an end zone pass.  Well, in Greedy Claw you'll have a much better chance of getting prizes, but can you get more than your opponents? It'll take some skill and a fair amount of luck to collect the most valuable toys.

Greedy Claw Crane Game is for two to five players and takes about 20-30 minutes.  It's a very casual dice and token game that is suitable as a filler or family game.  It should be on Kickstarter soon.

Greedy Claw's main components are the 72 tokens, six custom dice, and claw pawn.  The Bonus Goal cards will become
tokens and I'm not sure if the white mini poker chips will be included or not.

Overview:

In Greedy Claw players will use dice to control either the movement or gripping strength of the claw as it moves around a grid of prizes.  To set up the game you'll first create a 6x6 grid of tokens.  The tokens are stacked face-up, with the inner 4x4 square having three in a stack and the central 2x2 square having four in a stack.  Then a pawn is placed in a random location in the grid, determined by starting the pawn in a corner and rolling two dice, one for vertical moves and one for horizontal.

You'll move the claw pawn around the grid of prizes, trying to pick up the most valuable ones.

There are several types of tokens, representing prizes in the claw machine, each from one of seven groups, or families.  Most prizes are common prizes that are worth anywhere from one to four points.  Some rare prizes give you a bonus of two points for any basic prize in the same family.  Others double the value of any one prize.  Each player will get assigned a random group that they'll get a bonus point for each token in that family they collect.  But be careful if you press your luck too much.  There are also some bad prizes (like the broken bottle) that will give you negative points if you wind up picking them up.

Collecting prizes gives you points, bonuses, or penalties.  And everything you collect that is part of your bonus
goal family is worth a bonus point.

On your turn you'll try to collect one or more prizes.  Usually you'll just go for one prize token, but sometimes you'll want to push your luck and try to "Wing It" and go for multiple tokens.  If you grab a token with little wings on it you'll get to take another turn.  But there's a catch.  Two, actually.  First, if you fail to pick up another token you'll drop the "Wing It" token and won't get anything.  Second, on your extra turn you don't get to use any of the dice you used as grips to pick up the prior token.  So your available pool of dice dwindles as you try to grab more tokens.

If you grab that Wing It bear first you can then take an additional turn to go for another token.

This might be a good point to explain exactly how you try to collect prizes.  You'll start your turn by rolling the six dice.  Each die has a combination of numbers for movement and bursts for grips.  You'll get to decide for each die if it should be used to move the claw pawn or to grab a prize.  If you use the die for movement, place it on the token where you the claw pawn is at and then move the pawn in a straight line the number of spaces indicated on the die.  To use a die for grips, set the die aside.  You have to use at least two dice before you reroll any unused dice.  Then you have to use at least two more dice before a final reroll.  At the end of your turn you have to use all your dice for either movement or grips.  If you have grips at least equal to the grips required to pick up the token the claw pawn is on you can collect that token.  If you ever empty a stack of tokens the surrounding toys will fall into the vacated space, a nice thematic element, although it adds to the fiddlyness of the game a bit.

Here I moved to the right two, up two, and right one, then spent six grips to pick up that Wing It token.  If I want to I can use those three dice used for movement to try for another token, but if I can't pick up another I'll lose them both. 

If you picked up a "Wing It" token you can try for another token, as described above.  Otherwise pass the dice to the next player.  Players take turns until someone has collected tokens of a specific value, depending on the number of players, and then the current round is finished.  Players tally up their scores, including bonuses from rare prizes and their personal goal.  The winner is the player with the most points!

Final Thoughts:
Greedy Claw Crane Game is a light filler game.  You won't find a whole lot of strategy here, beyond the obvious maximizing points each turn.  The dice also add a lot of chance and randomness to the game.  But Greedy Claw does a pretty good job for what it's intended for.  It's light, easy to learn, good for the family, and a fun theme.

When I first received the prototype of Greedy Claw I played it and was very unimpressed.  It was fiddly, super random, and not much fun.  But I had several months before I had to get a review out, so it sat on my shelf for a while.  In the meantime the designer sent me two updates to the game, one was pretty significant, replacing nearly all the components!  But it was worth it.  The resulting game is worlds better than where it was in September.

This is a fast, fun game that is great for families!

That said, I do still have a few issues with Greedy Claw, however I don't think any of them are deal breakers and some I already know are going to be fixed in the production copy.

The biggest issue with the game is the size of the tokens.  The 1" circles are very small, making them difficult to stack, the information on them very difficult to read, and the dice challenging to place on top of the stacks.  The artwork is also very busy, partly because everything is so small, and partly because of the starburst backgrounds.  The good news is that the plan is to increase the size of the tokens significantly, hopefully to 1.5".  This will allow for much larger artwork (which is good because the toys are adorable) and better readability of the icons.  I'm not sure if the busy background will still be an issue on the larger tokens, but hopefully that's something the designer takes into consideration.

The small tokens are hard to see across the table, but much larger tokens should be in the final game.

Another fairly major issue is the downtime between turns.  The two player game moved very quickly, however the four player game dragged quite a bit.  Since the main strategy in the game is in trying to figure out how to maximize your points each turn analysis paralysis can be fairly significant.  You can't really plan ahead because the playing area is constantly changing and you have no idea what you're going to roll on the dice, so each turn requires evaluating all your options every time.  This isn't necessarily a reason to avoid the game completely, but something to be aware of when playing with certain players (you know who I'm talking about).

There were also a few areas of the rules that could use a bit of clarification, but nothing major.  It's not specifically stated that you have to use all of your dice every turn, although that becomes obvious from the gameplay.  "Winging It" is probably the most complex concept in the game.  We actually played that part slightly wrong at first.  We didn't realize that you had to use all of your dice to get the "Wing It" token and then start over completely with all the dice, minus the ones used for Grip.  Instead we played that you could move, pick up a "Wing It" token with some Grips, and then continue with your remaining dice, trying to get another token.  The way we played eliminated some of the push-your-luck aspect of the game, but also made turns go a little faster since you weren't taking another full turn.  We also didn't play with the cascading prizes, instead using white mini poker chips to fill in empty spaces, but that was mainly because that was how the rules were in an earlier version of the game and I didn't notice the part about the cascading toys at first.

Overall, I think Greedy Claw Crane Game is a very solid filler.  It'll be fun for families or casual game nights, as long as the players keep the pace swift.  If this sounds like a game you'd be interested in, be sure to check it out when it hits Kickstarter in February.

Great theme, fast play, and easy to learn rules make this a great filler or family game.

Preliminary Rating: 6.5/10

Rating Scale

This review is of a prototype game.  Components and rules are not final and are subject to change.


Did you like this review?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

Below here are a few pictures of the very old version that I played in September.  This new version is much better for its updates!

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 42: Roger Alan Cotton, Jr.

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:	Roger Alan Cotton, Jr.
Email:	roger@armchairadventuring.com
Location:	San Diego, CA, USA
Day Job:	This is my day job.
Designing:	Two to five years.
Webpage:	http://armchairadventuring.com
BGG:	Eboncourt
Facebook:	rogeracottonjr
Twitter:	RogerACotton
Find my games at:	I will eventually put my games on Tabletop Simulator for playing.

Today's Interview is with:

Roger Alan Cotton, Jr.
Interviewed on: 8/27/2016

Roger Cotton has been designing games for several years now and has started Armchair Adventuring to promote his games. He's also very active in many of the online game design communities, even running a few of them. Hopefully you'll see some of his games on store shelves soon! Read on to learn more about Roger and the games he's working on.

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?
When I was five years old, I would be left in charge of my younger brothers. To distract myself, and to entertain them, I used crayons to create board games on cardboard boxes. From that time on, I have been interested in game design and development.

What game or games are you currently working on?
Extraordinary! the Superhero card game, and CyberPsi: Agenda, a Cyberpunk board game.

Have you designed any games that have been published?
Just finished developing Extraordinary! over the past two years. Hoping to find a publisher for it. Meeting with IDW Publishing about it in two weeks.

What is your day job?
This is my day job.

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

Where do you prefer to play games?
Game Stores

Who do you normally game with?
Anyone I meet at a game store who wants to play.

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
Red Dragon Inn, Mystic Vale, or Android

And what snacks would you eat?
Coca Cola and snacks/candy with chocolate in them

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Only during atmospheric games, like Arkham Horror/Mansions of Madness, or fantasy games, like Descent or Temple of Elemental Evil.

What’s your favorite FLGS?
Artifex in Scripps Ranch, San Diego.

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Favorite Game: Merchant of Venus. Least Favorite, but Still Enjoy: Munchkin Marvel. Worst game: Red Shirts.

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Favorite Mechanic: Rolling dice to determine Available Actions during a Turn. Least Favorite Mechanic: Bidding.

What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Manhattan Project

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?
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?
I typically come up with theme first, then build mechanics around it to simulate the most interesting aspects of the theme. However, with my Cyberpunk board game CyberPsi: Agenda, I started with a range of mechanics and built the game around them.

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
Yes. When I was twelve years old, I entered a local game design contest with my version of a Battlestar Galactica board game. This was back in 1978. I don't know what ever became of the contest. But, I can still remember the game design.

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?
Anywhere (often, while I am in the shower). They usually come to me as epiphanies, almost fully designed.

How do you go about playtesting your games?
I create questionnaires, have a "Play-Testers Wanted" sign, and then arrange for a play-test event at games stores and conventions.

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
Typically, I like to work alone. Though, I took on a Co-Designer for CyberPsi: Agenda, since it a deep game with a lot of content that needs to be created.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Not being a perfectionist. Knowing when to stop designing and redesigning, and saying, "This is DONE!"

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
To never doubt yourself or what you like to do.

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
When stuck on a design issue, use my "Invert the Mechanic" rule (a rule I innately understand, but which I have yet to define in a concise manner).

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Currently looking for a publisher I have: "Extraordinary!" (Superhero card game)
I'm planning to crowdfund: "Extraordinary!" (Superhero card game)
Games I feel are in the final development and tweaking stage are: "The Very Scary Cemetery" (Children's Horror board game)
Games that I'm playtesting are: "Kognition" (Steampunk board game)
Games that are in the early stages of development and beta testing are: "CyberPsi: Agenda" (Cyberpunk board game) and "Across the Void" (Space Trader board game)

Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/GameDesignersGuild/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/528406633897241/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/IndieGameDevs/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/gamemakerslab/

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?
Playwriting, Child-rearing

What is something you learned in the last week?
I'm going to die early unless I get back in shape.

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Bands: Bread, Journey (circa 1980-82), the Cure, Muse, Queen. Music: New Age, Enya, Classical. Books: Man of La Mancha and 100 Years of Solitude. Movies: Razor's Edge, Bladerunner, Chariots of Fire, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

What was the last book you read?
Seven Habits of Highly Successful People

Do you play any musical instruments?
I have started to learn how to play the Piano and the Ukulele.

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I am a romantic at heart.

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
I carried the American Flag over a 500 mile distance, throughout California, over a six week period. I still don't know how and why I did it, aside from wanting to show that I will not have my rights legislated away by power-hungry partisans.

Who is your idol?
I don't have any idols.

What would you do if you had a time machine?
Use it to travel to the past, to document events; and to the future, to pick up a few useful items. And, to see if faux-organic android bodies are ever invented.

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Both. More introverted, as I get older.

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
Superman

Have any pets?
Three dogs and three 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?
Hope Survives: Dungeons and Dragons (because it started the modern board game era) and Magic: The Gathering (bastardized as all hell today, but an elegant card game design). Hope is Wiped Out: Political Correctness and Victimhood.

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):
Hey, God! I hope I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing with the time I have.

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

I am always looking to collaborate with talented artists and graphic designers on the development of an interesting project.

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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?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

People Behind the Meeples - Episode 41: Vassil Lozanov

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:	Vassil Lozanov
Email:	vlozzanov@hotmail.com
Location:	Bulgaria, of all places
Day Job:	A struggling-to-finish-Law-school storyteller extraordinaire. Basically, I work for smiles and laughter, not money, at the moment.
Designing:	One to two years.
BGG:	Vasil-Lozanov
Find my games at:	For now, at the Three Trolls board game bar in Sofia, Bulgaria. Soon, I hope, there will be an online shop for Cherry Cannon Games, where I'm a full time designer.

Today's Interview is with:

Vassil Lozanov
Interviewed on: 8/27/2016

Vassil is a game designer from Bulgaria that has an uncanny resemblance to a very tabletop game crazy celebrity. Can you guess who? Vassil has been designing games for a bit over a year now and has just published his first game, Among Thieves, which was a Kickstarter success last year. Read on to learn more about Vassil and what he's currently working on.

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've always loved games. The idea of games, the atmosphere of games, the purpose of games, the versatility. I also like to think of myself as a creative person in general, so I guess these two passions just found each other and united. I couldn't really do anything to stop it. If asked, I'll say I've started designing tabletop games about a year ago, but actually I did it as a kid as well, especially roleplaying games, so I have a rather long history of it, although as a small hobby.

What game or games are you currently working on?
Just finished my first Kickstarter campaign - Among Thieves. Currently, I'm working on two parallel ideas, but it's a bit too early to say anything, so be on the lookout soon ^^

Have you designed any games that have been published?
If self-publishing counts, then I guess Among Thieves.

What is your day job?
A struggling-to-finish-Law-school storyteller extraordinaire. Basically, I work for smiles and laughter, not money, at the moment.

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

Where do you prefer to play games?
I occasionally go to a local boardgame bar, The Three Trolls. Best place, though - at home, with friends. Up to 5 people, comfy sofas or on the floor. Mostly on the floor, I guess.

Who do you normally game with?
Usually, I play with my friends (no huge fans of gaming in the family). Different groups, different games. Since I started promoting Among Thieves about a year ago, I've started playing a lot with strangers and I have to say I really enjoy it. But friends would be my first choice.

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
If it's up to me - Cosmic Encounter! Alternatively, it could be Dead of Winter, Game of Thrones or Robinson Crusoe. And, after that, Citadels or Gloom. Oh, oh, oh! I missed Fury of Dracula.

And what snacks would you eat?
Pizza all the way, yo!

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Yeah, usually for background I use something that's in the style of the game. For example, for Citadels I put some old medieval town music. Especially awesome thing, music, when we're playing an RPG.

What’s your favorite FLGS?
It's called The Three Trolls: amazing place with games and many, many kinds of beers.

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
Hm, most favorite right now would be Dead of Winter, I guess, because it's still new to me. Something I don't really enjoy as before, but still play - Codenames. It's nice, but I got bored of it pretty quickly. Sometimes the games are a blast, and other times - not enjoyable at all. Worst one I've ever played is most certainly Munchkin. I dislike it a lot and wouldn't play it.

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
Favorite mechanic of mine is role-playing, 100%. In the meantime, it's hard to point out one that I dislike, because one of the things I enjoy most about games is the versatility that comes with the different mechanics. But I'd probably say dice, specifying that I don't like them in games like Monopoly and King of Tokyo. Otherwise, they are just as fun as everything else.

What’s your favorite game that you just can’t ever seem to get to the table?
Fury of Dracula.

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, RPG Games

OK, here's a pretty polarizing game. Do you like and play Cards Against Humanity?
Yes, for the first 3 times. After that, never.

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 always start at the theme. Designing games is a hobby for me, so I'd only enjoy it if it was directed at something I really like and enjoy and this is determined mostly by the world and/or atmosphere of the game. I enjoy stories too much and tend to start with them.

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
I have entered the Cardboard Edison Award of 2016 with Among Thieves, but didn't win. On the other hand, Among Thieves won the first ever Bulgarian Game Award for most anticipated games. Against video games, so take that, web-guys! :D

Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
No, never had one. Not a fan of idols. But my friends and I have a joke about Dr. Reiner Knizia designing 90% of all existing games.

Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
Usually, the best ideas just come to me unexpectedly and I could be anyplace. I never think to much of it, I don't like fishing for inspiration, but rather prefer to let it naturally come to me. So far, it's worked excellently.

How do you go about playtesting your games?
First, it's the friends phase. Then, I play with vaguely know people from the local club and listen to their critique and take notes. Lastly, I go about showing the game to complete strangers and see how it works with people outside of the development process.

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
Never tried co-designing, but I would. But I work with artists and other people who contribute to the game in different ways. I'd like to be able to do all the work myself, but relying on other people's talents is a pleasure, not a drag. Except sometimes.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Coming up with an idea, that is original, likeable and satisfying for me. The last part is the hardest.

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
If I get the question right, Star Wars.

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
"Choose this, not Law school."

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Even if other people don't enjoy your work, if it brings joy to you and your friends, keep on going. And don't be afraid to experiment and try new things.

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Published games, I have: Among Thieves

Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker’s Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
Yeah, some, but nothing super special - all the basic ones.

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. I don't like soft drinks. VHS!

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
I'm a huge cinema fan. I read a lot of books, all genres. Languages and distant cultures are one thing I enjoy and I'm fascinated by mythologies, folklore, strange customs. I love the Far East, especially Japan.

What is something you learned in the last week?
There are places on Earth where dead people stay with their families for as long as two years after the tragic event. Of course, they are conserved properly and look like normal objects. Macabre, right?

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
I enjoy blues, Fleetwood Mac, Arcade Fire and Chris Cornell, among many. In books, I go for almost everything, but one especially favorite niche is old-school sci-fi, like H.G.Wells and Jules Verne. Regarding movies, I like what I consider 'Golden Age Hollywood' (1940-1962).

What was the last book you read?
The Darkest Room, by Johan Theorin. Before it was Lao-tsu's Tao Te Ching.

Do you play any musical instruments?
Sadly, no, but if I had the chance, I'd try either the piano or the classic guitar.

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I never liked ice-cream. I also learned to ride a bike at 16 and never ever got on a bike again. Sometimes I wonder if I was ever a kid :D

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
I consider myself a rather strange, but not a crazy person, so it's hard to tell. I missed the last concert of Buena Vista Social Club a few years back, because I spent the money for tickets for a concert of Hugh Laurie. For a girl I loved, obviously. Now that I look back on it, it's not a big deal, but ... I love the BVSC and I still haven't completely forgiven myself.

Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
My first child, Sam! Nah, just kiddin', I don't have kids yet. I think the Hugh Laurie concert, if we consider missing on the Buena Vista as an accident. It was an awesome concert and I really enjoyed every minute of it.

Who is your idol?
Never had, never will.

What would you do if you had a time machine?
Wow, what I wouldn't do! Stay in the present is one thing I wouldn't actually.

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Ex-introvert, not-really-extrovert. Limbo!

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
I've never given this enough thought. I think Doctor Strange would be fitting.

Have any pets?
No, never had any. I'd get a cat, though.

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?
If humanity survives, games will always survive. Anything would be fine, but I think a new era will require new games. So I'd say I prefer for the easy superclassics to survive - chess, go, shogi, etc. I'd love to see what replacement of dice the new people would use at some point.

If something is to be wiped out, let it be jealousy. Life would be so very different.

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):
Suck monkey balls! [GJJ Games] I’m hoping that’s an inside joke to someone! =)

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

As Wil Wheaton says - PLAY MORE GAMES!

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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?  Show your support by clicking the heart at Board Game Links , liking GJJ Games on Facebook , or following on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

Eye on Kickstarter #12

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 reviews 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 2017 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 second Friday of January, 2017:

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HIGHLIGHTED CAMPAIGN
Fish Frenzy & Backyard Builders Treehouse

• GJJ Games Backed
• A bit over a year ago Patrick from Crash Games announced that he was going to forgo Kickstarter in the future and start to release games straight to retail. This was a big step in the growth of his company, and one that many people supported. Both Patrick and his company had a high reputation in the industry for being enthusiastic, honest, and for producing high quality games. In fact, one of his early games, Rise!, is still a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, however, life had different plans for Patrick and he fell on some very hard times (the details are in a video on the campaign page). For most of 2016 Patrick and Crash Games were very low key. It was very odd for someone who had been such a big part of the board game community to that point. Fast forward a year and now Patrick is recovering from the blow life dealt him. However, he has a large inventory of two games he was planning to release in retail, and a substantial manufacturing debt. This campaign is going to be a turning point for Crash Games. If he can make enough money to cover the debt from manufacturing these games Crash Games will be able to continue into the future. If not, this may be the last we see of Crash Games. That would be a travesty, so please consider helping out by either pledging for a game, or supporting Patrick through other means.

Fish Frenzy is a colorful and fun set collection game! The Captains of Rainbow Bay have hauled in their catches of colorful fish as the Seagulls of Rainbow Bay, with their bottomless bellies, hover above. The race for the fish is on! In Fish Frenzy players are competing for majorities of each of the seven fish colors.

In Backyard Builders Treehouse, two to five players compete to have the highest valued treehouse after a set number of rounds. This is a family friendly retheme of Yardmaster Express.

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Sub Terra

• Sub Terra looks like a thrilling cooperative adventure through caves. I love how the game plays on multiple fears: dark, being buried alive, claustrophobia, the underground, being trapped, and of course the monsters. This definitely looks like an exciting time!

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Dark is the Night

• This looks like an interesting, quick two player game that was originally designed for the Mint Tin design contest on BGG last year.

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Infected

• Infected uses magnetic pieces and board in an interesting take on area control. But I'm not sure the novelty of the magnets can overcome the reliance on dice rolls to determine everything from number of units you can place, to movement of the cure, to deciding combat. It seems like a good core idea that needs a little more substance.

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Pinball Showdown

• GJJ Games Backed
• People Behind the Meeples Interview
• Pinball Showdown brings the excitement of a pinball game to the tabletop. This looks like a blast to play. Also, be sure to read my interview with designer Diane Sauer.