Shall We Dance?

Featured Kickstarter Interview

Belle of the Ball:

A Fancy Schmancy Card Game

 Less than 7 days left! Read this interview and then go and back Belle of the Ball. We have almost reached 48k to get another awesome stretch goal reward. This card game is so well done, and I love the artwork. I was able to get Chris and Daniel to answer just a few questions.

Q - One of the things about this game that really caught my attention was the amazing artwork. How did Jacqui Davis get involved and how was/is that process working with her?

Chris: Jacqui is an amazing talent, and one of the best artists with which I've had the pleasuring of working. Not only is her imagination boundless, but she also takes direction really well when there is something specific we wanted from a character. Jacqui got involved with Belle of the Ball completely because of Daniel Solis. I had heard of Jacqui before signing Daniel to a publishing contract, but didn't realize the extent of her capabilities. When Daniel and I sat down in February to really hash out the details of Belle's production, he showed me Jacqui's portfolio and I was sold immediately. I will be contracting Jacqui for more work for Dice Hate Me Games - in fact, she'll likely be providing the portraits for the helper cards in our upcoming game, Brew Crafters. I also have a feeling she's going to be very busy creating masterpieces for a lot more board game companies in the future.

Awesome! I think the gaming community definitely wants more Jacqui artwork and I could dare say that Jacqui may just be the Belle of this Ball. Congrats on the great visuals of this game.

Q- Daniel, Can you tell us a little about your inspiration for the game and what you have going for the future.

Daniel: I originally got inspired by the "Shindig" episode of Firefly. If anyone hasn't seen it, it was kind of a "slobs vs. snobs" fish-out-of-water comedic episode where a couple of working-class characters find themselves in a fancy party of aristocrats. I'm always looking for novel themes and I thought this would be a cool one. It's rival socialites each hosting their own party on the same night, competing for guests and trying to group them by matching interest, thereby hosting the best party of the night. Chaos ensues.

As for the future, I'm still designing card games in public on my blog at danielsolis.com and on twitter @danielsolis. I love getting feedback from readers on my harebrained ideas, so come on over and share your thoughts!

Very cool. Honestly, maybe it was just because I read the Mistborn books recently, but I thought back to Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn books (just a side note for everyone, Brandon Sanderson is one of the finest writers of our day). I will be glued to your blog and twitter Daniel. I look forward to see what is next.

48k Stretch Goal

Q- What is your absolute favorite game and why?

Chris: Darrell Louder, TC Petty III and I recently talked about our personal top five games of all time on The State of Games podcast. My choice was a bit out of left field - it's Car Wars. Car Wars was my very first hobby game - the one that showed me that there was a lot more out there than Monopoly and Clue. I've been into Car Wars since the original pocket box was put out by Steve Jackson Games back in the mid-80s. Of course, I didn't understand ALL the rules at the time, but I absolutely loved the future autoduelling world that surrounded the game. As the years passed and that world grew with supplements in Autoduel Quarterly and Uncle Al's catalogs my passion for the game grew with it. I'm still a huge fan today even though I rarely get it to the table. I'm looking forward to the revamp that Steve Jackson Games has planned for the game in the next couple of years.

It is so amazing that usually our favorite games have some sort of link to our growing up years or our "introduction" to the world of games beyond Monopoly. Thanks for sharing.

Q - Tell us about a memorable party or dance that you have attended.

Chris: I've been to a few memorable soirées in my day. One memorable party was the Firefly Shindig at Dragon*Con in 2005. Jewel Staite was there, dancing up a storm with all of us nuts dressed like Jayne, Mal, Kaylee and the like. She was a gracious guest - the true belle of that ball, if you will - and everyone had a great time.

Now that sounds like a party!

Q - What are your favorite things about Belle of the Ball?

Chris: I, personally, like that Belle is approachable and easy to play, but it rewards careful strategy and tactics. A lot of people underestimate the use of Regrets and Belle cards in their first game, but by the end it all starts to click. I recently introduced the game to my mom and she loved it - she also beat me by two points! That's another strong suit of the game - I've played it many, many times, but my mom could step in and beat me despite my experience. That's a trait that can keep gamers just learning the game coming back for more again and again.

Hahaha. I laugh just because it seems that whenever I introduce a new game to someone, I always lose (and trust me, it isn't like I'm trying to do it on purpose either).

Q - Open Mic! Please feel free to tell us all anything else you would like to!

Chris: Everyone please back Belle of the Ball - and pick up Carnival and The Great Heartland Hauling Co.! Also, I'd just like to thank everyone out there that has supported Dice Hate Me Games over these past couple of years. The company wouldn't have been possible without the support and enthusiasm of our backers. We hope to keep putting out fun games, so stick around - we have some great things in store beyond Belle of the Ball!

Chris and Daniel thank you both very much for your time, I know you both are very busy. I wish the best of luck to you both in your endeavors. I look forward to seeing and playing the final product and I can't wait to see what is next from both of you as well.

Readers, check out Belle of the Ball on Kickstarter now and that is How Lou Sees It!