New Featured Kickstarter - Burning Rome

Burning Rome is a great 2 player strategic war card game. Easy to learn and fun to play. Provides a quick gameplay and a lot of cards for nice replay ability. Emil Larsen is very thorough in his game designs and yet humble enough to ask for feedback and embrace suggestions to make his games better. Definitely check out the game yourself on Kickstarter now (Starting July 18, 2017).

I'm Back! Casually Armored, Let's Get To It!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long break, but life happens. I'm excited to get back and start writing and filming reviews and commentary for you all. I also plan to do some major updating and overhauls to the blog moving forward. I have a stack of games to go through and some reviews right around the corner! For now, I wanted to let you all know that I'm alive and well and that some great reviews are headed your way. Until then, please check out my Featured Kickstarters, as they are awesome and deserve your attention.

Casual Game Insider is currently on Kickstarter for its 5th year and that's definitely not by accident. CGI is by far my favorite board gaming publication. For one who has board games on the brain 24/7 it seems like, this is a fantastic read. I always enjoy reading reviews of games, but in my honest opinion, the articles in the publication is why I look forward to the newest copy of CGI. They have some great individuals write about topics that really interest me. From how board games are manufactured to a discussion on winning or game mechanics, CGI doesn't disappoint. But you don't have to take my word for it! Here is a free digital copy of their Summer 2016 publication! Enjoy, and don't forget to check out there Kickstarter!

Armored Core: RTS is the other Featured Kickstarter at the moment, and I honestly don't have experience with this like CGI, but I must say that the Kickstarter caught my eye. It has almost raised 250,000 dollars as of this post! It is based off of a video game (which I have not played) where players pilot mechs and command support troops simultaneously! It really looks like they are capturing the feel of a real time video game with this intriguing design. There are some awesome miniatures with bases that will show line of sight. I'm very interested in finding out how this will all come together to provide a unique gaming experience. When I get my copy after production, be sure to come back and check out my review, and until then, check out the Kickstarter while you still can! 

Featured Kickstarter: Casual Game Insider Magazine

Casual Game Insider (Quarterly Published Board Game Magazine)

Website: casualgamerevolution.com/magazine

Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stratusgames/casual-game-insider-board-gaming-magazine-4th-year

What is a "Casual Game?"

Taught in less than 10 minutes

Played in less than 1 hour

Light strategy

Enjoyed by all ages

Casual Game Insider magazine is fantastic game magazine that puts a focus on "casual games." They provide news, reviews, and great articles ranging from game mechanics, to board gaming conventions, to spotlighting game publishers/designers, and more. Casual Game Insider is the best gaming magazine available in my opinion. I hope that they can continue to expand - it would be great to get this monthly! Such a well done publication and a very enjoyable read. Right now you can actually download a pdf of the summer issue for FREE (see link below). There is also a link provided to view the issue in an online reader. Please enjoy! And don't forget to check out the Kickstarter page and their website (links above). If you like games or want to learn more, this magazine is for you and that is How Lou Sees It!

PDF: http://bit.ly/cgisummer2015

Issue (online reader): http://bit.ly/cgisummer2015issuu

Thunderbirds Co-operative Board Game is Go!

Thunderbirds

Designed by Matt Leacock

Published (Kickstarter) by Modiphius

Featured Kickstarter Ending March 28th

1 to 4 Players

45 to 60 Minutes

Co-operative Board Game

So, apparently Thunderbirds was an old TV show and before the news of this game hit my twitter feed, I honestly didn't have any idea what Thunderbirds was. Not only was it a TV show back 50 years ago, but it was done using marionette puppetry with scale models for special effects. To get a better feel of what the show was about, I went to the library and rented the 2004 live action movie. It was an interesting little movie, but I really liked the concept. I think I would personally have a hard time watching the old TV show, but I'm curious to see what else comes out this year in honor of its 50 year anniversary.

The board game however looks like it will be pretty awesome and with Matt Leacock doing the design (same designer of Pandemic and Forbidden Island - THE co-operative designer of designers) - I have a feeling that I will really enjoy this game. It is currently on Kickstarter right now, 864% funded, with many stretch goals unlocked and more available. Check it out - I think you will find it worth your while and that is How Lou Sees It!

A MAGE Company Update

The following is an update from MAGE Company on upcoming games, Kickstarter projects, and Essen information. If you have any additional questions concerning any of this information, please visit the links provided or contact MAGE Company. Another review coming soon! I hope to get more reviews done and posted soon as I am way behind at the moment. Yikes!

The 3rd World War was referred, by many, as the last war because of the vastness of destruction that it had caused. Everywhere around the world, mankind suffered great casualties and horror — but a few survivors that had the power and the resources built mighty cities all around the world to gain strength and rule again. The cities that were built each had a unique aspect: They contained golden metallic walls, symbolizing hope. Thus, they were named the Golden Cities. This game takes place five years after the Last War, with the players taking on the role of people vying for citizenship within a Golden City.

Raid and Trade is a negotiation and resource management game for 3-5 players. The player who is able to enter the golden city first wins, and there are three different ways to enter the golden city:

Become an expert: Reach 20 skill points.
Serve the city: Fulfill three secret quests.
Become a nobleman: Get the most possible character points.

You can vote the box and the Minis on Board Game Geek just by checking the gallery of the game. Check it here



In each turn, the players can spend action points to do several actions such as moving through the city, raiding buildings, attacking other players, and more. Each player has a specific skill — mechanic, trader, electrician, bodyguard and medic — and has his own unique items to build; those items can be traded off against other items or resources.

 
 

The board of the game is modular so that in every game you have a new map to discover. All over the map, the players find different buildings which they can raid. Each time a player raids a building, a raid card of this type of building is taken and read, which leads to specific circumstances taking place. The player will be made to make various decisions including important moral decisions! Upon resolving the various decisions, you will receive character points. The choices you make, for good or for bad, will lead to specific perks and advantages (or disadvantages) during the progress of the game. When raiding a building, you get resources (tools, scraps, mechanics, electronics, etc.). By combining these resources, you can craft items with special abilities. By doing so, you will advance your skill points.

Every player also gets secret quests of the golden city. To fulfill these quests, the players have to spend the resources mentioned on the card. To fulfill a quest will not only lead the players closer to victory but also give them advantages for the rest of the game. We will demo the game at Essen Spiel, on October at our booth Hall 3 - Booth O103 while we have scheduled the campaign for the Kickstarter on November 3.

Currently we launched a new campaign on Kickstarter for a new game called "The Orcfather" a fantasy-themed card game for 2-10 players with basic price at $30 including ship fees for several countries. Check it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/magecompany/the-orcfather



We will be at Essen Spiel at Hall 3 - Booth 3-O103 along with the team who will demo our games. Here is the diagram of our booth where you can find us:



At this Spiel we will also carry 12 Realms. Any issues from the first printing run has been addressed and the reprint of the game is better than ever with upgraded quality, revised rules, glued minis and more. The game will have a special price at 35 EU but also there will be packs that include small expansion for the basic game.



We will also demo some of the Plots of the 12 Realms: Ancestors Legacy. Since we still develop the game, we made sure to create a couple prototypes in order to demo the new adventures among the realms!



Four exciting new realms lie hidden in the Fairy World and you must prepare yourself to explore them so as to defeat all of their enemies. Kievan Empire, Golden Caliphate, Olympia, and Nile Valley are the new lands you will get to explore to learn their secrets. Ruslan, Sinbad, along with the rest of the heroes, will unite to fight against Marid, Sobek, and the rest of the Dark Lords!

Ancestors Legacy provides a much different game through its plots. There are now three different plots for both editions, which include a background story and significantly increase the difficulty level and excitement of the game – increasing the amount of decisions that players will have to make. A plot may have you playing with six realms (combining old and new lands), facing all of the Dark Lords, or creating a really fast game with a unique set-up. Now, more than ever, team camaraderie will be necessary in order to reach victory!



Our new game Höyük will be also available since we finished the production and the game is on the way. The price for the game will be at 35 EU. This version is trlingual: EN-FR-GE

Imagine yourself some 10,000 years ago in the Middle East.

Your clan has left the ancient nomadic life and settled with four other clans in the valley. The community has repeatedly succeeded in harvesting crops, and some families are getting better at raising animals; next moon will see the birth of a new generation of pups. We all praise our own gods and Mother Goddess for being good to us. This new era has brought something new to us: The area is progressively filling with dwellings, built tight against each other. New generations are building their houses over the remains of old constructions. Our greatest families have now constructions way up over the land, proudly showing off their shrines and wealth to the community. Who knows, when the children of our children will come to the world, which clan will rule this multitude?



In Höyük, each player represents a clan that settles with other clans to erect a village. During the game, a replica of a Neolithic settlement will be built on the Höyük board using tiles that represent houses. Many additional pieces — such as ovens, shrines, and pens — will also aid a player in building his settlements. ("Höyük" is Turkish for hill or mound. The word is also used for prehistoric settlements in the region that have a characteristic, hill-like look from houses being built on top of older houses and the absence of streets between the houses because people entered their homes through the roof.) The goal of the game is to build the best settlement and score the most victory points, with multiple paths to victory and many choices along the way. The best clan will prevail in Höyük!
--
MAGE Company LTD
www.magecompany.com

Warband: Against the Darkness (Preview)

(8/10 Stars)

Warband: Against the Darkness

Designed by Micah Fuller

Published by Dyskami

2 to 5 Players

60 Minutes

Action Point System, Area Control, Set Collecting, War

Featured Kickstarter

Warband provides variety, balance, and many different ways to victory. This is a preview with prototype components that was provided to me from Dyskami. This game is currently on Kickstarter as of today (9/1/14) there are 13 days days remaining. Players pick 1 of 10 different races each with a special ability that help provide different strategies and help with replayability. Players choose how to advance or improve their race according to the 4 different actions available to the players. Tax, train, scout, and fight your way to victory. Great artwork (I wish there was more). Small cards (not my favorite). Seems well balanced and provides lots to think about without being too heavy to bog you down. Check it out and that is How Lou Sees It! (See video review below with some pictures after that - enjoy!)

2 Player Setup

2 Player Setup Close Up on Realm Board

Starting Player Board (Elves)

Game In Progress 

Rulebook

Harbour Preview

Harbour (Prototype Version)

Designed by Scott Almes

Published by Tasty Minstrel Games

2 to 4 Players (I recommend with 2)

45 minutes to 60 minutes

Worker Placement and Resource Management

I received a prototype version of Harbour from TMG and these are my thoughts. Harbour is also one of my current Featured Kickstarters.

Because everything was in prototype form I don't really have much to say here regarding component quality as these pieces are not the final product. I will say though that the completed artwork is great and the updated pictures and concepts presented on the Kickstarter look good. The icons are understandable and the game layout is easy to grasp.

This is meant to be a lighter micro type game, that really is a step up from that. I really enjoy worker placement games and this one is good. You only have one worker however and no means of gaining more. This keeps the game very simple compared to many other worker placement games; for better or worse. This is a very accessible game to younger kids or people new to games.

Rules are mostly strait forward, although I had to check the bgg forums to answer some questions - I believe that they have or will fix those issues for the final product. Mechanics are you move to a new building and perform that action. A good variety of buildings with a solid market system is what makes this game. Each player also has a different character card that gives them a starting building and a unique ability.

Unique abilities seem to be something that people desire more and more. It helps add variety to game play and helps keep strategies perhaps different from one player to another and provides that replayability factor many require. How well balanced are these abilities? Not sure. They at least don't seem too unreasonable.

The market mechanic does a pretty good job simulating market pricing and demand with recently sold items dropping in value. It is a good mechanic. I want to play around with possible variations such as starting all the resources at each cost but whenever something is used, it drops to zero and climbs by one or a player chooses one resource to increase by one (or something like that).

I will say that it seems to work better with 2 or 3 because as you add more players the greater the market fluctuates and then the strategy of playing or planning according to the market becomes much harder and it feels more like a luck of the draw what resources are worth more.

Resources are kept on a track that only allows you to have a certain number of each resource. This mechanic, reminding me of Roll Through the Ages, works well in this setting and the game really drives you to diversify while also playing to your strength. A lot of the buildings have not only acquire type actions bit trading certain resources for others.

In fact, I think the trading of resources throughout the game using these different buildings is the true cornerstone to the game. Many say it is the market, which is good, but I like the different trading options and how that all interacts with the market and maximum storage etc. It all works really well. A fun game that I actually see enjoying more myself with only 2 or 3. Good game and that is How Lou Sees It.

Luchador!

Featured Kickstarter Interview

Luchador!Mexican Wrestling Dice
Interview with Game Designer Mark Rivera
Game Published by BackSpindle Games

Hi Mark! Thanks for taking the time to answer just a few questions. Hopefully they will help everyone get to know you and the game you designed better.

Q - First, can you tell us just a little about yourself, your background, and when you started designing Luchador? (Is that cheating? Is that technically 3 questions?) :)

A - I'm an expat American living in the UK for quite a long time. I'm a Learning and Development professional during the day. I'm a Mormon 24/7.

I've been gaming since I was very young with my family (the usual... Monopoly, Game of Life, etc.) and was probably around 12 when I discovered war games (1862 by Parker Brothers and Battle Cry) and D & D. Late teens and I got into war gaming seriously playing Avalon Hill Games and subscribing to Strategy and Tactics Magazine so I was a gamer during the first golden age of war gaming (yes, I'm that old). I even went to the 2nd (I think) Origins Convention sponsored by Richard Dunnigan's SPI war games company. My interests expanded into Warhammer 40K and American style games.

About 4 years ago I started the Boardgames in Blighty blog writing reviews and news pieces.

Interestingly, I started designing war games in the late 80's but with moving to the UK, it all took a back seat. A few years ago, I collaborated with Michael Fox of the Little Metal Dog Show and designed Ace of Spies which was published by Albino Dragon and about 18 months ago, I submitted my design for Luchador to Backspindle Games.

Q - Now that we know when, how did you come up with the idea and what was your inspiration?

A - I blame the awesomely "Bance" guys from the Flip the Table Podcast. They simply tweeted one day that it would be great if someone would design a good wrestling game and we tweeted back and forth a bit and thought, "well why not have a go?"

Q - I really don't know much about the game and I bet some of my readers are in the same boat. I just keep seeing pictures of what seems like a really fun dice game. Can you give us all a low down of your smack down successful game?

A - Well, at its core, its a dice game set in the world of LUCHA LIBRE where 2 players face off, roll wrestling dice against each other at the same time (yes, you can knock each other's dice out of the ring) scoring Hits, Blocks, Counter-blocks, Pins, and Misses. Unblocked or Uncountered Hits allow players to roll their Hit Die scoring damage against their opponent. Hits range from chops and elbows to Chair and Table smashes. 2 Hit results on their wrestling dice can be traded in to roll the special move the big chunky Luchador! die which can cause more damage but risks causing injuries. BUT, its glorious!

Players that are weakened enough can be pinned by rolling the Pin die. If a Pin result is rolled, the opponent has to survive the referee's 3-count or lose the match.

The game can be learned in 5 minutes and games last 10 - 15 minutes. There are rules for 4-player Tag Teams which makes it all even crazier.

Luchador 1st ed is designed for the widest possible accessibility so its an easy game to learn and play.

Luchador 2nd edition, now on Kickstarter, adds more complexity with individual strengths and weaknesses for the Luchadores, 2 new Luchadores, a 3-D ring, individualised Killer combos that call for more decisions, and new match types.

Q - What does a typical turn or round look like?

A - Typically, each player rolls their wrestling dice, only dice that stay on the board count, results are compared, results applied, hit damage is scored and Pins rolled for and applied if the targey opponent is "pinnable".

Q - What is your favorite thing about the game?

A - The smack talk which is hilarious and referee 3-count which is very tense and loud and has the potential for reverse Pins.

Q - This was a successful Kickstarter already, why Kickstarter again for version 2.0? 

A - Actually, 1st edition went straight to print so Backspindle Games could deliver for Essen 2013. 2nd Ed needs Kickstarter to raise the funds to publish. Backspindle is a very small company and see Kickstarter as a great way to raise capital.

Q - Who is your favorite wrestler?

A - Have to say The Rock and Rey Mysterio

Q - What is your favorite board game?

A - Tough call. Currently its Memoir 44.

Q - If you had to recreate the game with same mechanics but using a different theme other than wrestling,  what would it be? (Space, Midevil, Western, just for example)

A - Probably Horror/Scifi Wrestling

Q - Is there something more you wanted to incorporate into the game, but had to leave it out or one reason or another (maybe too pricey, or it didn't translate well into the board game medium)?

A - Well there are limitations in terms of what translates to the dice game. Some matches are too difficult for instance. It would be cool to have an actual Cage for Cage matches but too costly... A ring made of wood or heavy plastic but costly... Minis are very much a nice to have and not really necessary...

Q -  If you could play your game with one famous person today, who would it be and why?

A - Rey Mysterio. I think he would like it.

Q - One word to describe you?

A - Charming

Q - One word to describe Luchador?

A - Crazy

Q - Anything else you would like to add?

A -  Luchador started out as a game for wrestling fans but it turns out all types of gamers and non-gamers love it. Lots of families have really enjoyed it, so winning the Best Family Game Award at UK Games Expo last weekend was especially gratifying.

Please check out the Luchador! 2nd Edition Kickstarer project!

Well Mark, thanks again for your time and for answering my questions! I hope that I can get my hands on a copy one day soon! Best of luck on the Kickstarter!

If you are interested in learning more about Luchador! or how you can support the project, head on over to their Kickstarter page and until next time, that is How Lou Sees It!

You Say Pigeon, I Say Pijin

Featured Kickstarter Interview

Pijin

Interview with Game Designer Travis Feldman

Travis, thanks for doing this interview. And thanks for creating a word game where I don't need to know how something is properly spelled (never one of my strong points). Pijin is currently 100% funded on Kickstarter!

Q- Tell us a little about your background Travis and what lead you to create Pijin?

Awesome, thanks for talking with me, Landon!  I have a PhD in Comparative Literature and have been teaching English since 1999.  I've been making games and electronics projects on my own since I was a kid, and in 2012, during a slump in the academic job market, I decided to try a Kickstarter campaign for a musical instrument that I invented, and I launched Molecule Synth in September 2012.  

Since then I've been teaching workshops on interactive electronics and DIY electronic musical instruments all over the place.  This past summer I put together a DIY electronic music festival in Portland, OR, where I live — I called it the Battery Powered Orchestra Workshop, BPOW!! It brought all kinds of creative people together for a full weekend of building, hacking, coding, circuit-bending, and performing.  That weekend got me thinking about what I was doing with workshops, and the connection between experiencing a (musical) performance and learning in a classroom. Most importantly I had a direct experience with the way that these things relate to playing games, especially tabletop games.  With board or tabletop games there’s an inimitably social environment that gets created when the game is really buzzing along — everyone's talking and sharing ideas in the moment, keeping track of the game’s progress, and yet, everyone’s also doing their own thing.  We had more game nights in the weeks that followed, and although I have other projects going at the moment, I felt like it was time to work a bit more on my own games.  I had been working on Pijin in various forms for about a year already at that point, and so I got more serious about it’s design, and got it into shape within a couple months, and….started forcing all my friends to play it, of course!  

Q- Do you really like Pigeons? Why the title?

The title is from the word “pidgin” - a pidgin is a spoken language that often takes shape in places like port cities where people meet and do business and have to get things done, but don’t speak each other’s languages.  I like the association with birds, too - the bird sort of brings to mind the ancient phrases like “winged words” and the images of messengers or message-bearers in myths and stories.  It’s sort of evocative of a bunch of things at once, so I just went with it!

Q- What is your dream job?

My dream job is being an inventor.  I want to create cool, inspiring stuff that improves some portion of everyone’s experience, and I see that as an artistic as well as a scientific exercise.  I am kind of doing that these days, but not really making enough money to call it a “job”… it’s more “dream” and less “job” at this point -haha.

Q- What is your favorite word game besides Pijin?

Anomia is brilliant for its mix of pattern recognition and word association, but I love the speed and open-endedness of Apples-to-Apples/CardsAgainstHumanity (I see those as twins joined at the head).  

Q- If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Indonesia would be pretty amazing.  There’s incredible language diversity there, fading fast as modern technology spreads across traditional cultures, and its got incredible bugs, crazy landscapes, great food, and all kinds of wild stuff happening in the music and performance cultures.  

Q- Hungarian is a pretty cool language as it is almost a perfectly phonetic language. Do you speak any other languages? What language would you like to learn?

That’s really funny about Hungarian, i hadn’t thought of it that way.  I speak a little German and read Spanish and French. I studied Ancient Greek and Latin in grad school.  I’d like to learn Japanese… I’m eager to check out the recently Kickstarted card game for that!

Q- What would be your favorite word? Favorite letter?

Favorite word: Nostalgia.  “the pain [algos] you feel for home [nostos].”
Letter: I like Z, zed.  

Q- Can you name the famous Sesame Street character who has a pet pigeon? (Bonus points for the name of the pigeon.)

Haha - oh man, I love Sesame Street, and we had great fun putting an Electric Co piece in the Kickstarter video, but….nope, don’t know which character that is.  

For anyone curious - and the pigeon's name is Bernice

Q- I think this looks like a really fun game and one where my bad spelling wouldn't hinder me one bit! Tell the world why you think they should back Pijin and let us know anything else we should know.

Well, first of all, it is a super fun game - you’re gonna love it!  The world should back the project because what we plan to bring into existence is a new experience of language and an empowering way of viewing speech.  It’s game that could find itself being the center of a loud party (we’ve had several of those!), or it might be the center of lessons in an ESL classroom that has students moving between several languages, or a fourth grade class that’s working on reading…  The future of the project will include customizable boards, expansion card sets, and an ever-growing number of possibilities for gameplay — backing the Kickstarter is simply the best way to be a part of that, to participate in deciding how the game will look and feel, and for staying up to date as we grow the project.  

Thank you for the questions and for taking the time to meet with me — if anyone has any questions at all, please send me a message through our Kickstarter, since that’s where my attention is focused for the next few days :)   THANKS!!

Thanks Travis for sharing with us how you see things! If you are interested in backing Pijin, head on over to its Kickstarter page to find out more.

Creating Your Own Epic Odyssey

Featured Kickstarter Interview

Terrene Odyssey

Designed by Chris Solis

Published by Game Salute

Interview with Game Designer Chris Solis

I have recently reviewed two different strategic card games (Lords of War and Pixel Tactics) and so when I noticed Terrene Odyssey on Kickstarter it just seemed natural to feature it on my blog and see if I could interview the designer. Terrene Odyssey has some really unique and cool gaming elements. One thing that I particularly like is the fact that from your 30 card deck, you get to start by choosing 4 characters, 4 items/commands, and 1 terrain card. This way each player has 9 cards already in play and the players can quickly get to the action. The terrain cards, tokens, and the ability to level-up characters are just a few other cool things of note. Enjoy the interview I had with Chris to learn a little more about the game and its designer and then head on over to the Kickstarter page to find out more!

Lou:

Tell us about yourself using 10 or less single descriptive words.

Chris:

Game Designer. Tournament Organizer. Competitive Gamer. Life long gamer.

Lou:

How did Terrene Odyssey come about? Or in other words tell us the origin story of Terrene Odyssey.

Chris:
It started with a conversation I had with my friend. We missed the old TCG days when we used to play Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic: The Gathering. Unfortunately, maintaining a presence in those communities became too expensive of a hobby and we dropped out. We asked ourselves, what is it that we really liked about those games? It boiled down to big combats and deductibility of the player’s options. From these ideas I began to develop Terrene Odyssey which makes a strong point to immediately highlight both of those mechanics.

Lou:

For you, what is the most important game element in any game (artwork, theme, player interaction, balance, luck, strategic game play, etc.)?

Chris:
Player Interaction: Player vs. Player psychology. In order for the player’s to feel like they are fighting each other as opposed to simply playing the game well, a player’s need to make decisions based on deducing the other player’s needs and wants. Terrene Odyssey has finite hidden information for this reason. This is how I made Terrene Odyssey feel like true a battle.

On top of this we chose the art direction, and theme of the game and we also worked the amount of luck we want in the game on top of the that.

Lou:

What are the big highlights of Terrene Odyssey?

Chris:

The core mechanic of Terrene Odyssey is the Starting Party Composition. Players can choose 4 characters, assign them Items / Commands, and pick a Terrain all on turn 0 of the game. The game begins with these cards hidden and are revealed over the course of the game. This lets  the game jump straight into an intense battle but also keeps your opponent guessing on what your overall strategy will be. This original mechanic will keep even the 20th game of Terrene Odyssey from the same 30 card deck fresh and interesting.

Lou:

I'm a big fan of 2 player games. Besides Terrene Odyssey of course, what is your favorite game when playing with just 2 players?

Chris:

Super Smash Bros. Is this cheating since it’s a video game?

I love Smash Bros, because it is the embodiment of excellent design and no one knows it to the point that the internet argues “Is this a fighting game or not?” The designer was very clever at making easy controls, and adding party elements but yet, designing a deep combat system deep inside. They simply never tell you about it. They let you discover it after the casual features bring you in. Discovering those features feels great and you feel like you are ‘above the game’ or that you’re ‘breaking the game’ when really it’s part of its design.

I’ve been very adamant about making Terrene Odyssey feel this way. You’ll discover the rules are very simple but there are many clues that will lead you into improving your game naturally over time. To be clear though, Terrene Odyssey can be played with up to 4 players. =)

Lou:

I am very impressed with the artwork and layout of the cards. The artwork or overall visual appeal can really make or break games. Tell us a little about the artist and idea behind the art.

Chris:
When Terrene Odyssey was ready to be themed, we first chose the ‘random encounter of an RPG’. We didn’t want to to go with the gritty look and we didn’t want to use a traditional fantasy theme. Those areas felt over saturated to me and I wanted Terrene Odyssey to stand out. We decided to re-imagine races in our world. We wanted it to feel like a JRPG without going too much into the anime side. We ended up with Terrene Odyssey.

Megan Cheever was chosen as the game’s lead artist. She did early pieces and worked with the other artists to unify the art as much as possible. When an art style was too different but still ‘close’, we used different styles for cards that would suit that artists’ flair the best. For example, Rob Joseph’s character designs are very aggressive so we made it a point to have him draw the strongest characters in the game. There are other small details in the art direction some players may notice such as hidden assassin characters in the backgrounds of other cards. Players might even find a small narrative in the art direction.

The card layout has evolved massively. We knew from day 1 that we wanted to show as much art as possible. We experimented a few times before we found what worked for us.

The border of a card used to tell you what kind of card it was. We cut the border and communicated the game information with the character’s name banner. We also used color to communicate Trigger ability speeds and reduce text. In a way we used colors the same way most other games would use symbols. I guess you can say we are big on visual communication.

Lou:

OK, so this isn't the first time you presented the game for funding. Why are you going to be successful this go around?

Chris:

Last time we had a huge problem with our name Terreria Tactics. Unfortunately, there is a popular Steam game called Terraria and if you googled Terreria Tactics it would say, “Did you mean Terraria?”. We we’re not searchable and that really hurt our campaign. Now we are Terrene Odyssey, our game is asset ready and extremely well received. We expect a burst in pledges once our review copies get out there as well. The final challenge we face is that this is our first game. First-time published designers always have this hurdle to overcome.

Lou:

If you could be  any character in Terrene Odyssey who would it be and why? (Do my eyes deceive me? Is there an actual character drawn to your likeness? )

Chris:

Haha yes, Skylar the Determined does resemble me. When I was describing what Skylar should be like, Megan thought I was being vain when really it is the kind of person I have always aimed to be, even as a child. I guess I’m flattered Megan saw it that way and took it to the next level so the character actually resembled me. So I guess I would be Skylar the Determined - He’s full of unpredictability and is all about tricking your opponent into certain behaviors.

Lou:

What sort of replayability does Terrene Odyssey have when just considering a single VS deck?

Chris:

The beauty of Terrene Odyssey is that from the same 30 card deck, you have a ton of flexibility in how your game’s will play out because you can choose your starting party of characters. You can choose nearly any set of cards from your deck to start the game with and just changing one from  your Starting Party Composition can change the entire dynamics of the game. You’ll find yourself changing your party based on your opponent quite often. You’ll also find yourself revealing different parts of your party at different times based on your opponent’s behavior (all games begin with the starting cards hidden and the player can choose when to recruit their characters). In play testing, I have been issuing the same deck to 1st time players and I have never seen it played the same way.

Lou:

If you could have a famous person (living or dead) play your game, who would you choose?

Chris:

Living! I’d be honored to have David Sirlin play my game. He’s the designer of Yomi and I agree strongly with his design philosophies.

Lou:

Superman or Batman?

Chris:

Batman! Though can I say Ironman?

Lou:

How many games do you have in your collection?

Chris:

I have about 100+ tabletop games and 300+ video games. I even play games I may not like just to explore unique design spaces. I live for gaming!

Lou:

Favorite book, movie, and ice cream?

Chris:

My favorite movies are Pacific Rim and Inception.  
Ice cream? World Class Chocolate.
Favorite book? Hmm, does reddit count?

Lou:

Favorite deck from Terrene Odyssey?

Chris:

My favorite VS Deck from Terrene Odyssey is Jin’s. Terrene Odyssey is a skirmish game and the resource curve for the most part is static. Jin the Ambitious works well with Machine class characters that are able to create a secondary resource in the game called Energy. You can use energy on your machines to break the game’s resource curve, use powerful machine abilities, or you can simply attack with your energy to create free DEF decay. It’s very much a slow to start utility kinda build.

Lou:

Two ending scenarios. Funded or not funded. Tell us what's next for Terrene Odyssey given each scenario and what's next for Chris Solis?

Chris:

If Terrene Odyssey is funded, my dream will be realized. Since we’re asset ready, this will basically go to the printers within the month. I hope to have the game out there by the summer time.  In the event we are not funded, I will try again a few months down the line and try to figure out what is holding Terrene Odyssey back.  I know this is a game people enjoy and my greatest challenge is getting people to take a look at a first time designer.

Lou:

Closing remarks time! Anything else that you would like us to  know?

Chris:

Thank you for the interview! If you want to support Terrene Odyssey, check us out on Kickstarter. Also, follow me on Facebook and Twitter. I reply to all messages. Let’s get a conversation going!

Lou:
Thank you Chris. I really hope that you can get the funding necessary to produce this game and make your dream a reality.

If Terrene Odyssey looks like a game you would be interested in, head over to Kickstarter now. There are many different pledge options to choose from and lots more information to be had. This looks like a fun one to me and that is How Lou Sees It.

OTHER LINKS

http://www.tinyurl.com/terreneodyssey
http://www.facebook.com/terreneodyssey

http://www.twitter.com/terreneodyssey

http://www.facebook.com/cgcgrayfox

http://www.twitter.com/cgcgrayfox

Höyük Coming to Kickstarter

Upcoming Featured Kickstarter Interview

Höyük

Designed by Pierre Canuel

Publisheifd by MAGE Company

Interview with Alexander Argyropoulos, Michael Andresakis, and Pierre Canuel

OK, before we get started, let me go ahead and tell you what Höyük means (because, if you are like me, if I don't tell you now you will be spending the entire article thinking what does it mean).  Höyük is actually Turkish for hill or mound and is also used in naming many settlements in the area.  The houses of these settlements were built on top of hills and on top of other houses.  There were no streets between the houses and access to them was usually through the roof.  There is a lot of history behind these settlements, but let us focus on the fact that this once 'print and play' game is going to be on Kickstarter later this month (February 25th - mark your calendars) as the MAGE Company has decided to publish Höyük.

Höyük was first made available as a 'print and play' (PnP) game back in 2006 where all the files (rulebook, printable game pieces) could be downloaded, printed out (or otherwise made), and then played.  Höyük received the 2007 Parthenay Game Designer's Trophee; where prototype games are judged by a jury and public with the winner being the highest combined rating.

I noticed the announcements from MAGE Company that they planned on publishing Höyük and the artwork really caught my eye.  One of my favorite games just so happens to be Carcassonne, another tile laying game based around building a past civilization.  So, from France to Turkey, Höyük looks like it will be another enjoyable tile laying game.  I had the great opportunity to ask Höyük's designer Pierre and MAGE Company's Alex and Michael a few questions regarding the upcoming Kickstarter project.

My first few questions are for Alex and Michael, the owners of MAGE Company:

Lou: 

Can you give us a short history of your company and how/why you got involved?

Alex and Michael:

Wow..way back. We started designing games back at 2001 in a box room with a messed up computer and year by year we were learning things about the industry and the million things we must know in order to deliver a finished product. In 2011 we finally created MAGE Company publishing our first two games and since then we have continued to publish and grow (and of course we continue to learn and become better). This is what we do and this is our life and we would start again from the beginning if we had to.

Lou: 

It seems like it would be difficult to determine what games to publish and which ones not to. Please tell us, what made you want to publish Höyük ?  

Alex and Michael: 

Some games shine, you know...you may see a game on a table and it is like it is talking to you. I know it sounds silly, but it is true. Höyük was one of them. Simple, easy (with some changes), for a wide range of ages, strong theme, and we were looking for a game with a theme like this - Neolithic Area, nice ideas for components, no texts in the cards, many people had already tested it as it was a PnP. So, what else could we ask for?

Lou:

As you mentioned, this was originally made available as a print and play back in 2006. Why use Kickstarter and why now (around 8 years later)?

Alex and Michael:

We did not know that the game existed since then. I know that some companies had seen it, but did not work on it. So, a couple of years ago we saw it and here we are. It is also a matter of the designer and how he handled this. Kickstarter is a great tool and makes you so visible to lots of people. We have worked hard, and we have already made games there and many people know that they can trust us.

Lou:

The released artwork is looking incredible. How did you choose the artist and how important is the artwork aspect to you personally or as a company?

Alex and Michael:

Automatic inspiration in combination with experience is how we chose an artist. We also have a variety of over 120 artists available, so it is easy to choose since we have worked with them in the past. Artwork reflects on how serious we see a game and we want people to understand that we do not follow the copy-paste tactic. We search for each game to reflect what it represents through its artwork.

Lou:

The Kickstarter is going to be starting February 25th. When can backers of the game expect the final published version?

Alex and Michael:

The campaign will end on March 31, so based on initial calculations... sometime in August.

Lou:

Will there be any stretch goals or Kickstarter exclusive content?

Alex and Michael:

A lot!! There will be lots of stretch goals to be honest. Not exclusive, but all will be upgrades to the basic game so that everyone can have the equal chance to enjoy this game.

Lou:

I don't want to get a head of myself but do you have something planned after Höyük?

Alex and Michael:

Our program has been arranged at least for the next few years, but each year we study the market for the next one and make some changes. But to answer your question, yes, we have other games on the pipeline...thankfully.

Thank you Alex and Michael for taking the time to answer a few questions. Keep the great games coming!

Now I get to pick the brain of Höyük’s designer Pierre Canuel. Pierre, I love board games and I am currently designing my very own game. So, it is always exciting for me to interview someone who has created a successful game.

Lou:

If you were traveling to the International Space Station where you would stay for months on end, what 3 board games would you bring with you?

Pierre:

Rather than bringing games, I would probably gather a few objects that would allow me to design the very first Zero-G friendly game ever. Could you imagine playing Carcassonne or Ticket to Ride with game pieces floating all over?

Lou:

Favorite hobby other than board games?

Pierre:

I like to walk in nature or ride my bicycle in town.

Lou:

Can you give us a little background about yourself and how you decided you wanted to create a game?

Pierre:

I was born in Le Mans, France (the 24hrs car race!), studied in Paris and lived 10 years abroad (Los Angeles and Northern Norway) with my wife and kids. Along these years I had many different jobs, and even self published a game about Polar Environmement while in Norway. We moved back to Paris a few years ago. I am currently working for "Les Jules", providing DIY services for businesses and consumers. What we do is help people with the small repairs they don't have time to take care of, like fixing shelves or curtain rods, repairing tap, etc. Our business is expanding fast throughout France, so I don't really have time for game design anymore...

Lou:

Tell us how Höyük came about. Was there any specific inspiration from other games, books, or personal experience?

Pierre:

The starting point of Höyük was really a small scale reproduction of ancient settlements that I would see in museums. I wanted to design a game where players would actually build a replica of ancient cities, in 3D with small pieces representing houses, buildings, workshops, etc. So, more than a game, it's a gaming object that I had in mind, that one could display in the living room, such as a nice chess set.

Lou:

Describe Höyük in one word. Two words. And three words.

Pierre:

Fun! Interesting Object! Build Prehistorical settlement.

Lou:

Who will enjoy playing this game?

Pierre:

I believe Höyük can appeal to a large public. It's true its many components may imply it's a complicated game for advanced gamers, which may repel occasional gamers.

But it's quite the opposite. Very often people are surprised by its simplicity after their first game.

Lou:

I like to ask this question a lot. I love games where I can play with just my wife after the kids have finally gone to bed. How well does Höyük play with just 2 players?

Pierre:

Be careful it can be risky to play games with your wife ;).

With two players, I have the feeling that Höyük performs almost like an abstract game. Instead of placing black and white pawns on a grid, you lay colorful pieces directly on the table, with the same  simple choices and rich strategic options. But this reply is based on the PnP version of the game. As I know, MAGE Company is working on several changes right now.

Lou:

What is your favorite thing about Höyük?

Pierre:

Again, it’s the game object I really like about Höyük. The aesthetics.

Lou:

Anything else we should know?

Pierre:

If anyone could bring a copy of the game to Catal Höyük in Turkey, play a game, and send me a picture, that would be awesome!

Catal Höyük is the actual archaeological site that I got inspired from.  I even sent a copy of an earlier version of the game to the archaeologists to have them test it and send me their input. I don't think they were really pleased with it, but they took the time to answer me. I think the game was at that time a tiny bit too complicated, and they were probably expecting something closer to their preoccupation, that is more like a simulation of a settlement, with food gathering, farming and artifacts production. Höyük is really oriented toward the urban construction aspect (PnP version).

Lou:

What's next for Pierre Canuel?

Pierre:

Game-wise, I don't really know. I'm too involved in my job to save energy for any game design. Publishing Höyük after many years in stand-by could be a good incentive to start again. Many thanks to MAGE Company!

And there you have it.  Thank you again to Alex, Michael, and Pierre for taking the time to answer my questions.  You can check out some more information regarding Höyük here at its Board Game Geek Page and stay tuned for an updated link here in this blog post and to the right side of my blog to the actual Kickstarter project when it actually becomes active February 25th.

If this sounds like a game you might enjoy, feel free to visit the Board Game Geek page and download the available PnP files to try it yourself!  I'm excited to see more of Höyük soon and that is How Lou Sees It!