Endogenesis: The Art in Kickstarter #4
Star charts have an amazing aesthetic that feels foreign and esoteric, but mesmerizingly detailed. Combined with the use of astronomical symbols, I sought to create an art direction that gave the sense that you're peeking into this whole other alien universe through the perspective of its inhabitants.
Editors note: Welcome to another in my series of interviews looking into Kickstarter projects. Endogenesis (from David Goh) is well into its campaign and currently at over 1200% of its very modest funding goal. Upon seeing the Kickstarter page I couldn't help but be impressed by the production quality of this a first-time project so I'm really happy to find out more. The Kickstarter is live until 7th September so if you are curious I recommend you go take a look.
Hello David, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Sure! I'm a freelance art director hailing from Singapore, and I'm 30 this year. I grew up being surrounded by gaming — as a teenager, the medium of choice was video games, from old-school RPGs like Chrono Trigger to thriving new releases then like DotA. But in the last decade or so, I've been slowly steered towards tabletop gaming, primarily due to its social nature. There's just something about sitting down with a group of friends at board game night that video gaming just isn't able to replicate.
As for designing games, I've always wanted to make them since I was 15. Regardless of medium, I believe that games are the next greatest art form, and that's why I'm obsessed with them! I just enjoy taking them apart and studying them, and try to understand how some games can be so engrossing, and others evocative. The idea that games are really just a collection of rules, visual aids and predictable logical outcomes that combine to captivate the human mind with a compelling experience is just mind-blowing, and still is to me.
My first foray into tabletop game design was with a fan-made card game called 'Final Fantasy Boss Battle.' It was created as a birthday present for my wife, made quickly in 2 months as it was intended to be less of a working game and more of a really cool looking gift. We played a couple of games with our friends at board game night, and while the game was clearly unpolished and a little frustrating at times, it was actually fun for a few sessions.
Seeing how I had created something that brought enjoyment to the game night table, I felt inspired to keep creating, if only to make games that my friends would enjoy. And so I did! Over the next 9 years, I'd designed prototypes to bring to the table. Many were pretty much trash, while some had potential. One other project that went beyond the table was 'The Award Winning Game', which I worked on as part of a team of two. While we did bring it to Kickstarter a few years back, a combination of inexperience and logistical difficulties led to the project not succeeding, so we published it via The Game Crafter instead. Having a group of friends to test out game concepts has been such an amazing learning experience, and I'm glad to have such patient friends!
Looking at the present, can you describe your current Kickstarter game to us and what makes it interesting?
Endogenesis is a competitive card game that features free-for-all combat, which means it focuses heavily on direct conflict! What I think makes it interesting is that the gameplay is designed to be highly customizable and interactive. Everyone starts off with the same blank slate, but as the game goes on, you build a customized power set with the Skill cards that you're dealt with. If you like the experience of building a character that starts out weak but incrementally grows until you're a behemoth of cosmic power later in the game, then you'll enjoy Endogenesis!
While the round and turn order are quite structured, what you do during your turn isn't. You're given freedom on how you perform actions, both in their order and frequency. This includes using Skills to attack others, equipping new Skills or leveling up your character with Shards (which are a bit like stat points). With a bit of creativity, you can pull off really powerful combinations of actions, but at the same time, just a bit of miscalculation can cause your plans to fizzle. There's also an element of intrigue, where you can interact with the active player's turn with Reaction Skills, which are hidden, allowing you to set up traps when you know what a rival player is planning.
Because of my background in video games, a lot of inspiration came from that medium. A key point of influence for Endogenesis was from a custom game mode from DotA called DotA LOD, which is the precursor to the Ability Draft mode in DotA 2 now. Each session of the game sees you crafting a character from a random pool of abilities, effectively building your own synergies and combos. My goal was to recreate that experience in the tabletop medium, and Endogenesis was the result of that attempt.
How long have you been working on this game? What made you launch the campaign now?
I've been working on Endogenesis for a little over two years. Like all my previous designs, Endogenesis started out as a prototype I brought to game night, with the intention of creating something my friends would enjoy. However, the response to Endogenesis was much better than usual, so I decided to focus more effort into refining it, eventually bringing it beyond my circle of friends to other board gamers, and later on to blind testers.
I would say that Endogenesis is the culmination of a few concepts I've been wanting to try out with the tabletop medium for a long time. Quite a few prototypes died along the way before I arrived at Endogenesis, and I feel that after a few hundred playtests and 6 major revisions, it's finally ready to be released. I've witnessed a lot over the course of testing the game; the intensity over a very close battle, the excited spark in a player's eye as they execute an elaborate game-winning combo, and their rage at having said combo be completely countered by a well-placed Reaction Skill or Wonder... I'm excited to let gamers around the world try out the game, and see what experiences they encounter as well!
Where did the world and lore of Endogenesis come from and how does that feed into the player experience?
Prior to working on the world and lore of Endogenesis, the gameplay came first. And a key part of the gameplay was the existence of Skills that would come from different categories: Cosmic, Mythic, Entropic, Organic and Mechanic — all of which meant to be very different from each other. This was the first spark that led to the direction we took while building the lore; given how different these categories were, we needed a setting that would serve as a plausible container for all of them. Thus the idea of a universe in which beings explored other planes of reality was born.
As for why the setting takes place in a tabula rasa universe with alien beings, I think that came from my love for creation myths in general. Combined with the challenge of building a setting that would see the clash of different planes of existence, I saw the opportunity to redefine the entire tone of the story by building it ground up with a whole new creation myth.
A big part of what Endogenesis offers is a "power fantasy." The journey you take starts you out as being weak, but you incrementally grow stronger and stronger until you're inches away from literal godhood. This lore feeds into the player experience by creating an epic setting that players operate in, so as to make that power fantasy feel magnified to cosmic proportions!
This lore also seems to have fed into the artwork and style, showing a mixture of astronomical symbology crossed with arcane monsters. What were some of the most important factors in making you take these visual choices?
As a huge fan of RPGs, I find world building to be incredibly fun! I also had two writer friends (Ryan Mennen and Sathya Seth) who were excited to lend their expertise, and as such we pushed ourselves to go as deep as we could with the lore behind Endogenesis.
Having a detailed setting to work off helped tremendously as I was creating the art direction of Endogenesis. One of the most important considerations was trying to decide how the universe would look. How does one portray an entire universe feels completely alien from ours? This wasn't just in a different galaxy — it was an entirely different reality, with its own physical rules and destiny.
To that end, I decided that the simplest way to do this was to avoid trying for a realistic portrayal of that universe. Instead, I imagined how the inhabitants of the universe would have illustrated their visions of how they perceived their surroundings instead — not unlike how early humans would make rudimentary cave paintings of their environments to store information. In doing so, the Endogenesis universe could actually be made to feel even more alien, since an exact representation of that reality is never seen.
With that direction in mind, I researched the ways humans have of recording observations and information across the ages. I eventually settled on star charts and runic symbols as a key visual reference. Star charts have an amazing aesthetic that feels foreign and esoteric, but mesmerizingly detailed. Combined with the use of astronomical symbols, I sought to create an art direction that gave the sense that you're peeking into this whole other alien universe through the perspective of its inhabitants.
How did playtesting and community feedback guide you in this project? What lessons did you learn and was there anything that surprised you along the way?
Besides the obvious improvements that heavy playtesting brings to a board game, the feedback I've gained also revealed a lot about me as a game designer, as well as the blind spots I didn't know I had. As someone who's still very new to the scene, this was especially important for my growth.
I would say that one of the biggest changes in my mentality as a designer was towards the inclusion of catch-up mechanics. In the early half of the game's development, I was rather against including catch-up mechanics. For some reason, I felt that doing so might make the game feel better for casual players, but worse off for experienced ones, and that that trade-off simply wasn't worth it. But on the advice from a few blind testers and early reviewers, I decided it was worth a shot.
And I was so glad I did. The game became a lot more interesting as a result, because now gaining power comes at an increased potential cost. The more you have, the more you stand to lose, so you have to consider carefully how you go about gaining power. Being able to snowball without much thought might give you a fleeting sense of power and invincibility, but it's nowhere compared to the intensity of having to watch your back. On the flip side — for weaker players — the less you have, the less you stand to lose, so you can be more proactive and fearless in pursuing opportunities, therefore giving you more agency to better your situation. I was so surprised at how much of a positive change a few catch-up mechanics brought.
You collaborated with a number of people to help create the look and feel of this game. Who was involved and what did they bring to Endogenesis?
For the creation of the Endogenesis myth, I worked with Ryan Mennen and Sathya Seth. Both of them are writers, and have unparalleled knowledge when it comes to pop culture and mythology. They're both also my closest friends and amongst the first few to try out Endogenesis, so it just made sense to work with them.
For the creation of the monsters from the Realm of Chaos, I worked with an illustrator named Yang Shao Xuan. These Monsters were inspired by Lovecraftian horror — they're creatures that emerged from the source of pure entropy, and are powerful enough to serve as threats to cosmic beings. Shao Xuan was a great fit for this, given his keen eye for detail and skill for portraying anthropomorphic characters. His monster illustrations were very flavourful and distinct, which was no easy task given that they're just silhouettes!
Lastly, being a project made in Singapore, I sought to work with as many Singaporean talents as possible for the needs of the project. Not that there's anything wrong with looking abroad for help — I just wanted an opportunity to showcase the works of local talent!
I think it's really important to support your local communities when you can. So what should people be doing to make them a part of their projects?
The best way to start is to definitely go out there and make connections. It's never too late to start, and it's incredibly easy to do so. Go to flea markets, artist alleys, youth events and meet people. Join groups on Facebook where artists gather and interact with them. Find out they care about, and see how you can help. Another thing you can do is to look up old friends, school mates and see what they're doing right now, and see how you can trade expertise with them.
Do you have any advice for people looking to launch a Kickstarter game?
I'm still in the midst of my first Kickstarter, so I kinda feel ill-equipped to give advice. I can, however, speak from personal experience and talk about the things I felt I could've done better.
While I did a great deal of preparation work for the campaign, the campaign went off in a direction I never dreamt of, which led to me feeling like I was in catch-up mode for the first week. Initially it made me wonder if I didn't do enough prep work, but looking back now, I think that it's just down to the simple fact that unexpected things happen. Especially if it's your first time — no amount of discussion with other creators or reading of articles can fully prepare you for how people will respond to your work. So I'd say do as much prep work as possible, but expect that the unexpected will happen.
Another thing would be to not underestimate how difficult it will be to say no. It's one thing to say no to a stranger, it's another to do so to someone who's investing in you and your vision. The latter takes a lot more out of you. Saying no is something I feel like I've been doing fine at so far, but I just never expected that it would be so difficult. In hindsight, I suppose I should've been more prepared (though, how does one really prepare for that?!)
That's all I have at the moment, I'm sure I'll have more thoughts and ideas once I'm further along the campaign.
Are there any artists and designers in the community whose work you’re inspired by?
This is probably something you hear a lot of, but I'm a big fan of Jamey Stegmaier. His approach to crowdfunding, customer engagement and competence as a game designer just wows me. I think it's safe to say that many board game designers (including myself) would not have found success on KS if it weren't for his articles.
I'm also just blown away by Daniel Aronson and the work he did for The Isle of El Dorado. I came across his campaign very late, but I was just wowed by the game's level of polish and how the campaign was designed. I've never seen anyone use pre-1900 art in such a way that looks so attractive and modern. And as someone who had to build most of the art in Endogenesis single-handedly, I'm amazed at the amount of resourcefulness Daniel had in conceptualizing his game's art direction.
Lastly, there's a game designer who frequents the game design forums on BGG by the name of Jeremy Lennert (Antistone). Every time I come across a post by him, I stop and take the time to read it carefully. He's so incredibly knowledgeable, insightful and eloquent, whenever I read his stuff for just 5 minutes, I feel as though I've squeezed in an hour of game design classes. Absolutely riveting.
What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?
I'm watching Psycho-Pass now, a cyberpunk anime that's mind-blowingly good! If you haven't guessed, I'm a big fan of sci-fi :D I'm also doing a playthrough of the entire Dark Souls series with my wife. Dark Souls is a huge source of cognitive dissonance for me — there are so many design choices I disagree with in the game, and at times I'm very frustrated by it... and yet, it's brought about some of the most memorable and enjoyable moments I've encountered in my life as a gamer. I recently played a game of Rise of Moloch too, and while I didn't enjoy the heavy usage of dice combat, I find the asymmetric gameplay to be very attractive. I'm hoping to get back to it soon (as soon as things with the campaign get less crazy!)
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
You can check out Endogenesis on Kickstarter.
My personal portfolio can be seen at http://www.awesome.sg and my illustrations at http://www.hyperlixir.com.
(All images supplied by David Goh)
Fantastic Factories: The Art in Kickstarter #3
With any game design, before making a big change, you have to understand what the problems are that you are solving. My process is to find what's fun about the game and design everything else around it in support of that fun.
Editors note: Fantastic Factories is on Kickstarter until June 29th, 2018. It's already nearly at 500% of its initial funding goal after only the first few days, so if you are curious then go check out the campaign. The interview below is with Joseph Z Chen the designer and artist on this project (co-designed with Justin Faulkner) who was kind enough to drop by to tell me more about it all.
Hello Joseph, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I live in Seattle and have lived in this area for my whole life. I've always been a gamer at heart, although not a big tabletop gamer until right after college. During that time I really got into some of the classic gateway games like Settlers of Catan, Dominion, and 7 Wonders. I had a couple of really competitive roommates and we would play the same games over and over again. Just to give you an idea of how dedicated we were, sometimes we would set up Catan and discuss what the optimal placement of all the starting settlements were for half an hour. Once we agreed, we would reset the board and do it all over again.
Eventually, a group of us decided that we wanted to make a board game, combining the mechanics of some of our favorite games. My particular design took off, and I kept working on it week after week with the help of others. At one point I decided I was tired of staring at blank cards so I started making placeholder art, which turned out pretty good. My only prior experience with art was dabbling in graphic design in high school, but with the help of my wife and other graphic design mentors, I was able to create the art for Fantastic Factories!
Like many game designers, I work as a software engineer for my day job.
So, can you describe your Kickstarter game to us and what makes it interesting?
In Fantastic Factories, players race to build the most efficient set of factories. You must carefully manage your blueprints, train your workers, and manufacture as many goods as possible in order to achieve industrial dominance! It's a dice-placement engine-building game. It's all about trying to find the best combinations of factories and figuring out the puzzle of where and how to place all your workers.
There are a few unique aspects to the game. Much of the game is played with players taking their turns simultaneously, which cuts down heavily on player down time. The game also has a lot of interesting options and different strategies. Often in games with dice, a larger roll is better. However in Fantastic Factories, every roll has its advantage in the right situation so the game is less about depending on hitting certain rolls and more about how you can leverage those rolls to your advantage. A huge feature of the game is the many ways you can manipulate the dice rolls in your favor, so each turn is a satisfying puzzle of how to alter and assign your workers.
I also think the art and overall aesthetic is really quite fantastic! So many games are fantasy or space themed and use serious and monotonous colors. I wanted to make a game with bright colorful art. I aimed for simplicity and elegance throughout the art, graphic design, and game design. Together, I think it makes the whole package stand out and feel approachable.
How long have you been working on this game? What made you launch the campaign now?
My team and I have been working on Fantastic Factories for about 2 and half years at this point. It's been a slow and steady process with a lot of playtesting. I would say that under normal circumstances, it wouldn't need as much time as it has had, but we underwent a couple major redesigns to really nail down and tighten up the gameplay. One of those redesigns came after we won a regional game design competition (NW LUCI Award) that was judged by industry experts. At the time we felt the design was complete and while we did win, they had plenty of constructive criticisms for us. This challenged us to do better and revisit parts of the design. After the redesign, it meant a whole new round of playtesting. It really is a labor of love.
Over those 2 and a half years it was a continuous iterative process of design, playtest, prepare for a convention, and then starting all over again with all the new feedback. All the while, working on the art and graphic design as well. Things take a little longer when you have to split your time between game design, art, and community building. Oh, and my wife and I had our first kid in the middle of it all that!
I'd like to say we had some grand plan with the timing of the campaign launch, but really we just gave the game as much time and love as we felt was necessary. Once we felt the game design was complete and the majority of the art was complete, we set a date a few months away in order to prepare review copies, figure out manufacturing/logistics, and plan our Kickstarter campaign.
Having taken the game through a few redesigns what are some of the biggest changes you've implemented? What do you think you've learned from this feedback loop creative process?
With any game design, before making a big change, you have to understand what the problems are that you are solving. My process is to find what's fun about the game and design everything else around it in support of that fun. With that in mind, it's unsurprising to see that the soul of the game has remained consistent and largely unchanged since the very beginning. For Fantastic Factories, that core fun comes from two angles -- discovering cool combinations of factories that work well together and solving the puzzle of where to place all your dice to maximize your output.
One problem I had was the way buildings were built. Building a blueprint used to require two matching dice. This was problematic for a number of reasons. While rolling a pair of matching dice with 4 dice is a likely 72% chance, there is still a decent chance you won't roll a pair for a couple turns, which really can set you behind. For a while, I used a single die double build cost solution, but it was clunky and complex to explain. Another issue I ran into was that using half your dice to build a factory is quite costly, and newer players often were building cards they didn't need just for the sake of building.
This is where things get a little interesting. In a neat and ideal world, you solve each problem with some design solution. Or even better, you solve all your problems with a single design solution. In this case, I ended up with a solution that greatly simplified a number of mechanics and solved a series of problems but had a dramatic cascading effect that touched almost every part of the game.
I ended up changing the way building cards worked. I introduced four new tool symbols. Each blueprint would have one of these tool symbols. Building no longer required any dice but instead required that you discard another card with the same matching symbol. This created a card-as-a-resource mechanic that really helps players sift through the deck finding the engine pieces they need and also providing an outlet for cards they don't want to build. This also created more tension in the marketplace draft since there would be multiple reasons why players would want a particular card.
However, this created a gaping hole with the basic actions where you used to use dice to build, the choices when using the basic actions were no longer interesting. My co-designer, Justin, solved that problem by introducing a matching bonus, which ended up being a very satisfying mechanic. The use of the extra dice and the matching bonus ended up infusing the game with a lot more resources so all the cards had to be rebalanced. These game systems did not exist in a vacuum so for each design change we made, it would affect another part of the game, which would then need further patching or adjustment. It was a lot of work, but in the end every change made to fix an unintended side effect left the overall game design even better.
Before we made all these changes, I had developed this somewhat irrational fear of making big changes. Sometimes we get attached to a particular design and grow accustomed to the shortcomings and flaws of that design. Making big changes is exhausting and time consuming, and can entail throwing away a lot of previous work. However, I've learned that great design can often require dramatic changes and that we shouldn't be afraid to pursue those changes if it will make your game better. I only wish I had made that leap earlier. I think being willing to make that kind of leap requires a receptive ear and a great community of people around you who are willing to point out the flaws within your game. That's why I think having a co-designer is so important. They are there to keep you accountable and honest.
As you've stated, you didn't necessarily have much experience in the artwork department before beginning this project. How do you think this shaped your choices when creating the aesthetic and how has guidance from others helped bring the game to where it is today?
My lack of experience with creating art has definitely influenced the aesthetic direction of Fantastic Factories very heavily. I've always been somewhat interested in visual design, and I'd like to think that I know what good visual design looks like when I see it, but actually creating the art is a whole different beast. The largest source of inspiration from early on was Tim Moore, a graphic designer and illustrator who I worked with at my day job. His illustrative style is very clean, colorful, and minimalistic. When I saw how strong of a visual impact he was able to make with such simple shapes, I felt inspired to imitate it.
Ultimately, the illustrations in Fantastic Factories do not require much technical ability. The secret lies in the simplicity, consistency in style, and a little creativity. I have picked up a few skills here and there from Tim, my wife, and online tutorials, but for the most part, all the shapes are quite basic. There's actually a lot of vector factory art out there, and I studied a number of those examples to develop my own style. As a engineer, I started deconstructing the characteristics of the factories I was illustrating. I defined rules and developed a certain visual vocabulary. For example, smokestacks are always red. Buildings in the backdrop have a gradient shadow. Most buildings have these particular ornamental decorative bits. The color palette is limited, which forced me to keep things simple. As I created more art, I developed a richer and deeper visual vocabulary to use within the world of Fantastic Factories. Sometimes I would go back to older pieces of art and add in those elements.
In a way, I took my limitations as an artist and used it as a strength to create a colorful, minimalistic, and creative feel to Fantastic Factories.
In terms of your playtesting, how did feedback guide your graphic design choices in terms of iconography and positioning?
The iconography and positioning/layout of the cards has always been on the forefront of my mind when designing Fantastic Factories. The goal has always been to make an approachable and intuitive game so before I made the card layout, I studied the design of a bunch of different games. I even wrote a blog post about it. Some of the ideas are very basic but some people don't give it enough thought. The trickier thing about Fantastic Factories is that cards exist both in hand and on the table. Designing a layout that is effective for both requires some consideration.
For the most part, playtesting has gone well in terms of the iconography and card layout. Occasionally I've received feedback about the size of the icons, which is challenging because a lot of times the usability of a card is at odds with the aesthetic and artwork of the card. Striking that balance is important. The key thing when playtesting for iconography and card layout is that players won't always identify the issue. Instead, you have to observe when players are either having trouble interpreting a card or are simply missing important details. The root issue may or may not be the iconography and/or layout.
For example, I've received a lot of feedback that new players don't hire the contractors. At first I chalked that up to unfamiliarity with the cards, but now I realize that all the text on the card can be intimidating. I'm now playing around with using some new iconography on the contractor cards. Icons are less intimidating and can be identified more easily once learned but do require learning so there's a tricky balance there as well.
The game has always had color blindness in mind as well. Every element of the game that is functionally colored also has a visual indicate either with a shape or text to distinguish between elements. The only exception is the dice. The dice colors are player colored and don't interact with any other player dice so they provide only aesthetic appeal. I've had a few colorblind players play the game with no issue. I also have a nifty phone app that I can use to analyze the color palette, which has been very helpful.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to launch a Kickstarter game?
Do your research. Immerse yourself in the community. Build connections. Support each other. Don't go into it for the money because this is an industry of passionate people and being anything else will become apparent. Don't ignore feedback from others, especially if you hear it multiple times from multiple sources.
Honestly, you could fill volumes and volumes with all the Kickstarter advice that's out there. It's endless and can be intimidating. But if you're having fun doing it and connecting with people you otherwise wouldn't have met then it becomes second nature to be a giant knowledge sponge for Kickstarter advice.
The few places I would start are Stonemaier Games blog, James Mathe's blog, Tabletop Kickstarter Facebook groups, and Twitter.
Are there any artists and designers in the community whose work that you are inspired by?
Yes! So many. Beth Sobel (Viticulture, Herbaceous, and tons more) is an inspiration. Herbaceous is so gorgeous. My vector art style was inspired by Tim Moore, who isn't a tabletop game artist but is still a talented illustrator. I also love Kwanchai Moriya's colorful style (Flip Ships) and J. L. Meyer (Fox in the Forest). I'm not sure if I could ever do what they do but I love the bright refreshing look they bring to tabletop games!
As for designers, I'm mostly inspired by local designers who are somehow able to pump out such great designs with very functional and elegant graphic design. Shawn Stankewich, Randy Flynn, Dawson Cowals, and Chris Glein just to name a few.
What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?
Sometimes I'll put on a board game podcast or a tabletop youtube variety show but when I really want to concentrate I usually work in silence. When I'm not actually doing art, I try to soak in everything I can. I subscribe to more podcasts than I can handle and constantly browse Twitter and Facebook for the latest tabletop news and advice. Some of the podcasts and youtube videos that have been helpful include Ludology, Board Game Design Lab, Breaking Into Board Games, and Daniel Solis' video tutorials.
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
I don't have a site specifically for my art, but you can visit www.fantasticfactories.com to find out more about Fantastic Factories. You can also find me on social media:
Twitter: @fanfactories
Facebook: fantasticfactories
Instagram: fantastic.factories
Jesse Gillespie: Art in Board Games #36
I look back on the work from those years and it seems like every brush stroke and ink spatter holds some little story of personal struggle, tragedy, or triumph. I chose to inject humor and lightness into when my day was painfully absent of it, or some little bit of cartoony pathos and sadness when that's what I needed to vent at the moment. They're just weird little cartoon cards, but there's a lot of my heart in them.
Editors Note: Just for a bit of context before we get going, in this interview with Jesse we'll be focusing on games within the Hand of Fate series. These are card games where you are working your way through randomised dungeons before fighting a big boss and the gameplay uses customisable decks.
They first started life as video games, with the original in landing in 2015 and a sequel in 2017. This led to a tabletop version which was funded last year on Kickstarter, breaking the Australian Kickstarter records for fastest fundraising ever.
As the Kickstarter copies are shipping in the next month or so, now seemed like a great time to find out more. Retail copies will be available in the second half of the year.
Hi Jesse, thanks for joining me! For our readers who aren't aware of your work could you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?
Hello! Thanks so much for having me on the site! I'm a freelance illustrator and have lived in rural Minnesota (USA) for most of my life. Minnesota is about 50/50 winter-summer; it likes to trick you with lots of mini-springs and mini-winters. We're on about our seventh psych-out right now and most of us are near-homicidal. Winter is great for all the things I like to do: reading, music, drawing, playing games and watching movies. Nerds like me gain a lot of hibernation weight around this time of year, but my D&D bard is fit as a fiddle.
Though it's fun to call myself a "freelance illustrator", art-job-wise I've been almost solely connected to the 'Hand of Fate' fleet of products for the last few years, and have felt so incredibly fortunate to have found that place. Or rather, that Defiant Development found ME and have stuck with me this long. Before that, life took me all over the place career-wise and passion-wise, but never with art as a primary profession. I've always been a serial "try-er": fascinated with life and dabbling in everything from woodcraft to music to religious philosophy to art, but never really producing much of note in any of those areas while most of my energy went into holding down "real jobs" to support a family. My first love in life is learning; first about people, then about everything else. That gets processed into many different modes of creative output which only become an external reality if you're driven. I've always struggled with being driven.
You're currently working on Hand of Fate: Ordeals, a deck-building card game which was a big hit on Kickstarter last year. Before we get to that, you were also the artist on the original videogame (Hand of Fate). So what do you remember from your time working on that project and how did you get involved?
I spent my whole life struggling to muster up the motivation to "get serious" about a career in creating graphic novels with little success until I found myself on a very quiet night shift position which allowed hours of "just-do-anything-to-stay-awake" time. I had time to draw more, but procrastination and laziness was still such a demonic force in my life I finally decided I needed more accountability to be regular about building my skills as an illustrator and storyteller. So, in addition to beginning to intentionally network more with the comic community in Minneapolis/St. Paul, I started an accountability blog. I didn't know who'd see it other than my spouse and a few friends, but the night shift gets very lonely and at the time the internet seemed like a place full of connection-making possibility. So I just started drawing and posting, drawing and posting, and developing a large-scale graphic novel concept. One of these posts came up in an image search by some folks in Australia developing indie games for mobile: Defiant Development.
I got an email from them asking if they could use a little brushwork sketch I'd posted as a loading screen for their first large-scale mobile RPG: 'Heroes Call'. This was one of the most exciting moments in my life. I ended up doing several more images for each levels loading screen, and that was it. My work was so niche that I doubted I'd find another game gig like it. To my surprise, a year after Heroes Call was published they contacted me again, asking if I'd be able to replicate a medieval engraving style of illustration for a deck of faux-tarot storytelling cards they were building a new game around called "Hand of Fate". It was going to be another mobile game at first, but as the project grew in scope it moved to PC and console development, which was exciting to say the least. (Seeing screenshots with my art in Game Informer, opposite a splash-page of the Legend of Zelda, was also one of the most exciting moments of my life.) When Hand of Fate was released in 2015 it was VERY pleasantly successful and Defiant moved directly on to a sequel. 'Hand of Fate 2' was released at the end of 2017 and has been rocking hard ever since; we're piling on new DLCs with tons more content every month. Both professional review sites and customer feedback have been amazingly rewarding and encouraging; we're all so psyched!
As far as memories of my time working on both games go, I was in the role of "freelance artist", and as such was on the other side of the planet from all the action. There's an attitude of impersonal, professional detachment you need to slip into when connecting with the commercial world, which is a very ungainly and awkward thing for me to do under normal circumstances, but when the studio you're contracting with is filled to the brim with diverse, intelligent, passionate creatives who seem to cultivate a vibrant, highly interactive and bonding work environment, it's difficult, to say the least, to remain a silent, professional partner on the other side of the planet. With Hand of Fate being my first large-scale freelance gig, it was both exciting and frustrating to have what to me was a dream job, but what was to the studio just another freelancer overseas. However, especially as the second game developed, my interactions with the studio became more... interactive, and we've become a lot closer as a team of individuals. 2017 was a really nice year (though to this day I've still only met about 4 people of the thousands who've actually played our game)!
As the first game wrapped up and we began work on the sequel I was suddenly going through an indescribably nightmarish divorce, and there were a few points where I completely lost my ability to work, through severe depression and stress that were unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. There were a couple of crisis points where Defiant nearly had to let me go for lack of output, which crushed my spirit further since that activity was one of the few bright places in my life for a long time. But bless the Aussie hearts of Morgan Jaffit and friends: they stuck with me and were amazingly generous in those crisis moments, though rightfully frustrated with my inability to keep work and home separate. We pushed through and eventually, the skies began to clear. I look back on the work from those years and it seems like every brush stroke and ink spatter holds some little story of personal struggle, tragedy, or triumph. My art director at Defiant, Shawn Eustace, allowed me a ton of freedom in interpreting story card requests, and unbeknownst to him there are cards I chose to inject humor and lightness into when my day was painfully absent of it, or some little bit of cartoony pathos and sadness when that's what I needed to vent at the moment. They're just weird little cartoon cards, but there's a lot of my heart in them.
We've talked about the videogames, could you tell us more about how did you get involved in Hand of Fate: Ordeals, the tabletop game?
*deep breath* ...SOOOO, in the middle of development on Hand of Fate 2, early 2017, some friends of Defiant's in the Kickstarter board-game biz (Allen & Alistair of Rule & Make, and game designer Michael McIntyre) started working with them to develop 'Ordeals': an attempt to mirror the unique cross-genre style of the video game in a table-top system. At first Rule & Make were just repurposing a bunch of my art assets from HoF1, with a gorgeous color treatment and supplemental art by their art director Ian O'Toole. But as the game started SMASHING through Kickstarter stretch goals (it broke records for fastest Australian Kickstarter) and the project became insanely complex (and brilliant), I was actually asked to come in and divide up some of the card art jobs with Ian. I kept with my comfortable old black & white HoF work on my side of things, but I eventually was also asked to develop box art, bonus player mats and other little odds and ends. That the game looks so atmospheric and sumptuous, though, is all due to Ian's amazing graphic design work. I've learned a LOT working with him, Allen and Michael. It's felt like a real "level-up" life moment.
That's the beauty of collaboration, getting to share your experiences and grow as individuals because of it. So what do you think are some of the key lessons you've learned?
As a creative-type it's hard to submit to editing, but I've learned to appreciate and trust the suggestions of skillful art directors with an overarching vision. It helps you see with unfamiliar perspectives, which isn't just a good thing for business but a core piece of being an effective human being. As I've been trusted with a lot of creative freedom, I want to be able to trust back, and it's always rewarding to do so with a good team. Another great thing about collaboration is how others' skills can completely transform your art in ways you never imagined. On the video games the 3D and FX work of people like Emma Koch, Chris Webb and Dan Treble (https://www.artstation.com/artwork/L0Jol) added stunning visuals that I could never have created on my own, and make me look a lot cooler than I really am. Working with Ian O'Toole has taught me a lot about the cohesive board game visuals and the subtleties of color use and texture. Before becoming a part of both teams I'd never imagined that kind of collaboration, and the growing quality of my own output owes a lot to my teammates' gifts, direction and encouragement. As I look to the future, I only know that I can't predict what unknown knowledge I'll gain, but I know I'm looking forward to it.
How has working on this project differed from your previous work and are there any aspects of it that have challenged or surprised you?
The main difference in working on Ordeals after the video games has been in thinking in new card shapes. I've always enjoyed the challenge of conceptualizing dozens upon dozens of storytelling requests to fit into a rigid, vertical, rectangular shape. My Ordeal cards have been even narrower, so it's an even squishier challenge. After so much work in that 'card' mode, working on the box art has been awesome: so much space, and it's mostly character portraits, which are a blast! Because of the easy shift from video game cards to board game cards, there's been little that's been "surprising", though I will say that working with Michael 'Barantas' McIntyre has made for some well-needed lolz. Oh! For one of the Kickstarter goals I got to design bonus player mats for the cards to go on! That was super fun and totally unexpected. They went through a few iterations, and though the final designs are great I love these experimental ones, too!
When you're approaching a new piece of art, say for example the box art for Hand of Fate, where do you start? Could you talk us through your process a little?
The boxes (main and expansion) are actually kind of a fluke since Ian had already designed it based on more of a cobble-together reworked video game portraits/environments with a few new faces added, mostly modeled on 3D assets. The skill cards have a more 'storytelling' approach, though. Some of the skill cards are recycled from HoF2 art, but I've done many original cards as well.
- For those I first refer to our grand card spreadsheet, looking up the skill name and its effect, such as "Night's Kiss (after your Strike Bonus, destroy a minion with 3 power or less)".
- The name implies a nighttime sneak attack, so immediately I think of sneaky ninjas and assassins and stuff. The skill card art is very narrow, so then I consider how the concept of an assassin can be worked vertically.
- Since an assassination requires the assassin and their victim, I begin sketching out ways they could both fit. Then the prettiness comes in. When I'm working on hand of Fate stuff, trying to find ways to work in pretty, medieval-y decorative details is of prime consideration. Right away I realize that "...If the assassin is only hinted at, I can focus on the victim's back for backstabbing, which allows for the designing of a pretty chair! Perfect!" Also, a fun, curly chair and some nice courtly garb for the victim makes the addition of a dark, menacing sting of death from the rafters contrast nicely. I also make sure the darkness of the victim's body makes the chair stand out, and the bright negative space above the victim makes the shadowy knifeyness stand out. Black and white are fun.
- Speaking of prettiness, landscapes are fun to play with in this style. Ordeals cards are so narrow it's tough, but I look forward to any chance to make mountains or foliage. For every card there's a good amount of "how do I make sure to keep a rustic, medieval feel?" Ordeals cards are my loosest, most comic style work since I want these usable skills to have a lot of energy and action behind their visuals. They still need to feel like Hand of Fate though, so I'm always digging into medieval documents and illustrations to keep my brain fresh in the era feel.
- Before I get too detailed I do the final sketch on a template sheet with five other card sketches. I work fairly small, which both forces a bold woodcut style and helps the final inks retain a bleedy crustiness, further helping the old-fashioned look.
- With a full sheet of sketches done, I get inking. I sketch in blue pencil, since you can tell Photoshop to just get rid of it after scanning it all back in. So much nicer than erasing. Sometimes, if I'm feeling rushed, I'll sketch and/or ink digitally, but I much prefer doing it all traditionally.
- Ink ink ink ink ink. I use brushes. A Pentel Pocket Brush Pen for thick stuff; smaller natural brushes for details. Finish it off with little faux printing blemishes (just dots with a pen). Scan, clean up digitally, and send to Australia!
- Sometimes revisions are necessary because I totally misinterpreted the whole thrust of the card and drew something crazy. Then I have to draw a new one, while Mike makes up a whole new skill because he liked the crazy one. (okay, that only sort of happened once...)
How has playtesting your art influenced what you create? What lessons have you learned and is there anything, in particular, you're more mindful of now?
To date, I've unfortunately never actually sat down and playtested Ordeals, being so far away, both in distance and time zone, from the devs. I'm obviously communicating with them regularly, learning about the game through their discussions, and I've watched gameplay videos and read forum discussions with other players suggesting strategy and tweaks. But I'm a very hands-on learner; it's difficult to get a real feel for the game from a distance.
I understand its basic concepts and actions a bit, but Rule & Make only just recently finalized the physical rulebook itself! All I really know is that I'm very pleased with the presentation of the art I've submitted. Like the video games, I tried to add some humor and playfulness to what could otherwise be a very dry presentation, and I feel fortunate for how much freedom they allowed me in interpreting the "visual explanation" of simple things like 'lunging' or 'striving'.
I love how the bonus player mats offer a choice of atmosphere for each player with the originals, and just the other day the complete box design was revealed which features some of my illustrations in really awesome, surprising ways. That's been a fun aspect of collaboration with the other folks: just throwing lots of assets out there and seeing them pop up in unexpected places.
That's a lesson, definitely: As I mentioned earlier, you never know what awesome stuff another creative person can do with your own creativity. And I guess "don't be afraid to poke your nose around and ask what more you can help with". Allen and the others at Rule & Make have allowed me to worm into lots of fun aspects of Ordeals work after just letting them know I was open to it.
As for the video games, I've been really pleased with the way the cards accentuate the division between the "card world" and the "real world" in-game. There have been some moments after I find out how the cards are used which have made me go, "Oh, I wish I would have chosen a more serious/funny route, or more/less detail," etc-- there's a communication-point as a distant illustrator where you just have to cross your fingers and hope it'll work for the best. But I have very few regrets; it's all worked to create a unique little micro-world nestled within the 3D action that I'm really proud of, especially in the sequel. So many fun little stories and characters that only exist in the cards, and are the result of just brilliant conceptualizing from the development team. There really is no other video game like it and I feel so blessed to get to be the conduit through which those specific concepts reach the player. I draw each piece just hoping that there's a player out there who connects with something in the cards in a way that really enhances their immersion in the game world (video and board) and makes its memory that much fonder and warmer after they put the controller down or the box away.
What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?
So much! My current bathroom/bedtime literature is the third book in the "Lightbringer Trilogy" by Brent Weeks. The first book is called "The Black Prism" and had me enjoying fantasy more than I have in years. It's about color magic, and has a very "fantasy Green Lantern" feel to it. I love the way the magic is handled in it, and it hits high marks for me on just about everything: world, plot, characters, writing style (serious plot, light writing). Great atmosphere for Hand of Fate inspiration.
While I draw I like to listen to mood-enhancing, atmospheric music (or even those cheesy "sounds of nature" albums). Movie scores can be great, like Daft Punk's Tron: Legacy OST, both Blade Runners, Cliff Martinez' scores (Drive, Solaris); I love moody electronica. Recently played artists include School of Seven Bells, Mazzy Star/Hope Sandoval, Royksopp, Washed Out, Radiohead, Sebastien Tellier, C418's Minecraft OST's, Björk, Joni Mitchell, Cocteau Twins... It's all over the place. Music is a huge constant in my life and an important part of my background. Oh, I almost forgot to mention this amazingly awesome podcast I discovered a few months ago: Mysterious Universe!!! It's an Australian show about anything and everything paranormal and it is THE BEST. I've drawn many hours away with Sasquatch sightings and Ayahuasca trips in the background. SO GREAT.
As I mentioned before, I regularly peruse old medieval illustrations and illumination for capturing that wonky old middle ages feel, and I can't recommend enough checking out medieval engravers, painters and illustrators for ANYONE who's interested in just how transcendental pen and ink can be. I'll gush about Bruegel the Elder, Gustave Dore, Hieronymus Bosch, and the Book of Kells to anyone who'll listen. Golden Age storybook illustrators like William Morris, Kay Nielsen, John Bauer, Arthur Rackham and Ivan Bilibin have been hugely influential on my sensibilities. But I'm also your average comic nerd and you can always catch me geeking out to Neon Genesis Evangelion, Battle Angel Alita, Excalibur comics, and anything Aliens or Godzilla. SHIN GOJIRA. Shin Gojira is the best thing ever.
My favorite board game, hands-down, is 'Caverna'. I built a custom wooden case for it in an outpouring of pure geek love. I've also made multiple homebrew wooden copies of 'The A-Maze-Ing Labyrinth', which I consider a classic treasure. 'Arkham Horror' is right up there, too (massive Lovecraft superfan). I love co-op games; the least competitive gamer ever (ever since that fateful Monopoly board-flipping all those years ago...)
Do you have any current projects underway, or coming up that you’d like (or are able) to tell us about?
Well, DLC work on Hand of Fate continues at a steady pace, which is fantastically awesome. Privately, I love designing 'dream' board games and have never actually brought any past the concept phase, but my amazing wife and I have just begun a really serious attempt at putting one together that I'm really excited to shop around to whoever might be interested in it. Nothing like Ordeals. Way more dancing.
I've got a comic book iron in the fire with a friend here in the US that I hope will see the light of day before 2018 is through. But outside of Defiant work, the future's looking pretty open for concrete commercial stuff. (This is me exaggeratedly winking at anyone reading this as I hawk my wares...)
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
gladladart.com! That's my basic business page, but if you really want to dig in I vomit just about everything I draw into my DeviantArt gallery and there's all kinds of crazy stuff in there. I'm on Twitter and Instagram. All that's on the 'gladladart' site too.
With all that said, I just want to thank you so much for this opportunity. It's my first-ever interview with anyone in the gaming world and it was really fun to do! It's an honor to be on your site!
Mobster Metropolis: The Art in Kickstarter #2
There are surely those who would argue that a Sicilian setting is the most classic one, but we always had an American setting in mind. That allows for a wide variety of characters and illegal businesses, as so many different people and cultures were present in the US gangster scene during the first half of the 20th century…
Editors note: Mobster Metropolis is currently live (and funded) on Kickstarter. The campaign ends Thu, April 26 2018 5:56 PM BST.
Hi Joel and Karl, thanks for joining me for this Kickstarter interview. Firstly, can you just tell us a bit about who you are and how you've come to work with each other?
Joel: Our company, STORMAKTEN Production, was essentially founded by three childhood friends; Carl, Karl, and I. We’ve known each other for about 26 years, a somewhat disturbing amount of time. We all grew up in the same area and went to school and started playing games together. Since then, we’ve competed in everything from soccer to Counter-Strike. We’ve also played a lot of board games and card games like Magic the Gathering.
For a while, we all studied in various parts of Sweden but then ended up quite close to one another again in Stockholm, the capital in Sweden. Today Carl is a producer at an advertising agency, Karl is an art and director at a digital agency, and I work with communications and PR at an international company. We are all married to beautiful women. Karl and I are fathers to one kid each, while Carl has recently pledged for one but fulfillment isn’t done yet.
We started to play board games together again and realized that we combined a number of skills that would allow us to create something ourselves. We’ve all been part of (or managed) a large number of campaigns, productions and such. As a result, an embryo to Mobster Metropolis was born about four years ago. We’ve poured an enormous amount of time and energy into it since then and now we’re finally live (and funded!) on Kickstarter.
Mobster Metropolis is live on Kickstarter at the moment, so what makes this game special and why did you go with this theme?
Karl: The theme actually came first – there are just way too few gangster games! When we started, Eric Langs Godfather: Corleone’s Empire, hadn’t even been announced. But even after a successful game like that, you still don’t see many gangster games. However now you at least see an increased number of crime-solving games. For Mobster Metropolis, we’ve decided to go with a quite classic gangster theme, with our own twist on the look and feel. However, the gangster theme can be varied and presented in many other ways as well!
When the theme was set, we started to explore mechanics that would fit the theme but also make up a great game together. First of all, we wanted players to be able to build their own gangster syndicates and earn money through shady businesses. Second, we wanted to combine classic euro empire building aspects with aggressive player interaction and take that elements. Perhaps we were influenced by all the great strategy computer games we played as kids (such as Warcraft and Starcraft). Many computer games successfully combine those kinds of aspects, while board games often can be put in either the euro or take that category.
We’ve added and removed a lot of aspects during the years of playtesting, but really ended up with something quite unique. Many of our mechanics have been seen before, but we believe we’ve combined them in a really interesting way that not only goes hand in hand with the theme but also results in very enjoyable games. Mobster Metropolis includes popular mechanics like bidding and card drafting as well as investments and tile placement. But there’s also secret deployments of resources and defense, as well as hidden movement programming with our quite exceptional Drive-by Selectors. All in all, it’s a great game!
This is Mobster Metropolis's second campaign on Kickstarter after falling short of funding on the first try. What do you think you learned from this experience and how did you put these lessons into action for this campaign?
Joel: Yes, we made the first attempt almost two years ago. We really thought we were ready, but afterwards realized that we had been quite naive. We’d been playing board games for long and backed a few on Kickstarter but did not realize how different the board game category is compared to some other crowdfunding categories. The board game section is not about presenting ideas or concept, like some other categories. No, it’s all about presenting an almost 100% finished product, with reviews and everything. I truly believe we had a great campaign page but had still not finalized design and art completely. Furthermore, we lacked some crucial parts like reviews and clear shipping prices. Backers demand more from a new producer with a fairly complex and expensive game, which is totally understandable. Especially with the extreme competition out there.
So we said to ourselves, let’s slow down for a while and make sure we really get it done right next time. Now we’ve improved the game, involved even more people in playtesting, procured better production and shipping, included reviews from well-known Youtube profiles, and present more art and components. Now we’re funded and reach several new Stretch Goals each week! I wake up every morning to a 6 a.m. email from Kickstarter telling me how many new backers we have. A bit surreal to be honest.
How long has the game taken from that first seed of an idea to where we are now? What for you were the most memorable moments on that journey?
Joel: Well as mentioned, we’ve worked on Mobster Metropolis for four years, but also have other commitments. That being said, creating a game is an extremely time demanding project. Especially if you choose to make a rather heavy game with over 700 components. Most time demanding is, of course, all the playtesting, changes, more playtesting, some adjustments, external playtesting, some more changes, even more external playtesting, etc. etc. If you’re not careful, that process can go on and on forever, as there’s always something new to try or introduce.
Karl: One very memorable moment was when we finally were satisfied with the symbols, icons and text ‘system’ that are used on most components – the way we display different aspects like costs and income, or when you’re allowed to play a specific card. We love how Wizards of the Coast has manages to always make cards in new Magic the Gathering sets easy to read for anyone who’s played Magic before. But at the same time, we wanted something even more intuitive, as Mobster Metropolis will be a new experience for anyone. Now we have a ‘system’ that is easy to grasp for any gamer, but at the same time does not come at the cost of the art or the strategy and complexity we value.
Joel: Another memorable moment was our last round of external playtesting, which included a number of quite well-known profiles within the Swedish board game community. We received a lot of feedback, which is always great. But this time, the feedback from the experienced players were really similar and pointed at the same aspects. That made it clear that although we still needed to conduct some adjustments, we actually were close to having developed a very good game, otherwise the feedback would’ve been much more varied and extensive.
You've previously stated you wanted to stick to the classic Gangster theme, what does that mean to you? What are the key features that make a good gangster story?
Joel: That is of course very subjective. There are surely those who would argue that a Sicilian setting is the most classic one, but we always had an American setting in mind. That allows for a wide variety of characters and illegal businesses, as so many different people and cultures were present in the US gangster scene during the first half of the 20th century. Obviously, there is also so much great inspiration in pop culture for that kind of setting. Two of our favorites are the TV series Board Walk Empire and the video game series Mafia.
Some features should of course always be present in a classic gangster story. During our development, we strived to create and/or adopt mechanics that enhance the theme and creates a gangster story while people are playing, even though this is not a game with a lot of text and lore. That being said, we have a short background story that sort of ‘kick off’ the story that the player themselves will play out. Carello, the old gangster dynast/godfather is dead and players will fight to fill that void.
We wanted players to be able to build their own gangster syndicates, starting from zero. During a game of Mobster Metropolis, you will see how the board is filled more and more as players expand their syndicates throughout the city. It is not peaceful, but it is definitely beautiful. We also wanted to make sure that you can create the sense of your own faction, not just with regards to the gangster characters you play, but more importantly also with regards to the strategy you choose. Just like in any great gangster drama, there should be room for both defensive and economic factions, as well as aggressors with focus on drive-bys and combat. The same goes for sources of income, with businesses varying from the dirty ones like brothels, to the somewhat polished casinos. Then we have recruits on the streets, henchmen, hitmen, etc. I truly believe we’ve only added components and mechanics that enhance and enrichen the gangster theme.
There are quite a few bold graphic design choices in this game. Firstly, could you talk us through your thoughts in developing the black and white game board?
Karl: Dark boards definitely seem to raise many questions from the community, but we have some very good reasoning behind our decision to design it like this.
First, it is important to understand that the board functions as a backdrop and structure to the rest of the game. It displays a map over the Metropolis with its nine districts, each divided into blocks. All districts got the same basic function, as do all the blocks. It is their position on the board that will be most important throughout the game, which is why districts are clearly marked with a letter in metallic bronze and each block with an apparent number. You will always be able to see this, even in a dark room.
Second, each district gets unique attributes as you add district tiles and legacy tokens during game setup. The combination and placement of those change each game and allows for great repeatability. But again, those are not attributes printed on the board, but on tiles and tokens that are more colorful and stand out against the board (and are easy to differentiate from other tiles).
Third, as players expand their gangster syndicates during the game, more and more illegal businesses and recruits will be placed on the board. Those are all key components and rich in both color and detail. In a four-player game, the board can become really crowded and colorful during late game. Hence, it is important that the board function as a backdrop that rather sort, structure and highlight the different tiles and tokens. If we had designed a very colorful and vibrant board, things would just get too messy. I want the board to support players’ vision and overview, not distract them.
Fourth, even though the board is dark and more or less black and white, it is still illustrated in detail, with many small particulars that can be found if you take time to look when it is empty. Don’t underestimate it! Last but not least, of course, it should be night in the Metropolis. Night time is crime time!
The cards themselves carry some visual flourishes, like the writing behind the imagery on the Mobster cards. How important were these style choices and where did they come from?
Karl: Yeah, we have almost a poster-like design on Mobster and Black Market cards. I wanted to make sure that everything important is clear and easy to read, since those cards will make up players’ hands. The designated phase for each card is clearly visible on the top sign. The effect is always described at the bottom part, with a short text that is easy to read, combined with easy to understand icons. The name of the card, however, is actually not that important for gameplay, but still adds to the overall setting. I, therefore, decided to use the names as a backdrop and let the illustrations take over and cover parts of the wording to make them pop – but it is still easy to read each card name. I have created this quite unique style from scratch, which treats design elements almost like a poster.
For the Newspaper cards, which you only read once per turn, I looked at a lot of newspapers from the first half of the 20th century. Once again, I started with the essential effect of the card and then filled out the rest of the space with headlines. This creates a very nice look but also recreates very text heavy feeling of Newspapers, where a lot of (too much) text is often squeezed into a limited space. Last but not least, our Police Cards, also read once per turn, is all about clarity and structure as they contain effects for all players. Again, it is important for the game flow that it is easy to grasp the effects straight away.
As I am the only artist in this project, I have full control over all the art and layout. That provides many benefits. Instead of ordering imagery from external artists, we can start with adding all the text we find essential during the development, both the name in the background and effect text. I then continue to work with the illustrations in order to fill empty spaces and add elements on many levels. Many other producers instead have to make a dedicated box for text, one box where the art should be, etc. and then send that as a template to their artists. Our approach is more flexible but still presents key elements in a very clear way.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to launch a Kickstarter game?
Joel: Making a game is perhaps half of the job. Everything else surrounding the production of a board game and the making and launch of a Kickstarter campaign easily takes up as much time, if not more. Be prepared to learn a lot. Luckily, there’s many great blogs (James Stegmaeir’s being the most frequently quoted) and some extremely helpful Kickstarter creator groups on Facebook. Feel free to reach out to us if you want to be invited to any of those!
Karl: Concerning art and artists specifically. You’ll need a lot of art for a campaign and a huge part of it will be art that won’t be used in your game. There are many elements you’ll need for your campaign page, like signs for sections and gifs that explain the game, etc. etc. Much art will be static during the campaign, but you’ll also need to continuously update art for changing sections like Stretch Goals. Additionally, you should be prepared with art for the updates you’ll frequently send out to your backers. A lot of that will be specific art to showcase some new components you’ve reached in Stretch Goals, or new initiatives to encourage backers to spread the word about your campaign. You can’t plan all that in advance, as you won’t know the pace of your campaign or the number of Stretch Goals you will achieve. As a result, whether you have an artist in your team or hire someone, make sure it is someone that you can work closely with (and afford) during your campaign. It is an extremely intensive period, where new needs will pop up with very short notice, regardless how much you’ve planned.
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
Karl: I don't have an online portfolio, because I haven't been looking for a job for a very long time. But feel free to check out some of my work at the agency where I'm working, Perfect Fools. I also have a Vimeo that showcase some of my motion.
Joel: Honestly, just look at Karl’s work. I don’t usually do the kind of work you show off in a portfolio. But I am fairly good with InDesign. So if you want to see something visual that I’ve done in this project, please feel free to check out our rulebook. You’ll find it at the Mobster Metropolis Kickstarter campaign page! Also, feel free to contact us at STORMAKTEN Production on Facebook, @mobstermetropolis on Instagram and @STORMAKTEN_Prod on Twitter!
(All images supplied by Stormakten Production, 2018)
Donning the Purple: The Art in Kickstarter #1
I wanted an old and detailed styled map. So I contacted Daniel Hasenbos who is a cartographer [..] and by intense research [..] added historically correct buildings and monuments throughout the Roman empire.
Joeri Lefevre provides the all the card art and the amazing box art. I wanted his art pieces to be classical and to depict different situations in the daily life of Roman people [..]
Welcome to a new feature focusing on Kickstarter games. As I often talk to game designers and artists involved in Kickstarter projects it seemed only right that I give this some more attention on my site.
For this first article I'm happy to be joined by Petter Schanke Olsen, of Tompet Games.
Hello Petter, and thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I live in Norway and I’m a movie producer by day and a board game designer by night. I launched my first game on Kickstarter in 2016 and that was a light war game called ‘Kill the King’. Now, I'm Kickstarting my second game which is called ‘Donning the Purple’.
I also run a blog where I interview other board game creators about the different tactics they use on Kickstarter.
I have played board games all my life but kind of rediscovered them again when I played games like Dominion and Agricola 3 or so years ago. Now I tend to play medium to heavy strategy games. The longer the better!
So, can you describe your Kickstarter game to us and what makes it interesting?
Donning the Purple is an asymmetrical king of the hill game with a bit of worker placement. Each player leads a powerful family in ancient Rome, trying to get the most victory points during 4 rounds. If your family member becomes the emperor and manages to hold the position he can earn lots of points. However, he will also become the target of the other players, as they will try to dethrone him and become the new emperor themselves.
How long have you been working on this game? What made you launch the campaign now?
I have worked on the game for 1.5 years. It is now finally complete and we have come to a place where we want to be in regards to the marketing so this seems to be a good time to launch. February is also a good month to launch in general.
Why Kickstarter?
We have paid for the art and prototypes ourselves but we need your help to get the funds to print the game. We chose Kickstarter as our crowdfunding platform because that is where the board gamers are.
What was the inspiration or core idea that drove your work on the art?
I have two different art styles in the game:
For the game board, I wanted an old and detailed styled map. So I contacted Daniel Hasenbos who is a cartographer and we worked out a style for the map and it has now become the main attraction of Donning the Purple. Daniel carefully illustrated every palm tree, monument, and coastline. He has a great eye for detail and by intense research has added historically correct buildings and monuments throughout the Roman empire.
Joeri Lefevre provides the other art style in the game. He has made all the card art and the amazing box art. I wanted his art pieces to be classical and to depict different situations in the daily life of Roman people and I think he has done an awesome job. I gave Joeri this sketch when I was telling him how I wanted the box art to look and this is what he turned it into.
Could you tell us about the biggest challenges you’ve faced in creating the art for this game and how you’ve overcome them?
I'm going to let my artists answer this:
Daniel Hasenbos:
"My job was to design the map for Donning the Purple. The map needed to show the Roman Empire at its height, covering most of Europe and the lands around the Mediterranean.
With this came the first challenge. The map needed to give an impression of the geography of the land, but at the same time, it shouldn't distract the players from the game itself. I decided to go for a muted color palette, as not to take attention away from all the other elements of the map, and of course the game.
The map also needed to capture the feel of the Roman Era, while keeping all elements of the map clear, and visible. Throughout the map, I made sure to hide famous features and structures of that time. In addition to that, each capital city is drawn in a style that identifies that area's architecture. This was a great way to show different architectural influences around the Roman Empire.
The result is an elegant map of the Roman Empire, with many hidden details for players to explore. These details, together with the overall feel of the map help people immerse themselves in Donning the Purple!"
Joeri Lefevre:
"One of the interesting aspects of the project is that it’s based in history. How did the people dress at that time? What did the environment look like? I tried to find the answer to these questions in archaeological finds, other artists interpretations of that time, and photos of real-life re-enactors. That’s the formal stuff, but the real challenge is balancing this historical background, with the requirements of the board game and my own artistic interest.
A goal of the image is the story it needs to tell when playing the game. How do I show the player who they are and who the enemy is? Poses, expressions and the colors of garments help to tell the story. To create this, I looked at good reference photos or when needed, shot my own.
Artistically, I aimed to give the box art a hint of a neoclassical painting. With this aesthetic, I hope to introduce the viewer to the historical setting of the game. In the cards, I take a more direct perspective if the concept allows it. To do everything in a manageable timeframe I chose an impressionistic loose way of painting. In the end, it’s an interesting mix of challenges that come together in the images I make."
Do you have any stretch goals involving the artwork? If so how will you manage them?
Yes if we are so lucky and reach some of our stretch goals there will be more art! But I can't say more than that at the moment
What advice would you give to anyone looking to launch a Kickstarter game?
Make sure you bring a crowd with you to Kickstarter. Do not rely on Kickstarter providing the backers you need and also read these blogs! Kickstarterlessons.com & Jamesmathe.com
Finally, if we’d like to see more of you and your work, where can we find you?
You can check out the Kickstarter for Donning the Purple over here and the links for Joeri (www.joerilefevre.com) and Daniel (www.danielsmaps.com)
(All images supplied by Tompet Games, 2018)