So, for those of you who know me and have seen some cryptic information pass through my social media, this is what I was talking about. I’m starting my own game studio and seeing how far I can take it. Games are my life, and I’m going to transition them into my career. For now, that means making games on the side, but in the future, I hope to be making them for a living.
I’ll be revealing my first major release at PAX, and several months later, I’ll be launching my first Kickstarter for my first independently developed tabletop game. I’ve gotten everything ready to demo it at PAX, so we’ll see how it’s received there. The game, Funemployed!, is about applying to a real job with unreal qualifications. A lot of people have helped me put together this game, and I won’t tell you too much before PAX, but it’s basically a twist on games like Apples to Apples and Cards Against Humanity, but it maximizes interaction instead of making the game solely about guessing the judge’s sense of humor.
In Apples to Apples and Cards Against Humanity, players are not only leaving their responses solely up to the decision of the judge, but they also don’t get the opportunity to explain why they chose their responses–the key mechanic to those games is guessing what the judge likes. However, in practice, it leads to mislead interpretations and sometimes indifference to the round. Maybe you think Clowns are Silly, but your judge thinks they are stupid, and your humor is lost on the judge. You don’t get a chance to defend yourself–you’re left to the judge’s discretion.
Or, alternatively, have you ever submitted a card in either of those games, knowing it was a poor choice, in an attempt to “get rid of a card” because it sucked? It feels bad to submit a losing card before the judging even begins. Now imagine if that card wins; do you feel smart? Vindicated? No, you feel perplexed and not really rewarded. The games are excellent fun, but not the most rewarding experiences I’ve found.
I wanted more from these types of games, so I decided to make something more.
These things don’t happen in Funemployed!; every card you have in your hand come judging time is a card you have to use in order to win. You have to actively participate in every round, whether it’s being a judge or being an applicant. You can’t just sit back, put a card in a pile, and hope to win big–you have to fight for it. That’s what I want to encourage, interaction. And I believe I’ve created something special, something that does just that.
Stay tuned in the coming months to see just what I’m talking about. I hope you stick around to do so.
~Anthony