Lukas Zach wanted to develop a long a Board game. That’s why he was looking for a game designer, with whom he could work together. Therefore, he moved, no matter short-hand indiscriminately a game from his well-filled Game and wrote to the author of the game.
“fortunately, this was a game of me,” says Michael Palm, and laughs. He is the author and owner of the game shop “Seetroll” in Konstanz. , in the Meantime, Luke is working in Bremen, a half of the week as a developer for computer games and the other he is working together with Michael on Board games. Their first card game, “The coach ride to devil’s castle” was a success.
Today, the two are a Team, not chat 800 kilometres distance between Konstanz and Bremen, you are disturbing: On two fixed days in the week, or skyping you, often develop multiple games at the same time. In this way, “Adventure Island” that appears to the Board game-fair game 18 in to eat.
Tinker, play, Tinker, play
2013 began with the design for a quick family game with the working title of “Era”. Stranded on a deserted island, each player had a character of its own, you could turn over a card and it was a little rolled.
Starting from this initial idea, the two authors made prototypes and tested the rounds with different Game. Initially only the two authors, sometimes every alone at a Desk. Then later with friends and family and also with colleagues from work. Even game enthusiasts customers from Michael’s business could test.
“soon We realized that in the many rounds of testing, the different places of residence, are an advantage for us,” explains Michael. “Every game group is different, the games may be very strategic, the next group it’s more about the adventure to play through. So then it comes to different game situations and mistakes to fall much faster.”
In the first test, it was basic things, such as how many actions a player per train rounds the two of us.
After each change, the two authors had to Tinker again. Small things led to the fact that the game rewrites the rules and / or values on the cards had to be adjusted. Only in this way can come to at the end of a game, with no weak points in the mechanism, or contradictions in the instructions.
For Michael and Luke meant that: 28 the prototypes crafts, cards, print, cut, game find material together, and many rounds of play. So it was from the fast card, is a cooperative adventure drawing game for up to five people.
The annual payroll is enough sometimes only for a food
next, the authors needed a publisher to publish your game. Not every game suits every publisher. So publishers such as Amigo and the Three hares in the afternoon sun, mainly for children and family games, publishers such as fire, land or Lookout Games games tend to be more complex.
Since Michael and Luke had already worked in the past with Pegasus games together, they offered the game to the publisher. The took the two authors, with your idea. Similar to how book authors, game writers as a percentage are involved in the sale. “Some Games, we can go after a year billing. For others it is something more,” says Michael. The developer can solely live of your Play, is rather rare.
the First Layout for the game
Suddenly “Stranded”
The publisher commissioned the First an Illustrator with a General design, theme and Design of the game map. Pictures of a desert island developed, jungle atmosphere, lots of nature, little people. So the issue is with the name of the game clearly, it was renamed in “Stranded”. In the end a decision was made in “Adventure Island” for an international title.
In the next step, it was decided on the game material. A new game belongs to a certain range, for example, the size of the box already set to the game visually. The amount and type of the game material are a decisive factor, what is the cost to the game later.
rules of the game – and all from China
From now on, it quickly went further: Illustrator, interior and graphic designer designed Material such as game cards and the Layout of the boxes. The rules of the game were written, re-tested and refined.
ready-to-Print rules of the game
the Last step in the creation of a game production. Publishers have the choice to have their games in Asia or in some European countries such as Poland, Germany or the Netherlands. The most famous manufacturer in Germany ACE, and Ludofact.
In the case of “Adventure Island” was chosen by the publisher, a proven manufacturer in China. To the trade fair in Essen, the first 500 copies of the game to be flown in. “It is always an exciting Moment when the first sample reaches pressure,” says game editor Klaus Ottmaier from Pegasus games. “In ‘Adventure Island’ was printed almost everything as planned. Only the cards that were thought of as the separator for the game cards in the box, have arrived in the wrong size. But we were able to fix it fortunately, quickly.”
however, This is not always so. “There was also the case that all of the game cards had been on the boxes distributed. So we had to open a night before the fair, all games, maps, get and properly mixed again. Fortunately, this does not happen very often.”
Now the only player missing the game.
Between the first idea and the finished game “Adventure Island” that you can buy, five years and many prototypes. After the fact authors, Game writers, Illustrators, graphic designers and producers have worked, the game needs only one more player.
