My board game SteamWorks is getting published!
Gosh, it's been a long time since I posted on here. But I'm breaking radio silence to mention some exciting news: a board game that I designed is getting published! I've been working with the publisher Tasty Minstrel Games for a number of months now, making refinements to the game and working with Seth Jaffee, the designer of Terra Prime and Eminent Domain, to see whether Tasty Minstrel wanted to publish my game; and I've just received official confirmation they definitely want to go ahead with it!
What's the game?
It's a design I've been working on for a couple of years, with a playtest name of SteamWorks. It's looking likely that that will also be the name the game is published under when it hits the shelves.
What kind of game is it?
It's in the broad category that's variously known as "Eurogames", "German-style board games", and a range of other names. It uses the "worker placement" mechanic that will be familiar to players of Agricola, Caylus, Alien Frontiers and so on. The theme is Victorian steampunk inventors: the players build madcap devices for each other to use, out of components with names like Iteration Gears, Resonator, Miscellanerie, and the Patriotic Haiku Generator :)
When can I buy it?
Not for a while yet, I'm afraid. The release date will be either August 2015 or October 2015.
So it'll have proper artwork and stuff?
Absolutely. Tasty Minstrel are commissioning the artist and graphic designer, but I'll be involved along the way as well.
Are the rules finalised?
Nearly. Seth and I are making final tweaks over the next few months to ensure things are as balanced and fun as we can get them. The game has been through a lot of changes in the past year, but things are pretty settled now. I'll be writing up a preliminary rulebook pretty soon, which will be sent off to a professional editor and graphic designer to be tidied up / rephrased / rewritten wholesale as applicable!
What's the game?
It's a design I've been working on for a couple of years, with a playtest name of SteamWorks. It's looking likely that that will also be the name the game is published under when it hits the shelves.
What kind of game is it?
It's in the broad category that's variously known as "Eurogames", "German-style board games", and a range of other names. It uses the "worker placement" mechanic that will be familiar to players of Agricola, Caylus, Alien Frontiers and so on. The theme is Victorian steampunk inventors: the players build madcap devices for each other to use, out of components with names like Iteration Gears, Resonator, Miscellanerie, and the Patriotic Haiku Generator :)
When can I buy it?
Not for a while yet, I'm afraid. The release date will be either August 2015 or October 2015.
So it'll have proper artwork and stuff?
Absolutely. Tasty Minstrel are commissioning the artist and graphic designer, but I'll be involved along the way as well.
Are the rules finalised?
Nearly. Seth and I are making final tweaks over the next few months to ensure things are as balanced and fun as we can get them. The game has been through a lot of changes in the past year, but things are pretty settled now. I'll be writing up a preliminary rulebook pretty soon, which will be sent off to a professional editor and graphic designer to be tidied up / rephrased / rewritten wholesale as applicable!