Hello Folks, This is my first BLOG entry. I am a game designer. I guess I can call myself that after winning the Game Design Contest at KublaCon this year (2011).
My game is Ultimate Football. I am currently, doing some editing, (Typos) and will be submitting it to Z-Man Games to see if they will publish. It is designed around Coaching football instead of individual player performance. I have been working on it for the past 7 years.
If you attended KublaCon, please give me your feedback. What I have heard most often is that the game would be better electronically. That may be, and I am certainly interested in maybe taking it there in the future, however, one of the things I was trying to create was a way to get folks to be able to have fun with a board game, without having to rely on batteries, or cellphone apps.
My uncle had a fishing cabin on Diamond Lake in Oregon when I was young when we would go up there, we were always at a loss as to what to do when we could not be fishing. (rain, snow and the like). The grown up always played cribbage or poker, but there was never anything for us kids to do but play checkers.
I wanted to build a game that would appeal to both young and old. I actually got the idea from a friend of mine (Michelle, thank you). She said it would be great to have a game that would help her understand football a little better, and still be fun to play. Seven years later, this is the result.
Tell me what you think, Robert
Comments
Congrats!
Congratulations on your performance at the KublaContest!
To be clear, while an electronic version would be cool, I don't think it's bad to have a version like yours which you can sit in the living room and play. I bet people would have fun taking the role of the announcer and reading off the paragraph.
I'd like to add my
I'd like to add my congratulations. I was at the presentation, but just as a spectator; I didn't get to play any of the games. But any game that can make Julie light up like that has to have something special about it!
As for electronic vs. a tabletop game: I agree with Seth. While your game would probably work well in a computerized version, it isn't necessary. Z-Man has already published a game that has lots of lookup tables and a big book of results paragraphs: Tales of the Arabian Nights. That game can't be any less complex than yours, and a computerized version of that would be great, too; but it still works fine as a table game.
Good luck!
Congratulations!
Congratulations Robert :-) my name is Omar (aka Oats) and I was at the show, and submitted my game too.
That was an impressive coach's rulebook and prototype. I hope you find a good home for your game to be published!
Manufacturing
Well it has taken many years, but I am finally ready to find a manufacturing company for my Ultimate Football Game.
I have made several upgrades since my Kubla Con win in 2011. For one I was told that individual teams would make the game more fun. I held a writing contest online to make up humorous histories for each of the 40 teams in my Ultimate Football League. I received over 100 entries. Then I had a logo contest to come up with each logo for the teems. Again I got over 100 entries. I chose the best of logo and each history and have made a history book to go with the rules of the game. I also redesigned the board so that a home field play mat for each team could fit with side game boards. Two teams are included with the game. All other team cards and home field play mats are available through the GameCrafter.
I am leaning toward Board Game Manufacturing in Parumph Nevada to manufacturing. They also have storage and order fulfillment available, and since I live in a small house, that is desirable to me.
Any comments from designers that have used Board Game Manufacturing them would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks folks