Blog Posts - 93 MADE GAMES

Representin' at the International Tabletop Day

24/3/2014

Gamers will get their first look at the Monster Town beta prototypes during International Tabletop Day activities hosted by Mega Games in Penrith, NSW on Saturday, 5 April 2014.

Viewpoint, Viewpoint Reflections and NinjitZoo will also be on show as part of the International Tabletop Day festivities at the PretzCON games convention in Omaha, Nebraska and g33k3 (pronounced “geeky”) pop culture convention in McKinney, Texas.

International Tabletop Day is a celebration for all the fans of tabletop gaming. A single day where the whole world is brought together in a common purpose of spending time together and having fun.

PAX Australia... unexpect the expected

28/7/2013

93 Made Games Managing Director, Sean Carroll, talks about his unexpected experiences at PAX Aus 2013 - the first Penny Arcade Expo held outside of the United States.

Warning: This article contains many “shout-outs” to the wonderful people that I met at PAX Aus.

Alright, I've been to plenty of expos and conventions over my time as both visitor and exhibitor and have learnt to generally ignore the hype coming from organisers. In all fairness, show conveners need to big note their expo; otherwise, who would bother to show up in the first place. This is what I thought PAX Aus would be like. The PAX Aus website was replete with event listings and exhibitor names but I was very ho-hum about the whole thing apart from the fact that I would get the chance to join some great people on the Indie Board Game Design Panel. I was so blasé that I booked a late flight out on the opening day of the expo and an early flight back on the closing day. Thus limiting my expo exposure to less than half of the time available.

[Cut to the PAX Aus Queue Room at 4:30pm on Day 1]

I strolled in and I was like, “OK, the Queue Room is bigger than most expos I've been to.” It was impressive; however. I didn't want to be hasty in judgement so I took some time to check out the other halls after getting my speaker pass. The pass came in very handy for jumping queues all weekend. I can't complain about a little rock star treatment.

The PAX Aus 2013 speaker pass was very useful for queue jumping.

[10 minutes later, cut to the Expo Hall]

I stepped through the front doors and looked out across a dimly-lit hall that was filled wall-to-wall with buzzing stands and towering wide screen displays offering the ultimate in PC and console gaming experiences. I thought, “Hmmmm, well, this is rather promising but I'm only a casual computer gamer. I like electronic games but I just don't get as much time to play as I used to.” Even so, I took some time to walk around and check out the latest games from local and overseas developers.

The Expo Hall needed to be dark to contrast with so many bright screens.

[20 minutes later, cut to The Big Top]

After walking past line after line of expo-goers queuing for hot food, seminars, DJ sets, special invitation events and so on, I reached The Big Top. This is where my cynicism was finally tipped over the edge. (It only took 30 minutes!) I peered across the vast expanse of The Big Top, which was populated with rows of modern consoles, costume-clad pop culture fanatics, herds of gamers with their heads down in their portable consoles, columns of tabletop gamers playing released and play-test versions of games, more hot food, retail stalls and, my personal favourite, retro consoles! I was in pop culture heaven... and I wasn't alone. The preliminary figures from the show conveners claim that there were at least 35,000 unique visitors to PAX Aus. That's more than half the current population of my home town.

Seriously, I think you'd need to capture this shot from space to accurately show how large The Big Top is.

For the next few hours I took in the whole experience as I ambled around The Big Top. Even though the expo was massive, I ran into some familiar faces, including Andrew Lum from Aetherworks. He was playing Magic against enthusiastic newbie Nicole, whilst her friend Ben watched on. Nicole almost demanded that I sit down and was all too accommodating when I asked if I could challenge her to a game or two. After conversing with Ben for a while, I found out that both he and Nicole were also Sydneysiders. The number of people venturing South for PAX Aus was quite astounding.

Time ran out for playing Magic as I had to dash to meet with the other panellists. I ran across to the board game free-play tables and was met with an extremely welcoming reception from Alex Dijk and Paul Nicholas from Blue Room Games, Wesley Lamont from RAEZ, Anthony Sweet from Handwritten Games and Thomas Eliot from Sixpence Games. We went through our game plan for the following day's panel, which didn't take long as everyone was extremely professional in nature and definitely new their game design theory and practice.

Everyone had to run off after the meeting so I took this opportunity to grab a snack and continue wandering around The Big Top. After filling my belly, I decided to settle down in the Retro Consoles area where I would spend the remainder of Day 1 playing old favourites such as Mega Man, Space Invaders and Batman (the 1989 movie version).

This was my main haunt for the weekend.

Day 2 was a bit more business-orientated as I caught up with industry luminaries such as Gerard How from Paradigm Infinitum Games, Christopher Badell and Adam Rebottaro from Greater Than Games, Dann May from Game Salute and Sol Green from EuroGameFest. Gerard and I discussed plans for a big Southeast Asian release of Monster Town, Zombie Viewpoint and the re-release of Viewpoint and Viewpoint Reflections.

I had a chance to try out some games seen in Australia for the first time but the clock was against me again as I had to hot-step it to my 6:30pm rendezvous with the Indie Board Game Design Panel. I won't harp on too much about the panel as the other guys prepared a video of the panel, which you can watch below. I will say, however, that imparting wisdom to up and coming game designers is one of the most enjoyable parts of being a game designer and publisher. I think Alex and Paul would say that having groupies cheer you on is also boast-worthy. Kudos Hannah!

These guys were great. What an audience!

After the panel, Melissa Rogerson from Boardgames Australia, organised a few tables for the panellists to demo our games. Once again, this was an awesome experience as I got to share Viewpoint with other gamers and got to know some more game designers in the process. A big wave goes out to Tom, Diran, Rebecca and Lachlan. Thanks for letting me win at least one of the games. A “heya” also goes out to Jeremy and David from LXG. I'm looking forward to seeing you next year in God's Own Country for some more gaming shenanigans.

The demos didn't stop there as I got to play-test Anthony Sweet's latest creation - Breakwater - until Day 2 closing time. I love the New Orleans voodoo/steam punk theme. This is going to be a great game so I recommend that everyone buy it. Be sure to buy Alex and Paul's game NinjitZoo, Tom's game Professor Pugnacious and Wez's game Gaeon as well.

With the business and panel out of the way, I squeezed in some time on Day 3 in the Expo Hall and The Big Top playing PC and console games and snapping up some bargains from the retail stalls. I said my goodbyes (rather see-you-laters) to Anthony and Wez as I made my way out of PAX Aus 2013.

Without a doubt, I will be back next year... and this time... I'm bringing reinforcements.

PAX Aus 2013 was the first Penny Arcade Expo held outside of the USA. Go to the PAX website for more information on all Penny Arcade Expos.

A Penny (Arcade Expo) for our Thoughts

7/7/2013

93 Made Games Managing Director, and designer of Viewpoint and Viewpoint Reflections, Sean Carroll, will be guest speaking on the Indie Board Game Design Panel at the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in Melbourne this year. Sean will be joined by other designers including Alex Dijk and Paul Nicholas from Blue Room Games, who created Ninjitzoo!, Anthony Sweet from Handwritten Games and Wesley Lamont from RAEZ.

Panel topics include the stages of game design (from concept to release), reasons for becoming a game designer, getting the most out of play-testing and ways to get your game published.

If you're going to PAX or will be in the general area then be sure to take some time to drop in and listen to the panel and also to get your hands on some free games.

The panel will be speaking from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Skippy Theatre on Saturday, 20 July 2013.

PAX Australia will be held in Melbourne on 19-21 July 2013.

PAX AUS 2013 is the first Penny Arcade Expo held outside of the USA. Go to the PAX website for more information on all Penny Arcade Expos.

Oops... we've won it again!

6/7/2013

93 Made Games received its second gong for having a game short-listed in the Boardgames Australia (BGA) Australian Game of the Year Awards. The original Viewpoint game was short-listed last year. This year Viewpoint Reflections was short-listed for the award. Everyone at 93 Made Games is so excited to be short-listed again and aim to, one day, win the coveted Australian Game of the Year Award.

Once again, the competition was very strong with the four short-listed entrants included Phil Harding who designed the 2008 award winner Archaeology. Phil showed his class by taking the top award again with his game Dungeon Raiders. Dungeon Raiders proved so popular that it is now sold out across the world. Well done Phil!

Viewpoint Reflections short-list award.

The Boardgames Australia awards were presented at the 2013 Toy and Game Expo, which was held at Sydney Olympic Park over the June long weekend. More information about the awards can be found on the BGA website.

Viewpoint in the Courier Mail

18/3/2013

On 18 January 2013, the Courier Mail, Queensland's leading newspaper, ran an article on board games and how much they have changed over the past two decades. The bulk of the article was based around an interview with LXG’s Keith Done, and it includes a list of top twenty board games, including Viewpoint, written by Keith.

The article never appeared online, but the Courier Mail have very kindly given LXG permission to display the article on their website. Click the links below to open up the two-page article. Enjoy!

Nobody is bored, they are all game (page 1)
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Nobody is bored, they are all game (page 2)
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Viewpoint is a Top 20 game!

Viewpoint is a fun-packed and easy to learn card game for 2 or more players aged 7 and up. Be the first player to reach 100 points by looking into the future, spying on other players and blindsiding your buddies!

While We've Been Gone

14/11/2012

G'day Gamers... It's been a while between drinks so you're probably wondering what we've been up to. Besides designing more fun and wonderful games for everyone to enjoy, we've had some very exciting things happen to us since our last series of articles.

First and foremost for Julia and I, we've got our first child - a baby boy - on the way. That's right, the zany influence of male Carrolls looks set to continue. We couldn't be more thrilled about our upcoming addition and daddy-to-be will be sure to get him playing games as soon as possible.

As if expecting a baby wasn't exhausting enough, we also moved premises during the year from inner-city Rosebery to the beachside suburb of Maroubra. It's amazing how distracting the smell of the beach can be.

We haven't just been expanding our family and relocating offices. We've also been doing 'real' work. Anthony has been putting the final touches on the Monster Town artwork and it looks nucking futs! He's produced a video clip with samples of the artwork, which you can view here. The game is going to be epic for fans of vampires, werewolves, zombies and badass soldiers.

We've also been busy promoting our existing games in Australia and around the world and have more stockists than ever. On special request from our great friends at Mega Games, Anthony made a guest appearance at the Heroes and Villains Pop Culture Expo on 25/26 August 2012. He enjoyed his time so much that he had to share it with everyone in this article. Esdevium Games also continues to distribute and market our games throughout Europe and the world, expanding our fan base even further beyond our shores.

Lastly, for those of you who have been keeping up with our sporting endeavours, the 93 Made Games oztag team won its second premiership for the year. Instead of the come from behind victory that took the team to its first ever premiership, the boys and girls smashed their opponents without remorse.

We're looking forward to catching up with you soon and show-casing our new additions, whether they be games, artwork or even babies! So hang tight and keep your eye on the prize - we'll be back in your eye before you know it!

Viewpoint 3v3 League Season

14/11/2012

The new exciting Viewpoint 3v3 season gets underway on 1st January 2013. What is Viewpoint 3-on-3? Download the description and rules here.

Teams should register or express their interest by emailing us before the 31st December 2012. You are allowed 3 main players (1 captain and 2 other main players) plus 2 reserves (back up players who can substitute if the main players cannot make an agreed match).

Once teams are registered, 93 Made Games will place them into regional groupings so that it is easy for teams to hook up and play games. Depending upon the number of teams in a region, teams will have to play a number of predetermined games against the other teams in their region (example, Brisbane Central has 9 teams competing and Sydney West has 3 teams - the Brisbane teams play each other once, while the Sydney teams play each other 3 times). 93 Made Games will determine the actual number of games required in each region.

Teams and the regions they are based in will be posted on the 2013 3v3 Season webpage, along with the email contact of each team captain. The 2013 season will run from January 1st to May 31st. All teams must arrange to play their required games within their region by mutual consent. Once a game time and place is agreed to, the details will be posted on the webpage. Non-show results in forfeiture of the match. If people find it difficult to agree on a suitable date, 93 Made Games will nominate an in-store/in-club session where the teams will play.

Results are to be emailed to 93 Made Games by the winning team and confirmed by the losing team.

The two highest scoring teams in Australia will be invited play in a Grand Final to be held in June 2013.

Viewpoint is a fun-packed and easy to learn card game for 2 or more players aged 7 and up. Be the first player to reach 100 points by looking into the future, spying on other players and blindsiding your buddies!

My Life as a Designer/Artist (by Anthony Condos)

13/11/2012

My name is Anthony Condos and I am both a game designer and artist for 93 Made Games. I am, by nature, a creative personality. For me, being both a designer and artist gives me almost a paternal feeling towards my work. Watching something I have helped create, develop and blossom into something not just for myself to admire but for others to enjoy is extremely fulfilling.

As a designer/artist, I get to watch my work as it develops from a concept, grows into a work in progress and then matures into a final product. Then I, as the proud creator, get to see what it becomes.

In my personal opinion, invention and innovation are the pathways to the happiest place in which a designer/artist can be. Seeing your creations come to life and be seen by the outside world, whether admired or criticised, is a truly humbling experience.

My work on Viewpoint was my first attempt as an artist and I am proud of the final product and it is one of my proudest life endeavours to date.

With Viewpoint Reflections, it was a different kind of achievement I saw in this work as I saw not only my artworks advance and mature for the better. I also saw these same attributes in myself as an artist as well as a human being.

Lastly, with my work on the soon to come Monster Town, not only have I once again seen advancement and maturity with this project but I also get to feel pride in my having involvement in the actual design of the game and I eagerly wait to see what it develops into.

Monster Town is an action-packed card game where players control gangs of Human soldiers, Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies. The aim of Monster Town is to command your gang, form alliances and annihilate all other clans. Monster Town can be played by 2 to 4 players from ages 9 and up. Each game takes around 45 minutes to play.

Viewpoint at the Heroes & Villains Pop Culture Expo

13/11/2012

On the 25th and 26th of August 2012, Anthony Condos from 93 Made Games attended the Heroes and Villains Pop Culture Expo in Penrith as a part of the Mega Games stall.

With cosplay, numerous special guests and a range of other events that occurred during the expo it was a fun and fantastic weekend for all. It was a pleasure for Anthony to show the attendees how to play Viewpoint. Some of the Magic: the Gathering players attending the expo strolled over to have a taste of the Viewpoint experience. The people who came to us for demonstrations ranged from children of the age of seven to adults aged thirty plus; even entire families came to have a go of Viewpoint and Viewpoint Reflections.

93 Made Games would like to thank Manuel and Christine of Mega Games for inviting us to demonstrate Viewpoint and Viewpoint Reflections to the expo attendees that came to their stall. And, as you can see from the photos, Viewpoint is not only global, it is now intergalactic!

Viewpoint is a fun-packed and easy to learn card game for 2 or more players aged 7 and up. Be the first player to reach 100 points by looking into the future, spying on other players and blindsiding your buddies!

Viewpoint Short-listed for Australian Game of the Year

25/6/2012

Viewpoint was short-listed as the Australian Game of the Year by Boardgames Australia at the Toy & Game Expo. The other nominees were Caption If You Can!, Cuble, Dungeon Raiders, Dweebies, Higher or Lower and Rosetta, with Dweebies winning the coveted award. This is why Viewpoint was short-listed...

Viewpoint is a fun card game of tit for tat with a psychedelic theme of vision: spectacles, TV, blurry vision, and shadows all appear in this game! Each player is trying to get 100 points out on the table, but every card that they play also gives them special actions: moving cards back into their hand, drawing more cards, stealing from opponents and so on. The game hinges on timing the play of your key cards to have the best effect, but a little bit of luck never hurts either!

Viewpoint is a fun-packed and easy to learn card game for 2 or more players aged 7 and up. Be the first player to reach 100 points by looking into the future, spying on other players and blindsiding your buddies!