The Tell-Tale Shuffle Board (Part 1)
November 21st, 2015
Kickstarter, Shuffle Board, Shuffling Horrors
“It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain;
but once conceived, it haunted me day and night.”
The Tell-Tale Heart, Edgar Allan Poe, 1843
Back in 2012, GameWick Games released its creepy little zombie game Pittsburgh 68, the first game in the Shuffling Horror series. The game and its title paid tribute to the birthplace of American zombie horror and the 1968 cult classic movie, Night of the Living Dead. The game is designed to be played and dealt in a style similar to poker. As such, Pittsburgh 68 did not need a proper playing board.
BUT… In 2013, I designed a simple demo mat for our summer game convention play: a nylon cloth with card slots on it (shown on left). The purpose of this mat was threefold: (1) it was something to catch a passerby’s eye, (2) it would answer their question, “What the heck game are you playing there?”, and (3) it gave us a nice clean surface to play upon, no matter where we found ourselves playing.
UNEXPECTEDLY… Players loved it. Many inquired if it was included in the game or for sale at our booth. I joked that maybe we’d add a board after we finished the Shuffling Horror series. I still had three more “movies” to make: Roswell 51, Innsmouth 32, and Balitmore 94.
THEN… I trotted the mat out again for our 2014 game events, and, again, the inquiries of our players and fans continued. At this same time, I was trying to figure out a way to launch my first Kickstarter. It finally clicked: the Shuffling Horror Shuffle Board would be a great first project. It would give our fans an opportunity to guide the Shuffling Horror line to its next destination. It would also be a great way to introduce GameWick Games to the Kickstarter community.
AND SO…. In 2015, I spent the year working on the board’s design. I knew this could not and would not be just a board with card slots on it. My goal was to make sure the board elevated game play from its original poker style to a cinematic spectacle.
Most importantly, the board had to add value to the game itself.
Every convention I attended this year found me bringing a new and improved version to play upon. The Shuffle Board progressed from its line art prototype to its near finished form thanks to the feedback of our players, friends, and fans.
(The picture on the left is a glimpse of a Shuffle Board prototype around June 2015; also in the pic is a wicked Cask of Amontillado tiki mug from Horror In Clay’s kickstarter).
Thus ends the first part of The Tell-Tale Shuffle Board. Many more of the Shuffle Board’s dark secrets will be revealed in future installments (to coincide with its upcoming Kickstarter launch).
