That statement is so true for me, and I’ve come to accept it. I’ve always loved to play games, whether it’s by holding a handful of cards or moving little meeples around on a cardboard surface. As a writer, my mind has also always come up with ideas for new games or at least new variations on present games I was playing. Not much happened on the design front, as I began to write and got immersed in that. But one day, my dream became a reality.
I am a part of a Gaming group that meets twice a week, on Wednesday evenings and on Sundays from noon until 7 pm. Over the years I have been introduced to hundreds of new games and have made just as many friends. On particular game became our favorite one, and we played it at least twice a week. It’s called “Betrayal on the House on the Hill” by Avalon Hill. With 50 scenarios, we have yet to play all of them, and this keeps the game fresh each time.
One day, while playing Betrayal, a friend of mine tossed out the idea of writing 50 new scenarios for the game. My smile told him that it was a great idea. We began to meet twice a week and talked about what we wanted to do. Early on, one of us stated that any work we do for the game would only be usable at this group, as copyright would prevent us from making any money. Why not create a brand new game, with a different theme, style and mechanics yet still plays in the basic mode as Betrayal.
We were off and running. Our game soon took shape. It was set in the year 1933, and was based on the old pulp magazines of the era. Such movies as King Kong, Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Rocketeer were easily available sources of inspiration. The game is called “Secrets of the Lost Tomb.”
I’d never been so thrilled to do something in my life. The sheer pleasure of creating the world of this game has gotten my creative juices flowing like never before. I became the Head Writer for the game. My job was to do all of the background for the game. That included the setting, the interior of the Tomb, the History of the Tomb, the Medusa’s Head Comet and its history, Scenarios for the characters to solve, the Eternal Order of Perseus and most important, the Characters themselves. By the time the game went to the publishers, I had written nearly 3 dozen full character biographies, along with their skills and abilities.
The game’s basic idea is simple. Secrets of the Lost Tomb is the Cinematic Pulp Action Adventure Board Game and a Fast-Paced Cooperative and Competitive Tomb Diving Experience for 1 to 6 Players! This Action Adventure board game is set in the 1930’s Pulp Era. It incorporates similar mechanics to games like Arkham Horror, Betrayal at House on the Hill, and Mice and Mystics with thematic inspirations from the worlds of H.P. Lovecraft, The Da Vinci Code, Pirates of the Caribbean, and of course Indiana Jones!
The first adventure we came up with played with the Ancient Astronauts theme. It’s called The Pharaoh with the Blue Eyes. 6000 years ago, a ship crashed near Cairo, Egypt. The pilot of the ship enslaved the people, forcing them to create the Pyramids and thus creating the great Egyptian civilization. He was immortal and cruel, so his High Priests poisoned him and placed him into the Tomb forever, or so they thought. In 1933, the pharaoh has awakened and will enslave the Earth unless he is stopped. Enter the Eternal Order of Perseus, a group dedicated to combating Evil wherever it rears its head. They enter the Tomb to do combat with the pharaoh, with Mankind’s Fate in their hands.
Since then, I have become an independent Game Designer. I have been very busy, with several projects in the works as you read this. My goal is to provide the maximum enjoyment possible with my designs without you spending too much money. I have also begun to bring my writing to the internet, and my goal is to publish the first of my Epic Fantasy series this year. The first story in that series is available, and I hope you take a look. It’s called “Bakir’s Helm” and it’s on Amazon as an ebook. Please enjoy.
