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Blogs and Reviews, Duley Deduces, Reviews

With a smile and a lotta fun

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Howdy! I’m back to tell you about a new Kickstarter project that needs your help to get published. With a Smile and a Gun comes to us from Jon Vallerand at Subsurface Games and is a two-player dice-drafting and area-majority game set in a fantastical noir reimagining of the Prohibition era. I was sent a hand-assembled prototype copy with rules and art that were not yet final. I have a LOT I want to say, so let’s dive in!

When Mr. Vallerand first reached out to me, I honestly had to temper my excitement. The game has a cool name and hits a LOT of my buttons: dice, drafting, noir, strategy, and variable setup. I warned Mr. Vallerand that I only do reviews, that I’m a bit of a critical snob because of my background and experience, and that I will *only* offer honest feedback. I am incapable of flowery, hype-building documents for the sake of making a game sound good. But that just seemed to make him even more determined to get the game in front of me. 

Figuring I could at the least, maybe, help him out, I jumped in to see what he had. Honestly, my hopes were high but my expectations were low. This is Mr. Vallerand’s first venture into the world of publishing. The core mechanic of the game (moving around a square grid and sequentially distributing markers for territory control) is something I’ve seen before in a few old abstract games and puzzles. The original rules were pretty sparse and a little ugly. The component count is WAY higher than I expected for the size, weight, and time frame of the game. Basically, I had several small red flags that gave me reason for concern. 

THE BIG SHOW:

Now that you have an idea of my worries going in, let’s talk about what the game actually IS: 

This thing is SEXY. The box cover is arresting. I promise you I would snatch that thing off a shelf if I saw it in a store. The cards are the same level of stylized gorgeousness. I just want to decorate my office with this game’s illustrations. Even the map – probably the least critical art asset in the game – is so freaking pretty. Remember when I said I’m a snob? Reused, tiled, and recycled assets are an actual pet peeve of mine. EACH DISTRICT IS DIFFERENT! Did they need to be? NO. But they are and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that level of care. I fully expect to see a lot more games in the future adorned with Justin Lanjil’s work.

The rules are impressively clean. Normally, I have to play prototypes with the open rules in my hand as I stumble through the first half of the game because the poorly written rules leave me strruggling to figure out how everything is *supposed* to work. With a Smile and a Gun just makes sense. I used a player aid in the beginning to remind me briefly of turn order and to “Settle the Score” at the end of the round. As I continued playing it over the course of a couple weeks, I only used the Player Action Aid to make sure my drafted dice did what I needed. I own a LOT of published games which aren’t this clear and easy to learn. 

I was not prepared for how engaging this little beast is. Like Santorini, With a Smile and a Gun grabbed me right away because the control and engagement are subtle – sneaky even. The core mechanic, as mentioned above, is straightforward. Simple. No real conflict. However, special powers, the way control is settled at the end of each round, and even the way final scoring is handled lead to some dirty-dirty shenanigans. Rotten shenanigans like boosting police presence to force a tie in a district you just can’t gain control of in order to keep your opponent from scoring there. Or taking / rerolling dice just to keep your opponent from drafting them. Or setting up the Shadow to steal the one Business Control Token that would’ve allowed your opponent to block your monopoly. It’s simple but clever, underhanded, and so tasty to pull off.

RIDING SOLO

With a Smile and a Gun has an impressive THREE ways to play on your own: a basic mode against an automated rival gang, a mission-centric mode, and a beat-the-high-score mode with no rival gang. Unfortunately, these solo rules only became available during the last few days I had with the game. So, please understand that I did not get to play solo as much as I wanted nor did I play with the final version of the rules. 

Solitaire rules were easy to understand and buttery smooth. I’ve played plenty of solo variants which are awkwardly challenging to keep track of turn progress without that other player. With a Smile and a Gun’s turn tracking system of drafting dice and placing them on a “clock” perfectly fixes this common challenge. You can feel the turn progress and watch your control wax and wane. It is just as easy to learn as the rest of the game, buttery smooth, and easy to operate.

Although impressive, I did not really enjoy my initial plays with the solo system. Keep in mind that I am a SNOB who plays and designs a LOT of solitaire games and variants. The system featured a process of following you and doing basic actions better than you can. It was very easy for me to “game” the system and have my way with the town. In my plays, I controlled the only monopolies and completely blew away my rival’s score. 

::UPDATE:: However, during the online tournament that Subsurface hosted to prepare for the Kickstarter launch, I was able to try out some updated solitaire rules that Mr. Vallerand excitedly shared with me. The team kept most everything the same and added 1 single important rule: if the rival controls a district, they gain 1 credit with every business present through control tokens. How the game prioritizes taking control tokens didn’t change. How the Rival leader chooses dice didn’t change. BUT that one tiny rule ABSOLUTELY changed how I had to play. Before, if the Rival was looking to lead a district over the Police or lead a district with a Hat (points) and a business, I didn’t have to worry because my monopolies were safe. Simply, I didn’t need to actually *stop* the Rival in order to win. I spent the game gifting the Rival and Police small victories while I scooped up the businesses. 

NOW, multiple businesses in a single district is a nightmare scenario because I have to make sure the Police and I lead at the end of the round. Moreover, let’s say that you, like me, feel bored by an AI that will always move as close to you as they can. You feel like every turn is the same decision of trying to move *just* short or far enough that the AI can’t move exactly the same and thereby win you some space to breathe. Good news: there’s a Shadow card that will shoot that plan in the face! If you catch the attention of the Gumshoe, she’ll block you from taking the highest value die for movement OR actions. This doesn’t just foil *your* plans. This also severely inhibits your ability to control the dice available for the Rival to use. Seriously, I went from repeated, embarrassing victories with the old system to losing by HALF under the new system with a Gumshoe following me all over town. It was humiliating. And very very enticing. 

I hope Mr. Vallerand and Carla Kopp continue to fine tune the rules as they race toward publication. From what I’ve already seen, though, this will be fantastic for anyone who enjoys the base game. Solitaire is just as smooth and can be just as challenging as a 2 player session. Overall, the aim is deliciously ambitious and I can’t wait to play more.

CONCLUSION

Sorry this has been so long winded. I wanted to convey just how much of a surprise this game was for me and give you a feel for how much it has captured my heart. I was only able to spend a few weeks with a prototype version of With a Smile and a Gun, but I think I love it. Like, most every weekend of the month since I had to give it up has seen me ANGRY that I couldn’t keep playing. I hate that I can’t keep diving into that solo system. My wife and I have started hosting patio parties where we have a distanced-dinner with friends under trees in our backyard, AND I’M ANGRY I DON’T HAVE THIS TO PLAY OUTSIDE. I am DEFINITELY backing this on Kickstarter and cannot wait to play again. 

TLDR:

Crazy pretty game. Tricksy and puzzley with subtle, clever tactical play. Not mean in a “take-that” way, while still providing player engagement and agency. Super ambitious solo system. I WILL back the Kickstarter because I want a lot more of this in my life.

With a Smile and a Gun is on Kickstarter NOW! Please, head over and lend your much needed support. You can also find Subsurface Games on Twitter and on the web.

Hot Pursuit, Kickstarter, Lessons Learned

#34: Get the Word Out (KS Lesson #2)

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Here we are: my second lesson on things I should and could have done better with this campaign.  Last time, I really only spoke about my reactions to the launch. This time, however, we get down and dirty with decisions I made (or didn’t) and what I will do differently next time.

Marketing sucks. Marketing is not advertising; although advertising (short-term) is part of a marketing plan. Marketing is promoting and selling products, services, or yourself – in other words, not short-term. Marketing, unfortunately, is completely crucial to the success of a business and not even a little bit easy for those of us who are more introverted. And marketing is where I failed miserably.

If you look at my Kickstarter profile, you’ll see that I’ve backed a lot of projects – 3 of those I backed purely because the creators got me all excited with posts on Twitter. I have also spent most of 3 years researching how to successfully launch a publishing business through crowdfunding. Therefore, I have seen a lot of successes. I already know (and you should, too) that I need to talk all over social media about tests and development; share pictures as I hand build prototypes, play games at conventions, game stores, and UnPub style events, and update / upgrade the illustrations and graphic design; and build the Kickstarter page early so that I can get feedback and allow people to build/share excitement before it launches.

Unfortunately, I allowed myself to run into a STUPID mental-block. Hot Pursuit has very little art and basically no graphic design (4 different illustrations and no text or icons), and it was developed in a very short time. Because I didn’t have all that early stuff to share, I stopped. Instead of looking for alternatives / solutions, I trusted advertising, friends, and a good product to carry my campaign. Well, hope and good intentions don’t go far in the fickle world of crowdfunding.

Here’s what I’m doing next time:

  • Share More – I’ve mentioned this before pertaining to the blog itself. I’m still learning how to talk more. Fortunately, this blog is not just a reason to put myself out there but a good method. Game design is something I LOVE talking about. I could go all stinking day. As I share more here, I’m building the skills and habits necessary to share more about my games, too.
  • Advertise Early – Dumb mistake here which mostly comes down to a lack of actionable research. Most project creators I follow spend the big advertising bucks mid to late campaign to counter the mid-campaign slump and magnify the big boost that typically comes in the last 48 hours. Well, I only recently figured out that several great advertising avenues are really affordable. Absurdly affordable. Next time, to help build excitement/interest and offset my really small social media reach, I will start advertising BEFORE the campaign.
  • More Reviews – My initial plan didn’t involve the avalanche of reviews that is totally possible and often present on first-time creator projects. Mostly, I didn’t want to bother reviewers I don’t actually follow. Plus, reviews cost money (between printing and mailing, the 2 reviews I currently have cost roughly $250) and even really high profile reviewers don’t actually sell a lot of games. They do help but it’s not typically a direct results kind of thing. I had forgotten about a few important aspects of reviews, though. They help build interest, validate the quality of the game, and (most importantly) give me something to share. Best of all, that last part is an opportunity to help myself and them. As you can probably guess, I’ll be making use of more reviews in the future.
  • Launch Party – I didn’t throw one. I don’t have a large group of friends, a big or busy local game store, or, really, any experience in throwing parties. A common alternative is a Facebook “party”. Again, I have a fairly small social reach. Basically, I had no good plan until Tuesday, when I had the opportunity to chat with Mr. Patio at The Board of Games. His is one of many organizations around the country which organize game groups in bigger cities and offer marketing / advertising services. What I should have done is take advantage of their hosting services. Therefore, next time, I’ll coordinate with them to advertise and feature my game at one of their bigger game nights and invite everyone I can to my launch party. Remember: it’s okay to ask for help 😉
  • Videos – This one I knew was important before I started but was unable to pull together the resources to make it happen. Videos showcasing your gameplay are always important. Unfortunately, my less than solid plans fell through. With so very many new projects launching on Kickstarter every day, there is no reason for backers to assume I’m not just another idiot. Hot Pursuit sounds fairly gimmicky, looks too simple, and needs to be played to be believed by average gamers. That coupled with the fact that most people would rather watch a video than read some rules means I painted myself into a stupid corner. I KNOW that Hot Pursuit is a great game – a lot of fun, very portable, and deceptively difficult. This isn’t my first design and I’ve done my research and tested the game. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to see the fun without playing. Therefore, I must and, going forward, will always make sure I have videos ready upon launch to help others see what I see.
  • Written Fiction – I don’t consider this a mistake; instead, a missed opportunity. I have plans for fiction written around a much bigger series of Sci-fi games I’d like to publish later on down the line. However, I failed to consider the potential for this particular game. Writings which bring to life the 4 different stories in Hot Pursuit would be fun to write and great opportunities for sharing. Plus, some people actually enjoy reading that sort of thing.

Understand that this is not written from a place of failure or with a defeated heart. These are simply things fresh in my mind right now. I deliberately launched Hot Pursuit first and at this time of year. I have high hopes of funding, still, but this project is both a launching point and a chance to learn. Now, what do you think? What else could I have done to better prepare for launch?

Hot Pursuit, Kickstarter, Lessons Learned

#32: Day 1 Down; 29 to Go

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Good morning. This is a monumental day. I have waited a year and a half for today. Many, many hours of research, planning, saving and spending, 32 blog posts, countless smiles and hand shakes,  and innumerable prayers have gone out in preparation for today. What day is it?

THE DAY AFTER I LAUNCHED MY FIRST KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN!

It’s a pretty amazing thing. I’m not funded, yet. I still don’t know everything there is to know. But, I finally took this particular first-step. No matter how much I studied, asked, planned, and prepared, some things you just can never know until you FINALLY launch out into the real world and watch that rocket fly. Like always, I’m excited to share with you what I figured out – just yesterday 😉

#1: The spam is incredible.
Holy smokes the spam. Day 1 and I have at least as many spam messages through Kickstarter and personal emails as I do backers. The thing I find most surprising about the spam, though, is the way they start by wishing me success but apologizing for not having the money to back my project. I have a $1 tier. Even my slightly disinterested co-worker can afford to back my project. I would actually have read their emails and weighted their offers if they hadn’t started by telling me they couldn’t invest $1 in a business partnership.

#2: It will be easier than you expect.
This one also caught me by surprise. Getting ready for yesterday was one of the scariest endeavors of my life. Some nights, the thought of launching would make me shake with fear. I would get sick researching shipping and printing costs because I dreaded the idea of anyone feeling cheated by my product.  Ugh! I almost delayed my launch extra days. That morning, though, all the pieces fell into place just as I planned. I was about to go to bed and wait another day. But I looked over the page again and came to the realization that I had already done everything. I know I made a few mistakes, but another day would not have changed anything. Ever since then, it’s been like driving on a road trip. I know where I’m headed. I know how to get there. The journey has started. If I keep following the signs, making the appropriate stops for food and gas, and stay alert, I will arrive at my dream. Now, I’m not saying it’s a struggle to stay awake because I’m so bored. Just that it isn’t the nightmare that my fear-racked mind had built it up to be. Don’t forget that you have friends. Those friends would love to help you out if only you would ask 😀

#3: You will cry.
Holy cow the people! We all hope our friends and family will support us. Every single person I have asked for help has jumped on board. It’s amazing. I don’t know who my first backer is. In fact, I don’t recognize 5 out of my first 7 backers. It’s crazy! The outpouring of support has been unbelievable! Will it keep up? I can only hope. I do know for certain, though, that I really wish I could hug every single backer for believing in me and my game. Even now I’m tearing up. With 103 backed projects, I never imagined I could be making someone else feel like this. You should know right now, every time you back a project, you are making someone cry 😉

#4: Stop planning and start preparing. 
I hope that if you write a blog offering advice and sharing lessons learned, you’ll actually listen to yourself. Despite my #1 lesson (Just do Something), roughly half of my anxiety in getting ready for launch has resulted in my planning – only planning. This was my biggest mistake. I will probably mention it in every single “Lesson Learned” regarding Kickstarter because it was such a debilitating, stupid, and expensive mistake. Plenty of reasonable sounding excuses kept me from building my page when I could have and gave me pause in asking for quotes from printers and shippers. None of them were good enough, though. All of them hurt me in the long run. Are you thinking about running a Kickstarter campaign, too? Stop planning and start preparing! 

That’s all for now. Feel free to swing by the campaign, checkout how I’m handling the updates, see how I structured my tiers, and hold your breath with me as I wait to see if I properly budgeted my shipping costs. Have a great day!