Van Ryder Games: Captive Graphic Novel Adventure Impact Review & Interview

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In today’s episode Bruce takes a look at the solo graphic novel choose your adventure game Captive published by Van Ryder Game. Make your character and set out to save your daughter from her captors while navigating unexpected and interesting story twists that had Bruce come back to the table multiple times. In addition, there is a insightful interview withe the President of Van Ryder Games, AJ Porfirio. During the interview they talk about the history of Van Ryder Games, what brought AJ back into the hobby and ultimately to the industry, Captive, the other 4 books of the season 1 of the Graphic Novel Adventure (GNA) series, the upcoming Kickstarter for Season 2 of GNA which goes live on March 5, 2019 at 10 am, and other upcoming games which you may enjoy!

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To learn more about Van Ryder Games:

Website: https://www.vanrydergames.com/

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Youtube “One Minute with VRG”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKShrBbJ1sU

Transcription

00:00:08 - 00:05:05

In today's episode, I'm taking a look at the game, captive which is put out by van rider games. It is a graphic novel adventure based game. Yes. That's right. Graphic novel adventure game. Stay tuned for that. And then for an interview with the president of van rider games. Welcome to board game impact my name is Bruce Brown and I'm your host now. What board game impact is for those of you who are new, it's a podcast as well as other media outlets that we also have a Facebook YouTube, and Instagram in which I bring my educational background. I'm getting my PHD in human resource development, which is to go out there and help organizations and individuals make a positive impact on the world. And combine that with my passion for board games, and all with the hope of helping you the listener make educated decisions for the betterment of your gaming group and your experience within the hobby now today. I've got a very interesting episode for you in that we're going to be looking at the game, captive which is put out by van rider games, extremely unique compared to many other games you've ever experienced in your life. Now say this because the game doesn't have a box the game is a book and it's a graphic novel adventure book, and we're going to be taking a look quickly. It will my experience has been. Playing through this game played through it several times now. And then also stay tuned for the latter half of this episode the majority of this episode which is going to be a conversation about this, and the other games in its series with myself and the president of van writer games. So I've already said, but unlike many other games captive is not a box. It is a book. It's a literal graphic adventure book. And when you open it up, it's got very nice art with different panels, and quote, bubbles and things like that. And just as a heads up, I will be avoiding going into too much detail about the contents of it because this is a game where since adventure based, there are spoilers. I'm trying to seek to have this be spoiler free. So that way you can really unlock these things for yourself. If it's something you sound of interest, and I think you might think is going to be interesting for you. So in captive you don't roll any dice, you need nothing. But the book and a pen, now I will say that I went on board game geek and found the link to. Van writer games as website, where I found a PDF for the character sheet. Now, the character sheet has your characters picture and then boxes for its strength dexterity and willpower, as well as its health your inventory notes, and then a fascinating thing time. And so what you do is you have twenty points of experience that you get to play with between the strengths dirty and will have to have a minimum of five points in each of them now from there, you assign the other five points out as you will. And so for me personally, chose to put six points into strength five points into dexterity and nine points into will where you might use to point all extra five points into your strength or dexterity or spread them out evenly across and then beyond that you all start with twenty health, and then a couple items one of them's, you can start out, within captive is a gun and a wallet and then ten. Thousand European banknotes. Now, why do you have so much money on your hand? Because like I said this game does pull in some adult themes, and sadly, in this story, it starts out with, and this is public information. This is not a spoilers right there on the Kickstarter, and it's literally paid one of the book and that is your father, and your daughter has been taken like leeann Niessen in taken. However very different story than that. And so what you're trying to do is you're trying to go and rescue your daughter, and it's the money, which is the ransom money. Now I talked to you about what else is on this sheet and see the twenty health, what's going to be happening throughout the game. You're going to read a comic book, panel, essentially graphic novel panel that's going to have text and some very emit like fantastic art on this really captivating for lack of a better word. Yes, I use the almost the name of the game in the name right there, so captivating. But what's what's fascinating? Is that each panel or every couple of panels has a different? Number. And so will be a big box in the upper left hand corner. And we'll happen is in the text boxes. It'll say let's say you're in a room and there's two other two doors might say and these are random numbers one. Oh, one over one of them. And then sixty seven over the other one. And so you do is the reader, is you flip to you that particular panel comic panel.

00:05:05 - 00:10:04

And then that's where your adventure keeps going. So it's like a branching tree of decisions. Now I mentioned to you how there's this time element and that is because you're trying to save her daughter, right? Because you're on a time crunch. And so if you ever encounter a panel that has this little hourglass symbol. It's very easy. It's even in yellow you Mark off your time meter because of that gets full didn't do it in time, which is pretty sad. But luckily, that never happened to me. What happened to me was actually died several times, so you can have your character pass away from different things in the story. And so took. Me several several playthrough to get the win. But here's the deal just because I had played through it before it didn't give me any kind of advantage, really. Because I didn't know what the decisions were going to mean after I took them and accept if I'd been down that road. But what's fascinating is even though gives you the numbers for the rooms or the different things to do in the book. You're going through so many numbers and flipping back and forth in this book, because they're not in chronological order, your flipping back so much that you're gonna forget where you've been. And so I actually felt like I was in this mysterious place and I didn't know my way around which is fascinating that this could create that kind of experience for me as a player even through multiple players. They did a fascinating thing and that is that they hid numbers in the photos. So every box you're stopping. You're pausing. Is there something missing is there something there, and essentially, these little things are dangling out there for you to, to bite, the hook on, and then you can follow it down this other set of things that you never expected? And so it was really cool to be able to interact literally interact inside of this experience inside of the story, and having that designed really facilitated that and I just thought it was fascinating, because I caught myself at times, trying to flip back and forth. Real quick to the different panels. And because I wanted to keep up with the story, but then if I just paused and smell the roses. I would have noticed them different things. So as I played through this more, I recognize myself, pausing, more and taking in greater experiences was just a fascinating thing. If you think about it that a graphic novel can have you pause and reflect and not just keep going through the story and having the story board experience, and so, I really appreciated the intention -ality that they did at that because I felt it made it that much more immersive. Now, I did not expect this to end the way it did, or to have the things come up in it that it did. And so there are a lot of twists and turns for you to go out there and experience, which is just really great. It made me want to get this back to the table. But here's the deal, I said back to the table. Right. But I took this while I was traveling because it's a book, I was able to go anywhere with it. I could sit in a coffee shop. It could go anywhere. I didn't have to have a lot of space and the size of this book is essentially a size of small journal. So a mole Skinner things like that. It's not this giant graphic novel that you would pick up a store. It's smaller is a perfect perfect size. And so with that I was able to go to these different places, and go through this now in saying all this. This is for one player and this is four one player. Now what's fascinating? Is there going to be having some other ones come out with their season two, which is going to be launching on March fifth? And that's why I'm talking about captive now because I want you to know if this is something that you're interested in a, you're going to be able to go onto van writer games as website and pick this up already currently as low as those other titles mentioned. But I want you to know about that upcoming Kickstarter because if you're interested in this, you're gonna wanna get in on that. And so, I want you to know Wayne advance that's coming up on March fifth other things about captive it really was just immersive. I liked the interactions that it brought out in myself I kept finding myself with this tension of like, what would my character do? What do I think I should be doing like putting myself in this role? Play of being a father, which I am not yet and trying to figure that out. And what would my character being experiencing with this, and then also try? To play it. Okay. My character has a lot in strength, for example. Well, does that influence the way I'm going to do things because he's more macho or for me? I put a lot in willpower, because I thought for me it was a thing of. Hey, my daughter got kidnapped. I am seeing this through I'm going into the lion's den and so- willpower made sense for me, and that's why I put that there because that's the kind of experience. I wanted to have additionally, if you wanna play through multiple times, you can try and do that, where you can change your stats up. And you can you can go and you can try it out new, there was one more tension that brought out in me and that was, I would leave a room and be in a hallway with let's say five rooms, and they'd each have numbers over them.

00:10:06 - 00:15:09

I had no idea which room. I just came out of and I kept finding this tension at times too. I'm not really going to go into the room and it's kinda like peak in into make sure I know what room that was. And so there's that temptation, just like flip the page and just see if I remember the picture, what's, what's fascinating is. I somehow held back from that, and in talking with AJ which we're going to hear about later. I did hear that some players like try and do that. And cheat the system a little bit usually after many more players, and so it, it's only up to you to manage that and mitigate that. And so if you find yourself, I know gonna cheat, like every time maybe, maybe not the greatest. But or if you can build it in and find a way to hold yourself accountable, I encourage you to do so, because the experience that you're going to unlock is going to be worth it because you're gonna. Get to experience and create a story now, here's the deal, like they made this story they published the story. But I legitimately felt like I had control in the moment over my destiny, which is really cool and very thankful for van rider gains for bringing this to the United States and full disclosure van rider games. Did send me this copy of captive from me to check out that influences your decisions in any way? But here's the deal, the price point on the back of the book is just twenty two ninety nine and I honestly feel I got a lot more value out of this than that price point. But I do you want to draw attention to that just in case that does sway you in any way. But I honestly this is a game. I'm looking forward to picking up the other ones because this is just one of five and I'm looking forward to diving into the other ones. And so I know I've kind of talked a lot about this just now, but it's one of those games that had me coming back to scratching my head about the decisions I was going to be making which. Any game that can find create emotions and players and create an emerging engaging experience is just fun to check out. And so that is captive encourage you to go check it out. So you're gonna van ride or games dot com. In addition, I want you to stay tuned. We're going to take a quick break begin. When we come back, we're going to have an interview with the president of van writer gains, we're gonna talk more about captive more about this graphic novel adventure system and then some of their other upcoming games that also branch off of this experience, and I think you're really going to enjoy that sustained. Welcome back to you board game impact, so I have something wonderful for y'all. Now, this is really what you've been listening to the entire episode for. And that is I have an interview with the president of van rider games, now, just before we get into all that van writer games has been doing a lot of great things in the industry started back in two thousand eleven they had the number one solitaire game of the year with hostage negotiator and, you know, from this episode that we're gonna be talking, particularly about the graphic novel adventures. And so without further ado, I want to introduce AJ preferred yo. Hey, good. How are you? I'm doing good. So you're joining us today. Thank you so much for coming on the air. Can you let the listeners a little bit more about you and your experience in the hobby? Oh, sure. Yeah. Yet been been a wild ride. I've, I've been a for the kind of. With Bandar games as you sort of mentioned, since two thousand eleven I've pretty much been at gamer all my life though. I grew up playing DND hero quest. All kinds of or games card games. Magic the gathering everything you could think of sort of geek in the eighties would play eighties. Nineties with play. And then I sorta had a hiatus from gaming for a little bit while I was in college, and I years of, of my marriage and sort of being an adult all that good stuff. Then I found my way back to the gaming world. And with some of the, the. The way that it has become easier with the internet sort of make games and Brent cards on demands and things like that didn't really exist prior to the internet. I was able to sort of take take a stab it at doing a design of my own and around the same time. Kickstarter was sort of becoming a thing, and I've sort of jumped in at first, and we've been not only survived, but, but grow the company to where we are now which is.

00:15:11 - 00:20:02

Myself and my business partner fulltime as well as we have one employee that we fired this year. So it's been a wild ride amazing ride. It's, it's the blast, but it's scary all sink. That's absolutely wonderful. Congratulations on hiring your first employee besides your business partner. So what made you go and jump into the other side because you said he'd been away from the hobby and then what made you take that dive into the industry. Yeah. It was. I mean, I got back into gaming, I but what got me back in was actually what was what instigated me taking your shot design, which was at the time had very young children. And so getting off for a game night was was challenging at best and I had discovered using internet that, hey, these, there's other board games out there. And in particular I was looking for zombie game. And so I came across last night on earth, which is a fairly popular zombie game. And I say asked my wife was like can you give me that game for Christmas? And so come Christmas time it happened. I got the game. I was like super excited like jazzed play it, and none of the family in town. I could really get to sit down and play it. And so those kind of a little bit of buzzkill, and that game does not play solitaire. At least it didn't at that time. And I'm not sure if there's a variant there's probably is now but I had thought my head. Hey if this game at played solo, then I could have just sat down experience myself so that got me down the path of hail. Maybe I'll just design my own solitaire Dombi game. And so that's what sort of kicked off the ahead fast forward a year year and a half. And I had our first game as ambi- game on Kickstarter and refunded for over ten grand. And here we are. Yeah, that's absolutely wonderful. Actually have a friend of mine who they just had a baby in September. And he's like, did I leave my DVD dice at your house 'cause he's dipping his hands because he can't get out? It's very relatable thing. And so he's still looking for that. And I think that's wonderful that you turn then into something that others can enjoy. And because that's really what we're here for rights to go out there and bring people together through this awesome thing called board gaming so fast forwarding a little bit. What inspired the graphic novel adventures? So graphing ventures. They're actually a it's a whole line of game books that we've licensed from company in France. So we are not the creators per se of those properties. We licensed them translate them to English and bring them over to US and Canada. But I, I found those on Borgen Equador I found one captive Doan yet youth played, actually. Our, our licensing partner. Lou orange era, who we license through? They had printed a limited number of, of that game in English, and I came across it on board game, and I'm always looking for, you know, maybe their stuff out there that hasn't gotten exposure, maybe it should and I went and I was reading the comments on the ratings and a lot of people really liked it. But they there was a lot of comments that said something to the effect of well, it's great, but it's hard to find, so I can't really recommend it goes is not really in a good place for you to get US, which I'm like, whoa, lightbulb. Like maybe this is an opportunity. And so from there, I went, and, and I thought, hey, I'll give it a shot. Why not send an Email over and see if it's something maybe we could do because it's it's perfectly in our brand or very solo game or. Oriented on some all we do, but, you know, hostage negotiator in success, we've had with that were very very much in touch our fan base is very interested in in solitaire game so fit perfect. I win over as you already know now it worked out and, and come to find out did know that time, there was a whole slew of these things with different themes different worlds. I was like this is amazing. And so, yeah, we we've we signed many of the books bring him over as, as fast as we can the next set next series ears, one up on Kickstarter March, fists or thrill Bill about that. Absolutely end listeners be on the lookout for that coming out in March fifth.

00:20:03 - 00:25:01

Just real quick, just to recaps a season one, obviously included captive which was absolutely wonderful to play through. But then also at tiers of goddess. Loop guru your town, and then also Sherlock Holmes for investigations. And in looking through those captive had this really old captivating for lack of a better word story. And I know some people might be curious and we've talked about this just before, but just to bring it back really get immersed in that experience of being this character. And in looking at the aspects of the other stories because I haven't gotten a chance to play through those. They all look very, very different. So with tears of a goddess you have this map where you get to go out explores a bounty hunter. You've got a skill tree, and Luke grew. You've got building town in your town, and then insure like homes you can play multiple characters. So what's the feedback been about all these different types of experiences that players are getting to have? It's, it's really interesting because of the variability you're talking about. I've seen, you know a one person experience the books and they love the adventure style books, right? Like captive and Luke grew. Maybe not. Maybe they didn't like as much the mystery solver Sherlock or the almost euro style of your town, where it's very complex, and you're building town. And then you'll have another person who's the exact opposite Nate. Love your town war, and they liked the complexity, and they love the how much is involved that variability in the systems, actually gives a Louis something for everyone. But I honestly, do think where most people fall if you're if you enjoy one of them, you're going to enjoy all of them. And of course, you're going to have a favorite, but yeah, like you're saying different systems. They all work differently, which is really cool to see, but they still have that sort of core mechanism of. Hey, you see numbers in the frames, and you get to do different things. That's great. And I'll show offers players variable experiences that they can come back feel refreshed. It's not a take this book off. It's going to be a repeat of the other books. I've already seen. No, it's really something new to discover, which is awesome. And then so in season two, you just released all the cover photos, which they look gorgeous, by the way, I recommend listeners, go out, check those out, and, of course, hit the Kickstarter March fifth, but the covers look gorgeous and just real quick. I'm going to run through the titles. And if you wouldn't mind kinda talk about what players might be expecting with what's coming out. I know obviously some spoilers once the kicks are launches, and we want them to dive into that. But we've got another Sherlock Holmes with Moriarty associates. We've got the pirates the great chase you. Mystery got Sherlock Holmes, the challenge of Irene Adler, and then pirates the city of skulls. Absolutely. So to your point about them being all different. This is no exception. So even folks who have played the I five you're going to get a lot of new things in this next five. So starting with Sherlock and Moriarty. The folks that have played for investigations are going to be familiar with you can play as either Sherlock or as home are sorry, Sherlock or Watson K, but in Moriarty, you actually have this sort of tentative agreement with Moriarty to work together. So now rare. You can play as Moriarty and so what makes Moriarty really cool is. Sure, locker or over Watson. You're trying to avoid the whoever you're interrogating getting upset with you, because they won't answer questions anymore, though, at Moriarty, he can actually like kind of browbeat them. So if they get if they get fussy with him, he can sort of threaten them, and then they're going to give them more information. So good cop bad cop. But literal bad cop. Yeah. Exactly. And so that opens up a whole other dynamic, which is really flips game on its head versus in, in the previous book. You're trying to avoid offending the person that all costs. Now, if you're playing Moriarty you might want to try to do it. And so it really it continues right where for investigations left off and sort of continues, the storyline in a really cool way. And for players you haven't done for investigations, that is it okay to jump right into Moriarty? Yeah. All I mean some of the books that they'll continue other books, but there's no book that you could not jump in straight into, if you had to play the previous ones. Yeah. So the next one that we've revealed as pirates the great chase. So this is the first pirates book, and it starts off your on a pirate ship. You're captain and a prisoner jumps overboard start sweating to a nearby island.

00:25:02 - 00:30:04

Exactly what you wanna have happened. Yeah, the captain's like everybody get that guy bring back. So that's where it begins. You you follow him to the island, and it's very exploration, heavy so. Some of the books you might be familiar with. You can pick things up totally unprompted. So like example, your town and Luke grew. I think both have it where you see rock on the side of the road. And you wanna bring with you? You pick it up. You bring with you may not be useful, but you could do it, or, or maybe it will be this one has a lot of that. We are looking for different items as you go in your chasing. The prisoner of trying to catch him. Sounds like a lot of fun. It's really cool. Artwork is great. It's very whimsical. But at the same time, it's like there's some things in there that you're like, oh, my gosh. I can't believe that happened. Mystery? Is the third announced that is a superhero themed one and this, so my favorite folks knowing have always known, my favorite is Luke grew. But mystery has now challenged that for my favorite one. Ooh, it's is a totally new system to the other books, and it's very humorous and comedic. So it's almost there's all some parodies in their of, of Subaru, tropes, and things like that, just really, really hit home for me. So I loved it. I think I think people are gonna love that one very exciting. You just to go a little bit. And how it works. You, you are you're sort of a, a new hero, trying to join this group called the legion of champions. And the book is, you have to go through some challenges to be able to sort of make the group in for them to accept you. And you're a new hero. So your powers at the beginning our our low, but as you go through your you're building. So you're learning you flight, you have strength of super senses. And one of the powers, even like being super-rich. So. Oh. Yes. Right. Yeah. There's some funny moments where it's like, hey, if you have to super-rich points, you know, you could do something in it. It's comical. That's perfect from that Batman, well the Justice league where he's meeting the flash for the first time like what powers? Do you have? I'm rich exactly exactly. So playing on that. Drove a little more. It's really great. I love it a lot. So they're onto Irene Adler service or like an irony or this is this again, flips the Schlaug homes books onto a sort of new platform of actually played us onto players. Now you're not sitting there at the same time playing in parallel for say, but was the way it works as one personal players Sherlock, and they'll go through a part of the book and then the next person gets takeover as Irene and they're gonna go through the same part of the book, but each each of those characters can do different things. So your experiences are going to be different, and then you sort of go through the book together, and then the book at the end will there, there is a winner loser, so you can actually eat your opponent. If you're if you're playing one of the other, and of course, it still plays completely find solo. So if you're still playing one player, it's not a problem. Mm-hmm. On, you'll pick one or the other Sherlock or Irene and you'll play through the book as that character so that one downs a lot of funds. Well, then, finally ir it's the city of skulls is the follow up to the great chase. So again, this is another one that continues right where the first one left off, don't again. You don't have to play the first one it will work, fine. But it it's, it's better. If you have first that one where the first one was more exploration. This one is more. You're you're in the city now. So you're there's much more interactions with other other people of in the city of their different locations in the city. It's very and I can't talk about too much, because it writings, the first one it could be seen as spoiler. But yet that one that one is off. Awesome. Follow up to the gracious and thank you for going into all those, that's actually a lot more than I expected you to share. So that's very exciting for listener. So thank you for that. And I cannot wait for this to launch because the first Kickstarter wasn't immense success by a lot of measures and just seeing the community come out together, and you and I were speaking, just before we hopped on the call about how there's been this kind of cult following on board game.

00:30:04 - 00:35:01

Geek of some very indepth thing, some people have been doing, and so wants men, some of the impact on your life, and on the company's life because you've been able to have this partnership, and bring these to the states into the English markets. It's been a usual impacted the success of the first campaign, nearly three hundred thousand dollars was a huge sort of springboard for us. It, it immediately catapulted these books into sort of core products of ours. I mean we look we said with the first one this is really successful. We're going to bring even more these two in. That's that's true today as well. So we experience, you know, similar excess with season two, you know, we certainly have plans to, to keep going with this product line. So, yeah, that's it's been great to see people get on and how much they're enjoying him. And is the follow along with that? And then as we as we do more and more of them just to see I like bring different and new things, but each book is really exciting fantastic. And yeah. Has taken a prominent place for your company just from the outside looking in. But also, you have a lot of other thing, great things going on with van writer games. Is there anything in particular you'd like to highlight? Yeah. We do have a lot of great things going on. So a couple on mention so we did a project in between the lasted a books in this set called the Crusoe crew generally uses the graphic nulla venture system, but it's a cooperative game. So it plays up to four players each player gets their own book. And in this in that game, you're actually exploring together and each character has their own ability. So I mean they'll see something in my book that you're not able to see in your book, and vice versa, for example, maybe you're playing a character that can smash the walls, you might see a number on a wall that I can't see 'cause you're strong enough to smash through it. And you may say to the table. Hey guys can break this wallet. Gus should we go explore? And maybe I'm the care that can talk to animals. And there's a butterfly flying around, and I could see a guys the butterfly saying, don't smash the wall. So I can tell you. Not to do that now. Maybe made it so good. Who knows? But keep creates really awesome experience where like we're all participating the story but we're also each getting sort of our own slant, our own view. That is actually it's going out. So we do top where you can get an advanced shipped. You early were sitting those now the wider release is planned for June. So that'll be coming out this summer mention season. Oh, probably should have those at origins. And, and the convention after that as well. So we're super shy about one takes this system, the whole of and also that one is good the season, one books are mostly geared towards upper teens to adult players. The Crusoe crew is very much family friendly, so mothers fathers can play it with their kids or. Or you could get it to your young kids, and they could bake implant themselves so very. But it's also a blast like all all adults can play it as well. We all played it ear on the first verse time loved it. So, and that's one. I've got. And so real quick, I think that's phenomenal that you're taking this system that you have had some success with absolute success with. But then also combining honestly aspects of adult learning in which you recognize that people have their own aspects, you, contribute, but it's really up to them to, like author that into the conversation. So it's nice that you're giving them the tools, which then those tools help facilitate these really nice experiences. So what's the other one? That is exciting and just what you said, before I jump to the next thing, it's a great way to get kids off devices, like, we, we were driving to Texas, the first time I play my kids and dating devices one time they just wanted to keep playing that game. So. That was like, really great to me as, as some living in the, the digital world. Now my kids love video games. Right. So it was refreshing to sort of get that reaction, and that drive from Tennessee to Texas is not a short drive by any means Aulia. That's a it's a thirteen hour drive Brawley for us to get to Houston for where I grew up. So, so, yeah, not not sure drive. And they do that the whole time but yeah, it was it was nice.

00:35:01 - 00:40:02

There was a good chunk of it. We spent playing that game. So while and just to say it, and if enough that it's noticeable with kids is a big enough. That's a big deal. And so that's a really nice win for all of our listeners kinda take that experience. And sounds like it's super immersive. Yeah. There it's funny 'cause like they still like my older two there. So they're eleven and nine almost ten they like keep asking me to play captive and like guys. No. This summit. And they're, you know, kids are they wanna they wanna be over than they are. And I'm like, no captors little a little too much for you right now. But one day, there are some adult motifs inside of captive. But also they're trying to replicate what you're doing and hearing the successive everything. So I think that's also a nice touch. Soon. So the second thing I wanna mention in this is I guess, getting back to, to some more that adult beam stuff, but we are working on. It will soon be kick. Starting probably in April the office negotiator career expansion, so we released or after this recently, and this is gonna be an expansion that takes a very popular hostage negotiator game and introduces campaign play to it. So now you'll be playing ten years throughout the life of a hostage fishy. So whereas the, the game as it exists, now, you you're solely playing in the moment of the negotiation with an of doctor that Sagan hostages laze in twenty minutes. Fifteen twenty minutes most times eight thirty minutes most and you're done, and it seems like you just watched a hostage movie. I'll now. We're taking that. And you're going to experience times in between the negotiation so what's happening at the station or any drama going on there as you try to progress in your career. What's happening home life aby all hours? You're putting in are putting a strain on your relationship with your spouse or kids or whoever else. So I think that it really does were very excited about it because it takes the game to the next level, and just makes it that much more compelling experience in ads in a very cohesive longer term story into game. That's already very and that actually sounds like it's going to be really phenomenal because it brings in the human into the experience. So it sounds like it would resonate with players because let's face it, we go to work we go home, like there's things that are going to fact one that's going to carry over into the other and to have these really high stress situations of Capt of. Of hostage negotiation like that doesn't just like end onto the next thing and just sounds like a really logical step. But a lot of other people could not make that step. So I think that's wonderful for the hobby, so you're so you said about April for that one. So looking to launch it starved April probably middle to end of the month. We'll have more details. We have locked in date yet, but we'll have more details on that soon. If your audience wants to. Wants to be aware that they can always sign up for newsletter on van, rotted came dot com or follow us on social media ban. Rider games on Twitter on Facebook. All good stuff BF. We'll have a lot more information about that soon. I it's we're going to be pretty. We're going to be pretty close lips about all the stuff involved because it's a it's a game that I want you to experience and experience all the surprises joys drama every happens in it without having been it been spoiled for them. So as an interesting hurdle, I guess, we have to figure out how sort of give people indications of how a game works but without anything. So it's a challenge. It's, it's gonna be I'm excited because so hostages is might as on it, and it's been out for going close on close to five years now. So our four, five years, something like that. Anyways, I always had this vision for it to, to be able to have a campaign move. So it's interesting because it requires so much content to be able to do that. And so we now have, you know, the base game a standalone expansion and a lot of Dr pack expansions, and you pretty much are gonna need all that stuff to play curry.

00:40:02 - 00:45:02

It's finally to the point where I can I haven't content of the to make that that career expansion happen. And so and kicks are sounds like the perfect place for that. Because you're going to be able to cultivate this place, as well as our plan soon players are going to be able to, if they don't have all the other stuff get liar, all of that together, yet will be able to we'll be at close. The gaps anyone has to the to get them everything I need to fly. So at all, even if your brand new, you'll be able to get get it all at one one one there. So, yeah, that's the that's the only really. Excited. That's that's really great. And so I just have one real last question for you. And that is you talked about how hostages has been around for about five years now you've been working on these graphic novels with this other company, and bringing that to the states, as well as other games as well in all this time, and then all of these experiences, obviously, you're traveling to different conventions. What keeps you inspired and bringing new ideas in cultivating that for you? And you're in the company and really bringing these great products to the market. Yeah. I mean, it's a I mean it's just euphoric like one, a gamer, I love gains and like we all do, right. I that's what I love this industry. Everyone loves the games, and we all were just making fun. Like what, what better can you can you do to make fun? And so, like. You know, even I was packing up the the cruise crew boxes. And just like seeing to me that like it brings back the feeling like eight. This is real like weird. We're making something four people and the people get to experience like seeing the names on boxes on labels as shut them out on, like, oh, man, I remember our like from the one player Gil, he's, he's backed ourselves from beginning or like my dad's name popped up labels. I'm like m my dad's like still ordering smart kick stars like. Yeah. I think he's knows an inside source. You could just go to. Yeah. Which is like, but it's so I mean so appreciative, you're right. He gives us ask me I'd be like here. Dad nuts thing. It's, it's, it's you feel very appreciated and like, you know, that people are enjoying something that you created or published brought brought for the book spring it here when people didn't have the option before. So whether it's us or your favorite game company continued to support your publishers, your your favorite game companies media people like and this industry does that better than than any injury. I've ever been a part of. So I hope to continue to do this, well into my old age of boscell. I'm I wake up a love coming to work. It's, it's just fantastic and congratulations on all the success that you have had. And I know listeners are all very. Sighted about what is to come. And so in closing, can you just remind our listeners how they can stay in touch with van writer games and get to know behind the scenes a little bit more. Yes. One of the new things. All plug is we're we've actually started a YouTube channel one minute with van writer games. And it's just we do every day every business day. We do new clip. We on YouTube as well as our Facebook page, it doesn't take a lot of your time. You just need about a minute or so day to sort, check out what's going on with us. Sometimes it may be cool reveal sometimes may be something not even gaming related but just whatever's happening with us. That's one our Twitter Rivera active on that atman writer games Facebook we have a fan group, as well as a face with age. And then we just actually just opened our Instagram accountable, musher. Exactly. We're gonna be doing that. But it's it's there so we get the time. We'll, we'll try to put pictures up there from different things. And then, of course, our website van rider games calm, and that's writer with the why. You can sign up for our newsletter. Find our products, everything you wanna know on their perfect end listeners if you're trying to scribble that down real quick, and then realized it was rider with a Y or things like that, just know that I'm putting all these links and the show notes, don't worry about that. But AJ say thank you so much for taking the time today. No our listeners really appreciate it, and congratulations on all the success. And also as a reminder to listeners that Kickstarter for season two of graphic novel venture is going to be out on March fifth. And so, thank you so much. AM in the morning. Ten AM in the morning. So stay tuned, click that button, get them the success that they deserve this, and enjoy the experiences that you then get to open up. But thanks so much anything, last closing remarks were listeners. I really appreciate you having me on Bruce.

00:45:02 - 00:49:28

It's always good to talk to. I'm in Tennessee now but I still consider myself a Texan. So it's always good to talk to fellow Tech's. Absolutely ends AJ, you have a wonderful rest of your dad. Now. You have a lot of game designs to get back to and fulfilment for your your backers. So congrats on all that. And look forward to connecting later. As more thing, more things got revealed. Absolutely anytime. I hope you enjoyed that interview with AJ from van rider games. My name again is Bruce Brown and you can find me on board game geek, as Bruce Brown. Thank you so much for listening to board game impact, I hope that learning about the experiences that are going on for me provide a positive experience for your gaming group. You can learn more about me by visiting the website board game impact dot com. If you have any topics that you'd like to have discussed, please Email me at four game impacted gmaiLcom. Follow me on Instagram at board game impact like the Facebook page which is board game impact if you'd like to learn more about van rider games. I'm putting all of those links in the show notes, the YouTube channel the website, the Facebook, and then stay tuned for the Kickstarter, which is going to go live about ten AM central standard time on March fifth for season, two of the graphic novel adventure series. If you like what's going on here on board game back to highly encourage you to also go over and check out. The patriot patriot dot com slash board. Game impact and check out the show and find out what's going on for patriot supporters. That'd be wonderful. But really more importantly, there's something new that I've been doing for your benefit. I learned about this fantastic competition from road microphone so road. Microphones makes the microphone that I wear for my videos that lovelier microphones, the one that cooks on and phenomenal products and roads very, very known for making great products for audio now road has this competition going on called my road cast, which I submitted, I've worked hard on submitted a two minute introduction to board game impact for the reason of road is giving out up to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars Australian in support for podcasts now that's not monetary what it actually is quick -ment into since I am doing this all really with a couple couple supporters. I'm very thankful. But really this is out of a passion and labor of love. I want to be able to bring you the absolute best audio experience, that you can experience and financially limited with that. And so I entered this competition and ever ready. One something actually, I've got an interview kit coming about two months, which is going to be able to enable me to record people at conventions with more of those livelier microphones. But the big prize that I need your help for is for this big kit of multiple very nice microphones, arm stands, a mixing board soundproofing equipment for my studio, as well as access to high end audio engineering, files and software, and then also even graphic design support, as well as road support so really go over. I want you to go to my road, cast dot com. That's M. Y. R. O. D. E. C A S, T dot com. And then while you're there. Just type in board game impact, and please do go and vote you can vote every day. So please go back and vote because there is a panel of judges that are going to be judging them. And I think the entry is very high quality, but also let's just lock in that user support one as well. And to please go out there and share that let people know about it, you, click the button, that's a share my video. I don't know why it says share my video when all of it is audio files, but click that shirt to your Facebook page, that would mean so much, if you could do that because I want to win this because I want to bring better experiences for you from this. And now it's going to remind you again. Please do go and check out van writer games, Facebook page go and check out the Kickstarter for season, two of the graphic novel adventure series, which is going to go live on March fifth opioid today's episode and until next time go have a positive impact on the world.