Where does the name come from?
I used to be a cover band called Anarchy Pants where I was known as Jason Anarchy. I kept that for game design because I thought it would be memorable and somewhat represent the style of games I would put out.
Plus I’m a big fan of punk rock and I kind of modelled my company after labels like Fat Wreck Chords and Asian Man Records where they kind of remain at the top of the underground and only put out things they really like but never quite break mainstream success.
I’ve been able to keep this DIY business going since 2011!
How do I make it in the tabletop games industry?
This is hands down the most common question I'm asked. Everyone has a different path so it's tough to come up with "One size fits all" advice. That being said, here is my best advice that could apply to anyone:
Spend a lot of time making games for fun first and playing them with your friends.
Find a mix of established industry norms but also mix it with your own way of doing things.
Have a budget to promote your work especially if you're brand new and doing a crowd funding campaign. Yes, you basically have to kickstart a Kickstarter. It's beneficial to save up some money ahead of time instead of calling in every possible favour right away.
Like any endeavour, the more time and effort you put into it, the bigger the payoff. You have to work harder at creating your game and promoting it than the next aspiring designer. I've personally taken a lot of influence from the DIY work ethic of indie punk bands.
Be active in different online communities where your main audience is.
Figure out the difference between a vanity project and something that other people would reasonably want to play.
Making a great game and connecting it to the proper audience is important but also you need to be able to sum it up in one sentence. The 30 second elevator pitch is a thing of the past. Attention spans are getting shorter and you really only get a tagline to grab someone's attention and set yourself apart. Taglines that have worked for me are "It's a Drinking Game and a Tabletop RPG" and "A game for grownups who feel like they're pretending."
Work as many conventions as you can. Make friends, playtest, sell your games, play other people's games, stay focused on your mission but also it's OK to have some fun by accident. I still work about 15 conventions a year but at my peak I was doing about 20. (Also plan to book one year in advance for the biggest shows). Start with smaller cons and plan to get bigger. Also watch as many panels with game industry folk as possible.
If you're working with other people, make an agreement of what the arrangement is. Try and think of every possible scenario where you might disagree in the future. Two people with the best of intentions can have a disagreement if they're seeing the same things differently. If it's complicated, it might be worth it to have a lawyer look it over.
Board Game Cafes are your friend. You always want to playtest with as many different people as possible and that's the perfect spot to make new friends / play testers.
Compliment my biceps or buy me a beer at a convention and I'll open up many more industry secrets.
How are you able to get so many cool people to work with you?
Every situation is different but a few commonalities are:
Present what my plan is.
Offer a fair rate of payment right away.
Be very clear about what I CAN and CAN’T do.
Sacrifice a cute little bunny rabbit in my summoning circle.
Try to be flexible about deadlines.
Why do you make games?
I've done it since I was a kid and I always challenged myself to make the funniest games possible. Eventually as an adult, I thought other people might like them too. Plus playing tabletop games is just my favourite way to hang out with people.
What does "Games for the Hardcore Casual" mean?
I have a hardcore love for casual games.
When a group of adult friends can get together, it’s a small miracle. I find that my group wants to hang out as much as we want to play a game. I imagine that there are other groups in that same zone, so I always aim for a game that’s repayable, easy-to-learn, and not Twilight Imperium levels of intensity.
Do retailers carry your games?
Yes, we can deal directly by contacting SteveSummers@DrinkingQuest.com or go through any our distributors. In the US we’re with Alliance, Asmodee and Bridge Distribution and others. In Canada we’re with Universal and Fox Crest. Among others, it’s hard to keep this list up to date!
I want to buy your games but can’t afford them.
I appreciate that! If you’ve fallen on tough times and need a funny board game to brighten some days, use promo code HIGHFIVE to get 25% off. (Be honest!)
Why aren't you active on Board Game Geek?
It just goes back to the casual nature of my games. Board Game Geek is the definitive place on the internet for the most hardcore gamers... games that are on the simpler side don't tend to do well there. It's just not the right audience. If you want to post about my stuff there or anywhere else, I'm totally ok with that.
How does a "Drinking RPG" work?
Like a typical Role Playing Game you have a character sheet, roll dice for saving throws, fight monsters, find treasure BUT when your character dies in the game you have to chug your drink in real life! It adds a real level of tension and excitement to the battles. Everything matters.
The battles are a series of one-on-one fights to the death. You either kill the monster earning coins and XP or your character dies and you must chug your drink! The cards act as the GM (So everyone can drink) and the heroes go through four themed quests in each game - each getting progressively difficult and more likely to drink. However as this is a light RPG and a light Drinking Game there is a one chug per quest maximum which prevents Drinking Quest from being a "Pass out in 10 minutes" kind of drinking game. Over the course of 2 or 3 hours, a typical game averages 2 - 4 chugs.
All of the Drinking Quest games are full games and not expansions. You don't need one to play the other and you can start with any game. However they all exist in the same kind of "Drunken Middle Earth" so there is a lot of fun story telling and humour that comes from that. There are a lot of layers of comedy that will keep the game funny through multiple playthroughs.
Whoever gets the most XP wins! Whoever loses had to chug the most so it's sort of like everybody wins.
There are other games that copied your idea...
I get this a lot, I'm supportive of other games in the scene. I just try and make the best stuff I can. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Do you ship to my country?
Yes, we ship Globally. Update: Because some places have a very high non-delivery rate, there are now a handful of countries we don't deliver to.
Is the site currency in US dollars?
Yes.
Will there be duty in my country if I order a game?
In the US and Canada, no but other countries might charge a duty fee. If you regularly pay fees when you get packages, then it’s more likely. Unfortunately we don’t have any control over this and this is separate from paying for shipping.
How old do you have to be to play Drinking Quest?
If you want to play it while drinking then you should be legal drinking age. The humour is probably PG-13, it's suggestive but not raunchy. It also works well as a parody of drinking and RPG culture so drinking isn’t 100% necessary.
How long does shipping take?
USA and Canada takes 1 - 2 weeks. For the rest of the globe it could range from 2 - 6 weeks.
Do you really have huge biceps?
Of course, I wouldn’t just say that.
Will you tweet about my Kickstarter?
In most cases, no. I'd like to help but usually it's someone I've never interacted with before with projects that are really far away from the type of games I'm known for. Feel free to reach out before your Kickstarter and during the design of your game if you’ve like me to give your game / crowdfunding page a once over and offer my thoughts.
I would like the creator of the game to write as a guest for my online comic / sing a verse on my punk album / collaborate on some other comedy project.
Possibly! I'll be having a pretty full plate with several projects on the go at once but send an email to JasonAnarchy@DrinkingQuest.com and maybe we can work together!