Before the Kickstarter starter, we were invited for an exclusive interview by Noam D. Plum to talk more about our upcoming party game.
NOAM: Tell me, how is it that two dashing visionaries like yourselves aren’t flushed with cash yet?
DENNIS: This is actually the first thing we’re launching ever, and our first time crowdfunding. But we did our homework and definitely feel we’re on the right track. I would definitely buy and support DEER LORD! myself. It’s a great game that looks the part. Now we just have to show it to the world.
DRIES: True.
At what age did you realize you would one day revolutionize the way we think about party games and, indeed, entertainment in general?
DENNIS: Wait, what?
DRIES: (where is he getting all off this?)
DENNIS: We certainly appreciate the enthusiasm, Noam, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves… For one, we haven’t reached the Kickstarter goal yet. If we’re counting successes, we might want to start there.
DRIES: Secondly, while Deer Lord is a wholly original game, it still borrows from all the games we play and love. To call it the next big thing in gaming might be a bit of a stretch.
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It must have been an exciting development process.
DRIES: Overall, it’s been a blast developing DEER LORD! Nothing more satisfying than working on a product you’re really proud of and knowing others will love it too.
DENNIS: We did quite a lot of playtests and those were super fun, without fail. They also provided us with incredibly valuable feedback.
DRIES: Shout out to all our friends who helped shape the game! Because it really did undergo some drastic transformations.
So DEER LORD! was not beamed onto you in a moment of brilliant clarity?
DENNIS: Euhm, if I understand the question correctly, then no, of course not. It took a lot of work. We tried out many versions of the game, constantly tinkering with the rules and the cards themselves. If something didn’t work as well as we hoped, it had to go.
DRIES: Making it better and better.
DENIS: The design changed quite a few times too. It wasn’t until Steven showed us his deer artwork that all the pieces seemed to fit.
DRIES: That’s also when we finally decided on the name.
Yes, what’s the story behind the name?
DRIES: (sighs) Well, I often exclaimed ‘Dear Lord’ and everytime I did, Dennis would answer with…
DENNIS: ALL HAIL DEER LORD!
DRIES: Notice how I used past tense? Because that kind of shenanigans really discouraged me from keeping the catch phrase. Anyhow, the name stuck.
DENNIS: And catchy is good.
DRIES: And we all love puns, don’t we?
What can we expect in the future?
DRIES: If our campaign is successful, we certainly hope to expand! DEER LORD! will be launched on Kickstarter with 6 expansions, but there’s plenty of room for more. That’s one of the great things about DEER LORD!: you can tweak or add cards to your heart’s desire.
DENNIS: We want every game of DEER LORD! to be unique. Choose which expansions you want to include or not. Use the blank cards that come with each set to try out new ideas. And make sure to tell us what works so we can include it in future editions!
DRIES: I’d like to encourage our fans to go even further: tinker with rules, add your own. Only you know what would be the most fun for you.
DENNIS: That’s where the idea of expansions came from. A group of 30 year old extroverts might want another game experience than shy teenagers, for example. Are you playing with extroverts or introverts? Can it be a little bolder or meaner, or should it stay plain vanilla?
Some of my colleagues at Print Is Thriving Media House have been playing DEER LORD! as a drinking game. Any thoughts about that?
DENNIS: Again, that’s totally up to the players. If you want to add additional rules so you’ll be hammered by the end of the game, go right ahead. We should tell you, however, that alcohol is not in any way required to enjoy the game. We designed DEER LORD! so it would be suitable for minors to play too.
DRIES: Just, maybe, better remove the ‘Flirty’ expansion in that case.
Well, it’s been a pleasure, as ever.
DRIES: Euhm…
DENNIS: (Have we met this guy?)
DRIES: (I thought you knew him.)
BOTH: Any time, Noam!
NOAM D PLUM (°1969) IS A PHULITZER PRIZE WINNING JOURNALIST, BEST KNOWN FOR HIS ONGOING SERIES ‘Totally Legit – Why You Guys Always Be Busting My Game’ AND THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED TRILOGY ‘I Am So Totally Real’ SOON TO BE ADAPTED AS A MINISERIES.