Well, I'm designing this Lego game. It won't take a lot of work, but as with any game, a lot of playtesting will be necessary before it’s ready. The problem is, I have very few Lego and not enough budget to buy what I need. So let's try and do this the 21st century way, shall we?
Crowdfounding websites such as Kickstarter have been working great for game designers, and that’s certainly something I could do, but 1) I don't want to make any money off this, and 2) I don't want to be hunted by Lego's ninja lawyers for the rest of my life.
So I'm thinking of crowdsourcing bricks: I need generous people who can donate some Lego to the project. A handful of bricks. An old minifig. Whatever your kids are not playing with anymore, whatever you feel like buying to help the project.
That's the idea anyway. Now, I'm sure you have some questions for me.
What kind of game is Brickworlds going to be?
Right now, the game is a bunch of notes in a text file, but I have a clear vision of what I want to do with it. Brickworlds will be a roleplaying game with fun challenges and story game elements. (The intellectuals among you would call it a gamist/narrativist hybrid. Or something.) The game will be kid friendly : no math involved, and very little writing. There will be building, and there will be custom dice! Brickworlds will be all about imagination.
Who are you, strange French person?
I’m not the most seasoned of game designers, but I’m no noob either. I’ve written, designed, edited, line managed several RPGs in France since 1999: Archipels d20, Post Mortem, Star Drakkar, Le jeu d’aventures de Lanfeust et du monde de Troy, dK system. Some of them were quite well received. Ask around.
What will I get if I send you some toys?
Since I'm not going to manufacture books or anything, what I can offer is this:
- The game! Once it’s done, I’ll release a free PDF for everyone to enjoy.
- Early peeks! You'll be part of the beta test group and will see the rules evolve. If you get to play, I'll happily include your feedback and suggestions.
- Recognition! Your name will be mentioned on this blog and in the final PDF.
- A pint! If we meet at a convention somewhere, I’ll be happy to buy you a drink and run a game for you.
What exactly are you looking for?
- Minifigs with accessories and weapons
- Bricks of all types
- 2*2 tiles that can be used as dice sides
- Only regular Lego toys, of all lines/universe - no Duplo, Hero Factory, Bionicles, etc.
You convinced me with your weird garlic scented accent. How can I give you some stuff?
Drop me an email. We can meet if you're in Dublin, Ireland. Otherwise I'll give you a postal address.
If parting from your childhood toys is too difficult, there is also an Amazon wish list and the toy chain Smyths have a handy voucher ordering service.
Thanks for reading this!
