Post by feeleash on Dec 26, 2013 16:29:54 GMT
by GeekInsight
Horror and Mystery. They’ve been attempted many times in the board game world with varying degrees of success. However, once I first learned about Amityville Project: Phobos, I had to know more.
What makes Phobos intriguing is that it eschews the traditional haunted house, spooky creatures setup. Instead, as a detective investigates a crime, a battle rages inside his mind. Phobos is entirely allegory – the game takes place inside the detective’s head as represented by an abandoned asylum. There, the players represent his base fears trying to control and dominate him.
I reached out to co-designers Alexander Argyropoulos and Michael Andresakis for an interview.
GFBR: For people who may not have heard of Phobos, can you give us a little background about the game?
Alexander & Michael: First off it is a 2-4 player horror, strategy miniature game set in a dream world with an approximately 30 minute gameplay. Phobos is the first installment of a trilogy, from The Amityville Project, which will continue on with Lethargos co-op games for up to 6 players, to have its final conclusion with The Amityville Project: Erebos a skirmish wargame for many players.
In Phobos you try to sneak on your opponents which are four different personalities in the Detective’s (Ed Sullivan) mind, find their three greater fears (phobias), and prevail inside his brain. Using miniatures that represent three stages of sanity, you will get the corresponding moves to move your ghosts through the Detective’s brain, trying to protect the rooms that represent you fears (or not). Basically that’s the whole deal.
GFBR: Horror is a particularly difficult genre for board games. What did you do to increase the fear and tension?
Alexander & Michael: Well to be honest any theme (or genre as you put it) is difficult, but if you’re into it, then it can be done. Don’t forget that horror audience is growing from ”night to night” basis which helps a lot. We tried to keep people busy while playing the game, adding some extra powerful cards (Adrenaline deck) which will help you along the way. Also when you lose all three mortal fears, you still can play as a Ghoul and harm the player that destroyed you! The other part is the central board, where all players’ ghosts move, trying to either deceit opponents by stating different phobias or protecting phobias depending on the player’s tactics. Some people told us that the illustrations also add to the horror a lot, since some playtersters did not play Phobos because they got scared.
GFBR: Phobos is unique in that it is largely an allegory. The Insane Asylum is a representation of the detective’s mind. Where did that idea come from?
Alexander & Michael: We hope it’s unique. Ideas come from the stuff we like to read, movies, anything. In this case: imagine your brain as a horror movie motel and then fill the rooms up with some Stephen King, HP Lovecraft, David Lynch (Twin Peaks), and you got the Detective’s mind and actually the entire storyline. On the movies part: If you’ve seen Jacob’s Ladder, Being John Malkovich, or 1408, or even better Identity, which sums the whole “different personalities in one head” part, you will probably get the whole picture right away. We just added the phobias as a way to execute the other three personalities which in fact were people who Ed Sullivan (the Detective) met in previous years while working as a private eye … Their background stories are still under development since they will probably be added to the graphic novel too.
GFBR: Take us through the design process. How was Phobos first conceived and what changes were made along the way?
Alexander & Michael: Hahahaha. Sleepless nights in front of the PC that’s for sure. Like every game, it pops up one quiet night and you just have to complete it, see it on the table, played by others, see their reactions and smile.
It all started with a black and white PnP version. We had taped an old box and sprayed it black, just like some insane killer’s package that you’ll find at your front door, with a beating heart inside. The basic idea of the PnP game was to score points on the detective’s head which soon was dropped because there were too many games that need points to win! So we added movement points instead and the central board became “the asylum” with the players’ ghosts moving around in each room…
Then the fun started. The playtesting part
Hours, days, weeks, different numbers of players, different players, 1 players controlling 3 personalities and so on. Effect cutting, swearing, not talking to each other for days. But that’s what it is all about, passion.
Finally all things were polished and ready to be shown to the public, so we sent the game to our playtesting groups around the world for the essential feedback that we need for every game. This is the most crucial part of each production since after all we are making the games for the people, hardcore gamers, average players, and different ages. So if we would just hold our thoughts and take no consideration about others opinions, we would be doomed from day 1.
After the feedback came in, we knew that we had something solid in our hands. All things were taken under strict review and few ideas really made their way to the final product! There was one big concern, since most negative answers were pretty much focused on the same issue. Yep. The rulebook. Hahahaha! We are still working on the rules as we speak to give you the best result possible. We have grown in proofreading audience through those two years, so yeah, more eyes are now searching for mistakes in the pages. Don’t worry!
That is how we worked on Phobos, and basically on each game it’s the same procedure. There is always room for improvement, time to learn new things as we move on. Until we have people to support us, we will make them happy (or scared), it’s that simple.
GFBR: A second chapter, Lethargos, has already been announced. If Phobos is successful, do you see this becoming part of a series?
Alexander & Michael: Of course, we already have the entire trilogy scheduled! We’ve already completed Phobos playtesting and now Lethargos is being put to the test, various people are coming back to us with ideas, opinions, ratings, and giving us wonderful insight on how to improve replayability, downtime, theme, and other things that matter the most for them.
GFBR: At first glance, the game seems ambitious, but the playtime is listed as 30 minutes. Was there a specific goal to keep the play time shorter?
Alexander & Michael: Yes indeed, the game is supposed to last this long,because we intend to make people play the whole three parts of the series in one go. That is why the games will escalate from 30 min of Phobos – to 40 min of Lethargos – to 1 hour of Erebos. So in the end you will get like probably a 2hours play of 3 independent games that will complete the entire trilogy and the story behind it. Why did we do it like this? You could say those are the stages of human fright, sort of, you panic at first for shorter time, then the fear gets you which lasts a bit longer and last you are lost inside your fear, questioning what was that sound you hear from the bathroom? If you don’t shake it off, it continues to haunt you and you actually lose your sense of reality for split seconds.
GFBR: Anything else you think the readers should know about Phobos?
Alexander & Michael: Phobos and the entire Amityville Project will be out in graphic novel form too, probably on Kickstarter. Wes Huffor, a brilliant artist will help us depict the entire story, so anyone who is willing to step inside this new scary universe, will probably like the outcome, whatever that may be hehehe… Tons of miniatures, scary settings, a criminal plot that mixes the real world with the world of your fears are as we think a good recipe for all the horror fans out there.
The Syndicate will rise. Fear is your only God.
Horror and Mystery. They’ve been attempted many times in the board game world with varying degrees of success. However, once I first learned about Amityville Project: Phobos, I had to know more.
What makes Phobos intriguing is that it eschews the traditional haunted house, spooky creatures setup. Instead, as a detective investigates a crime, a battle rages inside his mind. Phobos is entirely allegory – the game takes place inside the detective’s head as represented by an abandoned asylum. There, the players represent his base fears trying to control and dominate him.
I reached out to co-designers Alexander Argyropoulos and Michael Andresakis for an interview.
GFBR: For people who may not have heard of Phobos, can you give us a little background about the game?
Alexander & Michael: First off it is a 2-4 player horror, strategy miniature game set in a dream world with an approximately 30 minute gameplay. Phobos is the first installment of a trilogy, from The Amityville Project, which will continue on with Lethargos co-op games for up to 6 players, to have its final conclusion with The Amityville Project: Erebos a skirmish wargame for many players.
In Phobos you try to sneak on your opponents which are four different personalities in the Detective’s (Ed Sullivan) mind, find their three greater fears (phobias), and prevail inside his brain. Using miniatures that represent three stages of sanity, you will get the corresponding moves to move your ghosts through the Detective’s brain, trying to protect the rooms that represent you fears (or not). Basically that’s the whole deal.
GFBR: Horror is a particularly difficult genre for board games. What did you do to increase the fear and tension?
Alexander & Michael: Well to be honest any theme (or genre as you put it) is difficult, but if you’re into it, then it can be done. Don’t forget that horror audience is growing from ”night to night” basis which helps a lot. We tried to keep people busy while playing the game, adding some extra powerful cards (Adrenaline deck) which will help you along the way. Also when you lose all three mortal fears, you still can play as a Ghoul and harm the player that destroyed you! The other part is the central board, where all players’ ghosts move, trying to either deceit opponents by stating different phobias or protecting phobias depending on the player’s tactics. Some people told us that the illustrations also add to the horror a lot, since some playtersters did not play Phobos because they got scared.
GFBR: Phobos is unique in that it is largely an allegory. The Insane Asylum is a representation of the detective’s mind. Where did that idea come from?
Alexander & Michael: We hope it’s unique. Ideas come from the stuff we like to read, movies, anything. In this case: imagine your brain as a horror movie motel and then fill the rooms up with some Stephen King, HP Lovecraft, David Lynch (Twin Peaks), and you got the Detective’s mind and actually the entire storyline. On the movies part: If you’ve seen Jacob’s Ladder, Being John Malkovich, or 1408, or even better Identity, which sums the whole “different personalities in one head” part, you will probably get the whole picture right away. We just added the phobias as a way to execute the other three personalities which in fact were people who Ed Sullivan (the Detective) met in previous years while working as a private eye … Their background stories are still under development since they will probably be added to the graphic novel too.
GFBR: Take us through the design process. How was Phobos first conceived and what changes were made along the way?
Alexander & Michael: Hahahaha. Sleepless nights in front of the PC that’s for sure. Like every game, it pops up one quiet night and you just have to complete it, see it on the table, played by others, see their reactions and smile.
It all started with a black and white PnP version. We had taped an old box and sprayed it black, just like some insane killer’s package that you’ll find at your front door, with a beating heart inside. The basic idea of the PnP game was to score points on the detective’s head which soon was dropped because there were too many games that need points to win! So we added movement points instead and the central board became “the asylum” with the players’ ghosts moving around in each room…
Then the fun started. The playtesting part
Hours, days, weeks, different numbers of players, different players, 1 players controlling 3 personalities and so on. Effect cutting, swearing, not talking to each other for days. But that’s what it is all about, passion.Finally all things were polished and ready to be shown to the public, so we sent the game to our playtesting groups around the world for the essential feedback that we need for every game. This is the most crucial part of each production since after all we are making the games for the people, hardcore gamers, average players, and different ages. So if we would just hold our thoughts and take no consideration about others opinions, we would be doomed from day 1.
After the feedback came in, we knew that we had something solid in our hands. All things were taken under strict review and few ideas really made their way to the final product! There was one big concern, since most negative answers were pretty much focused on the same issue. Yep. The rulebook. Hahahaha! We are still working on the rules as we speak to give you the best result possible. We have grown in proofreading audience through those two years, so yeah, more eyes are now searching for mistakes in the pages. Don’t worry!
That is how we worked on Phobos, and basically on each game it’s the same procedure. There is always room for improvement, time to learn new things as we move on. Until we have people to support us, we will make them happy (or scared), it’s that simple.
GFBR: A second chapter, Lethargos, has already been announced. If Phobos is successful, do you see this becoming part of a series?
Alexander & Michael: Of course, we already have the entire trilogy scheduled! We’ve already completed Phobos playtesting and now Lethargos is being put to the test, various people are coming back to us with ideas, opinions, ratings, and giving us wonderful insight on how to improve replayability, downtime, theme, and other things that matter the most for them.
GFBR: At first glance, the game seems ambitious, but the playtime is listed as 30 minutes. Was there a specific goal to keep the play time shorter?
Alexander & Michael: Yes indeed, the game is supposed to last this long,because we intend to make people play the whole three parts of the series in one go. That is why the games will escalate from 30 min of Phobos – to 40 min of Lethargos – to 1 hour of Erebos. So in the end you will get like probably a 2hours play of 3 independent games that will complete the entire trilogy and the story behind it. Why did we do it like this? You could say those are the stages of human fright, sort of, you panic at first for shorter time, then the fear gets you which lasts a bit longer and last you are lost inside your fear, questioning what was that sound you hear from the bathroom? If you don’t shake it off, it continues to haunt you and you actually lose your sense of reality for split seconds.
GFBR: Anything else you think the readers should know about Phobos?
Alexander & Michael: Phobos and the entire Amityville Project will be out in graphic novel form too, probably on Kickstarter. Wes Huffor, a brilliant artist will help us depict the entire story, so anyone who is willing to step inside this new scary universe, will probably like the outcome, whatever that may be hehehe… Tons of miniatures, scary settings, a criminal plot that mixes the real world with the world of your fears are as we think a good recipe for all the horror fans out there.
The Syndicate will rise. Fear is your only God.