Game Design – News from Asperia

Some of you surely remember the two-part blog post on Bonfire. For the release of Trees & Creatures, we have again invited the team consisting of editor Ralph Bruhn, illustrator Dennis Lohausen and designer Stefan Feld to talk about the development process. For the creation of the expansion (and for this interview) they were joined by designer Tim Schleimer who came up with some of the elements of the expansion. But let’s just ask them:

Tim, you recently joined the team, so let’s start with you! 🙂 How did it come about that you worked on the Bonfire expansion as the second designer?

“This was mainly thanks to Ralph. During the development process of Bonfire, we became friends. While we were playing board games one evening, I asked him if there were any plans regarding an expansion – given that Bonfire was received so well. He was not all in right away, but he was not completely against it either. 🙂 A few days later I showed him some of my ideas and when Stefan was also interested in working on the expansion, it was clear that we would create it together.”

So, Ralph, it took some persuasion to make the expansion happen. Can you tell us more about that?

“Until spring, Tim lived in the same town as me and, with our wives, we often met to play board games. So Tim and his wife had diligently tested the base game and were significantly involved in the development of the solo mode. When it became apparent that Bonfire was received so well, Tim asked me – as he already mentioned – at one of our game nights if I was interested in ideas for an expansion. Usually, Stefan and I are skeptical towards expansions. But Tim had come up with some ideas that sounded promising – then we got Stefan involved and started developing ideas together.”

Could you tell us more about the collaboration?

Stefan: “I had met Tim before we started working on Trees & Creatures when he was kind enough to test some of my other games. And his ideas for a Bonfire expansion were amazing – we couldn’t let them fall into oblivion! So, we had a closer look at them together and ultimately decided to weave them into three modules that can be played independently from each other or added into the game all at once.”

Tim: “In fact, the collaboration was not very different from the base game. The only difference was that for the base game I was a test player for an already existing game, whereas we all started working on the expansion together at the same time. We were constantly exchanging ideas and tested as much as possible. Another difference, perhaps, was how we tested the game. Due to the pandemic we had to rely on Tabletopia almost exclusively. In doing so, we also learned a lot about generating a prototype via Tabletopia.”

Ralph, as editor and also owner of H@ll Games you were in charge of the editorial work. Tim already mentioned that play testing a game is currently more difficult due to Covid-19. Can you tell us how the editorial work on the expansion went down and how long it took until it was in its final state?

“At first, we collected ideas for a few modules. It became clear which ones were our favorites quite quickly. Tim and I undertook most of the joint testing and finishing touches because we lived close to each other. The tests that Stefan was involved in took place only on Tabletopia. How long did the development process take? From the first ideas to the final completion about two months passed. Of course, this was followed by the graphical configuration, the wording of the rules, the involvement of the licensees and so on, but the sole development of the base rules was extraordinarily fast, at least from my experience. Especially keeping in mind that it took us almost three years to develop the base game … ;)”

Speaking of artwork: Dennis, you illustrated the expansion as well as the base game. How did you feel about returning to Asperia? Given that the idea for this world was yours, did you have ideas for adding elements right from the beginning?

“I was very pleased that the base game was received so well that we got the chance to create one (or more ;)) expansions. The thematic work on Bonfire was very intensive, however, this was more about the world building of Asperia and the prehistory that is the basis of the games’ mechanisms. The Ancient Trees as well as the creatures were not planned by me (and Ralph), but were new elements. As far as I remember, in the prototype, the creatures were specialized gnomes. For example, there was a captain, a diplomat, and so on. Later on, we realized that it would be more appealing and coherent to implement various fantastical creatures. In the base game, the gnomes are already divided into Specialists and Elders, so to prevent ambiguities it makes sense to innovate graphics and wording along with new elements.

This was also a chance to enhance the details surrounding the world of Bonfire. In the rulebook, there are short texts about the new creatures that also incorporate the mechanisms. The Ancient Trees integrate into the world very seamlessly so they didn’t need any adjustment. Personally, I also like the short text on the components for a fifth player because it explains why the fifth gnome populace appears only now.”

You already mentioned that the base game was well received amongst fans. Did you follow the feedback closely?

Ralph: “Since gaming conventions only took place online last year, it was more difficult to receive feedback directly, so I only heard of opinions indirectly. Overall, the feedback was and is very positive in my opinion. The theme itself was subject to discussion though – some thought it was wonderful and imaginative, others didn’t like it at all. But I had expected that – simply because many fans of Stefan Feld’s work don’t place emphasis on the theme of a game. But even those who didn’t quite like the theme did praise Dennis’ artwork. He really did a great job!”

Dennis: “For my current projects, I always follow the reviews and opinions on multiple forums, like HALL9000 and BoardGameGeek, even if I don’t comment there myself. Bonfire received very positive feedback, especially in the beginning, which was good because, sadly, the first opinions on the internet often dictate the direction of the following comments, no matter if they are justified or not.

Regarding the theme, I agree with Ralph that the feedback was divided, but that’s what I expected. Personally, I am grateful for the players that positively embraced what we offered with the prehistory and also communicated that. [Editor’s note: By the way, you can get the whole background story printed at conventions or digitally.]

I specifically remember one comment calling gnomes in general the worst fantastical figure. Regardless of Bonfire, I think gnomes are amazing and I am proud (with a wink) that with Bonfire we could contribute to the rehabilitation of these underdogs! 🙂 The question of if and when a board game is thematic and when it isn’t, is worth a discussion of its own. Ralph and I have already spent hours talking about this.“

Dennis, let’s talk again about the world of Bonfire. In the last interview you told us that when it came to Bonfire the development of the theme was a priority for you. That sounds intriguing but also like it takes a lot of work. Do you enjoy working on games like this or are you happy when you are served precise ideas to realize?

“No, I think it’s great that I have a say in the realization of my assignments. Bonfire is not the only game where this is the case, although it is the only one where the thematic work was emphasized that much. During the last years, I could more often make suggestions and recommendations on the thematic aspects of my projects. This can sometimes apply to the overall theme of the game and sometimes to details of a game’s material. For games like Raccoon Robbers and First Ratthat was recently published by Pegasus, I was very involved in the decisions regarding the thematical directions.

On the other hand, it is always important that the publisher, or rather the editorial team, keeps the requirements for the game play in mind and follows a clear direction. Game development requires intense teamwork, at least in my experience.”

How long did it take you to illustrate the Bonfire expansion? Were there any special challenges?

“The complete work process for the expansion took about three months, but I can’t tell how many hours it took, exactly, as I always work on multiple projects at once. All in all, it was a pretty laid-back project as the most difficult challenges had already been overcome during the work on the base game. Most symbols already existed and the ‘grammar’ had been determined so there were only a few cases where we had to ponder over the realization.

Working on the illustrations was a lot of fun since I had free rein in illustrating the creatures and Ralph ‘permitted’ every draft enthusiastically. 🙂 The cover design was decided quickly as we adopted the appearance of the base game and changed it to fit the expansion. The creation of the player boards was a bit tricky though because they had to adapt seamlessly to the game board; but I think it turned out quite good.“

Apropos Ancient trees, let’s go back to the game itself. What can players look forward to with this expansion?

Ralph: “We have come up with three modules that add variety while still preserving the character of the base game. The biggest module is the Trees that blossom along the path of the Guardians’ procession and support players with appealing functions. The second module, the wonderful Creaturesthat Dennis came up with and illustrated, provide various abilities players can use. For the last module, the Fate Tiles of the starting player trigger positive events for everyone that should be incorporated as cleverly as possible into one’s own plans. In addition to the three modules, we have added components and rules for a fifth player.”

Stefan: “The Creatures bring an asymmetric aspect into the gameplay because at the beginning of a game, everyone chooses a companion to accompany them with its specific abilities throughout the rest of the game. The Ancient Treesenable a completely new direction of strategy. They can be added to the player’s tableau whenever the Guardians move forward. Every tree has a useful function and is additionally worth points at the end of the game. But of course, resources need to be paid first to even get a tree. Players have to plan in advance so that they have resources when they need them. With the third module, multiple events that apply to all players are added throughout the game. They are always useful in some specific way.”

Last but not least, before we dismiss you out there to start playing, who should take a closer look at the expansion?

Tim: “Everybody, of course! 😉 The expansion is created to offer something for everyone. Every module adds something new but the events, specifically, are great to play with new players. In fact, they simplify the game. The trees on the other hand make things more challenging for experienced players of Bonfire. Fans of asymmetrical starting conditions will enjoy playing with the creatures. And for bigger groups, the possibility of having a fifth player was added.”

Thank you again to the four of you for these detailed answers and fascinating insights into the work on Bonfire: Trees & Creatures.

 

 

Image in the attachment: sketches of the event cards.