A new documentary about tabletop gaming gives us an insight into the industry and creative genius behind some of our favorite games.
First time director Charles Mruz is the guy behind the documentary, Gamemaster, which follows the escapades of four designers as they create and publish their first game. Along the way, we get to listen to some of the legendary creators share their experiences and passion for the games that we love to play. They also visit many of the gaming conventions including industry awards such as the Spiel des Jahres in Germany. Aside from the subject matter, we have a beautifully crafted documentary. You can tell that the team behind it love games as much as their intended audience.
Gamemaster does a good job of investigating the current state of play of the board games industry and discusses the impact funding platforms such as Kickstarter have had on creators. This movie couldn't have come at a better time. Boardgame sales have increased over the last few years giving rise to a renaissance of traditional gaming. Kickstarter has also pushed the envelope this year, with tabletop games performing at unprecedented levels.
The full list of industry veterans interviewed includes:
- Klaus Teuber (The Settlers of Catan)
- Alex Yeager (VP Mayfair Games)
- Matt Leacock (Pandemic, Exploding Kittens)
- Elan Lee (Exploding Kittens)
- Reiner Knizia (Desperados, The Quest for El Dorado, Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation)
- Eric Lang (Ankh: Gods of Egypt, Blood Rage, Rising Sun)
- Susan McKinley Ross (Qwirkle)
- Donald X. Vaccarino (Dominion)
- Bruno Cathala (Kingdomino, Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon)
- Kasper Lapp (Magic Maze, X-Code)
- Nashra Balagamwala (Arranged)
- John Binkele (Trekking The National Parks)
- Charlie Bink (Trekking The National Parks, Pups)
- Jason Serrato (Pirates Vs Ninjas)
- Jesse Schell (Author of The Art of Game Design)
- Scott Rogers (Author of Level Up)
If you are a creator of board games, then this is a must-watch movie. The information it provides is invaluable and you should consider it your masterclass. For the rest of us, Gamemaster is an enjoyable movie that gives us a behind-the-scenes look into the mysterious world of game creation. The movie is out now and is available to watch on iTunes.