LADDER 29 (A Card Game by Green Couch Games)

[Naroth Kean]

it looks awesome!

[andyjewett]

Reviewers have started posting images of the game being played... still a fair amount of tweaks to do but it's getting real close!

[Tyson Ranes]

These look so crisp and awesome. Did you use just Photoshop to create these? Great look.

[andyjewett]

@Tyson it was a combination of manga studio, Photoshop and illustrator . Thanks for the encouraging words!

[Stephanie Hider]

These are awesome. Is it through gamecrafter or a bigger publisher?

[andyjewett]

@Stephanie-Hider This is just the print and play prototype that the publisher had made for various game-testers and reviewer copies... not sure who they use for final printing honestly. Green Couch Games is the publisher.

[mattramsey]

@andyjewett They make cool games--will be interested to follow this one!

If I may ask: how did you get in touch with them?
I did some card art for game designer Rob Couch but I reached out to him. Did they see your work and contact you or did you contact them?

Very nice illustrations!

[andyjewett]

@mattramsey I met them at GenCon... I was just walking around the convention handing out business cards and just introducing myself to game companies/publishers... networking. I had already done a job for Tasty Minstrel Games on a game called ZOOSCAPE (Graphic Design only) and Green Couch Games was looking for someone to finish up some graphic design work for the OUTLAWED! box, so I did that and then he gave me the chance to do full art on LADDER 29.

I have been spending time in the board gaming community and just enjoying getting to know the industry... plus I love playing board games so it was a logical leap. I have met some amazing people through podcasts, youtube, etc. that have been super encouraging and supportive of my art/work. Slowly building my name.

What game did you work on with Rob Couch? I don't know him personally but I have listened to his podcast.

[mattramsey]

@andyjewett It's called 8 Arms to Hold You.
It's up on TGC https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/8-arms-to-hold-you
He's bringing it to UnPub so hopefully something happens. It's a pretty light, filler game so not sure if it's really going to generate the buzz of, say, Saloon Tycoon.

Nice to meet another fellow illustrator and board game enthusiast!

[andyjewett]

@mattramsey Duh, I remember you posting the illustration for that game... very cool! PLAY ALL THE GAMES!

[Stephanie Hider]

@mattramsey @andyjewett have either of you played mysterium? I have looked at it and it seems really neat but I don't think I know enough people that would be willing to play it to make it fun so I haven't invested in it.

[mattramsey]

@Stephanie-Hider Mysterium pretty consistently gets great reviews--haven't played it though. I've also heard the app is a very good version of the game. If you are on the fence about it you could probably check out the app (it's cheaper than the physical game) and play against the computer.

I tend to not enjoy app versions of board games because I feel like it defeats the whole point of you know...playing with OTHER people in a room. But that said I do enjoy the Stone Age app and the Potion Explosion app.

[andyjewett]

@Stephanie-Hider I haven't played it yet but it is sitting in my "to be played" pile. Looks great and sounds fun.

[Stephanie Hider]

@mattramsey Ya I think the board game would be so much more fun than vs the comp. but I don't know more than 3 people who might play and maybe once as a favor but not out of real enjoyment. I might look into hanging out at the board game place here and see if I can make some new board game friends heheh

@andyjewett ya I love the artwork thought it looked neat like a better clue game and I loved that game when I was young.

[andyjewett]

@Stephanie-Hider A lot of people seem to describe it as CLUE meets Dixit (if you haven't played Dixit, it's a lot of fun).

I have heard that the Mysterium app is actually pretty incredible, but haven't tried it personally yet.

[andyjewett]

[mattramsey]

Awesome! Ben & Matt seem like pretty cool guys from what I've heard about them.

Great box--my only issue is that it's missing the "illustrated by" but, fortunately, it seems like the industry trend is tending toward adding that info on the front more and more. So maybe one day (soon hopefully) illustrators will get more credit*.

*I'm not suggesting that YOU have any kind of sour grapes over that--just a personal opinion of mine and I've heard other designers express similar.

[Tyson Ranes]

@andyjewett love this look. Some of the things I struggle with illustrating are sharp lines and things looking crisp and solid like this. Would be cool promotional, marketing and educational tool to produce a YouTube video tutorial of how you achieved the look of some of your favorite pieces. I would think you would get allot of traffic coming your way! Great looking work.

[andyjewett]

@mattramsey They have credited me a ton throughout the process and it will appear in the rulebook and the back of the box I'm guessing (I am the graphic designer so I can probably make that happen, heh). The Board Gaming Industry in general is full of great folks!

[andyjewett]

@Tyson-Ranes Thanks for the encouraging words! I have a Twitch Channel and a YouTube Channel, but I haven't really figured out a regular schedule yet... or what videos from me might look like.