games

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Recently I’ve taken an interest in the 2020 Digimon card game. The memory gauge

is a genius concept that really makes you think about how to efficiently play out

your turn, and what your opponent might be able to do with the resources you

give them. I like a lot of the monster designs too with some standout favorites

being Kiwimon, Guardromon, and Dorumon.

The first trading card game I learned how to play was Pokemon. I don’t

remember where I got my first cards, but I remember playing out pitched battles

against myself on the living room floor. (This would become a pattern).

I don’t play Pokemon anymore, but I still buy a pack here and there to see

what’s changed.

A few years after Pokemon, my brother moved out of the house and left me his

Magic the Gathering cards. I had no idea how to play yet, but the more realistic

art on the cards and the elaborate effects intrigued me. My favorite card was

the 7/7 holographic Thorn Elemental. This is when my love of organizing and

arranging things started to develop and I had a pretty hefty 3-ring binder full

of shiny sparkly Magic cards to go alongside the Pokemon one.

I still play Magic occasionally, usually the commander format. I have a Jund deck

headed by Thantis the Warweaver, and a Dimir deck with Jon Irenicus.

After I learned Magic, Yugioh started to become popular. It had an anime that

was on when I was home from school and I quickly found myself hooked by

the cast and the dangerous adventures they found themselves in every episode.

It took a few more years to learn how to play the game since the anime itself

didn’t really understand the rules until the second season, but in the meantime

my friends and I kept playing the way we thought it should work. By this point

I knew I was more intrested in collecting the cards and playing with my friends

than I was with being the best player. Nowadays I play Yugioh Master Duel on

occasion, where I enjoy playing with the Generaider and Digital Bug archetypes.

Aside from the big three or four, I’ve collected trading cards from:
Digimon (The first version)

Flesh and Blood

Cardfight: Vanguard!

Force of Will

My Little Pony

Inuyasha

Dragon Ball Z

Animal Crossing

Elder Scrolls: Legends

and more

Video Games

I’ve played video games for even longer than I’ve played card games. Some of

my earliest memories of watching my dad play Myst or Quake. The strange

worlds brought to life through the computer monitor illustrating what my

imagination struggled to show me when reading books. I like platformers, and

RPGs of both the Western and Japanese styles, city builders, and anything that

lets me incrementally improve things through determination and the will to

keep coming back to try again.

Card and Tile Games

My grandfather taught me to play five card stud Poker when I was maybe 8 or 9.

I was on the floor with a deck of cards playing Solitaire at a family gathering

and he came over and showed me some tips to Solitaire, then we played a few

rounds of Poker and he invited my cousins to take his place and keep the game

going with me. I’ve never been amazing at Poker, but it was a great starting place

to learn about the numerous other card games I’ve loved over the years like the

classic Blackjack to Texas Hold Em and the classroom favorites Bullshit and

Egyptian Rat Screw. (Many finger bones were smushed, but it was worth it.)

Alongside the classic hoyle card games, I’ve learned how to play a few tiles games

like Riichi Mahjong and Dominos. Mahjong is a particular favorite due to its

seemingly endless rulebook of special conditions and considerations that make

it oh so satisfying to decipher and get a big win.

Board Games

I haven’t played board games as much recently, but they’ve been a staple of my

life regardless. I remember digging out the game Bazaar from the top of my

parents’ closet as a kiddo and being fascinated by the design of the board and all

the little glass beads. I never got a chance to play that one, but these days I enjoy

a good game of Splendor. I like tangible components in my games like the marbles

in Potion Explosion or the hurried countdown timer of Five Minute Dungeon.

Sports

Growing up as a nerdy hippie in a household of nerdy hippies, there wasn’t a lot of

sports in my childhood. But a few years ago my wife and I moved to Colorado

where the infectious spirit of Denver has turned us into lifelong fans of both

the Colorado Avalanche and the Denver Broncos.

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My Games

I’ve been designing games since nearly as long as I’ve been able to play them.

One of the first was “Inanimate” a game sort of like Pogs where you flip your

tiles representing household items to determine if they were animate or inanimate

objects, then attack or defend using those items. I’ve also developed a few RPGs,

most of which were poorly thought out Dungeons and Dragons type experiences.

Most recently, I’ve been working on a trading card game with the working title

“AUR Card Game”

“At the center of the galaxy there exists an enormous space station. Controlled by

the great Dragon Emperor, the most powerful being in the galaxy, capable of

effortlessly tearing holes in space time. From this facility, known as “AUR Station”,

the Dragon Emperor orchestrates wars and oversees trade throughout the galaxy.

The Station is home to robot caretakers called “Drones”, clad in gold and swirling

patterns. It serves too as the last home of hundreds of conquered species from

around the galaxy who serve the Emperor in the endless Dragon Wars in exchange

for living on the utopic station.”