BGDF member Xaqery wins Hippodice 2009!

Thanks. I won't be posting much on the games until I have a publisher(s), now that there is added interest in them. I will say this exclusively to ya'll, since you are also game designers:

Wampum was the only game in the final round that played 30-45 minutes--most of the other ones were "meatier", including Artifact.

Wampum is a hand management/trading game, but you trade with cards on the table, not each other (although the cards traded from one player will probably be picked up by another player later). The interesting design note is that it started as a gift for a friend. She had noticed I used CCG sleeve holders for some of my prototypes, and she gave me some left over from her sons. I told her I would design a game for her, and asked her to give me a topic. She said, "George Clooney." Oooookay...so the original game was collecting and trading George Clooney memorabilia, and watching lots of his movies. I liked the mechanism so much, I changed the theme and modified the mechanics.

Artifact has been in the making about 6 years, 4 of which included co-designer Bernd Eisenstein (who was left off of my entry since he already had two games in the competition. It's a set collection money-management semi-engine building game about archeology, if that makes any sense.

Both games were turned down by mulitple publishers over the past couple of years, on both sides of the ocean. I still liked them, though, so I thought I'd try Hippodice (even though half of the Jury knew the games by now!). Glad I did--now several publishers I would not have guessed are interested.

So again--I encourage everyone never to give up and try Hippodice as a great alternative to getting all the German publishers to play your game--all at once!

I liked Noblemen when I played it - I'm psyched to see it win the contest! :) Congrats Xaq!

The prize is having your game played by the leading lights of the German game publishing industry, the developers and publishers from Abacusspiele, Phalanx Games, Pegasus Spiele, Hans im Glück, Alea, Schmidt Spiele, Amigo, Zoch, and a Spiel des Jahres jury member.

No small number of Hippodice finalists and winners have gone on to be published as a result.

And, of course, bragging rights!

Congrats to the both of you!