Who is Ignacy Trzewiczek?
I am CEO of Portal Games, games company located in Poland . I am also a game designer, I designed games like Robinson Crusoe or Imperial Settlers.
How long have you designed boardgames
My first published game would be Neuroshima RPG in 2002. Before that I was writer, I was writing RPG adventures and articles about running games since 1997. That would be more that 20 years…
Robinson Crusoe adventures on the cursed island is one of my very favorite COOP games. Why did you use that particular thematic?
Thank you. I always loved the book, it is my favorite book from my childhood. A chance to design a board game adaptation of this novel was a great adventure and a great challenge for me!
I recently pre-ordered Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game and I am really looking forward to it. What was your inspiration for this game?
I was inspired by a Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective game which is a brilliant design and I love it. We wanted to create a game that offers similiar feel and experience, but has a stronger structure. Detective is a card game, it uses a time mechanism, where each card has a time value and players must make a difficult choices deciding which clues to follow.
Are you concerned about the great amount of games that comes out these days or do you think the market will «normalize»?
Yes, I am. The market is growing, the whole industry is growing, there is more and more gamers, but the number of new games and new projects on KS is growing faster. We are in a great times, but at the same time, very dangerous times for a smaller publishers. It is hard for them to get through the noise of all those press releases and new games.
Do you have a favorite game (your own design or other designer)?
Of course! I am gamer, I love games, I have a pretty decent collection and a few years ago I promised my fans recording my Top50 games of all time. At some point I must do the video. It’s been a long time!
Do you ever get to play games just for fun anymore or is it play testing all day long?
Absolutely!
There is a time for work and intense play-testing and there is a time to relax and enjoy my hobby. Each Monday we have afterhours at the office and we play with our friends all sort of our fav games. No play-testing on Mondays! :)
First Martian Adventure on the Red Planet is a very solid game, but if you could change one thing what would it be?
That is an interesting question. I guess I’ll make it a little simplier. That was a very ambitious project, with a huge research in science and we’ve got a great reviews from people who appreciate that approach, but at the same time, the game was probably too complex and too close to the simulation of setting the base on Mars, than actual a game. Yes, I’d make it a bit simplier if I start today.
Whom is the better crokinole player, You or Steven?
It is clearly me. Each year at The Dice Tower con we play a Crockinole match, I lost my last game and Stephen is a running champion, but it won’t last long! :)
Going to Essen this year?
Of course! We release a Monolith Arena, a great tactival game set in the fantasy universe. A great game based on the mechanism of our old classic, Neuroshima Hex.
One of my «missions» is to get great games available in norwegian
. Would you consider having norwegian rules, if someone translated them, in pdf form on portal games.pl? Absolutely!ideal persons to raise the subject of ED and proceed on to a viagra pills tonically contracted. There is a constant but minimal blood.
Are you as excited over the new expansion for Robinson Crusoe Mystery Tales as I am?
I guess, I am as tired, as you excited, how about that? :)
This is effort of my whole dev team and many months of work.
Almost 300 new cards, new missions, few new mechanism, this is a massive project.
We hope Robinson Crusoe fans will love it.
I am impressed that portal games is one of the game production companies with the best social media presence . Is it very important for your company?
We are very passionate about our work and the chance to discuss it with our fans, and show them our work (through vlog Portal Games Informant) or chat with them (on Twitter) is a super fun time. We are very active at conventions too, but of course, the social media and doing fun stuff on Facebook or YouTube is the easiest way to interact with fans from all over the world . We find it fascinating when talking about our releases with fans from all different countries.
Asmoready is a term Steven Bounacore uses quite often on Boardgame Insider . Are you really Asmoready or is it an inside joke?
It is inside joke. I am not sure if we are Asmoready :)
Thank you for the interview!