Full Moon Jacket is a brand new tabletop game created by former digital media Confetti tutor Paul Allen. The original idea originated during a games lecture on the Level 3 Games Technology course and our students have helped with everything from play testing to logo design.
The game, which is being published by Paul’s company Strangely Games also launched a funding bid on Kickstarter. We caught up with Paul in the days which led up to the Kickstarter page going live to find out about how the game started and how Confetti students helped him along the way.
Tell us a bit about how your started this project?
Full Moon Jacket started as an idea a few years ago. My background is in video production and so I wanted to make a ‘simple’ short film based on movies I loved as a kid (Predator, Aliens, Full Metal Jacket) and I came up with ‘Werewolves in Vietnam’ – but it was too difficult and too costly. So last September I started drawing circles on post-it notes, started placing miniature werewolves on them and it has snowballed from there.
Where did the idea for the game come from?
Video games, movies and other tabletop board games have influenced and reshaped the idea. I played (tortured!) my parents as a 6 year old, making them be Dwarves and Space Marines in Heroquest and Space Crusade (late/early 80s/90s Games Workshop) every Saturday evening and it feels incredible that I have gone full circle and maybe ended up 30 years later where I started.
Did any Confetti students help you with this project?
The first Final Major Project session with the BTEC Level 3 Games Technology students kick-started this project. For the course, I challenged them to make a game. I did the same, so that we could compare our creations at the end of the year. Various students have games tested my game in the early stages and helped support the project, with one of the extremely talented BTEC Level 3 Graphic & Digital Design students redesigning my Strangely Games logo.
What was the most challenging part of the process?
All parts of this process, from designing, testing, product management, promotion have been really fun and I have learnt so much. It has all been challenging in various ways – I believe I have got this far with Full Moon Jacket through passion and not seeing this as work. Meeting genuinely amazing talented artists that have wanted to be part of this project and are as excited as me has really spurred me on.
You’ve done some playtests at Ludorati Cafe – how did those go?
The playtests have been excellent and very humbling. I did peak early with my first public playtest, as a veteran of Games Workshop (someone who has been designing games and miniatures for the company) told me it was “the best game he had played this year” and would buy it there and then. Four days into being a games designer I was approached by a company offering to buy Full Moon Jacket, which was a great feeling and has reinforced that what I am doing is right for me. I said no.
Did anything surprise you about how the public reacted to the game?
Watching random players really getting stuck into the game and chatting, laughing and discussing in some depth tactics and ideas that I considered when I was playing my favourite games over 25 years ago.
What are the next steps for you and Strangely Games?
I hope for success with Full Moon Jacket on Kickstarter. Following that, Strangely Games will be able to fund a second game and this becomes a life changing opportunity. It’s been an awesome ride so far and I hope it continues. I spoke yesterday to a successful Kickstarter designer and I can’t imagine anything more amazing than designing games and calling that my job.
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