Matt Golec & Robert Dijkman Dulkes
Today we have a double feature for you, Matt Golec and Robert Dijkman Dulkes, designers of Penny Press. They are a game design team living in the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire. Their game, Penny Press, won Cards Against Humanity’s Tabletop Deathmatch and was published by Asmadi Games. We are looking forward to having them as guests at Granite Game Summit.
Three Random Facts about Matt:
Matt is a badminton player who, despite his enthusiasm, really needs to work on his serve.
He owns a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #5 in not-anywhere-near mint condition.
His middle name is not, nor has ever been, ‘danger.’
Three random facts about Robert:
Robert has two last names -- Dijkman Dulkes -- because he is fancy.
He was a sergeant in the Dutch army.
He really is that tall.
Questions by Kimberly Bullock (KB), answers by Matt Golec (MG) and Robert Dijkman Dulkes (RDD).
Three board game design related questions:
KB: How did Penny Press get it’s start? (e.g.: Mechanic, theme?)
MG: We started with a theme -- reporters during the age of the Penny Presses in old New York City.
RDD: Matt brought an early prototype over to my house one night. It was pretty terrible, but there was that core gameplay element -- reporters grabbing stories and assembling them on the front page of a newspaper -- that we both really liked.
MG: So we kept making and breaking prototypes until we had something that could stand up to public scrutiny.
RDD: We entered the game in the Boston Festival of Indie Games and got a lot out of showcasing the game there. That’s a great event, by the way.
MG: And we were very fortunate to have won Cards Against Humanity’s first season of Tabletop Deathmatch, which gave our game a big boost.
RDD: Finally, Asmadi Games agreed to pick up our game. We’ve learned a lot working with Chris Cieslik, the owner of Asmadi, about game design and publishing.
KB: The two of you live in different states, did that present a challenge for you?
RDD: Nah, not that much. We’ve found Google Hangouts and Skype to be quite useful for getting work done together.
MG: Also, we only live 15 minutes away from each other. Vermont and New Hampshire are really small states.
KB: Are you working on anything new?
MG: We’re deep into a Penny Press expansion -- “Stringers & Scandals” -- that we look forward to demoing at Granite Game Summit.
RDD: It’s pretty close to being done, but we’re still fine-tuning a few things, so we hope people will come playtest the expansion with us.
MG: And we’ve got a new game we’re working on about pig racing.
RDD: Or wizards.
MG: Or wizards racing pigs.
RDD: The theme continues to evolve.
MG: But we’re very excited about it!
Three questions just for fun:
KB: What was the game that brought you into the hobby?
RDD: Like many of us, it was Dungeons & Dragons that made me a gamer as a kid, but as an adult, Catan was my gateway game. Today, I’m a sucker for any game with good minis.
MG: Yeah, D&D was my first exposure, too, but when I joined a gaming group as an adult, I think Puerto Rico was the game that made me sit up and say, ‘hey now.’ I still like a good Euro, but I’ve been won over by more thematic games.
KB: Is there a color you prefer to play?
MG: Blue, because it’s safe and boring.
RDD: Orange, the color of the Dutch!
KB: What is your favorite movie?
RDD: That’s a tough one. I’d have to say Empire Strikes Back, although Jedi is really close.
MG: Good choice. My answer would probably change depending on my mood, but right now I’ll say “The Princess Bride.”
RDD: Can’t go wrong with either one of those picks.
For more information about Penny Press, visit the game’s page on Facebook, Board Game Geek, or http://www.pennypressgames.com.
Follow Matt and Robert on Twitter: @MattGoWrite and @MrDulkes
