Roll the Dice, Not the Algorithm: Inside KC’s handmade board game scene at KantCon
Board games as a kid meant you were never bored. The excitement of becoming a baron of real estate or knowing that it was Colonel Mustard in the dining room with the candlestick kept us entertained for hours. Those are the games that grew with us, and the industry continued to expand as time went on. Forget the digital world, our appetite for analog adventures is vivacious.
From June 26th through the 29th, KantCon brings tabletop gaming to Overland Park, reminding us that there is a lot more out there than we have yet to discover. Not only will you find new games from across the country, but you’ll get to meet Kansas City’s very own indie game designers, and they have some absolute gems that you need to play.
This is the tenth anniversary of the KC Game Designers. They meet up several times a month to playtest their new creations, get feedback, and enjoy each other’s company. They have built an inclusive and welcoming community.
“It’s a creative outlet,” said Troy Pichelman, one of the organizers of KC Game Designers. He is also a Hall of Fame Inductee at The Game Crafter—the premier site for indie game developers. Troy has been working on games in one form or another since the late 70s.
When asked why this particular vocation, Troy lights up. “If you’re happy playing one of my games, I’m ecstatic.”
At a recent meet-up, game designer Steve Arico was playtesting two of his new games: DragonHoard and Radiance. DragonHoard’s artwork was completed by his teenage son. Billed as a game where your dragon is only as great as your legend, it uses a combination of cards, tokens, and dice to win. Radiance is a card game played around planets and the universe.
Even though the games are a blast, playtesting is work and is taken seriously by the group. At one point, there was a discussion about whether the rings around a planet in Radiance were the right color. It’s a detail that only game designers would notice.
Indie game developers work a lot like those who self-publish books. A game is developed on the creator’s own dime. When finished, they can either self-publish through places like The Game Crafter or seek out a publisher such as Hasbro or Mattel. With a publisher, they might receive an advance that would be repaid through royalties. They also give up creative control of their game, a big ask for people who have spent years pouring their soul into a board game.
That would be a big ask for married creators like Michael and Raven Neff. They are developing a game called Kennel Quirk, where the premise is to convince your friends to adopt the most unadoptable pet.
“This is a great place,” said Michael. “There is no judgment. Just really good feedback, chill, and super supportive.”
The group is welcoming to people who just want to play something new, hobbyists, and professionals like Joseph Roche. This has been his full-time job for years, and his most popular game, Savage Fighters, is available on Amazon and will be at KantCon. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure combat game. Roche periodically releases new game books so that the game never gets old and predictable. You can find the rest of his games at GamingAtJoes.com.
“People want something authentic,” Roche said when asked about using AI art in game development. “Sales show that artwork produced by me sells better than any AI art.” As to what makes his games popular. It’s a simple answer given by others. “It’s the real-life connection and meeting people in person.”
That feeling of community is what drives the designers and those who play their games. And as the world gets a bit more out of control, that community can rally around each other.
Scams can be found in almost any creative developer. Pirated copies or cheap knock-offs show up across the world, just like with the book industry. Scammers lie in wait, playing on the board game dreams of developers, promising the world like a Nigerian Prince. For new game developers, remember that money is supposed to flow from the publisher to the creator, just as in the book publishing world.
And then there are the tariffs, which are taking a toll on the gaming industry.
Dustin Dade and Scourge of the Seas
There is a very small margin when selling board games. Many games come with numerous pieces sourced from all over, and increased tariffs mean a higher price when the game is sold. That may be enough to convince someone to pass over a game they may have never heard of before. Marking and name recognition are everything in the creative world, and the challenges make it more difficult.
But for people like Dustin Dade, it’s just another obstacle to overcome.
His game, Scourge of the High Seas, lets you be a pirate captain seeking booty. Not the Tinder kind, but the everlasting romance of pirate loot. The board is divided into hexagons where you can travel to islands to find your gold, or you can raid merchant ships. However, you must be cautious because others are also after you. From bounty hunters to other players, can you bury your treasure before it is taken away?
It’s a blast for the observers to see a game developed from scratch. Adam Sequoyah was playing a brand-new game called Senet. Based on Egyptian mythology, you are a God, but during the day, you still have to go to work. Build those pyramids.
The game is in its infancy, borrowing pieces from other board games, such as Carcassonne. Meeples stood in when needed on the freshly printed paper board game. This is the alpha test, where the concept is refined, the board is developed, and feedback is provided. From there, the game will receive original artwork, a polished appearance, and, of course, a rulebook.
Other games are still in the idea generation stage, such as Dan Spaur’s party game, MisSpelling Bee, a game where your ability to spell and charm come into play.
Thursday’s KantCon ticket will cost $20, and the price increases by a couple of dollars on Friday and Saturday, or you can get the entire four-day pass for $75.
