Michael Schacht, in English

Em mês de Spiel des Jahres, nada como fazer uma entrevista ao vencedor do ano passado. Michael Schacht, vencedor do SdJ com Zooloretto fala-nos disso e de outras coisas também.

Interessante o seu ponto de vista acerca dos "bons jogos de família" que não se fazem assim com tanta regularidade e a necessidade expressa destes jogos, embora não os seus favoritos, terem de existir para que os jogadores saiam do cantinho onde estão e venham para o mundo em geral. Uma visão de um alemão de Frankfurt, de 44 anos, casado e profissional dos jogos de tabuleiro desde há 3, com uma perspectiva não tão diferente da de um português. Lá como cá, aparentemente e apesar das abissais e óbvias diferenças, há a necessidade de dar o salto e tornar a arte de jogar cada vez mais popular. Mas chega de conversa. Ladies and gentlemen...... Michael Schacht!!!

#1 How do you start to create a game? First you imagine the Scenario and create a mechanic that fits. Or you first think about the mechanics and then try to get "something" where it matches?

When I started developing games, beginning with the theme was quite usual. Later beginning with a mechanical idea becomes the kick off of a project. That's something typical for game designers. I don t start working on a concrete playable prototype before the general game play idea is born. The result of that is that the time before starting to cut and glue grew over the years more and more: several months before the very first concrete try.

#2 How much time does it take you to create a game like Coloretto or Patrizier? Do you make any theme research for that (Patrizier) or do you just "make the game"?

Both games took - unfortunately - very long. With Coloretto I made different scenarios with completely different games over the years. But none were satisfying for the idea I had. Patrician at first had a component of another game of mine. It was more complex in that version. I worked a really long time to get this similarity out of the game. And finally I am very happy with the result. For Patrician the research was easy and already done before the development because I made several holiday trips in areas with the fitting history. Before the illustration was made I made a trip to the German city "Regensburg" which had a lot of these towers and still has some. There was one idea to release the game with a Regensburg-setting. But this wasn't released.

#3 Do you play board games designed by others?

Sure. I still like playing very much :-) My wife as well - which is kind of a wonder!

#4 When you play those games do you play them just for fun, or are you always thinking "If this was my game, I would do this differently"?

Both. It is always interesting to see how other designers do it. And of course I think sometimes I would have done this diffently. But that's natural - most designers have an own style.

#5 Which are you favourite board games and why do you like them?

In my eyes Puerto Rico is the reference for most of the modern type games. This is one of the few complex games I have really high respect of. But most of my favourite games are lighter stuff like Verflixxt or Cartagena (the first one). I like the game with just one or two mechanisms but interesting game play.

#6 Which games do you consider to be the most underrated? Why?

Verflixxt: A modern classic. Would have made a perfect "Spiel des Jahres". Morgenland and Fürsten of Florence: Both were the beginning of the style of the actual games like Caylus, Cuba and Pillars of the earth. St. Petersburg: As reference for the timing games.

#7 What is the game that you would like to be yours and why?

Puerto Rico or Verflixxt. If I had to choose then the last.

#8 You usually design your games considering the publisher or do you just ignore this and make the game?

Besides always trying to create something new I keep the preferences of the publishers in mind. Otherwise you have probably nice designs but less chance for a good release. Sometimes I create games by assignement.

#9 Winning the spiel des jahres is a great achievement. How did it feel like? And do you think that Zooloretto deserved that prize? Why?

This is really a great thing for a designer and I'm still very proud and happy. I hope it deserved the prize :-) But I am the wrong one to comment this - the players have to. Anyway Zooloretto won since that a lot of other international prizes. That speaks for the game.

#10 What's you favorite Spiel des Jahres nominee for this year?

Agricola, a great game. Ok, not really a nominee but something like it.

#11 In general do you think that 2007 was a good year, with good releases, or was just medium to mediocre. And what are your favorite games of 2007 - you're allowed to pick your ownes :)

It was a good year again for complex games and fillers. But just a few good family games. And there I see the problem: over the years the good designers are attracted by making complex games. But someone has to do the good family style games! Otherwise we just stay in the inner gamers scene. And this is just a small group of people. That won't help the game in general.

And 2007 was again a bit weak in games for women except in the older kids section. But there are some new female designers - that's promising. If I can choose my own games I choose for 2007 of course Zooloretto. That was kind of an experience ...

#12 Spiel Portugal has a very small annual prize. Usually we give that prize to gamers games rather than to family games. Most of your designs are family games, within the 45/60 minutes range, with simple rules and easy to learn and play. Do you make family games because they're your favorites, because they sell better or do you prefer them because of any other different reason?

My personal preference are below two hours duration and I prefer gamers games. But this is not important for my designing. My idea is to be able to create games I neccessarily even don't have to like myself. Otherwise I couldn't create kids games, for example. In designing it is the eventing part which makes the fun for me.

#13 You are working on something right know, obviously. May we know what are you preparing to Essen this year? And are you designing another spiel des jahres candidate?

Unfortunately some of the publishers don't like to have infos before the fair. So, I just can say a little and not very detailed. Of course I'm working on further Zooloretto things like Aquaretto. There should be a new big game which I am really interested in the reactions. I hope the remake of "Mogul" will be finally ready for Essen. I made some changes for that. Some smaller games, for example. A nice bidding game by a smaller dutch company. Perhaps I can have some infos about that soon on my homepage www.michaelschacht.net.

SpielPortugal would like to thank Michael Schacht for his time and patience in order to make this interview. Best of luck to you and your games.