Who is Mr. Game?

“Player agency is important in all games; it makes the game dynamic and allows players’ personalities to shine. That’s where the idea for the role of Mr. Game! came from,” explains Frank DiCola, co-founder of Margrave Games. Currently, Margrave Games are looking for funding for their board game, Mr. Game! on Kickstarter, where it has raised close to $7,500 of its $15,000 goal in just 48 hours.

Margrave Games is composed of Frank DiCola, Tim Barbara, Kenny Goff, and Nick Pagano. Together, the four Stevens students have made this their passion project for over two years, and are finally bringing it to fruition. The Stute sat down with DiCola and Barbara to discuss Mr. Game!

Mr. Game! is a board game that begins like any other. Players roll the dice and move around the board. Like most other games, the objective is to go from point A to point B. In Mr. Game!, however, point B can change. “Along the way,” Barbara explains, “players draw cards from a deck filled with terrible ideas. These cards change the game in dangerous and unpredictable ways. Move the goal, move other players, or even change the landscape of the board!”

Who is “Mr. Game”? Mr. Game is a player role. Each time the game is played, a player takes on the position of Mr. Game. It’s Mr. Game’s job to, according to DiCola, “interpret situations intentionally left out of the working, but vague rulebook.” These vague rules, DiCola continues, “can lend themselves to wacky interpretations that make each play through a unique and fun-filled experience.” In the two years since the game’s inception, both DiCola and Barbara continue to be impressed with the way players think while in the role of Mr. Game!. “They always think of new, crazy things,” says Barbara, “I love the level of expression the role allows — players’ personalities are really highlighted.”

DiCola came up with the original idea for Mr. Game! at a board game jam sponsored by the Stevens Game Development Club over two years ago. He wanted to modify the stereotypical point-A-to-point-B board game trope, and cites series such as Mario Party as an influence. “The game development process began straightaway. Enough people at the jam thought the game had potential, so we began the iterative process of eliminating bad ideas and introducing good ones immediately,” DiCola said. Barbara added that in the game development process, it is vital to find someone who can break the game early on. That way, game breaking rules or cards can be removed and rebuilt quickly.

Both DiCola and Barbara refuse to play down the role the Stevens community played in the development of the game. They acknowledged that without Stevens students and faculty play testing the game, providing critique and critical support, they would not be where they are now.

Mr. Game! is currently available on Kickstarter, and if funded, will likely ship in September. If a board game where changing the board, changing the rules, and changing the goal of the game appeal to you, visit Mr. Game!‘s Kickstarter page and purchase your copy for $35.