When twin brothers Ben and John Teich began designing their first board game, it naturally became about sabotage. Growing up, the two would often find ways to take down the other while playing games and sports.
“So, how do you create mechanics that really speak to our strengths and the way we like to compete with each other?’ Ben says.
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They decided to emphasize game-altering schemes – and the foresight needed to plot or avoid them – in their new board game Mythic Gems. Through their company TNT Creative Gaming – which stands for “Teich and Teich” – the brothers launched a Kickstarter campaign this November that ends Dec. 6.
In the game, two to five players travel through four interchangeable boards, each containing a Mythic Gem. The goal is to collect each gem and reach the finish point on the end board. Players advance by rolling dice, but not before drawing or playing an action token, which they can use to either help themselves or hinder others.
There are 56 action tokens; one kind of action token moves a player to the same spot as someone else, and another puts players at risk of losing a gem. But most actions haven’t been revealed by the brothers, and tokens can only be played on a board other than the one the player is currently on.
Each player can only hold five action tokens at a time, and no one knows who has what. “We encourage table talk,” Ben says. “This game is about pointing this person out and telling (everyone) they’re a threat. Or you can even lie and say, ‘Hey, I just put down a trap right in front of you.’”
What’s the best strategy? “You don’t want to ask me,” says John, in reference to his low winning percentage. “I’m so competitive that I try to get the early lead … but then you’re the new target. And I’m a constant target.”
The brothers started the project right before the pandemic as a hobby they could share outside of work. (They both work as mechanical engineers at the same company.) John formulated the initial concept and pitched it to Ben, and they worked out gameplay details through back-and-forth arguments on phone calls and car rides.
They progressively patched together prototypes using Excel spreadsheets and pieces from other games until the design felt complete, and then they ordered a finalized version for friends and family to playtest. They also held a launch party at The Crimson Guild in Wauwatosa where attendees tried out the game.
“Some of the best feedback we got was when we just gave someone the game to play, and we just left the room,” John says. These sessions resulted in small tweaks, such as moving spaces further apart and adding colors that match the game pieces to player cards so that everyone knows who’s who. Some playtesters also inspired larger design choices, such as consolidating action tokens and adding Specialty Ability Cards that spice up the gameplay for experienced players.
The brothers have already lined up a manufacturer, distributor and fulfillment group, and the Kickstarter campaign will finance the game’s production and distribution. It’s gaining traction – the campaign is two-thirds funded, and it was recently selected by Kickstarter as a “Project We Love.” A small portion of proceeds will benefit Milwaukee’s Urban Ecology Center as a way to offset the game’s environmental impact.
“As a family, we’ve also enjoyed playing board games, so it’s kind of nice to tie this back,” John says. “Knowing that wherever we may go in our lives, we have this one thing that’s going to hold us together.”
