Interview with Matt and Rosie (Creators of Bots up)
I recently had the opportunity to interview Matt and Rosie Parrish, on their card game Bots up. They are currently in the final hours of their Kickstarter. In our interview, we discussed how they decided to create Bots up., their favorite robots, and much more!
When and what made you decide to create a board game?
We both love card games and it was an activity the two of us would do together. At the time we wanted to find a quickfire card game that works well for 2 players, which prompted us to start thinking about a game of our own. We always felt excited at the prospect of the art and design aspects of game design, so once the concept of Bots Up came to us we never looked back.
When did you start working on the game?
We first started 2 years ago. We came up with the original concept on our Honeymoon and tore bits of hotel note paper up at the bar to form makeshift cards (the waiters thought we were slightly crazy!)
What made you pick robots?
Robots are cute and fun but people won’t mind destroying them! We worked hard to get the right balance of ‘just cute enough’ in our art style as well. It is also a common theme with robots to change and upgrade spare parts, which fits perfectly with Bots Up.
What is the main goal of your board game?
To share the fun with as many other people as we can. We really love this game and chose to make a kickstarter to allow others to enjoy it as well!
What is the main game mechanic of your game?
It is a player elimination game that begins with creature creation and moves into ‘take-that’ gameplay when playing cards out of hand.
How would you describe “Bots up” in one word?
Robotastic! (That’s a word, right?!)
What is your favorite thing about “Bots up”?
How different each game is, the variety of the game play means we still love playing even though we have played it hundreds of times!
What was the best part about creating the game?
We loved having the freedom to design and create everything how we wanted it. We both work in the Design industry so our focus is usually based on what the company objectives and requirements are but here it was just us having great fun and creating this together
What was your biggest obstacle when creating the game?
Knowing when to stop. When a project is just yours there is a temptation to continue tinkering and improving longer than you need to. You constantly ask yourselves questions like should we do another pass on the artwork? Do we have enough followers on social media?
What is something you wish you knew before starting the process of creating a board game?
The importance of building a community and bringing them along the design journey with you. So many games are released on Kickstarter every month so it is a difficult job standing out in the crowd.
What advice would you give to first time board game creators?
Start a social media channel or blog at the start and document your design progress.
Test your game for longer than you planned. Start allowing people you don’t know to test it and be prepared for criticism and be willing to make changes.
Don’t skimp on art and design - The look and feel of your game helps provide the magic during gameplay and helps it stand out from the crowd in your marketing.
What is your favorite board game?
This changes all the time - We’re currently loving Citadels as it really combines all the mechanics that we love but Ticket to Ride and Coup are other big favourites!
What would you like the reader to know about your game?
Bots Up is incredibly easy to learn and teach to players of all ages. It’s a fast paced game that comes with its fair share of funny moments. Players start by assembling a bot out of spare parts, and then move to the battle. They then use battle cards to damage each other's bots and strengthen their own, in a bid to be the last bot standing. It works great as a 2 player game or in groups of up to 5.
Who is your favorite robot?
We’re going to both agree on ‘Clank’ from the video game series ‘Ratchet and Clank’
Be sure to check out Bots up on Kickstarter here!