[JeuxNco.org] Interview de Walter OBERT

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« Sometimes I like to imagine a game situation and I try to place it on a game. »

Walter, graphiste de profession... et auteur de jeux par passion !

Jeux’n’CO : Can you introduce yourself to people who do not know you yet?

Walter OBERT : I'm Walter Obert, graphic designer for profession and game designer for passion.

Jeux’n’CO : What path did you follow to become an author in the game world?

Walter OBERT : From the last 30 years I liked to play. Anytimes I feel some games to be better, so I tried to improve them with some changes. The turning point is when I known Alex Randolph in Venice (for my first Archimede game designer award) and from that time I understood that my destiny was to design games. We have published Vamires de la nuit / Ravensburger with Dario De Toffoli. After I worked for 10 years to games column of Focus Magazine (italian version of Ca' M'interesse, one of most selled magazines in italy), and after some tries I start to publish games, the first after Vampires was Word Jam in 2005. I have published 10 games in 5 yearsfrom that time.

Jeux’n’CO : What are the key steps in designing a game?

Walter OBERT : Sometimes I like to imagine a game situation and I try to place it on a game. This is true for my partygame line, has Kragmortha, Tokyo Train or Aargh!tecte. In other hands, I design a good mechanic and I build the game around it. At least, a theme can inspre me, as my latest game Loch Ness. For that game I started to design with the theme only. So, it's not easy to describe a single way to make a game. For sure I go forward with little steps and up-and-down tries, letting down a game for years if I can go on a good solution if I stuck on a problem. I like to have a good basic game (simple is not banal) and then put on it more and more different things, testing them and return on my steps if I dont like the result. Because of this I cant do more than one or two games for year.

Jeux’n’CO : Can you brief us on the last game you created?

Walter OBERT : Loch Ness is my first children game. Three years from the first prototype, and a lot of different release for this little gem. Children games are very difficult to design, because they have to be actractive for children and interesting for adult too. The players have to place their turist pawns on the shores of the famous lake.The monster goes on the water following some different paths, and player in turn must try to direct it near to his turist. When one or more of the three parts of the monster (head, shoulder and tail) is on a box of his turist, that player can pick some photograph from a sack trying to choose the most higher score. The photos are real shots of the monster with different photo effects like blur, fog, move, and so on. Is difficult to make a good shot of the monster! Some rules can be impruved for a moe challenging game.

Jeux’n’CO : What makes you so passionate about the game?

Walter OBERT : I test it with some children's friend: I like a lot to see people enjoying on a my game. It's the best part of the process, but I like all the rest, from the first idea to releasing it too.

Jeux’n’CO : What are your future plans?

Walter OBERT : Like the latest seventh years, the winter is good to organise the main meeting of italian game designer, IDEA G. Last edition more than 50 authors are come to Piossasco, my town, for the event. The next edition will be in Turin, 15 and 16 january 2011. (www.inventoridigiochi.it/ideag)
On designer's side, I like to show that I can do more than crazy partygames, so I started to work on different "serious" game with some of my friends: my next games will be a cooperative game based on the end of the world and a complex workers placement game about gangsters, designed with Pierluca Zizzi (Caligula).

Jeux’n’CO : I thank you on behalf of the association Jeux'n'CO for the time you spent on me. Any last words?

Walter OBERT : I whish to players to find and play the games they like. Thanks to Jeux'n'CO for this great work to making know to people the pleasure of gaming.

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