The Asylum Book Trailer

Asylum Earth: Aftermath: Manhattan Protocol

This is the latest and greatest box for the game, which should be arriving at my door on Monday, according to Fedex. Hey folks, it's been a while, and I've had my ups and downs these days. I've worked so hard to get this game done, but I feel it's probably not quite ready for prime time. If the game arrives Monday, I'll be setting it up and playing it to see how it works.

That's a nailbiter for sure, even though I've got all the instructions and the artwork as close to finished as I can get it. I'm just not sure about the board yet. But, time will tell and I'll be doing my best to make sense of it all and get it out there on the Game Crafter website for now until I can put it for sale on Amazon, Walmart, etc.

I also dug up several other games I had designed years ago that I'm looking to finish, also. Those games sat inside a slow HP laptop I'm still nursing and extracting files from. I'm in the middle of switching out to Windows 11 on my desktop, and I need a new keyboard and mouse that are on their way today.

There's so much to tell about this new version of the game, but until I lay it out and give it a whirl in real time, I just don't know where it stands. 

Luckily, the book, Asylum Earth: Age of the Apocalypse, has been out on Amazon for several weeks, parked until I get the game going in full swing so I can promote both the game and the book at the same time. Although my focus is on the board game for now. It's all quite the undertaking that needs to fall into place, but there are always delays and problems to be had along the way. Right now, the promotional video is finished, but its conversion to MP4 by Filmora is a bit dubious, to say the least.

Filmora claims that I have not purchased enough digital assets to convert the video to MP4 format, which is not accurate. So, as it stands, I'm trying to fix that glitch.

Much more to come, folks. Standby for the best part.

Asylum Earth Cyberpunk Board Game and Novel are Back

 What a difference a year makes

Not so long ago, I was down and out for the count. Today it feels like I'm on top of the world. In just a few short months, I met someone who lifted me out of the mire and into a much better world.

Dear gamers, this is not a rags-to-riches story, but it sure comes close, and it is absolutely true. If you recall or go back to my previous posts, I spent two weeks in a hospital battling COVID, a little over a year ago. I honestly didn't know what would become of me. Would I survive? And if I did, would I remain functional? God only knows, but I'm still here, and Asylum Earth is back on track, as you can see below, and I'm planning on taking this game to the Ancient City Con in September. That's in St. Augustine, Florida. I live about 45 minutes away. I'll be there for the weekend and I hope to present my game and novel and get to play Asylum Earth with several visitors. It's going to be a great time.

As you can see from the photo below, the covers have changed for the better. This is the same image I found on Etsy months ago, and so far it's working out nicely. Featuring the main character, Andrea Estrella, looking fierce. The official name for the game is Asylum Earth: Supreme Survivor. The novel is titled Asylum Earth: Age of the Apocalypse. The novel centers around the impending Apocalypse and what starts it in the year 2057. Sorry, Texans, but the Apocalypse kicks off in Austin, much like Dasha's little diddy. So what is it about Austin that everyone seems to pick on that poor city? Well, back in the day when I finished my military career, I washed up in Austin myself for some time, straight out of Fort Hood. Thanks for the great memories, Austin, but I'll try to be kind in my story.

I'm still finishing up the game. In fact, I'm play-testing again this weekend and hope to tie up a few loose ends, improve some of the artwork that printed too dark in the last prototype, and enlarge some of the text. Other than that, everything looks really good.

Here's a link for the convention in St. Augustine, Fl. I'll be attending the weekend of September 13-14. I hope to see you there. I'll be posting the location of my booth or the spot where you can find me later this month.

AncientCitycon.com

Here's artwork for This-Is-It T-shirts I'll be making for the convention. It's so good to be back. Stay on for the ride because this is about to get interesting and exciting in the following months.

Asylum Earth Supreme Survivor Board Game

 

Hey folks, here's the latest update on the Asylum Earth board game. After printing the last prototype, I thought the name needed enlarging so now it's larger with a black border so it stands out.

We'll be playing the game during the Christmas break to fine-tune it and get it closer to publication. As I've said before, I'm not rushing this process because the longer it incubates, the better it gets. So far I'm happy with the quality of the box and printing. 

It's actually quite impressive how Gamecrafter puts this together. My only reservation is how dark the colors are but that's on me and I'll be trying to find ways to revise the artwork so it's more legible and more visually appealing. Other than that, I'm excited to see it in person after so many changes.

I especially like the foil cards so I'll be printing more of those. This game is a work in progress and getting better every time so I can't wait to get to the point where I can post it online for sale and promote it so players can get a taste of its dynamics and how interesting it is and how much fun it is to play.

Here are samples of the contents and some of the foil cards. We'll see how the game feels once we play this latest version. 

Meanwhile, it's the holidays, after all, so enjoy a healthy Thanksgiving and Christmas season. See you on the other side.

Board Games As Bright, Shiny Objects

 

Hunting For The Perfect Image

Hey folks, here we go on another wild adventure in design. And here's a great lesson for those of you who, like me, question everything.

Let's get right into this, which happens to be the opposite of the old design, meaning that it has gone from destruction and chaos to rebirth and renewal. Hence the new name, Asylum Earth.

The name Millennium was a tough act to follow. The name Remnants was maybe too specific, but Asylum Earth says it all with just two words. I think it has a nice ring to it and that's what you want in a name, and a big plus, it's an original name as far as I know.

old box

The goal is to shed the images of destruction and hint at the ending of the story, which has always been what you see here on this new cover so the story hasn't changed at all. I'm just focusing on the future result as opposed to the current state of world affairs. Besides, haven't we had enough of that in real life?
Sure we have and the world at large is over it. We've had enough of death and mayhem around the world and we're ready for something positive and hopeful for a change. Because not even fiction lives in a vacuum, especially themes of the end of days and the apocalypse.

Yes, I can proceed to mirror all the awful global events, but I really don't think anyone is in the mood for any more of it and therefore I've decided to focus on the brighter side. That's not to say that any of the story, Age of The Apocalypse, will change because it still begins with the fall of man, so to speak, and all his devices, and then follows a natural course of events that leads to a much more hopeful and desirable era on Earth.

These Are Different Cover Images

At first glance, these boxes look identical because of the bluish tint but on closer look, you can see a big difference. Rebirth vs. Chaos.

And yes, she is holding a gun because not even this new earth is perfect, but it's all in the spirit of protection as opposed to attack mode. Besides, you need to show some tension to balance the scene in a realistic way.

So with that in mind, I've added a futuristic city in the background while the foreground features a trail that leads the viewer into the story and through this "utopian" landscape. It's not a bright shining city paved with gold but it does represent an optimistic viewpoint that's refreshing in times like these.

This could be my masterpiece for all I know. If you've ever created anything for yourself, you know how difficult it can be, that is, looking from the inside out.

BTW, this is a composite image forged in Photoshop, two amazing free images I found on Pixabay. The image of the Android is from Shutterstock. And other cyberpunk images I've been lucky to find on Canstockphoto.com for the card decks. As you can see, imagery is always a wild hunt.

So we'll see if this hunting metaphor works. If you've hunted you know about attracting wild animals with shiny objects. A good device for humans but not so much for the unsuspecting creatures that fall prey to these tricks of the trade. I've learned this by watching shows like Mountain Men because I've never hunted myself, nor do I plan to hunt anytime soon.

At any rate, marketing can be similar to hunting and in this case, the bright shiny object is actually a bright, shiny city in the guise of a board game. Go figure. Yeah, there's a joke in there somewhere.

The point is that all roads lead to marketing and sales, otherwise known as attraction and persuasion. And let's not forget about the all-important, impulse purchase, that closes the sales funnel. That's another lesson for another time that I'd love to break down in short order in one of my future posts right here. Just keep in mind that as a graphic designer, you're always designing towards the optimum result, which is the elusive impulse purchase.

For now, compare these two box covers and see for yourself the shift in POV. The story never really changes because it's always about the apocalypse but this new cover shows a glimpse of what's to come after all the destruction and death have ravaged our beautiful earth.

Yes, unlike most of my stories, this one, Asylum Earth - Age of The Apocalypse has a happy ending. And so, the real story is about how we get there.

Imagine that.

Blade Runner RPG on Kickstarter

 

You've heard the name. You've seen the movies. Here's Blade Runner as an RPG. 

As you also know, musically, Blade Runner is infused with Jazz elements. Check out their intro video (above) on Kickstarter. Catchy, right?

Catchy, yes.

So what does one do when you hear or see something we like? We imitate it. We bounce our own ideas and put our spin on them. Don't feel cheap about it. Musicians and artists have been doing it, "lifting" since Beethoven and since the KJV Bible, for that matter.

So, with that disclaimer out of the way, here's my version of this idea, which is nothing new anyway, but its simplicity and tone appeal to me so here goes.

Yes, it's raw and rough around the edges because it's just a sample I slapped together in about an hour on Filmora by Wondershare. But you get the idea. I think it works and I like it enough to improve it and use it when my own game, Asylum Earth debuts (one of these days) soon.

You know, I use several film editing programs, including iMovie on my Macbook Pro, but I really like Filmora because it's very robust and easy to use. Maybe you haven't heard of it but give it a whirl and see for yourself. You can get a lot done in a short period of time and it's quite flexible so you'll have a good choice of effects to choose from. 

One caveat, however, they've switched to a subscription model. I'm not sure if they sell any of their software outright anymore. In my opinion, since they're not Apple, Inc., why follow their lead? Personally, I don't like the subscription services and already canceled my Adobe Illustrator, at least for now. I'm running an old version of Filmora on my HP laptop but you can download a new trial version for Apple too. 

BTW, I think the Blade Runner Kickstarter is still live, so check it out. I'll admit it has its quirks about digital content but it's worth a look.

Okay, enough clickbait. I'm out for now.

I'm still working on the new Asylum animation but you'll see it posted here soon. Just getting it over to Image Ready. Now there's a throwback, young-guns.

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Asylum Earth - Supreme Survivor [New Cyberpunk Board Game]

 Asylum Earth-Supreme Survivor

Hey folks, here's the newest prototype box for the game. As you can see, the game title is now Asylum Earth as opposed to Remnants. I hope to print it soon with a matte finish and spotgloss titles and logos. It's hard to see here but it's going to look epic up close and personal on a shelf.

Again, in keeping with the theme, the new name speaks to the bigger picture and main theme, which is the survival of our species and the survival of our planet. Although Remnants are still a big part of the story and remain intact.

Hail The Theme

Asylum Earth rings true to the main theme by implying that this new earth after the apocalypse is hopeful and peaceful. Wouldn't that be a welcome change in our world? 

I first came up with EarthHaven, which I love but we all know that with the popularity of GloomHaven, that name wouldn't work. So I don't mind the compromise and I think Asylum Earth is unique and speaks volumes about the theme.

I also made several changes to the cover image, which now shows Andrea in a careful search for combatants in the midst of a terrorist attack.

New Card Decks

I've also added a number of card decks including bomb threat events with countdown cards and so on. This game is loaded with great play and I can't wait to put it all together and get it out there. But that's another chapter altogether and the name of that game is social proof. Period.

That starts with several influencers who champion this game and rave about it to their customer base or audience, if you like, and that's all followed by several other important things, such as awesome explainer and game play videos, conference appearances and demonstrations, and so on. 

Launch Time

It takes time and energy to launch a good game or product of any kind but the main thing is that the game itself is appealing visually and playable at first sight. There's no room for awkward moments or stale events that flow against the theme or genre. You've got to hit a grand slam right from the start. That's what makes a product go viral and amass interest, engagment, and ultimately, plenty of orders.

I hope to finish designing and developing Asylum by the end of this year. At that point playtesting will continue with a focus on finding its core audience of players and believers.

It's a long, winding road, my friends. Nothing comes easy or happens overnight. One day I'll be in full marketing and sales mode as the design and develpment stage winds down considerably. But, as I've  already said, you've got to get the right people involved. Great things don't happen in a vaccum. Great things happen in wide open spaces where your most guarded secrets are exposed for the world to see.

Share It

Share this game with anyone you believe might enjoy it and follow its progress right here as Asylum goes from a bunch of thoughts, to trial and error and eventually, a huge success in the gaming industry. Yes, you must think positive and act persuasively to meet your goals.

Strive to create the very best game you'd love to play and take chances because whenver you put yourself and your ideas out there, there's always a clash of ideologies at play between you and your audience and the point is that you've got to remain true to the genre but don't be afraid to add your own personality and points of view to a game because that's what makes it unique and different.

Come on back for so much more about Asylum Earth and tips on how to market your game and develop it along the way.

All products are experimental and this game is no different but as long as you expand the genre in your own way, you're on the right track. There are plenty of moving parts and synchronizing all of them is the name of the game.

Images that tell a story 

See you soon, right here where my next post will delve into what kind of images tell a story and hook your audience at first sight. I'll dissect my own cover to see what I think makes it great and what works to tell a story. If you're stuck designing your box cover, you'll want to get into this and see what makes a great cover tick.

Play on, folks.