Interview with Lee Broderick - Maeshowe

Hello! Welcome back to the PNP News! This post is part of a series of interview that I'll be conducting with game designers who are participating in board game design contests on Board Game Geek. Today, I'll be interviewing Lee Broderick who designed the game Maeshowe for The 2016 Solitaire Print and Play Design Contest.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your gaming history?
I'm an archaeologist with fond memories of playing games with my family growing up and who wasted many a weekend in my teens playing Hero Quest with friends. These days I spend a lot of time playing solitaire, occasionally trying to convince my partner to play games with me, and attending a local boardgame group. As I've got older, my tastes have changed from the dice-chucking glee of my youth to more Euro-type games.

What is your favorite PNP game?
Land 6

How did you first discover PNP design contests?
BGG forums

Could you describe your game from a thematic point of view?
My game is based on real historical events in Early Mediaeval Orkney and sees you play as two Viking Jarls trying to escape from a Neolithic tomb.



Could you describe your game from a game mechanics point of view?
The game involves a large amount of hand-management, whilst tokens keep track of progress and special powers.

What were your design goals with the game?
I wanted to make a simple solitaire game that lasted up to half an hour but provided some challenge in terms of strategy. I also though that the scenario leant itself to a good solitaire experience.

How long have you been working on your game?
A few months.

Finish the sentence: “If you like , then you’ll probably like my game” and perhaps let us know, what the similarities and differences are.
If you like Onirim then you might like my game. Both are essentially solitaire hand-management games. Having said that, I think my game offers more in the way of strategy and planning as well as a greater challenge. There again, I'm biased and I was also one of the few solitaire players to be disappointed by Onirim!

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