Designer Profile: Darrell Hardy

Image by Tim Mensch

There's a light in my eyes, the only light in an otherwise darkened room. Somewhere in the darkness, somewhere nearby, Tim is whispering in my ear: "Tell us about yourself, Darrell. Our readers want to know all about you."

Hello, world. My name is Darrell and my favorite color is, judging from my wardrobe, black. I have two cats and --

Zero-Download, Multi-Device Link and Play

Image by Tim Mensch

I play board games with friends a few times a month. Since my time at these game nights is limited, I would like to dive right in and play, but set-up and clean-up of games takes a lot of time. Waiting for other players takes a lot of time. General upkeep takes a lot of time.

That's why I like tablet board games. They handle the busywork and save a lot of time. What's more, you can play against the computer, or against a friend over the Internet. But a huge reason I enjoy board games is the real-time interaction around the table. Even with their time-saving benefits, every last one of the tablet-based board games that I've seen has been inferior to the traditional board game for in-person multiplayer.

Increasing AND Decreasing Complexity: Monopoly in 15 Minutes

Image by timlewisnm

As I mentioned in a recent blog post, I like complicated games, especially the recent trend of designer board games. The kind of board game that I like to play tends to have great art, piles of tokens and/or cards, and sometimes a complicated board. Depending on the game, the set-up can take 15 minutes or more. But the worst part is the 10-or-more-page rule book that you have to read before you start to play. The barrier to entry for some of these games can be huge.

I've been a game programmer for 25+ years now, but oddly enough my degree is in cognitive science. I studied under one of the foremost experts in user inteface design, Don Norman. I don't claim to be a great visual UI designer myself -- my graphic design skills aren't up to the task -- but studying under Norman changed the way I thought about games far beyond just the visual design of the user interface.

Creating a Hybrid Game Category

Image by Tim Mensch

I have a secret. I've been working as a video game developer for years, but really what I like to play are designer board games. Games in the general category of Settlers of Catan, though that one has lost much of its sheen for me. There are plenty to choose from, though, and I've played dozens over the years, since well before the current board game craze.

But I hate spending time setting them up and cleaning them up. To my mind, this is something computers should do for us! I can buy some of my favorites for the iPad, but few of those are designed to be played with friends, which is half the point. So I want to create an awesome, modern, easy-to-learn designer board game that I can play with friends. And if it's going to be on a tablet, there's no reason for it to be limited to the kinds of things you can do with cardboard and dice. I want to create the first in a category of modern digital board game; something more than you can do with paper, but still just as fun. No pressure!

Rodents Rescuing Rodents For Science!

Image by Chester Oakley

So it turns out that Hamster: Attack! isn't so far from reality after all! A study in the December 9 issue of Science reports that rats exhibit empathy when they encounter another rat trapped in a cage.

The best part? Once they figure out how, they always go and rescue their fellow rat!

New site! Better! Stronger! Faster!

Welcome to the new QuickCharge Games site! Changes here are more than skin deep. We've simplified the layout, but more importantly, now you will be able to read it more easily on a cell phone. It's also much faster than it was before, so you'll be able to get your QuickCharge news much more...quickly.

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