Today we’d like to introduce you to Craig Campbell.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Craig. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I first started playing tabletop roleplaying games (RPGs) in 1991 while studying architecture in college. I started with D&D, as many do, but eventually played a lot of Star Wars, Shadowrun, Vampire, Changeling, and a variety of other games. It didn’t take long before I didn’t just want to play and I started running games as the GM, in time designing whole worlds in which to set the stories we told playing the games.
In 1999, I got the opportunity to write an adventure for a game convention. A few years later, I wrote a feature article for Dragon magazine issue #340. A couple years later, I wrote a few more adventures for conventions. In 2006, my freelance work ballooned significantly to working on D&D, Pathfinder, Gamma World, and Iron Kingdoms. During this time, I was also working as an architect.
In 2012, my freelancing opportunities started to ramp down and I had a decision to make. Look for more freelancing with other game companies or try to create my own RPG. I had a fair bit of “designer cred” and had built my skills in game design and development, editing, and a bit of art direction, and had made many contacts in the RPG industry.
In 2013, I began designing my own RPG called Murders & Acquisitions, a game where players portray cut-throat go-getters seeking to rise up the corporate ladder by any means necessary. After three years of design, development, playtesting, and revision (all done in my free time), M&A was ready to become a real game. I launched a Kickstarter campaign in May of 2016 to fund the remaining artwork, layout, and editing needed to self-publish the game. The Kickstarter succeeded and I published it in December of 2016. During this period, I was also designing a new game.
In 2017, I put the new game into rigorous, year-long playtesting and continually designed, developed, edited, and revised it. CAPERS is a super-powered game of 1920s gangsters. As of late 2017, I’m preparing to initiate a second Kickstarter campaign to fund remaining artwork, layout, etc. for CAPERS. As part of this ramp-up, I’ve released a preview edition of CAPERS at DriveThruRPG.com. It’s the bare bones of the game, enough for people to give the game a whirl and get them interested in backing the Kickstarter (coming March 6, 2018).
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been mostly smooth, given the wealth of skills and advice I’ve acquired over two and a half decades of game playing and design. That said, it’s taken a lot of time to get where I’m at now. I love being an architect and have no plans to become a full-time game designer. I enjoy doing my game work in my free time.
Finding playtesters is one of the biggest hurdles. A game can only really sing if people try it out and help the designer make it better. Thankfully, the M&A Kickstarter got me a small following which has given me access to gamers who want to try out my new designs.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I released M&A under my own name. In mid-2017, I created NerdBurger Games LLC to function as the game design imprint for all future design work.
I’m the owner and lead designer, and I fill a number of other roles within the company. I co-host the NerdBurger Show, a weekly potpourri of geeky/nerdy discussion all slathered over with a healthy dose of humor. I also regularly guest on other gaming podcasts to discuss the game play and design.
I hire independent contractors to do the things I can’t do and to augment my design work. Between M&A and CAPERS, there are over 20 people who have contributed to my games so far, many of the people who have had no previous experience in designing and contributing to RPGs. I got my first design break from a friend and I try to pay it forward to others who are interested in making games.
NerdBurger Games credo is: “We create games that explore corners of the RPG landscape that haven’t been explored…or haven’t been explored very often.” We don’t design BIG games. We design rules-light games that allow players to focus on telling engaging, entertaining, memorable stories at their table. I think we’ve done that so far.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The Atlanta area is filled to brimming with creative people. I’ve found many of my contractors at game days and from local friends’ recommendations.
Atlanta also hosts a variety of geeky/nerdy conventions (DragonCon, MomoCon, AndoCon, and others), but could use more. The area is full of geeks and nerds who seek the opportunity to play games, cosplay, and geek out on TV/movies/comics. If there are people out there who like organizing events and conventions, there is an audience. Get something going. Reach out. They will come to you.
Pricing:
- Murders & Acquisitions is available at DriveThruRPG.com. $15 PDF. $30 softcover/PDF bundle. $35 hardcover/PDF bundle.
- The CAPERS Preview Edition is available at DriveThruRPG.com. $4 PDF. $10 softcover/PDF bundle.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.nerdburgergames.com
- Email: NerdBurgerGames@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NerdBurgerGames/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NerdBurgerCraig
- Other: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/10416/NerdBurger-Games
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