I spoke with Steve Sekula, the creator of Gem Blenders- here are his answers to my questions:
Q: Please describe your trading card game!
A: Gem Blenders is a revolutionary lo-fi TCG, where you mix & match gems, explore blend synergies, and command your heroes to outwit your opponent!
Each player begins with a team of four heroes. Over the course of the game, you’ll equip these heroes with combinations of gems in order to use transformations called blends. Every blend has a recipe that requires a specific combination of 2–5 different gem types. Your goal is to blend your heroes and position them to get your opponent’s HP down to 0.
Q: What inspired you to create your own TCG?
A: I grew up playing Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, and also spent a bunch of time creating my own homemade TCGs (which I show off on the Gem Blenders YouTube channel). It felt natural to begin working on another card game project.
My passion for developing game mechanics has led me to create homemade board games in the past, but trading card games present a unique opportunity to create a deep lore that I can weave into the game and continue expanding as time goes on.
In short, I really enjoy worldbuilding and game design, and TCGs are an awesome medium to explore both.
Q: What sets Gem Blenders apart from other TCGs?
A: My primary motivation with Gem Blenders was to create a game that would not be confused with any established TCGs, forcing me to think outside the box with both art and gameplay.
It was always a priority to find a niche outside high-fantasy and anime art styles. When defining the art direction, I took inspiration from the early internet and old school RPG video games. This “lo-fi” aesthetic permeates throughout the world of Gemlandia and culminates in a card design that is unmistakably Gem Blenders.
Equal weight was placed on formulating game mechanics that would add something new to the TCG genre. The four-hero position system allows for immediate action on turn 1. Additionally, a reduced emphasis on card destruction in combination with faction-subverting blending mechanics gives Gem Blenders its own distinct flavor.
Q: How did you come up with the name Gem Blenders?
A: It’s super simple! Gems are the main resource in the game (similar to energy in Pokémon or land in MtG). Your goal is to equip your heroes with different combinations of gems to use transformations called “blends.”
Colloquially, individuals in the world of Gemlandia who have the ability to blend gems are known as “Gem Blenders.”
Q: How long have you been working on the game?
A: I came up with the base mechanics for Gem Blenders in Spring 2018 and began illustrating the characters soon after. In November 2019, we ran a small-scale Kickstarter to fund our first print run. The following year, we had the “beta version” sets printed and began a grassroots campaign to grow our community of players in New York City. Finally, in June 2022, we printed our first-ever holographic cards to prepare for our upcoming print run as a full TCG.
Over the four years of working on Gem Blenders, I’ve been joined by an awesome team who also has an incredible amount of dedication and talent. From hosting weekly online game tests, to traveling across the country for conventions, we’ve been putting in the necessary work to get an original IP like Gem Blenders off the ground.
Q: What is the illustration/design process like?
A: Thus far, I’ve personally designed each of the 65 heroes and 150 blends. Every character begins with a hand-drawn illustration, which is then outlined digitally. Blends are paired with a variety of lo-fi digital images and textures, which gives each card a truly distinct feel.
Most recently, we’ve begun commissioning artists to create alternate art versions of certain blends. Our plan is for these “guest artist” cards to serve as secret rares in our upcoming print run. Additionally, we have many exciting art-related announcements to be revealed in the coming months.
Q: What are your future plans for Gem Blenders?
A: Everything we’re doing now is to prepare for our upcoming Kickstarter in March 2023. This Kickstarter will introduce Gem Blenders as a full TCG, featuring full art & holographic cards, booster packs, booster boxes, card rarity, a drafting format, and over 50 entirely new cards!
Our hope is that this Kickstarter is large enough to continue our growth. Ideally this would serve as a platform to attract investors, form partnerships with distributors, and launch organized play events across the US and beyond.
Q: Will you be at any upcoming conventions?
A: Our goal is to attend a convention every month leading up to our Kickstarter. Next up, we have a local New York City convention called Play NYC, which we attended last year as well! Other upcoming events include PAX Unplugged in December and more Collect-A-Cons next year.
Q: Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own TCG?
A: Start with a lot of prototyping and make sure your game mechanics are distinct. You have to give players a reason to play your game over more established TCGs. The same thinking can be applied to the art direction as well.
Once you have the foundation of your game established, surround yourself with others who have equal passion for the project and get to work!
For more, check out:
Website: https://www.gemblenders.com/
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Comments
Post a Comment