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TCG Interview #73: Arcade Battle Cards

I spoke with the creator of Arcade Battle Cards! Here are his answers to my questions:

Q: Please describe your trading card game!
A: Arcade Battle Cards! Gather your favorite video game motifs, characters, levels, and power ups, and do battle for the glory of the HI SCORE!!!

Q: What inspired you to create your own TCG?
A: I own a business (@the_holey_truth) where I've always kept an arcade cabinet in the lobby. I love arcade games! I also sell cards in my shop... we were one of the first (if not the first) store to sell MetaZoo (before the bubble popped lol) and were definitely the first to sell Monster Club, and even stock higher end stuff like Lorcana and plenty of base set Pokemon. I develop video games in my spare time... then I wrote a tabletop rpg system... and then I decided to make a card game! It combines my love of card games and arcade games!

Q: What TCGs did you grow up playing as a kid?

A: I loved Pokemon, still do... I loved Score era Dragon Ball Z TCG... Magic... I've also tried anything put in front of me. But those 3 were the big ones for me!

Q: What sets Arcade Battle Cards apart from other TCGs?
A: I focused on FUN. I feel like a lot of games get kind of complicated, and though I appreciate games with a lot of mechanics, some games just aren't fun for me. Games with high learning curves, long turns, high buy-ins, exclusives, and bad player bases are all things I'm trying to avoid!

Q: How did you come up with the name Arcade Battle Cards?
A: I knew I wanted 'Arcade' in there... the other two parts, just made the initials ABC. Like the A, B, and C buttons on an arcade cabinet!

Q: How long have you been working on the game?
A: About 9 months. 

Q: What is the illustration/design process like?
A: I usually make character art with my phone and stylus. I'd love to find a pixel artist to help work on the game! I use inspiration from different video game styles and sprites.

Q: When will the game officially be released?
A: I'm unsure... I will have 4 theme decks, 1 2 player game, mats, and all of the fun stuff published by fall. To hold you over, go to the link in our bio, and download a free printable of the demo game! It includes instructions for 1 and 2 player modes.

Q: What are your future plans for Arcade Battle Cards?

A: The demo decks just released, and once players circulate the game a little, I'd like to introduce some more mechanics I've been sitting on. Cheat code cards that have dramatic effects to the game, genre-mechanic (cards with the same genre work together better, prompting themed deckbuilding), and store participation, with stores letting us know their best players' HI SCOREs and initials for an online leaderboard! I also have a few indie game developers and classic game artists who will be helping with the game's aesthetics!

Q: Will you be at any upcoming conventions?

A: Catch me at Happy Valley Comic Con or Thy Geekdom! I'll be at both of these and more, demo-ing the game!

Q: Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own TCG?

A: Follow Trading Card Girl! She's in the know about new games. With a plethora of new games dropping, it's nice to see what's out there, to avoid duplicating and to learn what interests other players! Write a good system for your game, and write it again! Print cards, hate them, redo them, love them, then do it again! Playtest as much as you can, then do it again! And make sure you enjoy yourself... your product will show your level of passion. Creating a card game is an art! If you're doing this for money or clout, you'll end up with a poor product!

For more, follow @arcadebattlecards on Instagram and check out arcadebattlecards.com







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