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Question #16, from Mr. Man on VsRealms.com: Why did you create Hattch?
Answer: As artists, we are always eager to explore a new medium. We were ready to play a new card game like this, and none existed on the market. Trading Card Games tend to be very time-intensive, competitive, and serious. Uno and Gin Rummy were a bit "played out" in our house. It was time for something fresh that we could play for laughter and good times, so we created an exciting alternative. It has been extremely rewarding to invent a new game, and now we seek to share it with the world.
Question #15, from Dredlox in Tampa: What is the target age-group for Hattch?
Answer: Hattch can be enjoyed by card players from ages 4 to 104. It is a game that can be marketed for the entire family. Our playtesting pod in Tucson, Arizona offered this opinion: "Although our group is a college-aged poker playing crowd, Hattch could easily be aimed toward a younger audience as well. This game is great for teaching kids how to prioritize card choices, and it is simple enough for anyone to pick up and learn. This was one of the better games that we have demo'ed, and all our friends loved it."
Question #14, from an observer at the Grand Floridian Hotel: What is that? It looks fun, have you tried to sell it to Parker Brothers?
Answer: In addition to Hattch, we are very involved with a trading card game called Vs. System that is produced by Upper Deck Entertainment. We plan to offer Hattch to them first, then we will decide which other companies to approach. We are also looking at a few options for producing and marketing Hattch ourselves. Creating Hattch has been a very exciting and educational entrepreneurial experience, I recommend it to everyone.
Question #13, from DangerousDance in a playtesting pod at the College of William and Mary: What do you think about a point system for Hattch? We have found that everyone is ready to keep playing as soon as the game is done, and we want the current game totals to carry over.
Answer: Indeed, Hattch will have a point system. We love the ideas you submitted, and we have some of our own. We usually count 20 points for a Hattch, and each opponent gets one point per card in play. 60 points wins the match. There could be penalties for cards left in hand as well. As another option, we often play a seven-game series... like two hockey teams fighting for the Stanley Cup.
Question #12, from thing11 in a playtesting pod in California: Is the discard pile public information? Can I look through it?
Answer: Yes, the discard pile is public information for all players at any time. You may look through it before you decide to play any card. Especially later in the game, it is very important to know what is in the discard pile that can help you... or hinder your opponent. The discard pile is shuffled to become the new deck immediately upon drawing the last card from the deck, so remember to try to get whatever you need from it before it is gone!
Question #11, from mc9457 on decktech.net: Looks interesting, but what I want to know is - where can I get it? (Geez its like that episode of South Park where Cartman buys an amusement park and won't let anyone inside and everyone wants in just because they can't get in. Get this thing printed - the concept does seem very cool. I'll buy one when the first set is up for purchase over the web.)
Answer: We are working feverishly to get Hattch printed and available for you. Thanks for the raging interest. At this point our schedule is focused on preparations for corporate demonstrations at GenCon in Indianapolis the third weekend of August. As soon as those talks are concluded we will be able to give you a more specific timeline for sales of Hattch.
Question #10, from JDGloom in Pickering, Ontario: Are you having fun yet? Anything I can help with?
Answer: Yes we are, and yes there is. First let me talk about the fun. Hattch was created from a vision, it flashed into my head all at once. When Nina and I first sat down to play Hattch we couldn't stop grinning and laughing. The game worked so well that it felt as if we had been playing it for years! It has been a true joy to fine-tune the mechanics every day since then.
Our students have had some fun too. Trading Card Games tend to exclude most of the school population due to the learning curve required to understand the rules. Hattch is ready for anyone to learn and play immediately. Uno is very popular in schools because many teachers allow it during non-instructional times, while traditional playing cards are forbidden due to gambling issues. When we introduced a fresh new alternative for the afterschool hours, the students were more than thrilled. They pleaded with us to sell them the prototype decks. Our students helped critique the mechanics and some of the additional cards were suggested by them. That leads me to your second question. Yes, you can help. I will send you a playtesting kit and you can have some fun yourself. Thanks.
Question #9, from anonymous: I don't get it. What is the game about?
Answer: The first edition of Hattch is about breaking out of your shell and emerging to your full potential. The mechanics of the game are based on an eight level progression to victory. The original incarnation of this concept looks like a group of winged beings bursting out of their eggs. The imagery of the first edition also includes five characters that assist or hinder this emergence. So, in the first edition, the game is about being the first player to successfully gestate into full form and fly away in victory.
The beautiful thing about Hattch is this: It is such a classic game system that it can be morphed into another completely different set of images and concepts, and still be just as fun. It could be licensed to portray any other franchise's characters and story arcs. It could be re-visualized in a whole new way with another original motif. Hattch could continue with the theme of emerging winged beings, but shift to a new set of artists and images for the next edition. It could go anywhere from here.
Question #8, from lanterncraft in an unknown location: I don't draw much, but I have lots of ideas. Is that okay for the Phoenix Hunt?
Answer: Yes. The Phoenix Hunt has sections for creative writing, character lists, and new card design. For example, you can write a story about any kind of emerging being... but you must use eight distinct stages in the structure of your story. Full details are available by emailing rianfike@hattch.com We are very excited about the creative input you will send us, and we are thrilled to give the community a chance to get published. Have fun!
Question #7, from Kamiza in England: Is Hattch a battle game? A guessing game? What?
Answer: Hattch is a game where you collect pairs of cards, with specific criteria. It is a game where you can improve your position by foiling the opposing players' plans. It is a game of big bursts of power and miraculous come-from-behind shifts that create surprise victories. It shares many mechanics with a number of games, yet it has some very original interactions of cards. It is simple enough for children to play, yet it has as much deep strategy as poker or gin rummy. It is not a battle game, it is not a guessing game, it is not quite like anything else we have ever played.
Question #6, from Kergillian in Montreal: What are the guidelines for submitting art for the Phoenix Hunt?
Answer: There are three different challenges in the visual art section of the Phoenix Hunt. First are the Hattch cards. These will have full color art of any kind of winged being. They can be glorious angels or terrifying dragons, or anything you can imagine. A flying squirrel or a winged baseball bat would receive equal consideration. The art can be paintings or pastels or computer art... any medium, as long as it has color and has wings. The second challenge is to design a progression, using the theme of eggs and wings. The third challenge is to design five different character types. All art may be submitted online or via snail mail. More specifics are available upon request. Visit the Phoenix Hunt page if you need more information. We look forward to your entries, thanks.
Question #5, from Miaka in New York City: Is Hattch a 2 player game or can it be played with a group?
Answer: That is one of the best parts of the Hattch experience. We have tuned the game to be ideal for two players, but the game is perfect for multiplayer games as well. A single Hattch deck works for 2-4 players. If you combine two Hattch decks you can play with up to 8 players... and you can still play with only two players if you wish. It is a very classic yet very flexible mechanic.
Hattch is spectacularly fun for two-person teams. Team play brings an entire new level of strategy and fun to the game. We have tested it with friends and family and the future looks fabulous, for any number of players. We are currently developing a solitaire version and we plan to publish new ways to play that we collect from the community. We aim to start a worldwide card party, for as many players as we can.
Question #4, from [FD]Swordfish in Brazil: Looks cool, but what's the art about? Like, what is ON the cards, picture wise? Answer: The art is a hybrid of Uno's bold graphic look and the intense fantasy paintings of Trading Card Games. Each edition will change. The first edition looks like the Ones and Twos on this website, except for the Hattch cards. These are collectible cards that have fully painted winged beings on the back, and black and white versions of the main egg on the front. There will be 60 different paintings to collect on the Hattch cards, and these 60 paintings are chosen in the Phoenix Hunt. As we collect more and more art from the community through the Phoenix Hunts, we will update the next edition. I'm not going to give it all away... there are many mysteries to be revealed. Some cards have words instead of numbers, and these portray spectacular Hattch-themed characters like the winged werewolf on the Hattch Openings page. The drawings for the first edition are done by Mundo, the champion of the Inaugural Phoenix Hunt. He is an amazing 22 year old artist in El Salvador. You can see more of his work here: www.chilin.deviantart.com
Question #3, from cyke in San Antonio, Texas: Will the rulebook be available online?
Answer: Yes. Currently the rulebook is available online for our playtesting pods only. When Hattch goes into production and is available for purchase, the rulebook will be available on this site. We are accepting new playtesting pods every day if you are willing to sign an online Non-Disclosure Agreement and report your results. To start your own playtesting pod, send an introductory email to: rianfike@hattch.com
Question #2, from gator7870 in Jacksonville, Florida: Is Hattch a trading card game or a stand alone game?
Answer: Hattch is not dependant on future booster sets. It is a "box game" like Uno. However, like Uno, there is an opportunity to add one new card with each new edition. Also, there are four collectible "Hattch cards" included in each deck. These are used in card formation, and they allow an outrageous win condition, but they are not absolutely neccesary to game play. There will be 60 different Hattch cards to collect!
Question #1, from proparm in Lawrence, Kansas: Is this for real?
Answer: Absolutely. Hattch is ready for production, and there are a number of playtesting pods that are enjoying the game as we speak in six different countries. Currently we are looking for a printing facility to produce the first edition. That first edition will be sold locally throughout Florida and on the worldwide web. When the first printing is almost sold out, the first Phoenix Hunt will be concluded and a whole new edition will be designed for a second printing. The design ideas from the first Phoenix Hunt will be limited; we are not going to change the game completely every edition. However, there will be one new card included in each set. And, of course, the artwork will change with each new edition.
If you meant "Is this a real business?"... the answer is still "Absolutely." Nina and I have spent the last six months creating, developing, and testing Hattch every day and night. We have a fully copyrighted, provisionally patented, and incredibly balanced game that can stand the test of time like Uno or Poker or Go Fish! We are looking for a large game company to purchase the rights to our game, or for Venture Capitalists to fund a new game company of our own. |
