L’Arte dell’Inventare Giochi: Niek Neuwahl
Questa è la 14 intervista per la serie l’Arte del Gioco: Interviste agli autori di giochi, che sto realizzando per il sito OpinionatedGamers.com
Presto le interviste, in Italiano, saranno pubblicate su questo sito, a partire dalla prima fatta a Leo Colovini.
Qua potete leggere l’intervista (in inglese) a Niek Neuwahl
Here I’m with the 14th interview. This time I gone to ask about the art of design to Nicolaas (Niek) Neuwahl. Niek is a long time designer with an huge amount of games produced, mainly abstract games. Niek has also a long militancy in the SAZ, the greatest world wide association for games designers, now with the role of management questions about Games Advertising.
Of course, since his main production is in abstract games, Niek works most on the mechanics but discovered how peoples approach differently if a game has also a “theme”.
You can have a nice idea of Niek ideas about designing reading what he says “I’m too stupid to design complicated games”. In fact. simplicity is one of the characteristics of my games. But to design simple games, that work well is not so simple….. and asking him about designing and art he told me “I think the meandering curve from first idea to different possible solutions to the definitive game is a process very similar to the birth of an art work, be it an object of design, of architecture, of literature, of painting”.
I think it is enough to make you interested in this interview. So, now, we can start
[Liga] Dear Niek, with this series of interviews I’m trying to explore the world of game designers with the idea that designing games is a form of art, no more ore less than writing books or casting movies. What we try to do together is, looking through your production, to find your style, your special sign … the common traits in your games. Something that could make the expert says “OK, another Niek Game”According to BGG you got published something close to 30 games in 30 years of career, starting from 1980 releases. Actually I know that 102 editions of your games have been published by 35 different companies in 17 different countries. A number of those games have not been made for the traditional games business, but as promotional items and probably this is the reason why BGG only display some of your games.
Is there any game you are particularly proud of and why ?
