Britta Steude, Tantrix Games Ltd. Nelson, New Zealand Play online for free: http://www.tantrix.com/ (First, what's your relationship to Mike McManaway? He's listed as the inventor on the Web site?)
Mike's the original Inventor. We've been partners since 1995. We've worked as a team on all changes since then --especially our new Discovery Puzzle. Specifically I handle the graphic design, and all PC-related issues.
Let's start with a brief description of Tantrix to orient those who might not be familiar with the game.
A Tantrix set consists of 56 unique hexagonal tiles with painted bands or links in 4 different colours. The objective of the strategy game is to choose a colour and create the longest possible line (or loop) of your own colour. The tiles are all numbered and colour coded on the back and this facilitates a range of solitaire puzzles and activities.
When and how did the idea for Tantrix develop?
Tantrix has evolved slowly from the "Mind Game," which Mike developed in 1987. The Mind Game was for 2 players, was played on a hexagonal board and the rules very different from Tantrix. Credit should be given to a fellow New Zealand game called Trax which inspired the crucial "Forced Space" rule.
Did you play any games which inspired elements of Tantrix?
Mike had recently won the New Zealand Backgammon Championships and he was (and we still are) great believers that games which combine luck and skill are more accessible to the general public. It turned out the Mind Game was altogether too skillful for the market!
How important was the process of playtesting for Tantrix? Who did the testing?
The rules to Tantrix were still changing even after many thousands of Mind Games/Tantrix had already been sold. So we had 6 years of feedback to keep searching for the best possible balance. I think it was 1993 when the number of tiles was reduced from 64 to 56 (in order to eliminate a troublesome tile known as the "triple intersection").
Nowdays we have found that the best possible way of playtesting our new puzzles is at consumer shows: Last year we did 120 days of shows around New Zealand (generally craft shows) and over that time we probably met and gave 60-second demos to over 20,000 people. We quickly learned what elements grab people's attention and what works from a design point of view. Feedback from players is crucial!
Have you been pleased with the reaction to Tantrix?
Tantrix is what we do; it's 100% of our income! When we encounter a bad reaction from the public, then we've done something wrong and need to fix it quickly. You can say that we are very driven by what people like/want in a game -- it's our mission to make it happen.
Your Web site mentions that Tantrix has won several awards. Of which are you most proud? Hmm... none really. I have mixed feelings about awards, as only few deserve their "grand reputation." We like quoting the initial reaction to Tantrix when it was first launched in France and won "Best New Game" award.
When and why did you decide to develop Tantrix as a CD-ROM and a Web-based game?
First came the CD-ROM: By coincidence, the most successful New Zealand CD-ROM company is also based in our home town of Nelson, and they approached us with the idea of a joint venture. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Then came the Web: In 1996 a Canadian start-up company had a business model to make money from charging customers to play games on the Net! Hmm! A friend showed them Tantrix, and their first action was to invest heavily in building the Tantrix server -- half a year later they realised there would be no money in it. Since then, we've taken over development and promotion of the site ourselves.
The server allows Tantrix players from around the world to meet, chat and play. It's not a money-making venture; however, there's a growing Tantrix community on the Net which no doubt helps make the game famous internationally. I guess you gathered -- it's my pet project and I much enjoy it. There are many volunteers with specialized skills who joined the team over the past few years. Without them I would not be able to handle the workload.
When did you first develop an interest in board games?
Mike should answer this:
"I loved beating the rest of my family at Monopoly as a young child, I also played a lot of Mahjong. From the age of 9 I went to boarding school and mostly played Chess -- I even remember paying my class mates to play me! At college I had flatmates who were addicted to Backgammon, and eventually I went along with them to club night. I was immediately and completely hooked, and for many years backgammon was nearly my whole life -- I remember regularly playing in Wellington Cafes until 4 a.m. Of course, Backgammon is only interesting when played for a stake, so apart from entering tournaments in New Zealand, Austrlia and the United States, mostly we played a gambling version called Chouette. For a while I was making quite a nice living from my winnings."
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