"Would you rather bite the curb and get kicked in the back of the head or get a paper cut on your eyeball?"
Most of us would just say "ouch" and grimace. Horn saw the makings of a great board game, even if it did take some time and a blind date for his idea to ferment. According to the Zobmondo!! Web site, here's how it happened:
(Randy) accompanied (his blind date) on an evening which included dinner and dancing with two other couples. ... The understandable pressure to keep conversation going, and an unfortunate bout with drowsiness (Randy had been burning the candle at both ends), prompted him to break out the ridiculous questions. Magic happened again! The conversation came alive; everyone was laughing and groaning. ... As he and Jeff walked out of the restaurant, it came to him, and he told Jeff, "This needs to become a board game."
The concept worked its way into a business plan course that Horn took at UCLA. Horn decided to pursue Zobmondo!! full time after a competition in which the business plan he and a classmate developed finished third.
Using the proceeds of that contest, Horn invited his classmates to pizza parties where everyone socialized and invented new "would you rather" questions. More than 800 questions were generated from these parties. The rest of the questions were written by a group of 30-plus freelance comedy writers in Los Angeles, specifically sought out and hired by Horn for this purpose.
A collection of about 6,000 questions emerged from the process, and Horn narrowed the list to 3,500. Then, he hired a team of actors to go over the questions in great detail and finally settled on 1,500 questions to include in the game.
Zobmondo!! went on to receive a good deal of media attention, including articles in the Wall Street Journal and Smart Money. The game also sold well. It was the number two best-selling game in 1998 at The GameKeeper chain.
In the spring of 2000, game giant Hasbro picked up Zobmondo!! and released it in a wild, multi-colored box. Horn later reacquired the rights to his game.
This interview from May 1999 features Horn answering a few questions about Zobmondo!! and his experience in designing it.
What were some of your first favorite board games? Why did you enjoy them?
Pictionary and Balderdash -- I love the creativity and crazy social dynamic they create.
What are some of your current favorites?
Those are still among my favorites. I don't see a lot of variety out there right now... just word games, trivia games, and charades games. The industry is desperate for something new and crazy.
When did you first think about designing board games?
During my first year of business school, 1996.
How long did it take to complete a finished version of the game?
I did it all in 6 months, from start to finish. I refined the idea in business school but once I actually got serious about it, it took 6 months.
What was the most challenging part of designing Zobmondo!!?
Fine tuning, editing, choosing the content. A good "would you rather" question is a work of art.
What did you enjoy most about the process?
The entire challenge, from art directing the packaging to creating the actual content. It was a lot more difficult then I expected, but I am extremely pleased with the finished product. It's something that I created and that I'm proud of.
What are a couple of your favorite game questions?
I've always loved the original question: "Would you rather bite the curb and get kicked in the back of the head or get a paper cut on your eyeball?"
I also love: "Would you rather bite the head off a live gopher or thoroughly lick a cat's butt?"
Every time I go back into the deck of cards I find new favorites. There are so many fantastic questions that it's hard to choose.
Did you attempt to sell Zobmondo!! to an existing game board company?
No -- there's no better way to earn credibility than to get your game on the shelf and show the world that it sells. Before you do that, you're all talk and very few will give you a decent deal on an unproven product.
When did you start to sell the game?
(American International) Toy Fair 1998.
How successful would you say the game has been?
My first year of sales have exceeded all of my expectations. I'm now on everyone's radar screens. The interest is coming in from many areas and I'm looking for big things in the future. Take a look at May 1999 issue of Smart Money magazine (some pretty cool PR).
What kind of feedback have you received from game players?
Most people absolutely love it. But if you're looking for a strategic game, then Zobmondo!! is not for you. It's a social board game for people who are looking for an absolutely outrageous experience.
