Andrea “Liga” Ligabue: Cosa Bolle in Pentola ? #20 - Walter Obert

Hi gamers

after a long break here we are again with my series of interviews. This time I’m been able to catch Walter Obert, one of the most active Italian’s game designer. He has already designed 3 games already published but he also has several project close to be published. From two years he is also in charge of organizing IdeaG, the biggest game designer meeting ... I have post a report about it here on BGN. But now, stop talking and I start with the interview.

[Liga] Hi Walter. Finally I was able to have the time to make this interview! All the time we had met we play o we start talking about games, conventions ... please, give us a short introduction about yourself

[Walter] I am 45 years old, I’m married , I have two daughters and a puppy. In 1982 I knew an historic magazine
whose name is “Pergioco”.  It was the sparkle, since I collaborated on almost all the game magazines, I also organised
tournaments and championship of a lot of games.
First there were some classics of Avalon Hill and then classics of Games Workshop, Dungeons & Dragons “Red Box” Basic
Rules and Magic the Gathering. Afterwards I knew Giampaolo Dossena (the first Italian games journalist), Dario De
Toffoli and Alex Randolph (no need to speak about them), and so started my passion for Germain games.
Today I have got about 200 games, in most cases to much few played.  In January I’m glad of organize in my town,
Piossasco, the game designer convention “IDEAG”, with many national and foreign guests and publishers. There I propose
prototypes that I’d like to be produced by the editors.

[Liga] Yes, we know about IdeaG. I have published here the report of the last edition and I hope to do the same next year. Now, Cosa Bolle in Pentola ?

[Walter] Few projects, but finally certain. It will be necessary a little more for giving completely information, but it is
arriving a very interactive fantasy-insane game, for 2 to 8 players in a multilingual edition. Paolo Vallerga’s
Scribas will produce a game about football in a limited edition: it will be for 4 to 14 players and will allow to
simulate the deed of a coach who is busy to direct his team during a match in a very dynamic way, just after the
German Football World CUP.
Finally it will be ready, for Nuremberg 2007, my game about the Chinese Wall, Honour Mention for unpublished game
at LuccaGames 2004. It will be in ultra-luxury version.
You can found in all newsagents Focus Junior magazine (Italian version of German PM magazine) with a game about
football, realized with Silvano Sorrentino and illustrated by Stefano De Fazi from daVinci Games. This new game will
permit to simulate a football match with few pawn and a pack of cards.

[Liga] Really a lot. I have already tryied Hystericoach and I hope to test your other projects! I have also seen the “interactive fantasy-insane game” but I und that you can’t say more about it yet! And your projects for the future ?

[Walter] After a lot of time passed in stand by, I would like to publish a game per month. The relations with
the publishing house are good and, also if up till now I published only two games, it is pleasant
to be recognized: maybe I am most famous for the games I never published than for the ones I published!  :-)
I’ve two games very ambitious and complex that were still for a long time.
The most advanced is called “Economy of war”, it represents the war seen by the sales counter.
It will be an administrative, bad and wretched game, where the players are weapons producers and
for this reason , I’m afraid, it will be difficult to publish it. For hard gamers only.
Following I would like to have a personal web site, and even, sooner or later, publish the
Tokyo Train sequel, another party game which was played for a long time in all conventions last year but which
were retired because it was too much similar to another competing game in way of publication.
Surely I will always make the most of profit by the experience of two great players as Luke the Flaming and Andrea
“Sargon” Cupido, and of the friendship with all the GiocaTorino grouo and of the game shop “Centro Gioco Educativo” in
Turin too.
Moreover I have some game in way of working with other authors, some are very well-known other are unknown but very
promising: collaborate at the same project is an instructive and enriching experience.

[Liga] Good. So I hope to be able to publish a lot of “first impression” or “review” about your games in the next year. To finish the interview, tell me the 10 games you like to play most!

[Walter] It is a very difficult answer, because it is time dependant and partner dependant. And too much games never played. I will put them all equal, without preferences:

Advanced Civilization: very beautiful and charming, for lot of players. It still works good many years later. It’s a shame that the length of a match draw near to the geological period of the game.
Axs&Allies: a masterpiece, with few rules it can reproduce all the historical situations of WWII. The dices cannot trouble the match.
Samurai: simple doesn’t mean banal, with always crucial choices, the best placing game.
Tikal: actually my favourite game; the APS (Action Point System) on his best. Avoid to play it with to much thoughtful players.
Kardinal und Koening: another masterpiece of placement games
Speed Circuit: Although the age and its rules simplicity it still really charming and simulative.
Settlers: what can I add to a perfect game?
Sisimizi: one of Alex Randolph’s masterpieces, mix of Go and Hex with a little of formic acid.
Carabande: Practically bought by mistake when it was just marketed, I couldn’t stop playing when assembled.
Ticket to Ride: a must for non-players, always exciting from start to end, merited success for the game that everybody wants to have invented.
And how to keep out card games as San Juan, Bohnanza, Coloretto, Geschenkt? And Evo, Shadows over Camelot, Ambush (greatest solitaire game)
I didn’t have to accept this challenge!!

[Liga] Thank you very much Walter. Good luck for all your projects, keep us updated and good play!