Who thinks rules are fun?  We talk about freedom and liberty as immutable truths. But a world without rules isn’t fun. Unbridled freedom and liberty aren’t just dangerous — they become meaningless in the extreme. We create meaning through rules.  We also create fun through rules. Games are strange things. By imposing constraints we foster creativity and fun.

I’ve been fascinated with games for as long as I can remember. It started with card games like War, Euchre, then Pinochle.  The first time I saw the Player’s Handbook for Dungeons and Dragons it blew my mind. Games could take so many forms. Games could be anything. But good games, games I loved, games I wanted to play over and over, couldn’t be anything. They follow patterns. Many games are remixes of existing mechanics. Rules exist within other rules.  These spectrums of complexity and simplicity, rigidity and freedom, boredom and fun make games fascinating.

I’ve waited decades to finally give in to my passion. To start really designing games again. Serious games. Real games. Fun games. And in that journey I’ve become a student again.  And The Piquer is a way to publish that journey.