One of the best games I’ve played in 2015 is by a local designer, Ryan Laukat from Red Raven Games. The name of the game is Above and Below. It is an adventure, city-building exploration game with wonderful artwork, fun gameplay and a storytelling element that adds enormous flavor.
The story behind the game is that barbarians have attacked the players’ home village and they escaped with nothing. They traveled far and wide and eventually found a new place to start over. But as the town grew, a network of caverns was found going deep into the earth. The caverns contained treasures, rare resources and adventure! Building cities and exploring caverns is where the game begins.
To start Above and Below, each player begins with three villagers, a home and some money. Each villager is skilled in different areas. There are builders, explorers and recruiters. Two to four players compete to see who can build the best city above and below ground by earning victory points.
Players take turns assigning each villager a task to perform. Villagers can build new structures that add resources, victory points, or special abilities. Villagers can also recruit new villagers with different skills for a cost. Resources can be harvested and money can be earned by villagers too. Best of all are the adventures into the caverns. At least two villagers must go together because no one goes into the dark alone!
On an adventure into the caverns, villagers will need to help someone, accomplish a certain goal or overcome an obstacle. The details of the adventure are given by an opposing player who reads from a book of numbered paragraphs that describe various adventure situations. Players roll dice and check the skills of their villagers to see if a challenge was completed.
Players score points by having a good reputation, collecting a variety of resources, completing adventures and building structures above and below ground. A key factor of the game is making sure your villagers have a place to sleep to recover for the next round of play or no work will get done.
Above and Below is a shining example of what good game design looks like. It’s fun to play, family friendly, easy to learn, looks fantastic, has great replay value, doesn’t take very long and creates lasting memories. I’m giving this game a strong recommendation.
What follows is an interview with Ryan Laukat: owner, designer and publisher from Red Raven Games. Above and Below is one of his creations.
How long have you lived in Utah?
Yes, I've lived in Utah for most of my life. I'm not a big fan of the weather in January, but I really love how beautiful it is. There is also a fantastic board game community here, so it is a nice place to be a board game designer.
Other than your own games, what is your favorite board game?
I'm going to give two answers here: Puerto Rico and Race for the Galaxy. Puerto Rico was the game that got me interested in Euro-style games, and I've played Race for the Galaxy countless times. Both have had a big influence on me as a designer.
What was the determining factor for jumping into creating board games professionally?
When I learned about Kickstarter and saw that a few people were having success with it, I was excited by the possibilities it offered. I'd been pitching my game designs to many other companies over the years, but relying on crowd funding and starting my own company would let me have total control over my designs, something that was very important to me.
Do you use your art talents for other things besides your board games?
I've hand-engraved saxophones and trumpets at Cannonball Musical Instruments. It’s the same way its been done for over 100 years.
Where did you get the idea for the game Above and Below?
I was sketching box covers at a convention, and I ended up sketching the cover for what is now Above and Below. I didn't even know what the game was about, but I started designing it around that cover sketch with the little house above ground and the cave below. I even titled it in the sketch without any idea of what the game would be. The storybook element came later, after we'd already played the first prototype, as a way to really get players immersed in the game.
What are you most proud of about the production of Above and Below?
I'm most proud of the story book. Writing is a hobby for me, and it was a lot of fun to be able to incorporate it into one of my games.
Do you have any firm plans for an expansion for Above and Below?
Not yet. I do think there is a lot of room for an expansion in the game, so it is likely to happen.
Any interesting facts about the production of Above and Below?
Before I started Red Raven Games, I illustrated a few games designed by my friend Alf Seegert, creator of the games Bridge Troll and Trollhalla. For Above and Below, I asked Alf to contribute some stories to the game.
What is your website? Can people purchase your games there?
The website is www.redravengames.com. We don't currently have games for sale there, but you can buy them from many online and local game retailers.