The Epic Creation of "Make The Shape"
In 2023, what began as a simple college project turned into an amazing adventure that we never could have imagined. Matt’s assignment was straightforward: "recreate Tic Tac Toe." Little did we know, this task would set us on a path to creating our epic game, "Make The Shape."
With the passion of dedicated inventors, we spent five hours cutting paper and sketching shapes, transforming our ideas into reality. By the end of that day, our table was adorned with the first prototype of what would become something truly special. Time flew by, and soon it was 2024, with the Dice Tower West convention on the horizon. We discovered they had a room for showcasing new games, and we couldn't resist the opportunity!
Bursting with excitement, we ordered all the materials we needed from Amazon. With a few days to spare before the convention, we decided to test our game thoroughly. What was meant to be a quick test turned into an epic five-hour game session. That night, we knew we had struck gold. Our game wasn’t just fun—it was incredibly addictive!
Before the prototype day, we set up in a large area where gamers gathered. With a "players wanted" sign in hand, we waited for the curious and brave to approach. When they did, we’d say, "Oh! You’ve never heard of this game?" and then laugh, "Actually, it’s a game we designed. Want to give it a try?" To our amazement, about 40 people played "Make The Shape," and each one wanted to buy it on the spot.
Since we didn’t have any copies to sell, we asked them to join our mailing list for updates on the game’s availability. This was a wise decision, as the prototype room turned out to be less busy than we’d hoped. Nevertheless, we met a lot of cool people and met our new amazing friend, Finn, who really loved the game and gave us a lot of great feedback.
After the convention, we faced a challenge: our original name, "Grid War," was already taken. Thus, we began a quest for a new name. After days of brainstorming, we decided to ask Matt’s nephew, Keanu, and he declared it to be "Make The Shape." It resonated perfectly. We also decided to make the first version of the game blue to capture attention, hinting at future versions in different colors while preserving the sleek, monochromatic look of our original prototype.
"Make The Shape" is designed to be a sandbox for creativity, allowing players to create their own rules and gameplay. We hope its elegant simplicity inspires others to become game designers one day. Reflecting on our journey from a college project to a convention hit, we are filled with excitement and anticipation for the future. Our epic adventure in game creation has just begun, and we can’t wait to see where it leads!
