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I’ve had a passion for boardgames my whole life, so it was time to take this hobby to the next level and include it as part of my business portfolio. Since 2008 I’ve developed three initiatives to promote creativity and social interaction, via the power of unplugged games. The first is an organization called Games for All; the second is a gaming convention called the Game Summit with business partner Corey Tamas; and the third is an upcoming fair, the Toy & Game Expo.

This fall I’ve decided to launch a new division of The Other Side Studios and get down and dirty with the publishing of boardgames. You would be surprised by how many good quality, unpublished games have been designed right here in Ottawa. We already have three games in the publishing queue for early 2012, by three local Game Designers. NutForge Games has been created with business partner Lucas Castro, as a game publisher who uses non-traditional marketing and publishing methods and believes in the power of unplugged gaming. Sitting at a table, in person, with family and friends is a sensational way to build lasting relationships and friendships. We love games, and we’re eager to share them with as many people as possible.

FrankenDie is NutForge Games’ inaugural project, and friend Al Leduc’s first game with great artwork from Darren Calvert. We launched FrankenDie on Kickstarter on November 23rd 2011 and ends on Sunday January 8th 2012, with a goal to raise a minimum of $9,500 to contribute with the first round of manufacturing costs and if a surplus is raised we can offer upgraded components.

About the Game: FrankenDie is a fast-paced, reflex party game for 3 to 6 players. Combining the tactile nature of dice rolling, the excitement of a “first to buzz in” mechanism, and pattern recognition to exercise your brain, we’re confident that FrankenDie will bring your party to life!

Early Kickstarter Backer Reward(s): Make your pledge by December 12th, and you’ll also receive a free copy of the Mad Scientists’ Guild expansion per copy of the game.

Become Artwork in the Game Reward(s): What we’re really excited about, is that gamers can become a part of our game! Not just in name, but they can be illustrated into the game’s components (for the Creatures and the Mad Scientists), by our top-notch artist. If that sounds as awesome to you as it does to us, then check out our GO MAD! pledge levels.

Game Summit Winter Skirmish 2009 is sneaking up on us with a week away, I’d like to thank the 35+ Ambassadors who will be making this event a success. It’s a lot of work to bring a Game Summit Skirmish to life, and we make those events special by getting a little help from our friends.

We have enough Ambassadors for this upcoming event, but if you’ve ever thought you’d like to lend a little help to upcoming Game Summits and use a little of your talents and knowhow to make our Skirmishes the best they can be then the Game Summit Ambassador program may be the thing for you! We have plans to kick-off annual Game Summits in 6 cities across the country + a national event hosting major tournaments. To accomplish this mission we will be launching our official Ambassadorship program this spring.

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Game Summit is upon us very soon. In one month, the doors will be flung open and the gaming madness will begin. We wanted to touch base with you all before the hour gets too late and let you know several important and interesting tidbits. Let me get right into them and let you know what’s going on.

First things first: Registration for the Game Summit Winter Skirmish is now open, and you can get there by catching a taxi to the Registration Page. Note that early-bird registrants get 25% off the admission price. This is definitely a decent deal, but if you can’t get online to register (or don’t have means to pay electronically), check out the Game Summit Forums for information on how to register at stores in the Ottawa area and still take advantage of the early bird price. Note that if you’re going to join in a tournament, you really should register ahead of time. If you arrive and we’re out of spots in a tournament, you’re out of luck!

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