I like maps. It’s been that way since I was young. I enjoyed viewing maps of places that I knew well, and I also liked looking at maps of places I’ve never been and wondered what it was like there. I would draw maps of imaginary places that I’d dreamt up, and I naturally began playing in that world. I mostly played alone, but when I was about 10, during recess I began making up rules to play with classmates in those maps. This was the beginning of my path as a game designer.
When thinking of a game I’d really like to share, Mac Gerdts’ Imperial came to mind. Of course that game features a map. On the pre-World War One map six countries, Austria-Hungary, Italy, France, Great Britain, the German Empire and Russia, were drawn and coloured in, and other land and ocean areas were also delimited. As you would imagine from a game with such a theme, there are conflicts between countries included. However the reason I especially like this game is while on the surface portraying a battle of military might between countries, behind the scenes investors are quietly trading in government bonds, and this is, in actuality, the real game, creating a double layer structure to the game.