Today we’d like to introduce you to Troy Pichelman.
Hi Troy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always had a passion for board game design.
Back in junior high, I remember working on a big wargame spread out on the floor of my room. Anytime I played a game, I would think about how it worked, and try to think of ways to alter it. When I went to college and started taking computer classes, I shifted to writing computer games. I never got very good at them, but did write some on Apple II, PC, and later using the web (mostly PHP).
About 15 years ago, I got back into board games and started tinkering with different ideas again. Things really took off when I discovered The Game Crafter, a print-on-demand board game manufacturer. They make it possible for me to do small-scale print runs, 1 game or 100. That really got me enthused about making games since hand making them one at a time really didn’t excite me.
Since then, I’ve created about 15 games that I sell at conventions and online.
The other thing that really inspires me is the Protospiel conventions. These are a full 3 day weekend of game designers getting together and testing each other’s games. I’ve made so many friends at these, and I always make a huge amount of progress on my games.
Being able to help out the other designers there is such a good feeling, always enjoy seeing them make progress.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think any road in life is that smooth. Things that are worth pursuing are going to present challenges along the way. One of the biggest things was trying to find people to playtest the game designs that I was working on. How would I know what did or didn’t give that sense of fun?
I would go to game stores and conventions to see if people would like to try them, but it can be a hard sell to get someone to try a game that is obviously handmade, and the rules are still being worked out. Seven years ago, I meet someone that had just moved to the area and used to run a game designer group in Utah. He was trying to find people to start a group here, and there were a few of us at that first meeting who all said “Yes!”
And so the KC Game Designers group was born. Since that time, we’ve been meeting about twice a month to help each other in all aspects of getting our games publish-ready. That has been a huge boon to all of us; now we have a dedicated group that is constantly growing to share with and help each other out.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My real job (the one that pays the bills) is as a Lead System Engineer with Evergy.
What I do is take care of the servers in the data center, with a focus on Linux, storage systems, VMWare, backups, and a lot of work in compliance. I’ve been working in the computer industry for just over 4 decades now, and have worn a lot of different hats over the years.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I firmly believe the most important thing in life is the connections to those around you.
For me, that is my relationship with God, my wife, and my friends. Without these things, I wouldn’t be a fraction of the man I am today. Always surround yourself with those who will build you up, that value the things you do, share your beliefs, and are there for you during the hard times.
We are not meant to walk this path alone.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@jtpgames.com
- Website: jtpgames.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gametimeisfuntime
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TroyPichelman
