Spotted Online – Interview with Chainsaw Warrior’s Designer

In one week, Gina and I set out for a long flight to Morocco for a vacation where we’ll stay in Casablanca, visit Marrakesh, and generally explore and dig into as much of the history and culture of the country as possible. As part of preparing for the long flights there and back, I’ve started loading down the iPad with videos, games, and books, and one such item I’ve reinstalled on the iPad is the iOS adaptation of the Chainsaw Warrior boardgame.

Chainsaw Warrior, if you’re unfamiliar with the title, was one of the Games Workshop boardgames of the eighties and comes from an era when production qualities weren’t as high as today, but gameplay was still important and drove success. What makes Chainsaw Warrior stand out and survive to today is the game’s solitaire nature; Chainsaw Warrior, you see, is a boardgame that you play all alone. And the iOS adaptation is excellent and perfectly captures the classic game for today’s digital devices.

As I was installing the app, I took another peek online, searching for more info on the game. Well, I quickly uncovered a two-part interview with the game’s designer, Stephen Hand, and the exploration of the game and the designer’s thoughts on the project should be required reading for anyone interested in the creation of games.

Check out both parts, then, if you’re interested, chase down Chainsaw Warrior and get busy saving New York City!

• Interview Part One
• Interview Part Two