Unpub 3View: Skewphemisms

As we approach Unpub 3 we’re featuring many of the games being presented at the big event. Today we look at Skewphemisms by Chris and Suzanne Zinsli, better known to the gaming community as Cardboard Edison (follow them on Twitter or  follow them on tumblr    The advice and articles they collect and share are a great  asset.)

Skewphemisms, their first game, is a party game built on alliteration. Guess the everyday expression suggested by a series of alliterative clues.

Let's hear what Suzanne talk about the creation and development of their game...

What was the inspiration for Skewphemisms? As a journalist, Chris wanted to write a computer program that would create alliterative phrases. Once he completed it, we would try to have each other guess the original phrases based on the alliterative phrases that the program created. We did this with a few friends, and everyone really seemed to enjoy it, so we decided to make it into a game.

What is your favorite part of  Skewphemisms?  In  Skewphemisms, players work as individuals and on teams. The teams shift from round to round, so you're always working together with different people.

To your knowledge, What do other people find most interesting about  Skewphemisms? Hearing everyday phrases transformed into alliterative versions of themselves.

What has been the most challenging part of designing  Skewphemisms?  We've run hundreds of phrases through the program. Picking out the best ones and testing and refining them has been very time-consuming.

What advice would you give to players attempting  Skewphemisms for the first time?  Pay attention to the clues when you're on the opposing team.

What has surprised you most in play-tests of  Skewphemisms? Even the hardcore strategy gamers who've played Skewphemisms have enjoyed it, despite it being a word-based party game.

People who like______will like  Skewphemisms. Why?  Word puzzles or party games like Catch Phrase. Skewphemisms combines the two.

What do you hope to accomplish at Unpub 3?  We hope to get honest feedback on the game and its appeal as a mass-market game, and to meet other designers.

Tell us anything else you want to say about  Skewphemisms that I haven't asked or you haven't said already.  Skewphemisms is the game that launched Cardboard Edison. Since we got the idea, we've created a board game design advice blog to help other people with the design process.

Check out the Skephemisms page on Unpub.net!

 Find out More about the 64 other games coming to Unpub 3!