Gaming Unplugged - The Spoils

"We didn't license an IP. We actually could have had the Warcraft license. And that's obviously a huge mistake….I shouldn't say that."

In the trenches at ComicCon, I managed to have a pretty raucous interview with Tenacious Games CEO Scott Dodson. Tenacious - and its all-female gaming team The Spoilers - was at the con supporting their flagship card game, The Spoils. The Tournament Card Game launched in November 2006, and quickly developed a reputation for its sharp design, madcap card art, and biting humor. Dodson explains that it was important to the developers to create their own unique property, and especially in light of the train wreck that the World of Warcraft CCG's launch (also in November 2006) turned out to be, one might argue it wasn't much of a mistake at all.

When it comes to The Spoils, there are two types of gamers - those who like the game - the 1st Edition launch was met with nearly universal critical praise - and those who haven't heard of it. "It's a ground game," Dodson tells me, explaining that in an increasingly expensive gaming marketplace, word of mouth is a more effective tool than advertising. "Anybody can buy an ad," he scoffs.

The look of the game, which is best described as "Sin City meets Lord of the Rings," is the brainchild of former Nintendo employee Patrick Meehan. "Patrick's kind of a genius guy," I'm told.

So how does one grow a fanbase, especially when your game has been quietly in development for five years?

"We decided to bring a video game heuristic to the card game space."

Which basically means that Tenacious conducted a beta test, holding Open Beta tournaments at retail locations around the country in advance of the game's release. "We created over 2 million cards and gave them away, but they only way to get them was to play in a tournament." Five months later, The Spoils is still thriving in the beta markets, and its next card set, 1st Edition, Part Two, will hit store shelves this month.

There's a lot of similarity between The Spoils and Magic: the Gathering, and it's not coincidental. Most of the Tenacious staff has a pedigree with the classic Richard Garfield game, either professionally, or as a tournament player. The devs' design philosophy focused on creating a game specifically for the tournament experience. "We like to think that if those guys [Wizards of the Coast] had known how it was all going to work out, how organized play would develop, they maybe would have made a slightly different game." The game they're trying to deliver. With backing from both the gaming world and the pro poker world, The Spoils has a clear focus on victory, and being rewarded for it. One of the key selling points for the game has been its well-supported tournament system, which gave away $6,000.00 and a PlayStation 3 among other goodies at the ComicCon tournament late last month.

With its competitive focus, the game has the potential to get pretty cutthroat. During my demo of The Spoils, Spoiler Shay Diaz-Ryder made short work of me, even counting the rounds she spent blatantly toying with me. "Shay's probably our most brutal player," Dodson tells me about two rounds in. She smiles, and then robs me of a few more points of Influence.
So, what's the game like? It's a lot of fun, simply put. The similarities to M:tG are there, but the game works from an iconic structure and adds elements that make The Spoils a unique play experience. "It makes a low barrier to entry," Dodson tells me, pointing out that the likeness is an asset to the game.

Players choose one of five factions, Warlord, Banker, Gearsmith, Rogue, and Arcanist. Each player also gets a faction card that dictates their Influence (life points) and any faction specific actions available to them. At present, only one faction is available, with more to come in future releases.

The mission statement behind the game becomes apparent quickly, as play is fast, streamlined, and encourages aggression. Players start with resources (the cards you use to play other cards) in play in order to stave off ‘mana drought', and players can always spend resources to draw a new card or play a new resource. "You never have a dead turn," I'm told as I'm getting beaten badly. "Managing your resources is 201 or 301 level play. You want to maximize your resources." While many CCGs devolve into brinksmanship and détente, The Spoils encourages gamers to play cards early and often.

While the game design minimizes the impact of luck, it's also tough to get totally shut out of a game, and a smart player can stage a comeback at any time.

Card gamers looking for a new vice should feel free to indulge in The Spoils. The game's signature comic style, the tournament aesthetic, and fast-paced smash mouth gameplay make a winning team.

Mar 7, 2007 - 2:25 pm | 2 comments
Jeff Stolarcyk