Exciting news! Local game developer David Mazure has selected Ridge and Valley Conservancy as the organization he plans to support with his ‘design for good’ card game project, DEVOUR. DEVOUR is a wildlife-themed 3-in-1 card game that’s perfect for educators and families alike. It features beautiful illustrations and exciting ‘duel-style’ mechanics. By backing DEVOUR on Kickstarter, you’re supporting RVC – 10% of game sale proceeds will be donated towards our conservation mission!
We’re so grateful for this support, and we’ve had a great time getting to know David at our Hike-a-Thon and special full moon hike! Find out what David had to say about his game & conservation, and don’t forget to support the Kickstarter!
How did you come up with the concept for DEVOUR?
When my daughter was very young, we used to play the classic card game "War," and soon grew tired of it, as most folks do, and thought War would be better with animals instead of normal cards.
Why choose animals from this geographic region?
For two reasons: DEVOUR was largely inspired by my daughter's curriculum and environmental sustainability values instilled in her from Ridge & Valley Charter School, and any artist or designer knows to 'create what they know.’ And I know animals in my bioregion better than any others because I encounter many of them on a daily basis!
What does 'design for good' mean, and why is it important to you?
Design for Good is any design project that ultimately benefits the community in some manner. I try to instill this ideology in my own students because I think that everyone should think about how their own work will affect the community; in hope that we will all wish to benefit our communities. In my opinion, the best way to make this happen is to lead by example.
Why did you choose RVC as one of the organizations you're supporting?
Brainstorm Games tries to instill the "think globally by acting locally" mantra and RVC is our most local organization that helps protect almost all of the animals in DEVOUR (or at least their habitats!).
Why do conservation and nature matter to you?
We need to be good stewards of the land in order to have land for future generations to enjoy and especially, to learn from.
What was the game design & development process like?
Exhausting. It turned out to be way more work than I expected. The great news is that we still enjoy playing DEVOUR even after spending hundreds of hours playing it already! The other good news is that we have already begun development on the next version of DEVOUR, which will focus on another bioregion.
It was a pleasure working with my family. It gave us something constructive to do during pandemic lockdown. And, it was also a pleasure working with several of my current and former students in creating DEVOUR.
Why is it important to you that the game have educational value?
As a teacher myself, I understand the value of making education in the classroom fun and when you can learn at home that’s even better! Using games to teach helps make learning more enjoyable, can increase student participation, fosters social learning, motivates students to take risks, and ultimately increases their confidence.
What are your future plans for DEVOUR?
Once the Kickstarter is fully funded we will get started on manufacturing the game and attending every board game convention we possibly can. Meanwhile, we will be hard at work developing DEVOUR, the desert version.