| Company Site: | www.forrest-pruzan.com |
We were able to check out an amazing company who not only designs great board games but also does a whole lot more! They offer play testing, have in-house design, and they do research to bring you amazing games. Here is another Company Spotlight! Forrest-Pruzan Creative!
From 1993 to 2000 Forrest-Pruzan Creative operated under the name Entros that developed games for entertainment venues and events. In early 2000 they closed Entros and operated under the Forrest-Pruzan Creative name to focus on “what it does best: the creation and licensing of social entertainment products.”
Forrest-Pruzan Creative has designed some pretty amazing games. Monster Crunch and Villainous are newer games designed by them but you might recognize some of the older games they’ve created like Disney Princess Enchanted Cupcake Party Game or Justice League Axis & Villains. Well we recognized those two specifically because they were a huge hit for my kids when they were younger.
First, we were lucky enough to get a tour of their company and their design room was amazing! I was in crafters heaven! Bits and pieces everywhere, in bins, on shelves and all of it there to help play or design games and game pieces. I didn’t want to leave. They even have a 3D printer!
Also, they have a really cool building and it felt very cloak & dagger when we were going in. I LOVE the old elevator! The play test room was set up like a living room but the door like a garage and it was very comfortable and felt like a room you would game in…which is good cause that was the intention.
I can’t tell you about the game but we did get to play test while we were there. They were in the instructions phase which is just means they need to test to see if people can read the instructions and figure out how to play and then if any questions come up and how the gamers handle uncertain rules.
I watched in the audio/video room while my kids, husband and mother play tested a game for them. I wish I could tell you because my family really enjoyed the game! Ugh…ok since I can’t I’ll focus on what I can tell you. While we chatted about games and the company my family opened the not yet designed box and read the instructions to begin playing.
Now normally they can watch through the one way window/mirror as well as watch from two different angles of video while also listening to the play testers to help if needed, take notes etc. This particular day, however, their equipment wasn’t working but they were able to hear my husbands loud voice with both doors open. Watching and listening allows them to take notes and listen to the players discuss the game to see what they like, don’t like, if they have problems with rules etc.
Each games goes through a LOT of testing. I mean once they have an idea and get that into a game form they start testing. They test game play with someone explaining how to play, they test every time they change something and they change things based on these play tests. You can sign up to play test if you are in the Seattle area which if we lived there we would for sure be play testers.
What is so amazing about this company is that they use foam and popsicle sticks and just about anything that they can for the beginnings of a game. Their goal is a fun game and they believe “That’s because we believe that a great game should be fun, even when it’s only crudely manifested.” and that is just fantastic. Games should be fun no matter the pieces and parts and I love that Forrest-Pruzan Creative focuses on that.
Researching how players not only play the game but how they succeed or fail at the game, the theme, replay value and even how it appeals to retail buyers. That is a LOT of research!
They don’t just research play testing and the research they do isn’t just for them either. They research things for various companies as well and all of it is designed to bring amazing games and products to us, the consumer. It isn’t just the pieces and parts for game though, they can do box and artwork for them as well and their research is also designed to help the company with the best look for a game or product as well.
Their in-house design department makes all the prototype, or most of them at least, pieces for games in early development along with box artwork and can even do photo shoots and can even script, cast and shoot videos! They do everything.
A team of developers that writes code, along with in-house musical composition and voice recording capabilities means that if their team is called to they can create apps or do sound-alike music and voices, they can and they do it well.
“Occasionally our digital team is called upon to create apps designed to integrate with physical gameplay.”
Our time at Forrest-Pruzan Creative was brief but so informative and fun. They know fun, they help design games that are fun for families and they also help companies sell those games both to retailers and consumers.
Research, design, develop, invent and testing games and products is something this company does well and I cannot wait to see what games come from them in the future.
For now I think we’ll go play Monster Crunch and pick up Disney’s Villainous from a store for our next Family Game Night.
Check out @Forrest_Pruzan and show what games you’ve played by them! @MyGeeklings #ForrestPruzan
