Inspiring Interview with Steve Sekula - the Creator of Gem Blenders TCG
We have the privilege to talk with Steve Sekula, the creator of Gem Blenders Trading Card Game, based in Brooklyn, NY, USA. Steve shares the inspiring journey of him creating this remarkable card game with an amazing team, successfully crowdfunding in 2019, challenges, wisdom, overall dynamics of trading card game industry and the upcoming Kickstarter.
Darsh Davis: Q.1) Please tell us about yourself and work. What would you like the readers to know about you and your work?
Steve Sekula: Hi there! My name is Steve Sekula and I’m the creator of Gem Blenders TCG. Gem Blenders started as a passion project where I created the base game mechanics and illustrated all the characters. Over time it’s grown into a small business.
I’m extremely passionate about so many parts of Gem Blenders, from the worldbuilding, to the card design, to the game mechanics.
Q.2) What motivated you to create a card game yourself and why not a board game or a comic?
Steve: I grew up playing Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, and also spent a bunch of time creating my own homemade TCGs (which I show off on the Gem Blenders YouTube channel). It felt natural to begin working on another card game project.
In short, I really enjoy worldbuilding and game design, and TCGs are an awesome medium to explore both.
Q.3) What or who was the inspiration behind this card game concept?
Steve: The original concept was based on the idea of a world where heroes could use combinations of elemental objects to transform. In particular, I liked the idea that every different combination of these objects would create a unique transformation.
Over time, I decided that these elemental pieces would be gems and the heroes’ transformations would be called blends — hence, Gem Blenders!
Q.4) Please tell us the exciting moments, lessons, and challenges from the entire process of creating and publishing your card game?
Steve: There have been too many exciting moments to count while working on Gem Blenders. Making the initial prototype of the game was thrilling. It felt like I was finally putting the proper energy into an idea that I had in the back of my mind for a long time. Successfully funding the Kickstarter and printing our first set of cards was equal parts exciting and nerve-racking; suddenly, the game I wanted to share with the world was not just my passion project.
To match the additional responsibilities of a small business, the team has expanded with Sam, David, and Ben all taking on official roles over the last couple of years. They’ve been invaluable in helping navigate the many challenges of making an indie TCG. One notable difficulty has been cultivating a strong playerbase. Finding new players to teach the game to has been very hard because the nature of TCGs requires a certain level of commitment. For new TCG IPs in particular, players must take an additional leap of faith.
This is our team’s first business venture so everything has been a learning experience for us. There’s a LOT of trial and error.
Q.5) Many card games later branched out to other modes of entertainment. What kind of media would you like to see your card game adapted to and why? As a cartoon, book, toys, movies, music videos, video games or anything else?
Steve: I am so excited by the idea of expanding the Gem Blenders IP to multiple forms of media! It’s a super unique concept in many ways, and I see potential for all of the above. Most likely, our next one will be some sort of print/digital medium that explores the lore of Gemlandia more in depth.
I could see potential for some kind of video game RPG adaptation in the near future, and a cartoon series after that!
Q.6) There is an intense competition from other established card games but despite that we see that your card game has become popular. How did you convince the card game players to check out your card game despite other big brands being in the limelight?
Steve: Right now we have a tight-knit community that is excited about playing Gem Blenders, and we are so proud of what we’ve built thus far.
What we offer is extremely different from major games in the genre, and I think the players that play Gem Blenders are looking for something different! Players have direct access to the creation of the game and the creator. It's a much smaller community, also making it very intimate and special. Every player has a direct influence on the game in their own way. Our blog, The Gemlandian, is an excellent example of how much our players care about the game.
Additionally, we’re in the process of adding collectibility to the game. Our initial Kickstarter was designed to build a player base, and now that we’ve established that player base, we’re looking to give collectors something to get excited about: full art and holofoil cards!
Q.7) Besides working on this card game project, are there any other hobbies, projects and work that you do and want the readers to check out
Steve: Working on Gem Blenders is how I spend most of my creative energy, and would encourage readers to check out our website and social media links to gain a better understanding of the world of Gemlandia. Our Discord server is also home to our bot QWERTY, who does everything from searching card images to displaying Gemlandian lore.
Outside of Gem Blenders, I dabble in video games on my Switch, enjoy reading science fiction, and like to stay up to date with NYC’s art scene.
Q.8) After a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2019, what can card game lovers expect from the next Kickstarter campaign by you and when is it launching?
Steve: Our 2019 Kickstarter was really just the start of Gem Blenders! That Kickstarter funded a super limited-quantity “Creator’s Edition” print run of 500 Starter Sets and 500 Master Sets, which are designed to give players full access to the cards so they can get playing and deck building right away. This is considered a living card game (LCG), because we didn’t have an element of collectability or card rarity.
After some time, we’ve decided it is time to transition into a fully fledged trading card game with a bunch of exciting upgrades, including booster packs, full art template designs, and holographic cards! The Kickstarter we’re planning will fund this next print run as a trading card game! Currently we do not have a start date for the Kickstarter, but it could be as early as Fall 2022.
Q.9) Why, according to you, should people play card games instead of opting for digital modes of Entertainment like TV, video games, etc.? Also, how to get people convinced to play traditional games like card games or board games?
Steve: I don’t know that these choices must be mutually exclusive! Creators of all types are making exciting things in a variety of mediums. I do think physical TCGs win out over digital ones because there’s something magical about holding your favorite card and battling off against your friends in person.
I personally watch a handful of TV shows and enjoy an occasional video game, so I don’t think it’s an either/or situation. In fact, I believe tabletop games are having a pretty big moment now because people realize how important in-person connection can be, especially after the last couple of years with COVID-19.
Q.10) Please share any final message for the readers and also share why your card game is a must play? Also, where can the readers contact you and purchase your card game? Is it internationally available?
Steve: Gem Blenders is a very special game with a lot of passion behind it. Players like the game because it offers an experience that’s completely unique within the genre in terms of design, game mechanics, and community experience.
Our Creator’s Edition sets can be purchased on our website! Right now you cannot ship internationally though our webshop, but we are happy to coordinate shipping if you email us at info@gemblenders.com.
Thank you so much for your time and answering all the questions, Steve. I wish you and your team all the best for your upcoming Kickstarter campaign and Trading Card Game endeavors!
Readers, please follow Steve and the team to support their noble work-
Official Website- https://www.gemblenders.com/
Discord- https://discord.gg/StegpJ3
Blog: https://www.gemblenders.com/blog/
Direct contact- info@gemblenders.com
Help by reviewing on BoardGameGeek- https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/281460/gem-blenders-card-game
Twitter- https://twitter.com/gemblenders
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/gemblenders/
FaceBook- https://www.facebook.com/gemblenders
Kickstarter archive/legacy- https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stevesekula/gem-blenders-the-card-game
How to play:
ABOUT GEM BLENDERS (From the website)-
Gem Blenders is a Brooklyn-based expandable card game that was successfully funded on Kickstarter in November 2019. Prior to the Kickstarter campaign, Steve began Gem Blenders as a passion project, in which he illustrated the characters and prototyped game mechanics. With the help of his friends, it has rapidly grown into a tight-knit community. Our goal is to continue to grow our playerbase and further develop the game through the addition of new sets and expanded lore.
Gem Blenders is largely inspired by major titles in the trading card game genre such as Magic: The Gathering, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game. While Gem Blenders draws inspiration from many sources, it offers a unique and fresh experience within the genre. Notable game mechanics include blending, an emphasis on multicolored decks, a reduced emphasis on card destruction, and the four-hero position system.At its core, Gem Blenders is an indie TCG, which is an element we do not shy away from. With inspiration from the early internet and retro video games, Gem Blender’s simple (and lovable) characters and lo-fi accents shape the distinctive world of Gemlandia. As you explore card effects, lore, and descriptions, you’ll get to know all of the heroes and blends and their distinct personalities.
Prior to our Kickstarter campaign, Gem Blenders was rigorously playtested at the NYU Game Center, NYC Game Makers meetup group, Play NYC, Gen Con 2019, Emagination Computer Camps, and online using Cockatrice. We continue to playtest future cards online using our community Discord, and we are always in search of new and experienced card game players alike. Unlike bigger card games, we encourage and rely on community input in the creation and balancing of new cards. If you are interested in learning about our playtesting process, please do not hesitate to get involved!STEVE SEKULA
Steve has been making trading card games since he was a kid. He’s a fan of all things Pokémon, and grew up playing Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic: The Gathering as well. He’s working to build his own creative studio dedicated to crafting high quality titles with unique concepts and art styles that break away from traditional board game and fantasy tropes. Outside of his nerdy ambitions, he loves fine art.SAM LEBRYK
Sam met Steve as freshman year roommates in college, and he’s been beating Steve at games ever since. Gem Blenders is no exception. Their mutual love for card games and Smash Bros. brought them together, and Gem Blenders continues to enrich their friendship. His love for healthy competition expands into sports as well as he continues his high school and college basketball career at his local YMCA.DAVID WURTELE
David is fascinated by the rich worlds that exist to simultaneously accommodate and inform trading card designs, and he aims to create lore that provides a similar sense of wonder for Gem Blenders players. Outside Gemlandia, he’s also drafting up automated tools to make deck building easier for players new to the genre. He loves to spend his spare time engrossed in classic murder mystery novels.BENJAMIN FLORENCE
One fine Spring evening, whilst scrolling through memes on Facebook, Benjamin was assailed by an advertisement: Do you like card games? “Boy, do I!” Benjamin enthusiastically replied. The rest is history. An avid Magic the Gathering player and game studies enthusiast, Benjamin will play any game any time. He can often be found listening to concept albums, playing piano, and combo-ing off on turn 5.
About the Interviewer-
DarshD is a Blogger, Science Communicator, Analog Astronaut Community Moderator, Writer-reviewer-interviewer-PR since 2019 at https://ehpodcasts.com , management finance grad, video editor, and a content creator (with 10+ years exp) trying to get important information across the globe in the best possible way!
Contact links- https://linktr.ee/darshd555
Reviews here- https://darshdreviews.wordpress.com/
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