Introducing... YOU. We'd love to hear your story.
almost 6 years ago – Wed, May 08, 2019 at 09:48:03 PM

Hey DM Backers, 

We really love having you as a backer, and we'd love to get to know YOU as a person even more. 

Our whole team is super social... and while it's pretty cool to be on Kickstarter, it's also at the same time kinda weird to run an entire campaign all online via computer and mobile screens where we have so many awesome supporters/people involved but not really know anyone apart from the backer numbers and profile names. 

Thus (yes, we did just use this word).... we took a little time to make up this short backer intro form so we can get to know you, your world and backstory on a more personable level. We set a few open ended questions, and don't worry, as we won't be sharing any responses, it's just a way for our team to begin to know the awesome people (backers) like yourself behind the pledges for our project. Feel free to tell us more about yourself if you want to, as we'd love to know you better. 

In DM every scenario is essentially its own story, and before we get too far along in the game scenario stories we'd love to actually first hear yours... so don't be shy. 

- The DM Crew

Thanks for the feedback + intro to David Banks
almost 6 years ago – Wed, May 08, 2019 at 09:22:10 AM

Hey DM backer team, 

Thanks for offering us feedback on stretch goal #2. And congrats to Carol, backer #122, you were selected from that survey to get hooked up with a freebie mystery gift with your pledge reward! Just a small way of saying thanks for sharing your ideas with us. We love it. 

This was the results of backer feedback... most backers voted for was idea #1, a new game card or rule that allows for 3 people to play out one scenario card. 

Next question is- how to make this apart of the game? Should it be an actual side card or a new game rule, or...? Share your ideas with us on the comments forum section of the campaign or PM us. After a 24 hours we'll review as a team and set it up and let it go live as the official goal. 

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Say hello to Mr. David Banks- one of DM's early play-testers!

You don't have to be a professional actor or improv-acting coach to get a kick out of the Drama Mayhem game, but it happens that David Banks is and does; he's a super talented actor with a tons of experience in front of the camera shooting a line up of commercials and movies that would make anyone take note. See for yourself. 

When we first started play-testing our game, we wanted to get it into the hands of some actors and people in the improv world to see what feedback they'd have for us. 

David was one of the first people we connected with, and we're grateful to have him on board as an early supporter. 

This is a quick note about what David had to say about Drama Mayhem after playing it with some of his student actors/actresses in L.A... 

If you're interested in checking out some of David's other work, you can find him at: https://www.davidbanks.tv/ 

He's now working on a new TV series called Hello Realtor and two other movies, Preacher 6, and Wild Cards 2. 

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Keep sharing the DM Kickstarter Love with family and friends. 

Until next update... 

The DM Crew

Meet team captain, Don Wilder + the story behind Drama Mayhem
almost 6 years ago – Wed, May 01, 2019 at 05:15:45 PM

Hey DM backers... 

Hope this update finds you all kicking butt in whatever shape and form that might be. In this update we're excited to give you an inside look at one of our team members, and the guy that started this whole crazy project- our team's creative director, game originator, and passionate creator, Don Wilder. 

And just a quick side note, in our next update we'll be circling back around to our last backer survey, the results, as well as introducing a new backer challenge. Without further ado... 

A quick intro to our crazy game captain, Don Wilder... 

• A background in marketing + communications with particular love for product design + behavioral psychology.
• Played basketball in China with/against some notable NBA and CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) players. 
• Has lived and traveled all over southeast Asia since since 2010. 
• Enjoys meeting new people and hearing their stories. 

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Question#1: Where did the idea for the game originate? 

Don: It actually started back in 2008 when I finished my last year of university. While there I had the chance to take an intro level theater class taught be an awesome lady named Nancy Lee-Painter, and at the opening of one class, we did a simple warm-up exercise where she set up these odd role-play scenarios and instructed us that our goal as the actor was to try and be more convincing about why we needed that "something" in the scenario more than the opposing student actor. It was a brief exercise but a lot of fun, and it left an impression on me. 

A little over a year later I left the USA and moved to China to teach ESL (English as a second language). Over a span of about 2-years I had the chance to teach literally over a thousand Chinese kids English as a second language. Early on I adapted these fun little role-plays and started using them in the classroom- as it gave the kids the chance to actually practice what they were learning in a real-life situation/scenario, while also getting them up and moving actively, and speaking the language and communicating in a fun creative way, and they loved it. 

Fast forward a little over a year (2013) and now I’m out of the ESL world and working part-time with an international trade company doing language translation (working as a Chinese to English translator), as well as getting sponsored to travel around China playing semi-pro/wild-basketball tournaments with different Chinese club teams. It was a blast. I had a lot of great memories of being able to meet and play basketball with some NBA legends that were also touring the country, along with many top CBA players. 

I was much more active and social during that time, meeting a lot of people and having quite a bit of fun. At one point, at a friends house party in Shenzhen (2016), I remember we had pulled out a few tabletop games that everyone quickly became bored with, so at that point I had the idea to try out this role-play scenario activity and roll it into a make-shift party game to see if it could make the night a bit more fun. It worked. I can’t remember laughing so much to the level my face actually hurt (and I’m sure the alcohol and adult-humor made a difference). 

Finally, moving into February of 2018 I remember having this game idea that kept popping up. I remember just a few months earlier being back in the US for Christmas and seeing how well the game worked when playing with my nephews and nieces as goofy uncles do best. I had a realization then and thought maybe if it could be fun for adults as a party game, and kids as a family-friendly game, it might be a worthwhile thing to try and develop. And aside from that, I’ve always had this desire as well to get more people away from their phones and devices and into a more social setting where the magic of real meaningful social connection can happen. So I jumped in and got started on it. 

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Question #2: How long has the prototyping process taken to get this far? 

Don: After committing to the idea, I started by doing a lot of market research on other top games in the consumer tabletop game space- card games, party games, RPG games, etc. I dove in and really started to see what the market trends were like and the competition for the space. I also reached out to some creative friends that later became teammates (Curtin and Casper) and we started the prototyping process, working out the game mechanics, sketches, logo, sample-DIY decks, artwork, renderings, play-testing and feedback sessions with different groups of friends, more research, more play-testing; small batch production of 300 game decks to test manufacturing as well as send out to influencers and folks in the game world and improv theater space to get even more feedback. The process for us has taken over a year- creating over 120+ unique game scenarios and artwork for the cards, setting up all the marketing outreach materials, video, copy-writing, and so on in preparation for Kickstarter. It’s been a ton of work, and having a small team of close friends/teammates who also believe in the product has been a big boost to get us this far. 

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Question #3: What do you like the most about Drama Mayhem? 

Don: I think what I really like about the game is its way of bringing out the goofy side of people. I think having a chance to just let your hair down and act goofy for a while with friends is something really special and powerful. For kids it's natural but as we grow up and become adults at some point we get coached into too many social norms and accustomed to "doing adult stuff" to the point we just miss out on all the fun that comes with laughing and being a goofball with friends. 

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Question #4: Last question, what was the weirdest food you tried while in China? 

Don: Oh man, too many things... It's probably a toss up with pigs blood, mountain rat, or chicken feet. To be honest I'm really not a picky eater, but living in China you'll find that your limits are always getting tested. There's actually this famous saying in China that "the Chinese/Cantonese will eat anything that flies in the air except an airplane and anything that has four feet on the ground except a table", and I'd say it's pretty spot on. 

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If you liked this update, let us know! And if you haven't already, take 1-minute and spread the DM game with friends on Facebook or your preferred social network. 

Also, check out our recent interview from a couple days ago with the Portland Tribune Newspaper on Drama Mayhem... 

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Until next update... 

The DM Crew

Say hello to our crazy team member, Greg Curtin...
almost 6 years ago – Sun, Apr 28, 2019 at 09:44:37 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Let the Mayhem Officially Begin...
almost 6 years ago – Wed, Apr 24, 2019 at 04:45:35 AM

Hey Drama Mayhem Backers, it's our very first campaign update! A big hello from the whole DM crew. 

Let's start by having you right now wherever you're at go ahead and add the "Rock Star" game quirk card to your current scenario setting and proceed by popping a massive bottle of champagne and spraying it over somebody nearby- if that happens to be your colleagues, spouse, or family dog, so be it- consider them the casualties of an epic game launch. 

So a huge thanks and rounds of high-fives to you and the additional 140+ fellow DM backers, with your help we not only hit our main funding goal but actually blew right past it- even reaching the first stretch goal! 

Our whole team is super excited to have you on board as we start Kick off this campaign. We've got a lot of fun things planned over the next 30+ days, and we're looking forward to having you involved in all the fun that's about to go down.
 

We'd also like to preface by saying one thing- many of you have likely supported other Kickstarter campaigns, as we have also. And instead of the typical dry updates with top down sharing and one way communication with backers, it's our hope/goal to use Kickstarter not just as a tool to fund but a tool for fun... We hope you agree, because that means the coming updates and things we do will get kinda crazy in a good way. Over the course of the campaign, both the live-campaign and post campaign, we hope to get to know each of you better, hear your ideas on the game, and learn how we might make the final product even better. 

 

So... from here on out updates like this will have some things inside like:
 

• Notable questions/comments from backers 
• The backstory about our motley crew at DM
• The origins of DM and how got to this point
• Giveaway contests of different sorts for free swag and bragging rights 
• Stretch goal updates  
• Live gaming sessions 
• Quirky surveys for the heck of it 
• Backer Challenges to keep things interesting 
• Recorded play-testing highlights 
• Strange + Random facts that Curtin feels you all need to know 
• And a number of fun exclusive features/interviews from some really unique characters in the improv/scenario role-play world, from real world comedians, actors, corporate coaches, crazy gamers, tipsy party-game players, random bystanders on the street- and from countries all around globe! It's going to be a blast. 

 Let's start with this first stretch goal announcement... 

 
Stretch Goal #1- Unlocked! Free Kickstarter Edition Packaging Upgrade...

As we mentioned on our campaign page, the main reason we decided to bring the launch for our game to Kickstarter is because it's a creative place full of creative people, and we think it's the perfect place to begin this new creative journey to market! That mark of creativity, the launching of a creative idea and making it into a some-thing via this supportive backer community is what we're all about. And no better way to celebrate the launch to market with the game than to showcase the final game packaging that YOU were an original backer of the Drama Mayhem game on Kickstarter. The packaging is exclusively for Kickstarter backers and a sign of thanks for your pledging, idea sharing, and support. 

The big question now... What should be our next Stretch Goal? Send us your ideas! We'd love to know. 

You can leave your comments/ideas on in the campaign forum or email them to us: [email protected]

We had one backer message us last night asking if we'd be open to creating a digital print and play version of Drama Mayhem as a pledge reward. Short answer, YES. That is something we can do and will set up here soon. 

Last of all, Monday was a special day- we now consider it the official birthday for Drama Mayhem..  so we decided to make this Bday video to share with you all to celebrate... 

>> View here <<

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Cheers. 

Don + Drama Mayhem Crew