By John Grigsby, Staff Reviewer

While at GenCon, I had the immense honor of meeting with Peter Adkison, designer of Magic the Gathering^TM and Jesper Myrfors, creator of Clout Fantasy, a new collectible throwing game that is poised to sweep the gaming world. I'll begin with a little about Clout Fantasy itself before moving on to the actually interview.

Clout Fantasy
Clout Fantasy is a collectible throwing game. What that means is, it utilizes small plastic disks, about the size of a poker chip (but heavier and more durable). Players build their "army" by assembling a stack of 15 chips, including two bases, no more that three of any given chip (no more than one of any given unique), and all from the same faction (with up to two neutrals). Then, they take turns tossing their chips into the playing area. Chips are double-sided, with the same picture appearing on both sides.

The first chip tossed out is a base, representing a physical place on the battlefield. Bases may offer special abilities to those troops in range, but more importantly, you get one additional point for each chip within the range of a friendly base at the end of the game. After the first turn, players may choose any chip in their stack to be tossed out. There are three other types of chips; troops, actions, and relics. Troops are the people and creatures through which players try to control the battlefield. These chips stay in play until an effect removes them, are worth points at the end of the game, and some may have special abilities that activate when thrown. Actions represent events, spells, and other commands that are used to sway the tide of battle. They activate when thrown, but are removed at the end of the turn. Finally, relics are powerful magical objects that provide an edge in battle; armor, weapons, or even towering monoliths. Like troops, they remain in place when thrown, but are unaffected by many elements that affect troops.

The playing field can be any surface of one square meter in size. The standard field is a hard surface of some sort, but different textures add different elements of strategy to the game, since chips that bounce or roll out of the playing area are considered lost without activating. Each Clout Fantasy starter set includes a measuring device with two different sets of marks. These marks represent clout units, and every chip has a range value that determines the area (measured in clout units) that it affects. Experienced players use the black marks, while inexperienced or younger players are permitted to use the red marks (which happen to be a little longer).

When a chip lands on the field, it may be activated. Some chips activate when put into play, others may be activated by the decision of the player, and still others are activated by a certain event. Each chip also has a name, a defense value, a value in clout points, and a text box that tells you what special abilities (if any) it possesses. The special abilities are what determine how you want to toss your chips. For example, a chip with the Siege ability (such as a Goblin Door Crasher) can attack any base or relic within range. If the Siege vale of the attacker exceeds the defense value of the target, the target is destroyed and removed from play. Other abilities include boosting the attack abilities of friendly chips within range, moving chips about the battlefield, and gaining control of an opponent's chips.

When all chips have been tossed and no players have any chips remaining in their stacks, the game is over. Players total their clout value on chips within the playing area and the player with the highest clout wins. As you ca guess from reading these rules, how you throw your chips and your ability to make them land where you want them to (as well as the playing surface) can make a big difference in game play.

Talking with the Peter and Jesper
As I noted earlier, I had the chance to sit down with Peter and Jesper and discuss some of the reasoning behind Clout Fantasy, as well as a few other topics. As I've mentioned before, my interviewing skills are still gaining strength, so I sometimes forget to jot down who actually answered the question. I may also take a few liberties in paraphrasing, but the gist of the answer remains the same.

Q: What makes Clout Fantasy better than any other game on the market today?

Peter: I wouldn't necessarily say it's better, just different. There is a strong physical aspect involved in Clout Fantasy, and this combines with the intellectual appeal of hobby games to create a unique experience.

Q: Do you feel that it will have the appeal and "legs" that Magic the Gathering has shown through the years?

Jesper: No, and I don't expect such. Magic was the first game of its type. It was completely unique.

:Peter: I think it is unrealistic to expect such a result from any game. Magic was, as Jesper says, a game that just happened to come along at the right time. I would like to see Clout Fantasy achieve the equal of, say Mage Knight, and I think the potential is there. Clout is easy to learn, but maintains a strong depth of play, and I think that will help it along.

Q: What is the single biggest draw to the game? What stands out and makes it so cool that gamers can't resist it?

Jesper: The physical aspect. There is no other game currently on the market like it.

Peter: The ability to choose different playing surfaces. Different playing surfaces offer differing degrees of control, and affect both luck and the strategy a player will use.

Q: Why the decision to use metric units over the more standard imperial system?

Jesper: Did they use metric units in the rulebook? It's a coincidence. Clout units, the official measure in the game, just happen to coincide to metric measures. But also, you have to realize that the U.S. is a relatively small market compared to international sales, and most other countries use the metric system.

Q: Where do you see the game going in three years?

Jesper: I'd like to see it go mass market. (smiles)

Peter: Definitely opening the licensing up to a broad market, though I believe that the bulk of the sales will still be through hobby and game stores.

Q: What has been retailer response to the game so far? Have preorders been good or have retailers been taking a more cautious "wait and see" approach?

Peter: Most have been skeptical, but word of mouth is pretty strong, and the demos have been garnering some good reactions. Alderac Entertainment Group is handling the publishing here in the U.S. and Canada, and the strong social dynamic is such that I expect it will gain momentum.

Q: What new expansions can we expect to see in future?

Peter: We're hoping for several expansions , including horror, futuristic, and maybe even some licensed properties. There's also good crossover potential, so you could play a game where your buddy's undead go up against your brigade of space marines, for example.

Q: Was the whole concept of what Clout Fantasy represents what brought you back into the game design industry, or was it something more basic, such as the need to get your feet wet again?

Peter: The game industry of late has become deluged with clones, and I told myself that I wasn't going to get back into publishing unless a game came along that really caught my attention. Clout was it. I must have looked at dozens of other games before Jesper presented Clout and I realized, "This could be the one."

Q: So, after Clout Fantasy gets underway and is firmly established, what's next for you?

Peter: Whatever it is, it's going to have to be something new and exciting that simply can't miss. My focus is primarily going to be on Clout Fantasy unless something comes along that just blows my socks off.

Jesper: I do have a few ideas for some other games, but we'll see how it goes.

Q: If you don't object, I'd like to switch gears now and discuss a few other things. First, GenCon. GenCon continues to grow in southern California and in Indiana. Do you see room for future expansion, perhaps a GenCon Orlando or a GenCon New York?

Peter: Right now, we're still trying to see if there is room for two GenCons; SoCal and Indy. If things continue to go well, and we reach the goal that we have set, we might consider a third show. Right now, though, there are no plans for it.

Q: What is your favorite gaming memory?

Peter: There have been many classic D&D moments. One that stands out is a Viking campaign I ran. Everyone could play only a human or a dwarf, had to have at least one level of barbarian, and an accent. (both laugh)

Jesper: For me, it was the first time we ran Magic the Gathering through mock-ups. I remember sitting at Peter's kitchen table, playing with all the prototype cards. That was fun.

Q: Do you prefer card games, board games, or RPGs in your leisure time?

Jesper: Computer games. I'm into World of Warcraft right now. I also like to play small press games.

Peter: First, I want to say that there's really no such thing as being too busy. If you enjoy what you do, you find a balance. It's just a matter of prioritizing. I'm not much of a computer gamer. I prefer role-playing games or Magic, and I love small press RPGs. I play the occasional board game, but I think Magic is my favorite, simply because you can complete a game in about 20 minutes. I play quite a bit of Monopoly, actually.

Q: Do you have a favorite RPG setting?

Jesper: Call of Cthulhu. We do play D&D occasionally, and it's usually in my homebrewed setting.

Peter: I've played in nearly all of them. Delta Green is my favorite non-D&D campaign. When we play D&D, it's usually in my homebrew campaign. I like the homebrew setting because I have more control, I'm directly involved in the creative process.

Q: Finally, any advice for those seeking a job in the industry?

Peter: Don't quit your day job. There isn't that much money to be made, and few RPG companies offer a real salary or benefit program. Your best bet for success is to have a real job, something to fall back on, and treat this as a hobby that you would like to turn into a business. If you're going to succeed, you have to find something fresh and exciting, something that hasn't been done before.

Jesper: Take an honest look at what you're pitching. Is it new? Will it stand the test of time?

Peter: (nods) Short-term products don't hold. You have to have something that the public will latch onto. And check your ego at the door. You're going to fail—a lot.

I'd like to thank Peter and Jesper for taking the time to answer my questions and to discuss Clout with me. Having demoed it at the Con, I can speak from experience when I say, give it a chance. It's a simple game that conceals a lot of strategy and a huge helping of luck, and it's actually a lot of fun! You can learn more about Clout Fantasy at http://www.cloutfantasyusa.com.