Copyright 2022 Gem Time Games LLC, Art by Wouter F. Goedkoop
Gempire: Zarmund's Demands
2022 Update!
In October of 2021, I was fortunate enough to meet the brilliant artist behind the new stunning edition of Gempire. His name is Wouter Goedkoop, and he is the owner of The Voyager's Workshop, creating breathtaking maps, art, and accessories for tabletop roleplaying games. I knew immediately after the recommendation that Gempire was in good hands. The chemistry was practically effortless, and both of us found ourselves doing exactly what we love: unleashing our creativity and imaginations to give Gempire the gorgeous, elegant apprearance it deserved all along! The new visuals give add cheerful, immersive feel to an experience that will never grow old! Please go take a look at Wouter's other work!
The Story
I'm so grateful to all who are reading this. My name is Paul Elpers, straight outta Evansville, Indiana. I busted my butt to earn my Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Southern Indiana. I've loved games of all kinds my whole life, and I cannot express how excited I am to share this endeavor with all of you after 3 years. But enough about me...
You know those projects that you start with a really optimistic attitude, and after life catches up with you too many times, they just dissolve quietly before you get to finish them? Me too. And Gempire: Zarmund's Demands probably would have been the same... had I not realized that it was more than a project. It became my life's passion. It became the thing no one thought I would finish. Most importantly, it became my chance to give the board game community a completely new experience. And sharing that experience will be the greatest joy of my life.
When I started this game in September of 2017, I was working a fast food job and earning near minimum wage. I had no computer, no tablet, and obviously, almost no money. But I had an idea. And I had a furiously burning passion to make it real. That's all I needed. That's all anyone really needs.
When you don't have enough money to pay a graphic designer, you don't. When you don't have enough money to commission an artist, you don't. When you don't have a team of game designers to bounce ideas off, you don't. Instead you spend every night after work learning all you can about those things so you can do it yourself, and that's exactly what I did.
You see, I had a vision. A vision of a board game people could play as many times as they want, and never find the best character, race, or strategy. A game that asked players to win a different way every time. A game that let friends feel the thrill of taking turns at the same time, instead of wasting time waiting for their turn. A game where you could plan your own strategy and actually play it out without random events or vengeful opponents bringing it to ruins.
Gempire: Zarmund's Demands is the culmination of all of it. I sincerely hope it makes the journey to your table and gives you and your friends some much needed times to enjoy and remember. That would be the ultimate success in my book.
To anyone reading this, I want to say one last thing. NEVER wait to begin on something you are passionate about. You do not need someone or something to tell you that you are capable of doing something. Do not underestimate your own capabilities and what you can accomplish with enough practice.