Interview to Alex Moore – Board Game Designer
The Origins of Ghost Quest
When asked about the origins of his passion for game design, Alex smiled and traced it back to his childhood fascination with ghost stories and adventure games. Growing up, he played everything from Dungeons & Dragons to complex strategy games, but it wasn’t until he encountered Gloomhaven that the spark to create something truly immersive took hold.
“Gloomhaven showed me the potential for combining deep strategy with rich narratives,”
Alex explained. “But I wanted to create a game that embraced a supernatural theme, something where players felt both excitement and suspense as they explored haunted locations.” From there, Ghost Quest began to take shape, evolving into a game that blends strategic combat with narrative-driven puzzle-solving.
Balancing Mechanics with Atmosphere
As Alex elaborated on Ghost Quest, it became clear that the game’s eerie atmosphere was just as important as its mechanics. Players step into the shoes of ghost hunters tasked with exploring haunted sites and battling spirits that grow more aggressive the longer they stay. But Ghost Quest isn’t just about combat—it’s about discovery. Each scenario has players uncovering clues about why certain ghosts are trapped, allowing the narrative to unfold at a pace determined by the players’ decisions.
For Alex, balancing the supernatural theme with engaging mechanics has been a delicate process. He wanted to avoid the game becoming “just another dungeon crawler,” so he focused on making the ghost encounters unpredictable and varied. Each ghost has its own abilities and behaviors, forcing players to adapt their strategies on the fly.
“One of the toughest design challenges has been creating ghost AI that feels dynamic but fair,” Alex admitted. He shared how playtesting helped refine this element, with testers suggesting that ghosts “learn” from previous encounters, which added an extra layer of tension and unpredictability to the gameplay.
Playtesting and Refining the Experience
Playtesting has been a crucial part of the journey, as Alex is constantly tweaking the mechanics based on feedback. In the early stages, the pacing of the game was one of the biggest issues. While the combat was engaging, players found that some puzzles slowed down the action, interrupting the flow of the game.
Alex tackled this by refining the puzzles to make them more intuitive and integrated with the overall narrative. He believes that each puzzle should serve a dual purpose—helping to solve the mystery while also advancing the plot.
“It’s all about keeping the player engaged without overwhelming them,”
he said, reflecting on the fine-tuning process.
Perhaps the most valuable feedback he received was regarding the balance between action and investigation. Many players wanted more quiet moments between the intense ghost battles, and Alex adjusted the scenarios to offer a mix of tension and reflection. He added event cards that trigger changes in the environment or present players with difficult choices, keeping the experience dynamic and immersive.
Looking to the Future
With Ghost Quest now in its mid-development phase, Alex is considering several publication routes. While traditional publishing is on the table, Alex is also drawn to the idea of crowdfunding to maintain creative control over the project.
“Crowdfunding would allow me to build a community around the game from the start,”
he explained, hinting that backers could help shape the final product through ongoing feedback.
In terms of future plans, Alex is excited to expand the Ghost Quest universe. He envisions additional scenarios, haunted locations, and even new ghost types that will challenge players in different ways. For now, though, his focus remains on refining the core game and ensuring it hits the right balance of tension, excitement, and mystery.
Advice for Aspiring Designers
Toward the end of our conversation, Alex shared some advice for aspiring game designers. His biggest takeaway? “Don’t be afraid to start over,” he said. He described how parts of Ghost Quest had gone through multiple iterations before he found a formula that worked. “Game design is all about iteration. You’re constantly refining, testing, and evolving. But every change brings you one step closer to something special.”
He also emphasized the importance of playtesting with diverse groups.
“You need different perspectives to truly understand how your game plays. The more varied the feedback, the better your game will be.”
Conclusion
Alex Moore’s Ghost Quest promises to deliver a spooky, strategic experience that keeps players on their toes with unpredictable ghost encounters and captivating puzzles. As he continues to refine the game, we can’t wait to see how it evolves. For those interested in following Alex’s journey or testing Ghost Quest themselves, be sure to check out his updates on ProtoHypeHub, where he’ll be sharing more about the game’s development in the coming months.
