Big fun and small boxes. Kozz Games are bucking trends. Packing as much as feasibly possible into boxes barely bigger than a matchbox, they’ve got a history of putting out games that can be carried around in a pocket but deliver experiences that are as big and bombastic as their regular counterparts. The most recent of these is the Dark Tomb series – full cooperative dungeon-crawling experiences in small tin boxes. We had a chat with Andy, the founder of Kozz Games, about what he’s up to.
Interview with Kozz Games
Hey Andy! We LOVE what you’re up to with Kozz Games, so thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us. Let’s get going…
Q: You’ve quickly established Kozz Games as a leading name in the small-box space. What’s the ethos behind the company, and what inspired you to start it up?
Thanks for your kind words! The pocket-sized games I’ve been designing the last few years really stemmed from my own desire to have something small and quick to carry around and play at a moment’s notice.
You don’t always have 3 or 4 hours to meet up with friends and play a campaign game. If you’re at a pub or restaurant waiting for your food and have 20 minutes to spare, wouldn’t it be great to have a quick dungeon crawl?
So I set out on creating something super portable – a full table-top game in a tin that you could fit easily in your pocket. The setup would have to be streamlined and the basic rule set easy enough to learn in a couple of minutes so you could jump right in. That formed the foundation of the Dark Tomb series.
The overall focus for the company is just to make fun games that help bring folks together and enjoy unique in-person experiences. That carries over not just to gameplay, but to design, production, customer service and fulfillment as well.
Q: Your focus has been on small-box adventure titles, from the beautifully packaged Yoz to the Dark Tomb trilogy. What does your design process look like when it comes to packing maximum adventure into minimal packaging?
Designing small games is a meticulous process. Due to the space constraints, it’s super important that every component and card in the tin is completely intentional and serves the core of the game. There can’t be any wasted space so there are constant decisions of what to focus on and what to let go of.
“Do I need this card? Is this tool really necessary? Can I have the same (or better experience) with one fewer map tile in this scenario?” – It really becomes an exercise in organization and prioritization.
Just fitting it all into the tin was a puzzle in and of itself. There are 57+ cards, a full-size d20 die, 24 wooden cubes, and the rulebook, so the tolerances come down to fractions of millimeters.
“There can’t be any wasted space so there are constant decisions of what to focus on and what to let go of.”
In fact, the factory originally said they couldn’t make the plastic insert that keeps everything organized in the box because it was too compact. So I went out and bought some other games they had manufactured, cut up pieces of inserts and pasted them together to show that it was possible. The next sample they came back with was perfect. I was super excited!
Q: Looking back at your earlier projects, what fulfillment challenges did you face once a campaign was completed?
I did the fulfillment for my first several games myself, which in retrospect seems pretty ridiculous.
There’s so much involved – price modeling, sourcing packaging materials, formatting data, buying bulk postage, printing labels, receiving pallets of product, organizing and storing boxes. That’s all followed by days of assembling boxes, stuffing envelopes, picking games, taping, labeling and shuttling vans full of packages back and forth to a carrier.
Having done all that though, I learned how VAT works, how to limit damage, how to batch process shipments … and a million other things which are still invaluable today.
That process was only really feasible up to a few hundred games. Once you get into the thousands, you’re looking at packing the garage to the ceiling and it gets overwhelming quick.
So I started building relationships with fulfillment companies around the world. They’re experts at what they do and take one more thing off your plate. I’m guessing most game designers would much rather be designing and producing games, than spending weeks fulfilling them.
Q: How did you first hear about Zatu Fulfilment, and what has your experience with us been like?
I originally came across Zatu’s website while looking at different UK fulfillment shops. I was in the final stages of production for a game that was about to ship and was in a bit of a pinch. Chris and Dom got on a call with me within an hour and we hit it off immediately.
Zatu has been a phenomenal partner over the last few years. Generally, within a few hours of the games arriving in the warehouse they’re already on their way out the door. It’s so efficient, it’s actually a problem. When you’re working on a public platform and everyone in the UK starts posting “Yay we got our games”, everyone else around the world starts asking where theirs are. I’ve even had to ask the crew at Zatu to hold on to product for a few extra days to avoid that issue 🙂
“Zatu’s so efficient, it’s actually a problem. When you’re working on a public platform and everyone in the UK starts posting “Yay we got our games”, everyone else around the world starts asking where theirs are. I’ve even had to ask the crew at Zatu to hold on to product for a few extra days to avoid that issue!”
Q: You’ve had great success on Kickstarter, even overfunding by more than 200 times your goal in one case. What top tips would you share with aspiring publishers looking to focus on crowdfunding?
The Kickstarter community is truly amazing! I feel like I have tens of thousands of passionate tabletop gamer friends, but have only actually met a handful of them in person. If backers enjoy your work and you create a positive experience for them, they become fiercely dedicated.
My best advice for creators is to make games that you’re passionate about and love to play yourself. Playtest the hell out of them, tweak them, then playtest some more. Make sure your visual presentation is professional, all of your mechanics are worked out, and that everything feels like a solid cohesive unit before launching.
You want to clearly show how your game works and what’s special about it. Communicate openly and often with your backers. Also, be patient – It takes time and multiple projects to build up an audience, but every time someone plays one of your games with a friend, that’s one more potential fan of your work.
Q: With the Dark Tomb series going from strength to strength, what’s next for Kozz Games… and can fans look forward to more from Dark Tomb?
Over the last year I’ve been designing a full-scale campaign-based dungeon crawler with unique mechanics and some really cool minis. I’m super excited about how it’s coming together and can’t wait to share it! For updates you can follow Kozz Games on Kickstarter. Somewhere down the line there will very likely be another Dark Tomb game too. Stay tuned…
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For more from Andy, and his projects with Kozz Games, check out the Kozz Games website and give him a follow on Instagram.
