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The Greenbrier Games team recently sat down with Gordon Alford to discuss the upcoming release of Of Dreams & Shadows, a RPG set in a world beset by the supernatural! Greenbriar Games (GB): How did you come up with the idea for Of Dreams & Shadows? When I was a kid, I began to read fantasy books. I picked up my first Dragonlance novel and immediately fell in love with the fantasy genre. I drew inspiration from the many stories that I’ve read over the years and began working on my own dark fantasy setting. I have always been fascinated by ancient Celtic mythology and wanted to build a world heavily influenced by this theme. GB: Can you elaborate more on the story setting of the game?
In Of Dreams & Shadows, people are struggling to survive in a world dominated by spirits and other supernatural creatures. There are telltale signs that human civilization has been destroyed and rebuilt over countless years. Even the feeling of what is real sometimes blur with what people experience in their dreams…and nightmares. While there’s an element of horror and bleakness to the setting, it is contrasted by a realm filled with wonder and adventure. Humanity has carved out four distinct kingdoms and begun to explore more of the surrounding wilderness. The ruins of an underworld empire have also recently been unearthed. The story begins with a prophetic dream filled with ominous signs and the characters are driven by a need to work together to overcome a rising darkness. GB: What are the characters like?
Each of the playable characters has a back story or description that sheds more light on who they are and their own individual motivations. For example, one of the characters is set on a path of vengeance against the creature that slew (and ate) her family. Another is trying to solve a mystery involving a rash of sudden disappearances, while contending with the fact he’s not much of a people-person and has an addiction problem. Besides interesting heroes, I also wanted antagonists that weren’t just evil for the sake of being evil — they’re driven by their own needs and beliefs. A couple of them actually feel justified with their actions as they believe they are doing the right thing. (GB): Why did you turn your idea into a board game?
Originally, I planned to write a novel. In the past few years, I began to play more board games with friends as we didn’t have as much time for tabletop roleplaying games. It was during this time that I thought about making a board game with an immersive world, story-based choices, and compelling characters. A friend of mine coined it “RPG in a box”. I hope that the game will appeal to players that love roleplaying games in a more streamlined board game format. (GB): What experience do you draw from in game design?
When it comes to gameplay, I always love to optimize characters or find loopholes in the rules. It was actually through playing online games where I learned that I enjoyed game design. I had begun to play massively multiplayer online games and one in particular, Dark Age of Camelot, really drew me in. I developed a bit of a reputation on my server for organizing and leading my realm against the others. This lead to a role as a Team Lead where I tested and gave feedback on combat balance and game design. That experience carried over to other online games where I would test and provide feedback. When I began to play modern board games, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the innovative gameplay ideas. A couple of the more story-based games led me down the path of designing my own board game.
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