We interview James Hudson of Druid City Games, designer of Barnyard Roundup and publisher of The Grimm Forest. You’ll never believe what game introduced him to modern board gaming!

James started playing board games with his family because he was tired of them burying their noses in smartphones and other screen-based games. The first modern game he bought was Power Grid, believe it or not!

Playing Candy Land and Chutes & Ladders with his son, James thought “this doesn’t feel like a game, it feels like a job.” He wanted a game that the whole family could enjoy playing, so he designed Barnyard Roundup. There’s a great introduction to the game on the Druid City Games website.

The Grimm Forest was designed by Tim Eisner, and James absolutely loved it, even in prototype form. You collect materials to build 3 houses (straw, brick, wood) while trying to deduce how the other players will collect. Lots of fairy tale references and just a bit of “take-that” gameplay. It is a gorgeous game and we can’t wait to see it.

Find Barnyard Roundup at your friendly local game store or online. Check out the Kickstarter for The Grimm Forest, starting March 21st!

Interested in more from Druid City Games? You can sign up for their newsletter or check out their Board Game Spotlight, where James and his friends review games.