I like clarity and straight answers, I will answer the most obvious questions for you, and a classic opening into a designers diary („There shall be light“) will come later.


I have never heard about your company. Is this a scam?

The answer is: a) Yes and b) No. You haven't heard about Risiivr, because this is a fairly new firm. Basically just me and a bunch of professional artists and DTP operators, working and living in Brno, the Czech Republic, EU. We – just like any other entrepreneurs – have to start somewhere, and this is it – our start. Our first game in a long (as we hope) long line of other games. The company is properly registered by the Czech Ministry of Finance (IČO 10854568).
If I decide to back your project, how do I know you will be able to deliver the product?

We decided to produce every single piece of the game locally, by Czech companies. Not a scrap of paper will be printed in China. We do not support slave labour in terrible working conditions, everything will be produced by EU standards. That also means that we are not subject to logistical bottlenecks in ports in Shanghai and Hamburg.




That is not economically feasible!

We know that our margin will be way thinner than if we made the game in China. You know what? Screw them. On top of that, we will donate all earned money to a Ukrainian charity that saves the damaged cultural heritage of Ukraine.




So you work for free? That's nonsense.
I believe it is not. I am hoping to create a wonderful game and want to share my ideas. I do not design games for living (I work as a journalist). If the campaign is successful and we produce the game, your money will cover shipping, the price of material, the salary of artists (they pay bills too) and income taxes. The company and myself will receive nothing. After we complete the game, I will transparently post all invoices online so you can check how much money was left – and sent – to a charity. At the end of the day I do not actually work for free: you will help me to make a game and therefore kick-start the company with a reference: „See, we made THAT game!“




Will you be able to handle logistics?
Yes. I do not expect to receive an order for more than 500-600 copies. That is a number that is manageable by a few people. Storage facilities and wrapping machines are covered. Once all the pieces are carved of wood, and maps printed, it shouldn't take more than two or three weeks to assemble all the boxes and send them to you.



Painting icons is a highly minority topic. Do you think people care?
Crowdsourcing sites are full of soulless, blant games, made according to the formula „More great figures make a more awesome game !” No problem, if you like opulent visuals, go for it. But I believe a game should be a bit offensive, it shouldn't satisfy everybody, or else it cannot truly satisfy anybody. So I made a game about painting icons in a medieval Kyiv monastery. It has flavour to it. Like it? I am glad. You do not? That's fine, I don't need all the money in the world.


For orthodox christians are icons sacred. May they be offended?
Just like any religious topic, icons can be sensitive. But my goal is to celebrate this holy art, not to make a comics-like parody of it. The game treats the topic with utmost respect and presents it as the highest level of achievement in pursuing great art and self-betterment. In short – the game pays homage to centuries of amazing tradition.



Can we trust you? Is this „Catch me if you can“ in a boardgame world?
No. But how can I prove it? I will regularly update this site and show you work in progress to dispel any doubts. The playing board is being done by Jana Yuffie Kiliánová, one of the best young artists in the board game field (you can see her work here https://janakilianova.com). The game design is my own. I have been around board games since the „golden age“ came about (I was the first in the country to review The Settlers of Catan when the game had a premiere, so yes, I am THAT old). I have designed some little children games (cut and play) for a magazine called Time machine (Časostroj), but I felt like making a big, adult, and good game. So here we are.