A Sherwood dad gave up his job so he can pursue his dream of making board games – and so far has raised £40,000 doing it.
Up until last September Paul Allen, 35, was working as a graphic design teacher at the Confetti institute of creative technologies, but he decided to dedicate himself to designing and launching a co-operative game where players fight werewolves in Vietnam.
He launched a Kickstarter that raised £40,322 a month and is now making 550 copies of the game which started as a pile of paper pieces on his floor which he played with his seven-year-old son.
Mr Allen described the decision to quit as “terrifying” but added: “I followed my heart rather than my head.
“I felt like a child again, it was really really exciting. If I had not quit I would be in the same place now as I was 10 years ago. I also wanted to show my son you can do whatever you want to do.
“I have a big list of games to do, with at least two more basically finished already. It has been a massive learning curve, designing something that is an actual physical product now.
“It has been great.”
The board game, called Full Moon Jacket, can be played by up to six people working together and lasts between 45 minutes to two hours.
Set in the Vietnam War, the goal is to rescue your group’s colonel as you are attacked by werewolves, with each player having their own special abilities.
More than 500 people donated to the game and it is set to be released by October – once the 25,000 miniature figurines are finished.
His fiancé and fellow board game fan, Rosie Francis, 32, who he will be marrying in November, said: “The crazy thing was we were in the middle of moving house when he told me [he was quitting]. It was scary, and it is still scary because you are not getting a pay cheque every month.
“However it has been his dream since he was 12, it just felt like the right thing to do for him. I knew it would be a success.
“He is the epitome of someone following what they want and I am so proud of him.”
The managing director of Ludorati, a board gaming café on Maid Marian Way, said that the city and country’s board game market has grown in the past decade with more people taking up the hobby.
However he added that making money out of a new game is becoming increasingly difficult as more and more games are put on the market.
Nicholas J Higgins, 56, of Newark, said: “For us one of the challenges is keeping up with them all – it is not just Monopoly any more.
“Nottingham has a great board gaming design scene but for most it is a very hard challenge to make a living.
“The industry has grown up, the games have to be much more professional than they were before.
“Although you may get very lucky and your first game is a big sell our advice is that the best way to do it is to keep the day job.”
The game is currently a Kickstarter exclusive but may be available in shops later in the year.
