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Welcome to the world of Slimmegeit, where games (in a broad sense. Physical card games and board games, but also video games) thrive with a perfect balance between strategy and creativity, and where every move can be a masterstroke. Within my company, I emphasize creating challenging experiences where skill is the key, because my game motto (like a personal motto, but focused on games) is simple: in good games, the best player wins, not the luckiest one.
'Luck' is an aspect that is present in almost all games and for good reason: Luck does a lot. It makes it so that every player has a chance to win. It allows games to unfold differently each time. Luck provides a variety of game mechanics (such as coin tosses, dice rolls, or drawing random cards) and is also a beautiful representation of life because luck determines much in our lives.
But despite the value of luck in games, I believe that luck can also diminish the enjoyment of play and blur the chances of a fair and competitive experience. In games where luck prevails, the best player can often lose due to unfavorable random events, which can be frustrating. Additionally, a victory is less satisfying when the winning factor is luck rather than skill.
For this reason, my aim is to develop and promote games that emphasize skill, strategy, and decision-making; where the best player is truly rewarded for their expertise and effort.
The difficulty in this is: the average person isn't a gaming enthusiast. Most people just enjoy playing a game quickly; something that's easy to understand and play. The kind of games I'm passionate about and would like to create, appeals to only a small group of people, and as a starting company, that's not practical.
For this reason I've began with a game most people would enjoy. The game 'Vak!' is based on the well-known game of tic-tac-toe. It's now available for purchase in stores like bol.com and on my website."
My second game, named Autocards is currently mostly finished and has a bit more depth. It's easier to understand than the first game but allows for more strategies.
My third game, which is already in development, is a bit more strategic again. In this way, I hope to gradually transition towards the type of games I dream of.
In case you're curious about these games, continue reading here:Projects&Games‘.
My name is Feben de Heij, and I'm a passionate (board)game developer.
When I was 7 years old, I dreamed of becoming an inventor. I was inspired by Professor Barabas from Suske & Wiske and by Gyro Gearloose from Donald Duck.
With the technical insight of a potato and two left hands, I quickly realized that wasn't going to happen.
Not long after, my second dream emerged: Making games.
For me, games have always had something magical about them. Especially with video games, new worlds are created. Worlds where anything is possible. Worlds where you can fulfill your sweetest dreams. Where you can learn, grow, and above all; it's not as chaotic as the real world.
Of course, that's something every form of art does. Music, books, and paintings do that too. They all try to take us out of the real world, to transcend reality. However, it's not entirely comparable. Games contain everything. They share the visual aspect of paintings, the auditory aspect of music, the storytelling of books, and more.
With that realization, my path wasn't set in stone. On the contrary. In the years that followed, I searched intensely for what made me happy. What I wanted to do, but especially where opportunities lay. I've been struggling with a mental limitation for several years. My interests are broad. Gaining knowledge brings me joy, so I've invested time in learning about psychology, languages, law, chemistry, quantum physics, and anything else my curiosity leads me to
Yet, many career paths were ruled out. As a psychologist or lawyer, I'd likely bring the suffering home with me. In other areas of interest, there were more job opportunities, but I'd still encounter challenges. Teaching languages is something I've been doing for several years, but there are no growth opportunities there either.
A clear solution emerged: starting my own business. But what kind of business? The idea of designing games has never left me, but I also deemed it unlikely because I absolutely have zero sense of programming, no matter how much I'd like to learn it.
Still, my desire was too great to ignore, so I founded my company, Slimmegeit.
Teaching languages is something I've been doing and still do, but most of my time is invested in my company. Particularly, the creative aspect is what attracts me the most.
Sales is personally less appealing to me, but of course, it's just as important. If you're reading this and you think, "Hey, I'm looking for work, I have a knack for sales, can sell products well, and speak English fluently," then please send me a message. Perhaps we can help each other out.
Questions or suggestions?