NECROVENGE!

An Interview with Philip Jensen about his upcoming solo Necromancer game

Today I had the pleasure of talking to (and then doing this interview!) with Philip Jensen, a Danish creator and art director who has work with big names like LEGO on his resume.

Currently (or until I step on one in my kid’s room - d4 damage!), it’s not those little blocks that concern us, but something that Philip is building right now on his own…NECROVENGE.

Instead of running my own jaw, I’ll let Philip introduce himself and tell you all about his game, solo gaming, art, and all that other good stuff we all like!

Hi Philip - should I refer to you as Philip?

Hi Castle Grief (still not sure what your real name is :) ) 

Castle Grief is just fine - it's strange, but you can blame my parents, they lived in a ruined Keep on the Borderlands!

I’m he/him but don’t mind they. :) 

I’m Philip Jensen, but Phil is what friends call me, so that happens sometimes too.

Alright, well I won’t be too presumptive and call you Philip for the time being!

Now that’s out of the way let’s dive right in!

Let’s start by talking a little bit about the game you are currently working on and Kickstarting.

We talked about it a little over on Xwitter, but I’m interested to hear more after reading a bit about it on The Soloist over coffee this morning.

Can you give us the rundown?

The main premise of NECROVENGE is to play out the story of a beaten necromancer who after a sudden death finds themselves in an unknown place. You set out to rebuild your dungeon, reanimate an army and ultimately get your revenge on those who wronged you.

Sounds very cool - and this is a solo game, so let me ask - what has your experience been like with solo gaming?

Obviously, it’s having a major growth spurt but there’s still definitely a lot of folks who don’t “get it.”

I’ve even had some quite rude comments on social media when I post about it ha ha. 

How did you get into it, what games have you enjoyed etc?

I’ve deep dived into solo in the last couple of years and found it really fun. Whether it’s a quick silly journal game, a more serious journal game, a procedure-heavy dice-rolling game or something completely different I’ve had a lot of good experiences.

The first real solo experience was with Dwelling by Seb Pines which really touched me. It was quite a profound experience. Since I’ve solo’ed established systems like MÖRK BORG and OSE as well as played quick games like DARK FORT.

I’ve also made my own small attempts at solo games which can be found on my Itch. 

I really love solo games. But what I find hard is the balance between feeling like I’m writing a book or feeling like I’m just continuously rolling dice. That’s what sparked my first draft for NECROVENGE.

Awesome. It’s always very cool to me to see people take their passion Projects and put them out there for the world to see in a fully realized fashion. 

It takes a certain amount of courage to do that, I think, or anything that is likely to receive scrutiny. 

Has the designing and releasing things aspect changed things for you in the way you play or perceive games in general? 

You’re right it does take courage. 

As someone who has gotten a lot of critique throughout work and education, it’s not always easy – and it still isn’t – to put things out for show. And honestly I actually think that’s the biggest change for me. 

I’ve started to acknowledge and appreciate the effort people put into making games. 

How hard it is – or can be – how much fear and self doubt there can be attached to it, and how awesome it is when people muster up the courage to say: “I’ve created this, do you like it?”

I can definitely relate to that - it’s been amazing to meet so many cool creative people over the last while I’ve been active on social media etc. and getting to support a lot of killer projects that are now on my shelves or at my table!

Let’s talk about Kickstarter a bit. I am only a novice, on my second successful round of it - do you have any tips or advice for other creators who might want to try crowdfunding a project like this?

When it comes to Kickstarter and crowdfunding I’ve really leaned into other succesful campaigns. How have they structured their page? What does their FAQ look like? Such and such. On the other hand I’ve also tried to foster a “good enough”-attitude. I basically want to improve on one aspect for every time I do this and I try to see each Kickstarter (or project in general) not as a magnum opus, but as a stepping stone on a very long set of stairs. 

In terms of real advice I would say get over yourself and put it out there. I’ve never had anyone say that I overshared as long as I adhere to the different guidelines of Facebook groups, Reddit pages and so on. So as long as you’re respectful just keep sharing. Even though as I’m writing this I’m 100 % sure that I could’ve done better.

Let’s talk a little bit more about your game. What are you most excited about regarding the project, and what has been the biggest challenge?

I’m really excited to get it into people’s hands for testing. I’ve had the very rough draft circulating some good friends that I trust and it’s the wildest feeling when they tell me they actually had fun – or something happened they didn’t expect. I’m also excited to see if people will hack it or use the dungeons and their necromancer as a villain in their “group TTRPG”.

As an artist, obviously, the visual presentation of things is really important to me, and I have a very specific aesthetic that I chase for my own stuff, especially as I improve a little bit with my abilities. (Though never as fast as I’d like!!!)

What was your process like for envisioning this, and who did you work with to make that a reality?

I’m constantly evolving my own look and I attempt to go for something which challenges me. In my day job I work with advertising for very polished and corporate clients so doing my first zine Trapped Within was really an exercise in fucking up the rules of graphic design.

This time I want to create something which feels Art Nouveau, modern yet antique. It should feel like something which is well-designed but eerily off. 

Therefore I’m leaning very much into public domain art, but I’m also going to feature some of my own art. 

The front cover is done by me. 

I don’t plan on featuring other (non-dead) artists currently, but that might change.

Tell people a little bit about your other projects, what’s next for you, and where they can find you in the vast corridors of the Internet.

I’m shifting the ingredients around the pot for two upcoming MÖRK BORG-projects. 

One is a setting book set in another realm another and is a zine along the lines of HERETIC. 

In addition to that I want to create more one-page (or shorter) solo games, exploring the different genres. If any of that sounds exciting you are welcome to follow my Twitter (@philthemaker) or philipjensen.Itch.io

OK, Phil…

We may not get to say anything brilliant or witty in our own final moments - but in our final moments here, the floor is yours! 

I just want to thank everyone who’s made this possible. And thank you to you reading this right now – if you want to support my work I would love to have your pledge over at Kickstarter, but if you’re in a pinch don’t stress it, life is more important than revenge – I think.

If you’re a designer wanting help or feedback in a loving (and small) community, consider joining my Discord Server where we have set up the space to give each other constructive feedback on our work. It’s quite nice, small and cozy. The link is on the Kickstarter page. 

Lastly thank you to you, Castle Grief, you’re part of what makes this scene so unimaginably wholesome. 

Congratulations with your Kickstarter (which is still live) I cannot wait for your zines! 

Thanks again Philip - if you decide to support Necrovenge or want to check it out a little more before making that decision, use any of the links I’ve included here, or THIS ONE - which will let Philip know you found your way there from here…and when you get to his pages, tell him CASTLE GRIEF sent you!