Drift away - An interview with Ken Kennedy

He rode into town, unknown to me, but I needed to know more. Luckily for me he's Canadian and every Canadian i have ever talked to has been kind and generous with their time.

What was your inspiration for this game?

I love games & stories. I remember friends introducing me to Barbarian Prince and D&D at a very young age and it was a revelation! The idea that a game isn’t necessarily about winning but can be more of an experience, was enlightening to my young mind, and it still resonates with me today. Well, I figured there might be others out there who feel the same way. As for making it a western, Some of my favorite films are westerns and I noticed a serious lack of representation of solo, western, adventure games. So, The Drifter was my opportunity to write a love letter to the Western, along with being a tribute to the games that inspired me and the games that inspired the world of gaming, as we know it today.

How is this game different from others in this genre (barbarian prince, star smuggler)?

The mechanics are more streamlined. In particular, I found the combat in Barbarian Prince to be a bit fiddly and wanted to simplify it but also provide the possibility of dramatic flourishes.

Besides that, being Table heavy, how to handle skill checks, and of course, the theme.

When I play I use a random name generator. What names did you use during playtesting?

A random name generator is a great idea! I used the names of the actors from western films (Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, etc) along with the names of characters they had played. Safe to say their movie adventures were typically, far more successful than their adventures in The Drifter!

What's the shorts/longest play of this game you have had our you have heard of?

The longest is two and a half hours. That was a game my mother actually played, with me reading the events for her. She actually accumulated the $300! Must have been beginners' luck, as it was her first time ever playing The Drifter. The shortest has lasted around 60 seconds, lasting for only one Action. My wife had a game where she was confronted by someone who wanted revenge on her first Action and this person shot her dead in a draw. She was devastated! Once, I actually won the game on my first Action. To avoid spoilers I won’t say how I won, but it wasn’t by accumulating the $300.

Without a spoiler, what is your favorite event in the game?

There is one event that stands out to me. It is influenced by the horror genre. The result of it could be debilitating, bizarre, depressing, or profitable.

Has there been any talk of making a physical copy of the game?

I actually reached out to a number of board game publishers but it didn’t fit into any of their current visions. In the future, I will probably try some other publishers to see if there is any interest. To be honest, it really is the dream to see it on a shelf one day, fully published but for now, it will have to remain a dream.

Are you currently working on anything?

I am currently about halfway done with a science fiction version of The Drifter, which has me really excited. It will expand on what The Drifter has to offer but still maintain that simplistic, old school feel.

Do you have a favorite solo play board game/rpg?

Recently I have been enjoying Elder Sign, the, Pathfinder card game and the Tunnels & Trolls solo RPG adventures.