Keeping It Simple: An Interview with Patrick Havert of Quick Simple Fun Games

Quick Simple Fun Games is the epitome of a game publisher focused on creating an enriching experience through casual games. Quick Simple Fun Games currently has 14 games and 3 expansions, which is quite an impressive lot, especially since QSF only opened their doors in 2016. QSF is likely most known for their hit game, Muse, or their licensing of amazing games in English such as Celestia and Burano. I was fortunate enough to interview Patrick Havert, the owner of QSF about their first Kickstarter for Ore: The Mining Game, which Quick Simple Fun is developing with help from my company, Atheris Games. Patrick also organizes the annual Dice Tower Convention in Orlando, FL.

Andrew Birkett: Hey Patrick, thanks for taking the time to speak with me today! I've got several questions for you, but let's start from the beginning, what led you to create Quick Simple Fun Games? Was QSF your first company in the industry?
Patrick Havert: My Wife and I went to the Essen Spiel Fest and saw many games—good games—that never made it to North America. QSF was my first Board Game Company, but I had previously started running the Dice Tower Convention and worked with a convention in Los Angeles called Strategicon.

AB: When crafting the vision for Quick Simple Fun, what led you towards publishing predominantly lighter and more accessible games?
PH: We had been running a gaming club in Tampa for years, and lighter games were easier to teach and to bring people into the hobby. Expanding the hobby has always been one of our goals at Quick Simple Fun, as in this day and age, getting out and being social is more important than ever, as many of us spend too much time behind screens.

AB: You've run Quick Simple Fun as well as Dice Tower Con for several years now. What has been the greatest lesson you've learned from your work as an entrepreneur in the gaming industry?
PH: Giving people a great experience will help you in every way. You can see it everywhere you are in this hobby, that taking the extra time and/or step will always be better for the long run.

AB: What is your most proud accomplishment to date as it relates to the tabletop gaming industry?
PH: Being able to bring together thousands of people, from all over the world, a fun experience with the Muse line of games. 

AB: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring three games with you, which would they be and who would you want to be playing them with?
PH: This is a toughy...Castles of Burgundy, Gizmos, and Ore: The Mining Game. There are so many people I could put here I don't feel it's fair if I leave anyone out. :)

AB: I understand you're launching Ore: The Mining Game on Kickstarter on January 22nd, 2019. Quick Simple Fun Games has gone directly to retail with all of your current product lines. What led you to create a Kickstarter campaign for Ore?
PH: Being able to expand our marketing reach with Kickstarter, especially for a more medium-weight Euro game. Most of our games have been lighter, but we want to be able to show people we are expanding our line, and give them a better view of the game than they can usually get from a box cover is really important.

AB: You are working with Atheris Games on the Ore Kickstarter. What led you to partner with another company on the game and its campaign, and what do you think the benefits are of working together?
PH: Atheris had more experience with Kickstarter than we did, and being able to have someone help with the process was huge. We read books, articles and several online blogs about Kickstarting a game, and many of them had differing views on parts of the process. Partnering with another company has helped us see that this is a great industry, where co-operation is really helping many companies succeed.

AB: Will you be Kickstarting any other projects in the future?
PH: We will be Kickstarting 4-6 projects a year.  Many of the games we have in our production queue are light to medium weight games, or more expensive to produce games like Squirrels: Hidden Treasures, and being able to show people what the game is like, and the high-quality components will help us and the consumers.

AB: What do you feel is the best aspect of Kickstarter for project creators?
PH: The best aspect, in my opinion, is the ability to show more of the game, and the extra care we took in getting the game ready for production.

AB: What do you think makes Ore: The Mining Game stand out? Is there any element of the game that particularly excited you and led you to publish the game?
PH: Ore: The Mining Game is an excellent Worker Placement and Resource Management game. There are several paths to victory and to use your resources, but the placement of workers is very competitive, so being able to adapt your plans is key.

AB: What food would be served at your ideal game night?
PH: Hmmm, Jalapeno Poppers are always great, especially as I am on the Keto Diet at the moment. :)