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I have been hearing good things about Rivenstone since Adepticon. It seems that everyone who went has raved about the game, and the more that I’ve looked into it, and the more that I’ve seen the videos of content creators who have worked with the miniatures, everything about Rivenstone looks fun.

It’s an alternating activation game, with an aesthetic that is sort of Warcraft (and a lot of other things). The minis are cool and different. The gameplay is fun and easy to learn. And the game is very nearly reaching the end of its Kickstarter campaign (though there will be time for late pledges eventually).

If you’re interested in seeing more about the models, Dana Howl has made two videos, here and here, about the game. Kirioth has made one. And Trapped Under Plastic flew out to Washington to meet with Broken Anvil Miniatures.

I got the chance to talk to Will Hungerford, the lead game designer. He worked for ten years with Privateer Press as a game developer (there’s a little Warmachine look in the minis, though that may be coincidental), and he was gracious enough to take the time to answer my questions.

Robison: By way of introduction, please tell me a little about yourself and how you’re related to the creation of Rivenstone.

Will Hungerford: My name is Will Hungerford, I’m the Lead Game Designer here at Broken Anvil. I’m part of the team that designed Rivenstone, but I’ve also been involved in a lot of the worldbuilding, lore, character creation, etc for the setting.

R: I’m really intrigued by the ability to take virtually any model and put them on a team with any other model, regardless of faction. How does that work, and why did you choose to do it?

W: We wanted warband construction to be very simple mechanically, yet give the player plenty of strategic choices while also allowing them to use any models in the range they found appealing. This led to the creation of the Coalition system, the restriction that binds your army together narratively and thematically, while giving them potent in-game bonuses. Coalitions care about the keywords on the models in your warband, whether that’s a faction keyword such as “Iron Guard” or “Shattered Empire”, or a keyword that is agnostic from a model’s faction such as “Beast” or “Machine”. 

We are launching with a series of mono-faction Coalitions, but will be introducing many more soon after launch! These new Coalitions will promote using models across the various factions, such as an all-beast coalition. Ultimately, the goal was to allow a player to pick up any model in the range and be able to enjoy it, and also to allow existing models to be used in exciting new ways through the release of new Coalitions in the future.

R: I’m so happy to see female Orks portrayed. What other innovations have you put into the game that make Rivenstone different?

W: There are many! One I’m particularly fond of is the stone-touched humans of the Shattered Empire. These individuals are born without limbs, and instead have small growths of organic Rivenstone where the limb should be. The entire society of the Shattered Empire has rallied behind the stone-touched, seeing them as omens of imperial victory. Arcane prosthetics were invented to fit over the organic growths that the stone-touched could wield, using their innate magic power. 

R: Your game seems to be the opposite of Grimdark. All the models that I’ve seen are painted with bright saturated colors in pinks, purples and blues. Are you purposely trying to push back against the increasingly grimdark settings of other games?

W: I wouldn’t say it’s a push against grimdark, specifically. The owners of the company are huge fans of the look of games like Wildstar and World of Warcraft, or comics like Battle Chasers. The game looks like what they love.

R: Broken Anvil is growing rapidly and quickly making a name for itself in terms of quality and innovation. Can you offer any clues as to what projects you have coming down the pipeline?

W: It’s a bit early to announce just yet, but I can tell you that I have designed/am in the process of designing four other games in addition to Rivenstone (and not all of them use miniatures, either)! 

R: What are your future plans for Rivenstone past the Kickstarter. How long do you plan to support the game?

W: We plan to support Rivenstone for as long as people want to play it, which I hope is a very long time! In addition to narrative event organized play plans, we’ve got 18 months of immediate product content planned out (new heroes, new followers, etc) all in great detail, and there is much more still in the planning stage currently. 

R: What is the game mechanic in Rivenstone that you think is most unique and will set it apart?

W: I think Rivenstone is a great brew– a blend of mechanics we love in other games all put together in a unique way, and then reinforced with many more new mechanics of our own that we’ve created. I personally enjoy the way the scenarios and event deck work in tandem, and how the shard die creates a sense of uncertainty regarding exactly when the round will end and scoring will occur. 

R: What makes you most optimistic about the miniature wargames hobby?

W: The community. I’ve been playing tabletop games for over 30 years now, many game stores have been my third home for decades. I have a deep love for the tabletop gaming community, and what makes me optimistic about Rivenstone in particular is hearing the positive response to the game and the miniatures. Everyone who has had a chance to play the game loves it, and that makes me very happy. 

R: What, if anything, makes you pessimistic about the miniature wargames hobby?

W: I wouldn’t say there is much that I’m pessimistic about, but there are things that concern me. Specifically how many of our favorite stores will bounce back from the pandemic. Local stores are so important IMO, they’re the backbone of so many great communities, and I worry for everyone who has been hit hard by the pandemic or those that have had to close their doors during it. 

R: What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into creating a wargame of their own?

W: Try your hand at it, then play with your friends. I have dozens and dozens of games I’ve designed at home for fun that I play with my friends. Getting that practice in is useful, and helps you see the kind of pitfalls or issues you’ll need to troubleshoot in the future.