As he explains in the video below, James Ernest started Cheapass games in 1996 and started racking up awards and acclaim for his business model, which sold great games at a five dollar price tag. After taking a hiatus for a few years, Ernest returned to resurrect Cheapass games in 2011. He started by updating some of his most popular games and reprinting them in full color. His first Kickstarter, Unexploded Cow, which I got to play at Comic Con Portland, ships to game stores in March. I will have a review in a few weeks.
One of the things I appreciate about James Ernest is that he is a gamer’s gamer, working hard to combine great mechanics and theme at a reasonable price. In this video he helps players create well constructed double sided counters.
This week Ernest launched a new Kickstarter to reprint one of his older games Deadwood, now titled Deadwood Studios USA. Players take on the role of actors trying to successfully advance their careers through correctly delivering their lines in American Westerns. A role of a six sided die determines how well the line is delivered and whether or not it will advance your career. Hilarity ensues. You can find out more about Deadwood Studios USA on their Kickstarter page. His campaign runs through April 2.
