momatoes is a Manila-based 2022 Diana Jones Emerging Designer awardee best known for her game ARC, one of Polygon's top indie RPGs of 2021. momatoes creates games that tackle a wide gamut of stories, from the apocalypse to hubris to capybara Capers. Her latest game, The Marvelous Children of Inang-Uri, was just released this November.
ARC - Doom Tabletop RPG impresses you from the time you glimpse its cover and its marvelous design and art. It feels unique, authentic and personal. The way the text, design and art talk to each other is almost unparalleled. And the game... wow! It makes you realize how much tabletop RPGs can do. And we can bring the experience to transcend the mental space and interact with the world around us and with the people we are playing. It is really magical.
But now momatoes comes with a new incredible game, a world building game of fantastical weird imagination, that you can also use as a setting preparation for your favorite game. And again, the book is beyond beautiful and well designed. And you know what else? 100% of the sales up to December 12th will go to Doctors Without Borders! Great game designer, great artists, great human!
But we talked about a lot more than gaming in this chat, as we touched on our love for cats, capybaras, how she always kinda felt weird, as few of her friends has this interest in 19th century Russian novels, how her background in engineering and her experiences helped her way of approaching game design.
We also talked about artists that inspires her work, how editorial and children's book illustrations could influence art in RPG books, the weirdest games she played, how she often can be aware she is dreaming but can' quite control it, how we are the happiest when we are connecting with our favorite people, and a lot more.
It was a delightful chat and made me feel lighter in the end somehow and I thank momatoes for this.
So listen up and get weird with us!
Check out momatoes' work!
Thank you for listening!
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You can also support me buy buying one of my games!
Kosmosaurs just got released in print, and it is my new RPG inspired by Saturday morning cartoons about Space Dinosaur Rangers defending the galaxy from evildoers!
Get your copy right here: bit.ly/kosmosaurs
Stuff mentioned in the Episode:
ARC - Doom Tabletop RPG: https://momatoes.com/arc-rpg/
The Marvelous Children of Inang-Ur: https://momatoes.itch.io/inang-uri
Victor Ngai (illustrator): https://victo-ngai.com/
Guilherme Gontijo: https://gontijolab.com/
Cezar Capacle: https://capacle.itch.io/
Blades In the Dark: https://evilhat.com/product/blades-in-the-dark/
The Nightmares Underneath: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/195355/The-Nightmares-Underneath
You Are Quarantined With Adam Driver And He Is Insisting On Reading You His New Script: https://sandypuggames.itch.io/adamdriverquarantined
Big Bad Con: https://www.bigbadcon.com/