Guts of Glory is a game of barfing. We wanted to find out why that is.
Indie game designer and creator of SpellTower Zach Gage invited us to his Manhattan apartment to show his new stomach turning card game.
Originally commissioned for the NYU game exhibition No Quarter, the project has found a second life thanks to a successful Kickstarter.
The game is as funny as it is morbid, set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland dominated by competitive eaters. The art, by Jess Worby, calls to mind Edward Gorey and R. Crumb.
Cards include stale Twinkies, bleach, and rotten dentures. And vomiting, or as Gage puts it, "spewing," is one of the game's central strategic maneuvers.
In our interview, Gage told Polygon about Guts of Glory's origin and evolution, along with its strange narrative inspiration. Who knew a mother withholding a certain maligned vegetable could have such a lasting impact on someone?
Watch the video above.
Gage says it will be months before the boxed edition of Guts of Glory arrives on backers' doorstops. The game's developer Jesse Fuchs is currently helping Gage to select the box stock, the sort of thing the designer says he hadn't considered when designing a tangible game.
In the meantime, those curious amongst us can play the PDF version here. Just be sure to read the rules first.
If you missed the Kickstarter and would like to pre-order the game, more information will be made available soon on GutsOfGloryGame.com.
