The following is an interview with Jake and Lexi Medina of the new game company Existence Games. In this interview, Fanboy Comics Senior Contributor Kristine Chester chats with the Medinas about their Trading Card Game, Exodus. The Medinas also have a video tutorial on how to play Exodus located here.
This interview was conducted on October 30, 2013.
Kristine Chester, Fanboy Comics Senior Contributor: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today, Jake and Lexi. You’re the founders of Existence Games and the creators of the the new Trading Card Game (TCG) Exodus. Why don’t you start by telling readers a bit about Exodus?
Jake Medina: Certainly! Exodus is a fantasy card game where players take on the role of a Drifter. As a Drifter, you have the ability to fly, levitate, and drift freely over a newborn planet called Eeventide. It is here you battle other Drifters using cards forged from stardust.
Lexi Medina: The base set of the game is now available in the form of two differently themed Starter Decks and revolves around an epic clash between dragons and angels! Each deck is based on a rising guild in the storyline, and you can already delve into phenomenal strategies and combos.
KC: What drew you to creating a TCG of your own? What was the inspiration behind Exodus‘ unique mechanics?
LM: We grew up playing virtually every trading card game that was ever on the market. I was four years old when I played my first trading card game. It has always been a dream of ours to create our own.
JM: We were inspired to create a TCG that had a much faster pace and focused on the things people love most about the genre: the amazing artwork, the freedom to customize your own deck, trading, and playing without worrying about the same overpowered cards that everyone is bound to use. We have been so fortunate to grow up watching other games in the genre evolve, taking into account what they did right and the kinds of changes that turned players off. This is our chance to provide an entirely new trading card game experience!
KC: Currently, Exodus features two factions: dragons and angels. What’s different about each of these factions, and are there plans to introduce new ones as the game progresses?
JM: Yes, the dragon deck is based on the Dragonis Guild, and the angel deck is based on the Skyborn Guild. Both of these guilds or factions play an important role in the game’s storyline. They are comprised of Drifters that have banned together with similar goals in mind after stumbling upon the newborn planet for the first time. That said, both Dragonis and Skyborn have opposite plans for the new world, and each are striving to meet their own ends.
LM: Translating that to gameplay, dragon and angel decks play very differently. Dragon decks seem to be good at taking energy away from your opponent and weakening their cards, while angel decks are best at buffing up their own creatures and making them more powerful. Of course, you can also mix the two to create unique strategies of your own!
JM: We do have plans to introduce plenty of new Guilds and theme decks as the game progresses! Booster packs are currently in development, and Fanboy Comics will be the first to know that boosters will not only bring tons of new options for dragons and angels, but will also give players a sneak peek with new cards that will elude to the new decks to follow!
KC: The art of Exodus is phenomenal! Hats off to Roy Ugang, the illustrator for both the dragon and angel decks. The art of Exodus is one of the highlights. How did Roy become a part of the project? What’s the process to create a new creature for Exodus?
JM: We’re glad you think so! We know Roy would be greatly honored to hear his works being admired. After we had finished creating and playtesting the mechanics of Exodus, we began looking for the perfect artist. Roy actually found our project online, and we knew instantly he was the exact artist we were looking to hire. He’s located at the opposite end of the globe as us, but he was truly able to make our concepts and art descriptions come to life!
LM: Booster expansions and new decks will bring lots of new artists, as well. That way, you’ll be able to collect cards not just by rarity and type, but by style and artwork, as well! This will only expand on the nearly limitless freedom players have for deck-building and play style.
The process of creating a new creature for Exodus involves us giving the artist a detailed description of our vision for the illustration, and then they draw a rough sketch for approval. After any changes are made and approval is given, they create the finished colored masterpiece! We then handle the legalities, template overlay, typesetting, and then work with our printer for production of the final card.
KC: Are there any special events or new releases coming up that readers should look for?
LM: We will be at the Bakersfield Anime-Con on November 3rd and the Extra-Life Gaming Marathon on the 9th. The Exodus Trading Card Game will also be featured in the Collectible Room at L.A.’s Strategicon (OrcCon) in February 2014 and found in the Dealer Room!
JM: You can follow Exodus on Facebook to see what other exciting events we will be hosting or a part of!
KC: This being Fanboy Comics, where we love to geek out about our favorite things, let me ask this . . . besides Exodus, what is your favorite game to play?
JM: As Lexi mentioned earlier, we used to always play lots of card games. Honestly, we haven’t had as much time lately to play other games, because we are busy working on Exodus and promoting it.
LM: When we do play games besides Exodus, they are usually retro titles. We love a lot of the older original games, both digital and paper. I don’t think we could choose a favorite.
KC: Lastly, where can readers go to follow you, Existence Games, and for more information on the Exodus TCG?
JM: You can follow us at Existence Games and stay up to date on everything Exodus at our official website, www.exodus-cards.com, and our official Facebook page.
Feel free to send us any questions you may have and remember every “like” helps us tremendously, so please share it with your friends. Exodus makes a great Christmas gift, and the holidays are coming up fast! We’d also like to thank Kristine and Fanboy Comics for taking the time for this awesome interview; it was fun!
