Kickstarter Feature - Eternal Glory by British Briefs

That Kickstarter is just teeming with fantastic games and ideas, and I am very happy to say that this game is one I have helped play test extensively. If you enjoy an exciting, fast-paced and well balanced card game then give this a go. Eternal Glory is so cute...but cut-throat! I had a good old chat with the designer at British Briefs, Lewis Terry, check out the interview below.

Board games have clearly been a big factor in your life, have you always had a passion for them?

Well yes, I grew up with boardgames from an early age. My Mum and Dad played lots of games with each other and with me. I was playing Magic the Gathering from the age of six and had access to all kinds of old pocket book microgames, citadel/games workshop titles and later plenty of euro games as well. My boardgames upbringing was rather vast and expansive, and that sealed my love for them.

Where did the concept for Eternal Glory come from?

I have always loved the idea of mighty warriors slaying hundreds of enemies on the battlefield, like gods. Think Sauron in Lord of The Rings, or any of Dynasty warriors games. They portray warriors as way beyond any mortal man.  

As a child I also had a book of mythology that featured a picture of the first King of Ireland, Slaine. His eye was popping out and it talked about him being practically immortal on the battlefield, the image stayed with me. Many years later I discovered the 2000AD strip of Slaine which made the legend way more popular. The card Warp spasm is a nod to this Legend.

In making Eternal Glory I wanted to emulate this in a fun and simple way. In 2011 I created a game titled Eternal Legend. It was a dice fest of a game, in which you had to be a heroic warrior trying to cleave your way through a battle field to defeat the mighty leader. I wanted a game that was less random and more cut-throat, so I split the concept into two and made The Legend of series (yet to be released) and Eternal Glory.

Tell us a bit about the game.

The game is at heart a hand management, take that game. There is some luck but the strategy comes through in the management of the cards in your hand. While all games should be pretty close between players, a good player should be able to win most games with careful card play.

It has simple mechanics that anyone can pick up and play in five minutes but it takes multiple games to discover the greater depth in the card plays.

In each turn players play one card, resolve it's effects and then draw up to five cards. The winner is the first player to defeat one-hundred enemies on the field of battle. 

Can you tell us a bit about the process of your game design? Do you start with the theme or the mechanics?

This is a tough one as I love a good theme. Eternal Glory started out as a theme but Legend and Blitz started out with a mechanic. Starting with a mechanic makes it easier to get a strong game in terms of play but I find with some games the theme feels pasted on as an afterthought. I try to avoid this.

Both of the games I have released so far and five of the ones that I have fully designed have all been play tested for a year or more. I'd never dream of releasing a game that I would not be up for playing myself, so I play and tweak my games constantly being as critical as possible.

You have gone for a ridiculously cute look for the game, how did you decide on the style of the images?

I do love the art of Eternal Glory, I chose the artist for the broader family friendly appeal. The original art for the game with was dark, moody and serious and it just wouldn't have worked as well. I am pleased that I decided to go for something far cuter and refined.

As a teacher you design games with both children and adults in mind, is this challenging?

It is the part I enjoy most. With both my art and game design I tend to always go a tad too far with the concept or the art. When first creating Eternal Glory I pictured it to be much grittier and violent but then being a teacher I thought of the games I would have wanted as a child, and what I would want my kids to play at school. So I had a rethink of the theme and the design, what would kids want? But, also, what would me and my pals want to play? 

Reaching the middle ground is a fun challenge that I thoroughly relish.

What are some of your favourite games?

Overall the games I am most likely to play daily are quick and easy to pick up. Buttonmen and Brawl by James Ernest are my two favourite short games of all time. They are compact and super quick to play. I also use Buttonmen in my teaching from time to time to engage children with numeracy. For me, both of these are the ideal fillers and I would never get bored of either of them.

In truth though I like a wide variety of games. Shogun and its older counter part Wallenstien I adore, Bohnanaza and its multitude of expansions I have played to death many times and I have a big soft spot for the games of Friedemann Friese. As for newer games, I am pretty addicted to Imperial Settlers and Five Tribes. 

Do you have a favourite card image from Eternal Glory?

Haha, I have to say the Goblin King is my number one favourite. I love his cheeky face and the ability to swap cards with another player. He really doesn't look like he cares about the outcome of the battle, he is just there to have a good time and cause some mischief.

Do you have any more games in the pipeline?

Kickstarter has been an eye opener for me as I have been creating games for years with no outlet. I have a number of finished games: Pillow Searcher, Feed the Beast, Treacherous Turf, The Legend Series, Carnie Rivals, Three Sheets to the Wind, Clench and then some in the works: Gotta Get Grandad, Cry of the Kraken, Dicey Diner and Adventure Team.

That makes eleven games in total but I am sure there will be more to come!  

If you had to go up against the enemies in Eternal Glory, which axe would you want to be swinging in the air and what would your unique ability be? 


I feel that the best axe would be the Lifebringer as it prevents death in battle, and as for my ability it would probably be some kind of six sense to avoid ever facing the Queen of Darkness in battle, she's a mean one.

Thanks, Lewis! You can check out the Kickstarter here.

Thanks for reading!

Marisa xx