My name is Carlos, I am the designer of Subtopia. This is the first game I am publicly self-publishing.
I played a lot of board games, especially before COVID, and one of my favourite things in board games is the team work, making the dream work feeling.
Subtopia was created from scrapping and completely redesigning a tile based tactics game I designed. From that experience a lot was learnt, and in 2024 a completely new game surfaced; where I transformed older ideas into newer ones.
I wanted a game that wasn’t too high on complexity, but fun, with an interesting narrative, and strategic.
This project was a co-operative effort. When Evan worked on the project, he initiated the suburban concept and tiles. After he left, I am sole person coordinating this project (working on design, graphics, art refining, writing, production coordination, marketing)
Thank you for having a look at Subtopia! I hope you have lots of fun playing it!
Game Designer : Carlos Lam
Game Theme : Evan P. D. Roma
Tile Design : Evan P. D. Roma
Game Illustrations : Giovanni S, Hank L. Marca
Box Cover Illustration : Hank L. Marca
Gameplay Analysis and Refinement : Carlos Lam, Daniel Liang, Evan P. D. Roma
Rules Script and Layout: Carlos Lam
Rulebook Design : Kevin B, Carlos L
Project Coordination : Carlos Lam
Production Coordination : Carlos Lam
Many Thanks to All Playtesters : Charles Lam, Elizabeth Nixon, Daniel Liang, Christopher Pan, Derek L, Evan PD Roma, Olivia So, Will Hyett, Tracy S, Pax visitors.
Box Layout : Carlos Lam, Giovanni S
Digital Box : Shrawan G.
Posters : Carlos L, Greg, Tracy S.
Video(s) : WIP
Special Thanks To : Evan P. D. Roma, Christopher Pan, Raymond Liang, Sally L, Charles L, Will (and the guys at HR Games), my coworkers at Club Central (amazing people I met)
Thank you to all that helped bring Subtopia into reality.
I especially want to thank Evan Poole De Roma for believing in my aspiration to launch a game from when we met at the end of 2022 and went to great lengths for the project throughout 2023 and 2024. I want to thank him for earnestly trying to urge us to take the project seriously, for believing in me, and for arming me with the truth.
After dropping out of university, and feeling I had no one close to me outside my family, I used to hate people, but now I think they are the most interesting thing. Thank you Evan and Chris for opening my eyes to human relations. This is my biggest and ongoing lesson.
