PAX AUS Indie Showcase 2024 - Frayed Ally
The PAX AUS Indie Showcase is a chance to see some of the best new and upcoming titles from the ANZ digital and tabletop development scene, with past winners including such celebrated games as Unpacking, Copycat, Yum Cha, Kingless and many more. The 2024 Indie Showcase is shaping up to be another highlight of the event and Player2 encourages visitors to PAX AUS to make their way to the PAX Rising area and check out the following title, as well as the many other excellent indies on display.
Button Fox began as a boutique apparel brand in 2013 before pivoting into the world of tabletop design, incorporating many of their mascot character designs. Their Indie Showcase winning game, Frayed Ally, successfully funded on KickStarter this January and is set to deliver to backers in the near future. Hayley from Button Fox spoke to Player2 about shifting mediums and the excitement around Frayed Ally winning an Indie Showcase spot.
Player 2: Hayley, thanks so much for talking to Player2! First off, how did Button Fox come into existence?
Hayley: Button Fox originally started as a collaboration that merges our individual skills—my passion for sewing and Jesse’s talent in art and design. I had a corset-making business, while Jesse focused on his design work after studying Digital Art for games. Instead of struggling for success alone, we realised it made more sense, to become a team by combining our talents into one venture. Jesse began creating fabric designs featuring his art, which I then used to craft various products. Jesse’s love for character design inspired us to create a mascot, and since we both adore animals, a fox felt like the perfect choice. We wanted a name that reflected our crafty products, so we settled on a crafty fox theme. To hint at our sewing roots, we included a sewing term, and the idea of button eyes captured our imagination. Thus, Button Fox was born —“cute as a button, crafty like a fox.”
P2: Has the pivot into game design been particularly challenging? What would you say are some of the aspects most different to your experiences in designing and creating apparel?
Hayley: The shift into game design has felt pretty natural for us. We started developing Frayed Ally, the expanded universe behind Button Fox, about eight years ago during long trips to conventions, where we’d brainstorm character backstories—Jesse really shines in that area. While we have a lot of experience in manufacturing, we’ve encountered several challenges in this new realm. In apparel, I can create and tweak samples myself, but with game design, it’s been tough to visualize the final product and rely on others to bring our ideas to life. Plus, our expertise is in fabric, not paper, so we’ve had to do a fair bit of sampling to get everything just right.
P2: What was your reaction to the Indie Showcase win?
Hayley: We were completely overwhelmed by the win! It felt like validation for all the years we’ve put into making Frayed Ally a reality. As small creators, it can be tough to get our product noticed, so we really appreciated the extra exposure and recognition that the Indie Showcase provided. It means a lot to us!
P2: Where did the inspiration for Frayed Ally come from? The mixture of social deduction and ‘take that’ card play seems to suggest some experienced gamers are on the team – what would they say are some of their favourite board and card games of late?
Hayley: The inspiration for Frayed Ally began with our desire to create interesting and unique characters. We became obsessed with what made each character special and how their backstories intertwined. Initially, we didn’t plan to make a game; we were focused on developing what we thought would be an epic story. However, as we created character abilities, the idea of turning it into a game began to take shape. While we love playing games, most of our time is dedicated to running our creative business and parenting our two kids. When we do get a chance for a game night with friends, we tend to enjoy fast-paced, easy-to-learn party games. Some of our recent favourites include Sabobatage, Codenames and Alien Frenzy.
P2: Frayed Ally successfully funded on KickStarter earlier this year, what was that experience like and what advice would you give to newer designers looking to use crowdfunding?
Hayley: KickStarters are always stressful; this was our third in total, but our other two were for a plush toy and a clothing item, so they were quite different products. Even though we have experience with the platform, a lot had changed since 2018, and I feel like we went in a little underprepared, if I’m being honest. We were unaware of how important pre-launch pages are, so I wish we had known and been able to implement it sooner. It is such an important tool to boost the campaign right at the start, which is the most crucial time to build momentum and potentially gain more reach and be featured by KickStarter, which we luckily still managed to do. The other thing we would probably do differently is to have postponed the launch. I, in particular, was really stubborn about committing to the deadline, but in hindsight, I wish we had delayed further so we could have avoided extended delays for customers post-campaign, where we had to sample further.
P2: Which member of the team is the best player of Frayed Ally, and do they have any strategy tips for our readers?
Hayley: One of the great things about Frayed Ally is that there’s enough luck involved that really anyone can win, depending on the cards they’re dealt. However, there are also some cool strategies that advanced players can use to gain an edge over their opponents. I would definitely say Jesse is the better player, as he is a more experienced gamer overall. Our dynamic as a developer duo is quite unique; while Jesse is well-versed in tabletop games and has a strategic mind that loves problem-solving, I represent the casual player who isn’t as familiar with a wide variety of games and wouldn’t consider myself naturally skilled. This balance has shaped our approach to the creation process, as we wanted to appeal to both types of players. Some strategies that players may find useful include being mindful of how to best utilize each character’s ability, as each one excels in different areas. As you replay the game, you’ll naturally discover the best ways to leverage their strengths. Think outside the box; while action cards and abilities have obvious uses, the timing of when they’re played can lead to more advanced and strategic gameplay. Lastly, it’s helpful to keep track of what actions have been discarded. There are usually three of every action in the deck, so knowing whether the deck is loaded with traps can be a game changer.
P2: What can PAX AUS attendees look forward to at the Frayed Ally both?
Hayley: Attendees can look forward to some intense gameplay that might just fray their friendships! We’ll also have special PAX exclusives, and this will be the last chance to preorder Frayed Ally before we receive the physical copies. Along with a special promotional price, we’ll be offering exclusive handcrafted collectible pins to sweeten the deal. We had an absolute blast last year, and we can’t wait to meet all the amazing people in this community!
PAX AUS Attendees can find the Frayed Ally booth in the PAX AUS Indie Showcase section of PAX AUS from October 10-13. More info about Frayed Ally can be found on the Button Fox Store Page and BoardGameGeek.
