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Alumnus' Board Game "Bombs Away" on Kickstarter

Tom Lunday ’16, now a sophomore at Champlain College in Vermont studying game design, has launched a Kickstarter campaign for his board game, Bombs Away.
 
“I started making games before I even got to Drew,” says Tom. “But, my friends from Drew have become my first line of defense when it comes to creating games. They have really sharp analytical skills and a good eye for details. They have played some of my best games and some of my worst games, never giving me anything but honest feedback.” 
Bombs Away was born out of combining Tom’s passion for games with his service work. “I’ve been volunteering at Feelosophers Path in San Mateo for six years now,” he says. “I would always bring games to play with the kids during the summer. I noticed people would always cheat, and so I decided to make a game where players couldn’t.”
 
So the summer after graduating from Drew, Tom began to develop Bombs Away. “It originally started as a cooperative game about defusing nuclear weapons, but evolved slowly into something much more competitive.”
 
Tom worked on the game for a year, working carefully to make sure the game was fun and playable. “I decided to bring on an artist about a year ago and make it a real thing.,” says Tom. “The team is currently a group of 6, an artist, 2 graphic designers, a producer, and myself.”
 
At Drew, Tom formed meaningful relationships with classmates and faculty members that continue today. “[Director of Performing Arts] James Garrison became a really great mentor and supporter of student input on campus,” says Tom. “[Math teacher] Julian Islas was amazing from the start, a great teacher, coach, and mentor. [Social Studies Department Chair] Dr. Livie was also a really amazing influence. He really pushed me academically. [Science teacher] Burke Green really got to know me and really pushed my skills to new heights. We learned programing together before there was any sort of technology classes existed at Drew.”
 
By senior year, Tom had developed a second family at Drew. “I absolutely loved my time at Drew,” he says. “It taught me so much about cooperation, friendship, following my passions, and learning how to motivate myself.”
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