The Art of Creating Through Dismantling

Every once in a while, I come across folks who will openly ask me, “How do you feel about the games you design?”

Now I don’t consider myself an expert and I refuse to make comparisons to other game designers who spend years developing products. In fact, for me, it started as a hobby. I thought I would spend my adult life in the genre I came to love, music. Writing music, lyrics, and performing songs was comfortable for me since the 60s. And then there was the field of my education, sculpting, which demanded that I devote time to it along with my music.

Amurá performing at the Starving Artist Café & Gallery, 2009

Once my kids came into my life, I realized how much I enjoyed playing board games and video games with them. To me, I find no sound more fulfilling than the sound of my children’s laughter. However, the way my mind works (as expressed in earlier blogs), I enjoy dismantling things to create new things. So it was with the games I played. I would see new ways to develop strategies, with the basic goal of increasing laughter and personal enjoyment. With young kids, the objective was simple: keep it simple and uncomplicated. Rules that could be explained in under five minutes.

However, before the wife and kids, there was one attempt at dismantling a game: Chess. New board design, two new types of pawns – Chess Plus. Workable, yes, feasible, no, as I was laughed out of Bobby Fischer’s chess club in NYC.

Untitled (2008)

I found I had a unique skill, “dismantling.” In sculpting, from a tree trunk to a block of stone, sculpt/carve it down until something new arises. In music, I could rarely ever learned to play the standards of the time. In the process of discovering the chord changes, I would almost always wind up writing my own song. I never performed a standard, but I’ve written close to 300+ songs (some of which are currently on Apple Music and Spotify).

After my strokes 15 years ago, music and sculpting had to take a back seat. I ventured into my file cabinet, only to realize that, when it came to games, my approach was similar to my other art forms. GIN-GO, from dismantling 500-Rummy and Bingo/Pokeno. ATTACTICS, from the maze game booklets, I used to play. DUO-COUP (Sudoku for two), a variant of Sudoku that I love to play. SQUARIN’ OFF came from dismantling “Connect-the-Dots,” which I played as a child with my brother and sister. And then there’s KITUNDA, a stripped-down version of my earlier game, “Chess Plus.”

Amurá teaching how ATTACTICS is played at Mind Builders Academy in Bronx, NY.

So, how do I feel about the games from Amurá Unlimited LLC? I’m not a braggart, but I

find them unique and a good, fun challenge. Our motto, keep it simple, keep it fun, and

laughter has always been a definite by-product. And really, when it comes down to it,

the opinions of those playing our games matter most. Their support, encouragement,

and laughter keep us in the kitchen of creativity, allowing us to enjoy the path we’re on.

If you love something different and unique, be it cards, dice, or straight-up strategy, I can guarantee you’ll find it in GIN-GO, ATTACTICS, KITUNDA, SQUARIN’ OFF, and DUO COUP. And there will be another game or two coming out in 2026. Keep gaming,  keep creating, peace.