Give Dave Beck some time away in a beautiful place and it’s likely to set his creative life in an entirely new direction.
Wisconsin Life first documented this phenomenon in 2016 after Beck finished an artist residency in a cabin on the St. Croix River. Beck, an art professor at the University of Wisconsin–Stout specializing in video game design, was inspired to create “Tombeaux,” a time traveling environmental history video game adventure based on the river he saw every day.
After that, Beck spent sabbatical and teaching time in Scotland, where he toured the famous distilleries and again found inspiration. But the game he created, “Distilled,” isn’t any on-screen adventure. It’s a physical, tactile, tabletop board game.
The choice reflects both Beck’s Scottish stimulus and a recently reborn obsession with board gaming after his wife gave him the strategy game “Dominion” as a gift.
“Every time I’d sit down at the table with these games was just such a joyous experience,” Beck remembers. “All the while, two very important things were happening: surrounded by friends at a table. And not dealing with digital technology.”
Using cards and tokens to track progress, “Distilled” players compete to have the most successful distillery in a global competition. The science of the distillation process is key to developing a winning strategy.
It’s only the beginning for what has become Beck’s business, Paverson Games. Soon, the company will release “Luthier,” another strategy title based on making instruments for the great European composers. And more games are in the works.
Promoting the games has sent Beck criss-crossing the country. Who knows what new inspiration may shape his next creative project?
