Ask Z-Man Games

Zev Shlasinger is Z-Man, living a secret life in which he brings games from publishers around the world to game fans in English-speaking countries. But that's not all Z-Man does—he also brings about B-movie card games and other special surprises. He even has time to answer your questions! To see everything that the company offers, visit the Z-Man Games website.

Headlines

December 16, 2007 - Ask Z-Man Games: Looking Back, and Looking to 2008
October 14, 2007 - Ask Z-Man Games: Please Lie on the Couch
October 10, 2007 - Ask Z-Man Games: More Ubongo Please
October 5, 2007 - Ask Z-Man Games: What About ________?
September 30, 2007 - Ask Z-Man Games: Sick of Waiting…
September 26, 2007 - Ask Zev: Duel in the Dank?
September 20, 2007 - Ask Zev: Picture Proof of Prophecy
September 15, 2007 - Ask Zev: Flight of the B
September 10, 2007 - Ask Zev: The Czech Connection
September 6, 2007 - Ask Zev: Czech vs. American Prophecy
August 31, 2007 - Ask Zev: RE II?

Articles

Ask Z-Man Games: Looking Back, and Looking to 2008

The end of the year brings a time of reflection—and a boatload of questions! Zev Shlasinger answers yours now:

Q: You started Z-Man Games to bring back the Shadowfist CCG—did you expect to come this far? Has the success, and particularly the recent successes of Z-Man, come as a surprise to you?

A: I did not expect to come this far. Honestly, I did not expect to do anything beyond Shadowfist. I am not surprised by the recent successes—I’m actually relieved! I put in a lot of work, time, and love into publishing, so relief is definitely what I feel. And happiness, of course, because I’m finally recognized for the work I have done and I have the wherewithal to continue doing it.

Posted by W. Eric Martin on December 16, 2007 at 04:00 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games - Comments (0) - Link

Ask Z-Man Games: Please Lie on the Couch

Q: How long has Z-Man been around, and is it a one man operation, like Rio Grande?

A: I incorporated in 1999, but published the first game in August 2000. And yep, it is just me—and a whole lot of talented help: artists, graphic designers, game designers, etc. I’m really tired :)

Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 14, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games - Comments (0) - Link

Ask Z-Man Games: More Ubongo Please

Q: Has Ubongo sold well enough to warrant Z-Man picking up Ubongo Extreme and/or Ubongo Mini as well?

A: Yes, though I don’t know if I want to do Ubongo Mini. I am meeting Kosmos at Essen to discuss Extreme.

Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 10, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games - Comments (4) - Link

Ask Z-Man Games: What About ________?

Q: Any plans of picking up the new Kosmos Ubongo Extrem that’s due out at Spiel 07? As a Ubongo fan, I will get this, but I’d like to buy it in the States rather than getting an import.

A: I’ve got an email to Kosmos about it. I thought it was going to be a small expansion, so I didn’t pursue it, but then I saw it might be a completely new game.

Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 5, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games - Comments (3) - Link

Ask Z-Man Games: Sick of Waiting…

Q: When will the rules for Pandemic be available for download? Also, is there any artwork that can be shared?

A: I like to wait for the rules to be properly layed out and almost final or final.

Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 30, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games - Comments (0) - Link

Ask Zev: Duel in the Dank?

Q: Can you comment on the problems some gamers have reported with Duel in the Dark boxes (mildew, wet, bowed)? What caused the problem, and will this problem affect any future releases, like 1960?

Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 26, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games - Comments (3) - Link

Ask Zev: Picture Proof of Prophecy

Q: Can you give us a side by side example of an old Prophecy card vs. a new card to give us an idea of the differences in artwork and content?

Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 20, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games - Comments (2) - Link

Ask Zev: Flight of the B

Q: How successful is the B-Movie series compared to your other games? Did the series’ success allow you to expand your publishing business, or was the expansion due to other factors? We’ve had Sci-Fi/Horror, Japanese Monsters, Blaxplotation, Fantasy, Swashbucklers and now Westerns. What happens next with the B-Movie games?

Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 15, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games - Comments (1) - Link

Ask Zev: The Czech Connection

Q: I thought Z-Man was considering/planning/negotiating to print Through the Ages in the US. What happened?

A: We were in talks about it even though another company was also vying for the rights. But honestly I tested the game at Essen and was not thrilled by it and I thought it would be expensive to produce. Finally, since I was already talking to them about their other games, I thought getting two of them was enough. (Prophecy is the first game, Arena the second.)

Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 10, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games - Comments (7) - Link

Ask Zev: Czech vs. American Prophecy

Q: For Prophecy, will you be offering any type of “upgrade” kit for owners of the existing Czech game? And how well will the Z-Man version of the expansions fit with the Czech original game (as opposed to the Z-Man version of the original game)?

Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 6, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games - Comments (1) - Link

Ask Zev: RE II?

Q: Can you update us on the progress of Reef Encounters of the Second Kind with the second edition artwork? Any chance that it could be released in 2007? It’s a definite purchase for me if and when it is released. Thanks for agreeing to do this column!

Posted by W. Eric Martin on August 31, 2007 at 02:00 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games - Comments (3) - Link

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