Funtails Team

Maikel Cheney – Editor

Maikel spent his childhood in South Africa and enjoyed a creative multi-culti education. He studied computer science in Germany and discovered a great fascination for the art of expressing logical operations in code as a software engineer.

Maikel loves to get involved in all sorts of social games and can’t stand a weekend without a good board game night. That combined with the urge of always wanting to create something new, led him to devote all of his free time to design Feed the Kraken as an aspiring board game author. When he ended up working on that game together with the entire Funtails team, Maikel was soon converted and is now a loyal follower of our cult – err … I mean a valuable member of our editoral stuff.

Andreas Geiermann – Internal Development

Despite of a lifetime as a passionate gamer geek, my career path had taken me to other realms at first. In 2011, however, I took the opportunity to study game design at the Mediadesign Hochschule Düsseldorf as a secondary education in the field of video game development. I already dedicated my bachelor thesis to the world of board games, but then I worked for various computer game companies, including Daedalic Entertainment Studio West on the game “The Long Journey Home”. I had already met Steffen during my studies, but he doesn’t remember it anymore! ?

In 2019 I finally got the chance to professionally pursue my passion for analog games as a co-founder of Funtails. My areas of responsibility range from editorial work to our work on Kickstarter campaigns, the digital implementation of our prototypes and customer support. In 2020 I would finally like to work as an author to fulfill my heart’s desire.

Dr. Hans Joachim Höh – Chief Editor

To understand the human skills used in data analysis and problem solving, I first studied computer science, then philosophy, psychology and sociology. For my doctoral thesis, I then specialized in logic, language philosophy and brain research.

But since childhood my greatest interest has always been gaming – whether it was cards, dice, on a board or on a computer. For over ten years I was one of the most successful players in the world in various trading card and miniature games. In addition to many other titles and tournaments, I won six German national championships in three different games, became Player of the Year and won the World Championship in the World of Warcraft trading card game.

After more than a decade as a professional player, I’ve developed amazing analytical skills, even when it comes to creating games. I am now using these skills as boardgame editor at Funtails to turn games like Feed the Kraken and other future titles into balanced and exciting masterpieces. I forge the game structure and the rules into a whole new experience, which allows you to fully immerse yourself in the story. Therefore you will be excited to take our games off the shelf and play them over and over again!

Daniel Müller – Graphic Designer

I worked in the video game industry for almost 20 years and was most recently involved in the design of excellent board and card games apps for various platforms. These include “Camel Up” (Game of the Year 2014) and “The Game” (Nominated for Game of the Year 2015).

After my two-year professional field trip in advertising technology, I decided to devote myself professionally to “analogue entertainment” in 2019. Since then, as a freelance graphic designer, my first project in this area was working with the great people of “Funtails” on their board game highlight “Glen More II: Chronicles”.

By the way, board games are also one of my biggest hobbies privately. I organize regular board game evenings in Siegen and the surrounding area, as well as a popular board game weekend in Daaden for some years now. My next big goal is to develop my own game ideas and get them published.

Hendrik Noack – Illustrator

As far back as I can remember, I liked doodling and later drawing. I knew early on that I wanted to do something creative. After graduating from high school in the small town of Olpe (NRW), I did a long internship in advertising technology, where I discovered my enthusiasm for digital design. I was able to develop this during my subsequent art studies, which I financed via many small commissioned works (including Feuerland, Forbidden Games).

One of these (supposedly) small commissions came from a certain Steffen Rühl. When he told me at a breakfast, which was also our first briefing for Glen More 2, that he had worked on “Gothic”, it was clear to me: I want to get involved!

Video games and especially tabletop games (Warhammer, 40k) have always fascinated me and also had a strong artistic influence on me. So it made sense for me to join Funtails. Since the beginning of 2021 I am a permanent artist in the team and can’t wait to share all the beautiful things we have created in the meantime with you and unleash them on your gaming tables! Blood for the Bloodgod!

Steffen Rühl – Business Development

Games have accompanied me all my life: I assembled my first game with ‘objects’ from the trash can (my mother claims).

In the mid-1980s I developed my first game, a play-by-snail-mail (!) game called Vangor. After some detours into the live-role-playing scene as co-founder of the legendary Drachenschmiede, I entered video game development in 1999 and stayed in this industry for 20 years – as product manager, producer, storywriter and designer, among others at Piranha Bytes (Gothic) and Electronic Arts (Battlefield 1942, Knights of the Old Republic). Together with Andreas, I launched the board game podcast “Die Würfelwerfer”, which celebrated its 50th episode in 2020.

In addition to business matters, I also take care of business development and internal game development. I also teach game production and game design at universities in Germany.

Swantje Schurig – Public Relations

In addition to my studies in philosophy and fine arts, I have been earning my money with art reviews for a long time. Unfortunately, I dislike caramelised violet blossoms in sparkling wine as much as most people. That’s why I turned my back on showings.

Besides, I was getting tired of studying. Don’t get me wrong – I love Foucault and Dalí. But you get weird if you spend too much time with them. That’s why I wanted to work somewhere guaranteed not to have anyone dipping flowers in sugar. Funtails seemed like a safe choice.

I got very comfortable here during my internship. So much so that I’m still here, taking care of PR. As a working student, I get to soak up all the knowledge I can find. For my master’s thesis on the function of logic in board games, I’ll be wrenching any experience from Hans that might be useful. It will be great! You see: my motivation problems regarding my studies have faded away. The board game world and Funtails have really hooked me on all levels.

Henrik Sörgel – Service

Logical thinking, statistics and numbers have always been a playful part of my life growing up. In the meantime I have become a student that spends all his money on new boardgames. Or on travelling – my second favorite passion.

In 2020 I finished my Bachelors degree in Mathmatics in Bonn successfully. I paused my Masters in 2021. The reason: I got in contact with Funtails for the first time.
Here my fascination for boardgames got paired with a beautiful bunch of people. I have the urge to become a full-time member of the working board game world ever since. After my first couple of fairs in Berlin + Essen and some interesting internships I started working for Funtails in the service department.

Afterwards I travelled through the Alps and the Caucasus as a digital nomad before dedicating my full focus on my work at Funtails. I keep being fascinated by the sheer friendliness of the people in this community and put all my enthusiasm and passion into my work. Can’t wait for everything else this world has got to offer!

Ingelis Wipfelder – Story Writer

I have always been fascinated by words and what you can do with them in the right order. What effect they have on one’s emotions and what complex scenes they can create in the mind. Especially in the context of games, because they inspire people to learn new things, to make their own decisions and to make friends.

My path led me through all kinds of loops until I finally discovered the Intermedial Design degree programme, where I enthusiastically threw myself into Narrative Game Design. Here I was finally able to combine my enthusiasm for games with my enthusiasm for words. My projects dealt with board games, pen & paper role-playing, world building in general, but of course also video games.

I met Funtails somewhere in between when I participated in a game jam for analogue games. A few months later I was already working on the design of Glenmore II: Chronicles and writing articles for the Kickstarter. Our paths parted again after half a year – I finished my studies and wrote a role-playing book for Ulisses – but when Steffen got back in touch to create board games beyond their known limits, I was immediately on board!

Liv Witkavel – Service

Even before my hopefully successful Abi’22, I sat in at the University of Bonn for the first time in 2019 and took part in a pupil study in the department of computer science. Currently, I occasionally attend lectures in production science and game design at the HTW in Berlin. In the future, however, I would like to study management or marketing abroad.

So, as you can already imagine, I was born into the gaming world and have never really left it since. I used to play Carcassonne: The Castle, Qwirkle or Blokus with my mother every evening. Later, it was more Winter of the Dead, Arkham Horror or Eclipse with Dad – but not every day 😉
And when I went to SPIEL for the first time at the age of 10, I was so thrilled by the diversity & openness of every single person that I knew I had to come back!

In 2019, I had the opportunity to work at SPIEL for the first time, which is also one of the best memories of my job so far.
Through an internship in 2020 at Funtails in the Game Design department, I got to know the company and the team and have since been allowed to take care of customer service online. But my highlight is meeting you all in person every year!