Presenting “HUMMINGBIRDS”
My Aunt Donna’s photo in my Aunt Patty’s garden.
The Big Gig
When I was messaged a year ago by The Op Games to discuss a potential project, I have to admit: I tried to manage my expectations. I love playing board games (especially theirs—they make Flip 7, Hues and Cues, and Telestrations, to name a few). But I wasn’t sure what they had in mind and if I would even be a good fit. For example, I’m probably not the one to call if you need sci-fi monsters or circuitry illustrations. On the call with the Director of Party and Family Games, David Blanchard, he showed me a prototype by game designer Jason Tremblay. And my jaw dropped. I gripped the table and steadied myself. I fought back tears. And I tried really hard to play cool, because, you know, this was a legit client, but OH MY GOODNESS ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?
The game: HUMMINGBIRDS.
The assignment: PAINT THEM.
This was not only awesome because a dream project like this is objectively awesome. But also because growing up, hummingbirds were pretty much our unofficial family bird. My grandma and mom and aunts had feeders, discussed the best nectar recipes, planted specific flowers to attract them, and even decorated with hummingbirds. We still have a framed colored pencil hummingbird drawing and poem that I made for grandma’s birthday.
10-year-old Jess loved her colored pencils.
That alone would make this feel like a full-circle moment. But the kicker: that very same grandmother was also the artist whose studio I grew up painting in, whittling away long summer hours by the lake with her watercolors and poring over her art books. Needless to say, contracts were swiftly signed and we were off to the races!
Step by Step
First up to paint: The box. After discussions with the team, poring over their concepts and my digital sketches, we landed on a direction. But how to paint on canvas and make sure everything was in the right spot? I projected the template of the box and it’s elements on to my canvas, and then proceeded to cover the entire thing.
In choosing what flowers to paint, I knew Bee Balm had to be in there, because that’s what we always grew in our garden to attract the hummers (and in a fun twist, it ended up being worth the most points!). Hummingbirds prefer red and jewel-toned, trumpety, narrow blossoms for retrieving nectar, so hollyhocks and trumpet vines and simlilarly structured flowers became the stars. And then, the blessed birds themselves. See below to watch them take form. This creating something-out-of-nothing part is the best part of painting, hands down.
Painting the game begins (at 2x speed).
The final piece, ready to be wrapped around a box!
Next up: Paint the game board and pieces, all of which had been outlined already by game creator Jason Tremblay. Once again, I set down the template first, and painted the piece over it. For the points pieces, I got to highlight one blossom each. Once all the artwork was completed and approved, I photographed it, sent them all the prints files, and away it went to the graphic designers and manufacturers.
Game Play
Fast forward many months, and I’m so proud to finally show the game to the world!
May I present Hummingbirds, a game by Jason Tremblay, with artwork by me.
Painting the visuals for this game has been a highlight of my career.
Now, if you’ve read this far, you may be wondering the most important part: How does this game work? Answer: It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen! Jason had created a game that’s like nothing I’ve ever played. It’s a tower of timers, and the game pieces are magnetic. Wait, what?
Hummingbirds time their flower visits to extract the most nectar, and this game is all about estimating time—with 13 timers! As the instructions state: “Time your moves wisely and collect the most nectar tokens! In Hummingbirds, players take turns claiming flowers atop hidden sand timers, maneuvering for better positions, and checking for nectar. If the sane timer beneath a flower has run out, you collect a nectar token—but if you check to soon, you’ll lose one! The longer you wait, the greater the reward, but misjudging the timing could cost you. Once all the nectar tokens of a single color are claimed, the game ends, and the player with the highest total nectar value wins.”
As Jason puts it, “Basically it’s Chess meets Hungry Hungry Hippos.” And I agree.
“Basically it’s Chess meets Hungry Hungry Hippos. ”
Unboxing: I see the completed game for the first time.
Upon opening the box, construction of the board was a breeze, and it feels substantial and lux. I have left it assembled, and it’s a wonderful centerpiece on our table, ideal for a quick 10-minute round with the family.
Digging in: look at all these wonderful components.
Assembling the bouquet at 4x speed.
We got an early copy of the game and have been playing it with family. I love that it's easy to begin (not a lot of pre-understanding required), and then with each passing minute, you realize another emerging strategy point. I enjoyed watching and hearing epiphanies from each of us as we realized yet another factor and layer to consider. See below from Thanksgiving.
You win some…
You lose some.
I love that game play is fast, but not overly nerve-wracking. It can be sped up or slowed down to your liking. My son and I even play speed rounds. And it's accessible across ages (my daughter easily hopped in on round two). Upon conclusion, my father-in-law stood up and declared, "I think we have a winner!" He was referring to the game. And I agree!
It will be launching for sale soon, everywhere by March (a perfect gift for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day).
I will be sure to let you know when it’s available via my subscriber list, and I will also be talking more about game play and putting together some demo videos. Stay tuned!