April Mitchell and Carine Rosalia talk us through their first inventor collaboration: Am I a Dirtbag?

Guys, it’s always lovely to chat. To kick us off, how did you come to collaborate on a game?
April Mitchell: We met on Linkedin. I was seeing all the amazing things Carine was doing, like the hit Boo Boo JJ doll. She won the Play Creators Award and was nominated for the TAGIEs… I was like ‘Who is this woman? I have to meet her!’ We connected online around the same time my Clueless game was coming out with Wilder, and then actually got to meet in person at People of Play in 2022. We really hit it off.

Carine Rosalia: As you know, April is a rockstar on Linkedin. I was a big fan before we met, and then we saw each other at People of Play. And Billy, you had told me something back at the Play Creators Festival in London. I was there as a solo inventor and you said: “Be open to collaborations, that’s where the fun is!” And what do you know, you were right!​

That’s a relief!
Carine: Ha! Well, April and I have similar and complementary backgrounds. She has had success in homewares and that’s where I started. Then I got interested in the play industry with a focus on toys. I wanted to do more games, and April had done lots in games and wanted to do more in toys. We kind of finish each other’s sentences… I wanted to try and find an idea that would allow me to work with April. That was the end goal for me. We got very lucky: our first game got licensed at the Mojo Pitch in 2023.

Amazing! Let’s talk about that game – Am I a Dirtbag? How would you pitch it?
Carine: It’s a party game where you can change people’s minds about something someone did. We saw the trend for people sharing their personal stories and trying to get validation online. The common thread was they all had a ‘Did I do the right thing?’ tone. In our game, you take a card and it might say ‘Am I a dirtbag for not giving up my seat on the bus to an old lady?’

April: Players must then vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. But then, players can add in Comment cards that try to persuade people to change their mind. ​

Carine: These cards add details that change the context slightly. So one might say: ‘I’m coming back from the hospital having broken my leg.’ Suddenly, there’s more nuance!

April: So you might have answered ‘Yes’ initially, but your answer can change through the game as people add those comment cards to the story. At the end of the round, you have to vote again and you want to mirror what you believe the majority of players will do. So you’re trying to work out if the other players will be changing their vote as the story develops.

Sounds fun! And what did your collaboration during development of the game look like?
Carine: We didn’t set out with set roles. It was a very organic process.​

April: At our first meeting, we came to the table with ideas, themes and trends. Carine brought the trend of people searching for validation online. We felt that the trend was here to stay, so decided to go with it! That was our starting point. Our efforts were then focused on finding game mechanics that would replicate what was happening online around the table. That was the tricky part!

Carine: We had a lot of fun coming up with the situations. And we had last year’s Virtual Mojo Pitch in mind as the place to pitch it, so that gave us a useful deadline!

April: A game like this has so many moving parts, so we also really tried to simplify things to make it easy to play and quick to understand. We kept chiselling things away. And the nice thing is that the game now is still very true to what we pitched. John Adams has done an amazing job with it.

Yes, what made John Adams a good fit for the concept?
Carine: The pitch to them was a lot of fun – and they got it right away. They were super enthusiastic and it all happened impressively fast. We are very grateful.

April: It’s one of those situations which is every inventor’s dream. The company says they like it, they playtested it, they tell you their plans for it and then you sign the contract… And then they launch it within a year of signing the contract! We got lucky with the timing and it’s been a dream; their communication has been fantastic. It’ll launch in the UK first and the hope is for it to come to the US soon thereafter. We may see a few changes needed to localise it, but it will be the same game at the heart of things.

Fingers crossed. This partnership has obviously worked well, so what do you feel is the key to successful inventor collaborations?
Carine: I think having the process be organic is one important factor. We get on and trust each other too; that’s important. There’s mutual respect. And that doesn’t just cover the creative side – it’s also important on the contract side too.

April: I agree. Different partnerships need different things, but for us it was a neat pairing of skill sets. We both worked on every aspect of the game, from mechanics to design. I would say, generally, it’s a great idea to work with someone else. You learn so much and the idea you’re working on can sometimes end up being better than if you’d tackled it solo.

What have you learned from each other during this process?
Carine: April is very creative and that’s inspiring. But also her savviness – you’re very organised to an extent that was an education for me!​

April: Carine pushes boundaries. I’d say, “I’m not sure that’ll work, it’s too…” But Carine would always make sure we explore those things. It meant parts of the game got to places they would never have got to otherwise.

Guys, this has been great. Am I Dirtbag? launches this summer. What else can we expect from you both down the line?​
Carine: We are talking about another party game, and we want to make a toy together. We’re also working on a fitness item together!

Oh! ​
Carine: Yes! It’s a different category but if anyone reading is interested in that sort of thing, please reach out!

April: The fitness item is also very much linked to mindfulness too. It’s exciting to explore a new industry together.

Amazing. And from you as individuals?
April: I have an outdoor game that was recently launched from Hape called BamzBall that I am really excited about! I also have a couple of games I co-designed coming out between Q3 and Q4 of this year that I look forward to sharing more about soon!

Carine: I have some things I was excited to pitch at the Mojo Pitch, but I haven’t matched April’s speed yet!

April: But let’s not forget, this is my full-time job! Carine has a full-time job as a lawyer, so to do what she’s done in toys and games so far balancing that – and being a mum – is incredible.

Carine: That’s why I love working with April!

Ha! A nice note to end on! Thanks and congrats again on Am I a Dirtbag?

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