I have been working on this one in the background for a while, and I just reached a major milestone. My card game, In the Can! Atomic Pictures, is officially in play testing.
While it may seem obvious, I genuinely have a soft spot for movies built from rubber suits, recycled sets, and more confidence than budget. In the Can! started with a simple question: what if the fun wasn’t just watching those movies, but trying to make one?
So What Is It?
You and up to three friends play rival producers at Shelf Life Films, a scrappy little studio cranking out low-budget science fiction. Your job is to get your pictures finished and in the can before the studio loses interest and moves on to the next idea.
Every movie needs three things from the backlot: a Monster, a Location, and a Script. Once the set is (mostly) standing, you cast a Hero, a Villain, and a Star Cameo. Talent varies.
Then the front office gets involved. Rewrite cards are hiding in the deck, and they bring exactly the kind of “creative notes” every B-movie producer dreaded: recasts, sudden pivots, and the occasional order to start a brand new picture while the first one is still shooting.
Most of your movies will be messy. Some will be baffling. And every once in a while, the pieces line up by pure accident and the studio actually gets excited. That accidental magic is the whole reason I made this game.
The basics: 2 to 4 producers, about 45 minutes a game, and a deep, unshakable affection for glorious B-movies.
Why I’m So Excited
This game is a love letter to the same movies I write about here and so many more that I love for their character, ingenuity, and pure entertainment value. The failure is the joke, the monster is real enough for the studio, and nobody gets roasted except the executives. I’ve poured a ridiculous amount of heart into it, and I can’t wait to see what happens when real producers sit down at the table and start making terrible movies together.
Want to Be a Beta Tester?
I’m looking for beta testers to help put In the Can! through its paces. You don’t need to be a game expert or a film buff (though both are welcome). If you like card games, a little chaos, and laughing at a monster that is very clearly a guy in a suit, you’re exactly who I’m looking for.
Interested? Email me at bmoviejay@gmail.com with “In the Can! Beta Tester” in the subject line, and tell me a little about yourself.
Lights, camera, rewrite. See you on the backlot.
Leave a Reply