Cactus Game Design Message Boards

       All major sports have a Hall of Fame for their most successful players.  My hope is that this Redemption Hall of Fame will rise above that though.  I don't only want to reward those who have been successful, but rather to point out what makes Redemption different from other sports.
       Redemption is a Christian card game, and that makes it's players different.  I remember the hotel staff in Columbus (after Nats there) talking about how the Redemption players were different than other game conventions that they had hosted before, and that the differences were very good.  This is part of our testimony to the world.  And the fact that our top players are also good ambassadors of Christ is also a great testimony.  That is why I love it when people share stories about these players for those who don't know them.  It brings glory to God who is responsible for the hearts that they have.
       Therefore, this thread will be a collection of these people and stories for all to read and hopefully we will all be inspired to always try our best to follow their example.  The links to go directly to each person are found below:

Name               Forum Name        Year entered
Justin Alstad                    The Guardian                       class of 2009
Rob Anderson                  CactusRob                            class of 2009
Chris Bany                       cdbany                                 class of 2009
Keith Bartram                  none                                    class of 2011
Mike Berkenpas               frisian9                                class of 2010
Roy Cruz                          Reyzen                                 class of 2012-2013
Doug Gray                        n/a                                      class of 2010
Bryon Hake                      Bryon                                   class of 2010
Joshua Hey                      none                                    class of 2012-2013
Gabe Isbell                       BrianGabe                           class of 2010
Eric Kimmons                   none                                    class of 2012-2013
Eric Largent                      XeroSplash                         class of 2010
Tim Maly                          SirNobody                            class of 2010
John Michaliszyn             faithraider                            class of 2012-2013
Ron Sias                           Ron77s                                class of 2009
Bill Voigt                          everytribe                            class of 2011

I love to play games. I grew up in a home where my parents taught me a fond appreciation for games. I am pleased to say that we spent more time around our kitchen table playing games than we did in front of our television (and I think I'm a better person for it). I have been extremely blessed in that I have been able to earn a living designing and marketing games. More than anything else I believe a game should be fun.  I now have my own family with a loving wife, three wonderful sons, and three lovely daughters.  My wife and I both have made a commitment to raise our children in the love and admonition of the Lord.
In 1989 I went to work for Cactus Services, Inc.  When collectible trading card games first came on the market, I found many aspects of the game idiom intriguing. To me, being able to create my own deck and play it against an opponent's deck was a wonderful aspect of the game. In fact, I personally found the strategy of deck formation almost as much fun as playing the game.  Between July and November of 1994, I worked on the game design and play-tested it.  We previewed the game at the Christian Book Publishers Convention in Nashville in January of 1995 and received a strong response. All of the major Christian distributors signed up following the show.  We began shipping the game in July of 1995. Since then we have released several expansion sets.

 “I regularly volunteered to help Rob in the Cactus booth at Origins.  In 2006, I requested a Stolen Blessing with special ability, as I already had the (useless) version without the ability.  So on the first day Rob greets me and hands over a clear sleeve with a Stolen Blessing... withOUT the special ability, just to see what I would do.”---Stephen Schaefer

“I gained a lot of friends during my teen years because of Redemption. Thank you for giving your time and energy in creating a healthy community.” -Drew Pegram

“God has shown me things and spoken to my heart through redemption that with His love I can overcome any challenge.” -Richard Minnick

“Thanks so much Mr. Anderson!  Redemption has taught me that with the help of the Lord even someone as calloused as a lost soul can become pure again!”  -ednotofthisworld

“He made the game for what it is and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be on these boards or even have as much friends as I do from all over the country.”  -Andy Stanley

These are some things people had to say about Justin:

"he built the first Speed deck that actually worked"

"He has an amazing amount of creativity, but he also wins with it. And in both categories."

"One thing I like about Justin is his willingness to openly share ideas and help people with strategy, deck building and card combos."

These are some things people had to say about Ron:

"one of the greatest redemption players off all time, he's been around since the  beginning"

"Besides being a living Redemption legend, winning more events than anyone, more types than anyone and over a longer period of time than anyone - he's an outstanding guy.  I saw him trading a kid one of his FSPs for a couple of the new local promos."

"the destroyer deck from way back was his idea... he broke the game. congrats. brilliant. and he's an awesome guy, and a legend."

These are some things people had to say about Chris:

"Responsible (both directly and indirectly) for the largest population of Redemption players anywhere (Minnesota).  Has caused Redemption to change the rules because of his creativity and abuse.  A tough competitor when he plays.  Judges and host more than anyone."

"he's the heart and soul of the redemption community in minnesota and the reason why it's such a red hot game in the state of Minnesota"

"has ran Covenant Games forever, and has helped host almost every national tournament."

These are some things that people had to say about Gabe:

"THE juggernuat of our time people."

"generosity, humbleness and unique ability to see into the game."

"He has probably had more say in what the next expansion will be than anyone but Rob by forcing their hand with his awesome decks. Oh, and he also helped cut my deck from 130something to 56 when I was a newb"

"incredible player, a great teacher also."

"Great player and one of the nicest guys I have ever met"

These are some things people had to say about Doug:

"Dominant voice for the Redemption community for many years."

"Great guy and was a huge influence on the game in its early years."

"Icon of the game, had a big influence."

These are some things people had to say about Tim:

"a willingness to post a ruling with the reasoning behind it and stand by it, through reasoning, though it may be controversial."

"awesome player, who could likely be labeled under contributor also."

"An amazing player, been runnin the show for years."

"Very skilled player and super smart guy"

These are some things people had to say about Bryon:

"Strong creative influence on the game."

"Best host on earth, plus a dedicated contributor"

"Amazing person who showed me how to play Redemption and is one of the best tourney hosts you can ever wish for.  Also been the primary designer of cards and a top ruling judge for years."

"The BEST tournament host ever, and super funny and great guy"

"Without his contributions to playtesting in recent years, the game would not have taken as large of strides as it has done."

"If it wasn't for his tournaments, I would have quit redemption a few years ago.  Also, he is a great guy, helps out whenever I need his help, and is very honest"

These are some things people had to say about Mike:

"He wrote the REG!!!!!"

"The REG is HUUUUUGGGEEEEE and IMPOOORTANNNNT."

These are some things people had to say about Eric:

"The most generous Redemption player that I've met."

"a name that inspired me to start dabbling in T2 and see what I could do."

"Simply golden as a player and a friend!"

"Mr. Consistency with T2 placings at nationals."

These are some things people had to say about Keith:

"Keith because, well, T1 has always been the most difficult category because of the amount of competition. In addition, the meta back then wasn't much, and so to come up with a winning deck that could effectively take on the rest of the decks was much more difficult. It's crazy that he did so well."

"In his era, Keith Bartram could not have been more dominant.  [He] won T1-2P at every national tournament he attended."

"Winning [the] main event 3 times in 3 tries is golden."

These are some things people had to say about Bill:

"He is probably the single biggest reason that MN has been so strong in Redemption. He has not only raised a National Champion but he has also taught/influenced several other National Champions.  I for one don't know if I'd still even be involved in Redemption if it wasn't for...Bill's influence,...his generosity, love for the game, and really-old-kidlikeness.  Bill has also made significant contributions to the game as a whole. Bill pioneered Type A as a tournament category...Bill also hosts a Redemption minicamp every summer, where kids learn to play the game. But they also learn the more vital aspect of the game of Redemption, which is the concept of Redemption. They are exposed to people in the Bible that they are familiar with, and some they are not. There are Bible studies, quizzes, and worship times. The main attraction is of course the game, but the main takeaway is that it's more than just a game."

"I believe he's had 70 people at his "Redemption Minicamp" that he does every year. I am one of the people he's introduced to Redemption.  So he's innovative, bringing unique ideas to this area, which has attracted people nationally.  On a side note, he made a girl cry after beating her in T2 one time...I'm pretty sure he ended up giving her a DoN or something crazy like that."

"for his contributions to the Redemption World of RLK's that are learning the game (that included me a couple years ago) and also for his awesome T2-only tourney where several years ago I will never forget when I borrowed a lot of my brother's and sister's cards and won T2-multi"

"I have NEVER laughed as hard as I did the night a bunch of us shared a hotel room during MN State in Rochester. Toilet monsters became real to me that night. Bill is one of the funniest, fun loving guys I have ever known, and the fact that he has taken it upon himself to invest his time and money into teaching kids a game that may help them steer clear of all the junk in this world...that's something respectable."

"Bill has done just as much for the game as anyone who isn't named Rob. If the goal is fun and fellowship, no one can match the precedent Bill has set."

"Super generous guy and he made a redemption camp!"