My first idea for Where Cards Fall came while listening to Radiohead in my freshman dorm at USC. I was enamored with their song House of Cards, which sounds like a gentle plea to knock down a structure in favor of something new. Throughout my time at USC, I experimented with different rulesets to convey how people behave at turning points in their lives. My favorite concept, then titled "House of Cards," was selected for the Advanced Games class. I recruited a team to work on the game during my senior year, and together we searched for a more elegant, cohesive set of mechanics. While it felt frustrating and aimless at times, we ended up with a solid foundation. We left USC with a mechanically interesting game that hinted at its theme, but didn't have time to pursue the larger ideas about how the mechanics and theme intertwine. We refined the game in our spare time while working in the industry, and eventually found the perfect partner in Snowman to help us reach the finish line.