Episode 401: Alain Matte, Zeronimo Games

Episode 401: Alain Matte, Zeronimo Games

From Board Game Binge by James Staley

June 2, 2026 · 33 min · Season 6 · Episode 401

About this episode

Alain Matte discusses his journey as a game designer and the creation of his game Animalcatraz.

Alain Matte is a Quebec-based illustrator, game designer, and founder of Zeronimo Games. After years of working on family-friendly brands and licensed properties, he decided to create something a little less wholesome: Animalcatraz, a sandbox prison brawler for 2–8 players where animal inmates fight, steal, trade, escape, and commit crimes to become the KINGPIN. Inspired by graphic novels, open-world video games, and a fascination with prison life from a safe distance, Alain spent years building the game's gritty setting, dark humor, and memorable cast of characters. Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, Animalcatraz is now heading toward production. Animalcatraz is in Late Pledge on Gamefound: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/zeronimo-games/animalcatraz WHERE TO FIND OUR PODCAST: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RJbdkguebb3MSLAatZr7r iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-board-game-binge-72500104/ Tune In: https://tunein.com/embed/player/p1344218/ Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vYm9hcmRnYW1lYmluZ2U= Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/board-game-binge/id1522623033 Visit Our…

People in this episode

Host: James Staley

Guest: Alain Matte

Topics covered

  • game design
  • crowdfunding
  • board games
  • illustration
  • prison life
  • sandbox games

Keywords

  • Alain Matte
  • Zeronimo Games
  • Animalcatraz
  • game design
  • crowdfunding
  • board games
  • illustration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Zeronimo Games

Products: Animalcatraz

Places: Quebec

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