The designers. In their element.

Chris spent much of his career in technology, first as an engineer and later as a digital executive leading teams that built customer experiences for some of the world's biggest brands. After years of creating products used by millions of people, he stepped away from the corporate path to focus on a more personal kind of experience: games.

His board game obsession started almost accidentally, while introducing his son to tabletop games as a fun way to build reading skills. The plan worked, maybe too well. Chris got hooked himself, and the collection soon grew into several IKEA Kallaxes filled with games.

A lifelong gamer who cut his teeth on MUDs back in the BBS days, Chris has always been drawn to games where choices matter, systems interlock, and strategy creates unforgettable moments. Given the choice, he will almost always pick the Rogue or Assassin, because nothing beats slipping through the shadows and landing the perfect backstab when it matters most.

With DarkVael, he wants to create the kind of cooperative moments where players lean in, debate the next move, and discover a path forward together.

Mikael is a software engineer specializing in mobile development, having built his career around a deep passion for user interaction and seamless experiences. After years focused on the digital realm, transitioning to tabletop games felt like a natural evolution. Driven by a desire to embrace the tactile value of physical materials and manufacturing craft, he shifted his focus toward creating something truly tangible.

As a father, he found a powerful motivator in tabletop gaming: a way to connect with his children, drawing them away from screens to share precious, face-to-face social time. But his own gaming roots run deep into the '90s and 2000s, where he spent hours absorbed in Warhammer and Magic: The Gathering.

That tabletop foundation expanded into PC gaming with early RTS and FPS titles, which significantly broadened his view on gameplay possibilities. This evolution taught him that in gaming, anything is possible as long as it is fun, welcoming, and ultimately surprising; imagination is the only limit to crafting unique experiences. Yet, the social aspect of multiplayer has always been his ultimate draw, dating back to organizing hometown and university LAN parties in the late '90s. To this day, diving into a dungeon crawler with friends remains one of his absolute favorite ways to spend an evening.

Bringing DarkVael to life alongside a great friend is a crowning life achievement. It represents the culmination of his journey, blending the craft of physical components with the joy of shared, multiplayer adventures, and sharing that unforgettable experience with the world.