We are HZS
We believe in interesting, entertaining games for the whole family, by the whole family.
The name showed up in 2007 or 2008, a joke at the time in the Stratton household. It remained such for years, dormant until 2020, when Colin decided that the fledgling game design business that he had begun with his close friend/surrogate brother Ken Zieres would claim the title.
Colin and Ken had worked together at a local computer repair business for several years. They met through that company in 2011 and quickly took a liking to one another. Their families became close as well, and they began hanging out on a regular basis. In 2018, Colin told Ken he dreamt of having his name on a game box, and had been mulling over the idea for a cooperative multiplayer card game that needed polishing. He told Ken all about it, and together they started work on what became unofficially known as Project Nylon, named because nylon is versatile and used for many things, which fit the idea of the game well. Colin wanted to make something that could be played over and over without becoming boring or predictable, that could be played by multiple people, and that could be "stretched out" with the potential addition of expansions and additions.
Project Nylon went through many iterations and changes as the two worked on it. As COVID began making it more dangerous for large groups to get together for regular game nights at their local hobby and gaming shop, they dedicated their weekday gaming session to instead working to complete Project Nylon by working out the kinks and defining the rules. Because playtesting within a larger in-person group was impossible, given quarantine restrictions, they moved the game onto Tabletop Simulator and brought in a small, reliable group of online playtesters. Once restrictions had been eased, they brought alpha versions of the game to game shops in Keokuk, Iowa; Quincy, Illinois; and Hannibal, Missouri. Rave reviews from players gave them the encouragement to continue on, and the first "hard copy" of the game was printed via an online publisher in late 2020 so they could get a good idea of exactly how it would look.
Meanwhile, Colin's ever-working brain had come up with several other card game ideas, with the intention of submitting one to the Solo Duo Challenge in 2021 and possibly self-publishing the second. It was decided that they needed to come up with a name for their company, and so it became Happy Zombie Studio.
What We Are About
Playtesting
Our games haven't only been played in local game stores, they have been taken to Protospiel Online numerous times. HZS has proudly held the title of "Tested at Protospiel" since 2021. We also run occasional online playtests via our Discord.
Family
Colin and Ken aren't the only family members who have contributed to HZS games. Colin's oldest child, Ella, has helped with card design and art for Antipathy, and children from both families have offered suggestions and ideas as well.
Community
We are beyond grateful for the community of friends and players that we have been honored to meet over the years and love communicating with everyone. We encourage anyone interested in getting updates, playtesting, or who just wants to get to know a great group of people to join our Discord server! Colin and Ken are always on and often available for questions or comments.
