Oscar Bribian

Do you want to know something about this crazy dungeon crawlers and wargames enthusiast?

I define myself as a game designer and writer. I am the father of two little explorers. For many years, my priority was literature, but I was more passionate about games. There came a time when I decided to change my priorities. :)

Some people joke that I have several clones. In reality, I am a restless person who experiences high frustration with routine tasks or stillness.

During my youth I developed as a reader and writer, and I enjoyed strength and combat sports. I founded a digital literary magazine (Oxigen) at the age of 21 while combining it with university (I finished two boring degrees) and various precarious jobs and internships in factories, warehouses, offices..., including being a bouncer in a disco and discotheque for 3 years. When I had the opportunity to access better positions of responsibility in the labour market, I decided to reorient myself to a job that I liked more and that gave me more free time.

At the age of 26, I saw that I had gradually become an editor, dedicating my literary time to amateur writers' texts and editing, when my passion was really writing. So I decided to close the magazine at its best moment, freeing the 9 people who collaborated on it, and I focused on writing and continuing to read the best authors.

I worked as a policeman while developing as a writer. With just two years' experience as a police officer, I joined a specialised technical department. This gave me a much deeper understanding of police work and the work of the different services of the public administration (although many years later I decided to return to the streets. It is more enriching for me to go to an emergency than a hundred years of administrative work).

At the age of thirty I had published a book of short stories and a novel. Then I published a few more books and won some humble prizes. In 2015 a family event made me focus on research that almost changed my life, as taking the path of a PhD would have cancelled out other paths (basically, I wrote a thesis when I went back to another degree, and my tutor suggested I do a PhD with that book written). But I preferred to stick with the literary path as it was propitious at the time.

Soon after, however, I became tired of the traditional literary world. Hypocrisy, dependence on public administration, long waits for editorial decisions.  With several works published (professionally, since at that time self-publishing was the devil) and several works ready, I cancelled a good publishing contract and decided to reinvent myself again.

I focused on games. I had spent years dedicating my free time to my passion, dungeon crawlers and wargames (board games and role playing games were also part of my life since childhood). I decided to create the game I would have liked to have as a player when I was younger. I designed Dungeon Universalis. DUN. I launched a crowdfunding campaign at the end of 2018. It was quite successful and I had to create a company to support the game. I launched three other successful campaigns with the same game, while designing others. Along the way many hurdles have been overcome in design, logistics, editorial coordination and international taxation, as well as covid and logistical crisis during the game's release.

Since then I have learned a great deal as an author and publisher. At the end of 2024 I proudly accepted the proposal to write a book on the 175-year history of the institution where I still work.

In 2025, with consolidated knowledge in many areas, I decided to reinvent my future games. A new path. Actually, it is the same road, but this time perfectly paved. You make the path as you go. :-)