Words by David C. Obenour
The Meeples are back! Fifty years after leaving the studio with only side-a of their iconic album in the can, the band has reunited to turn this half into a full-length recording. But with decades of built up fan adoration and critical anticipation, getting everyone in the same room again might have been the easiest part!
As a member of the production team, it is your job to produce and master, record and mix, and find those perfect moments of harmony from each of the players. But you aren’t the only one at the boards and everyone has their own objective. Can your vision win out for The Meeples to reach the top of the charts and for you to reach head of the liner notes?
Off Shelf: As the artists for HiFi, can you tell about your own musical background? What you obsessed over and – from record store shopping to pouring over magazines and liner notes – what that looked like for you?
Diego Sá: I don’t have any formal musical training, but when I was a child, my father taught me how to play guitar and bass. As a teenager, I played drums in a few amateur bands. These days, music is more of a hobby that I really enjoy, but it’s still a big part of my life. My father also introduced me to many bands that I still listen to today, like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, and some great Brazilian bands like Legião Urbana and Raul Seixas.
Luis Francisco: I never really learned how to play an instrument – though I did dabble with the ukulele for a bit – and my mind still explodes when I see people reading sheet music! But music has always been a huge part of my life. I love to sing, even if I’m not particularly good at it. I’m the kind of person who hears a random word and immediately starts singing a song that has that word in it. It’s just in my nature. My taste in music is super eclectic, and I’m always open to different genres and styles.
When I was younger, I loved discovering new artists and sharing them with people, especially when they’d never heard of them before. That’s probably why a lot of what I listened to at the time was more indie and folk. But I’ve never been a music snob—if pop is playing, I’m not the kind to roll my eyes! I also went through a phase where I collected vinyl and there’s still something magical about them.
If I had to recommend a unique Brazilian band to whoever is reading this, it would definitely be one of my favorites: “O Teatro Mágico” – which means The Magical Theater. They’re this amazing mix of indie/folk music, poetry and circus. You can check them out here.
OS: How did you collaborate with designer André Teruya on HiFi? Did they bring any of their own musical background into the theme-ing and art of the game?
LF: When we decided to publish HiFi, the first thing I did was really try to get into André’s head and understand his vision. It was important for me to respect what he had already imagined for the game and ensure that we preserved the core of his creative concept. We spent a lot of time talking about what he wanted HiFi to communicate, both in terms of gameplay and its visual style. I didn’t want to just take the game and run with it in a completely different direction. Instead, it was about expanding on what was already there—elevating the concept without losing the essence that made it special in the first place.
DS: Yes, André came in with some very solid ideas and references that shaped the initial concept of The Meeples group’s story. But what really stood out to me was how often he talked about the role his parents played in his musical education; the bands they introduced him to and the times they spent listening to music together. That hit home for me because it brought back memories of my own late father.
It inspired me to pay tribute to him in the game. I based my drawing of Leroy Johnson – the character on the right on the cover of the manual – on my father, both in the younger version of him on the card in play, and in the older version on the manual’s cover. Since it has been more than 18 years that he passed, I had to imagine what he would look like today. So for me, this game became a very personal tribute to the wonderful memories our parents give us.
OS: Can you cite direct influences and inspiration in the game? From the obvious to the deeper cut references?
LF: The most straightforward influence is definitely The Beatles. The whole concept of a band breaking up, and the play on words with “The Meeples” – since meeples are classic game pieces – are direct nods to them. For the rulebook, I wanted to go all out with a Rolling Stone magazine vibe because it’s so iconic in the music industry. Specifically, we drew inspiration from the September 2009 issue (#1086), which famously featured “Why The Beatles Broke Up” on the cover.
Originally, the rulebook cover was also going to be black and white to match that specific Rolling Stone cover. But since our story is about The Meeples reuniting, we decided to bring them to life in color to symbolize how their reunion would bring joy into our lives. I tried to capture the same layout, typography, and callout styles to pay homage to that issue.
DS: When it comes to the game’s components, I think the board’s inspiration would be the most obvious, which is a soundboard. For the objective cards, we drew inspiration from guitar pedals, while the score track board is designed to resemble an adapter with multiple XLR and P10 inputs, which we call a “Medusa” here in Brazil. And, of course, the game’s box is inspired by modern record players.
In all of these elements, we allowed ourselves some poetic freedom, tweaking the designs to make graphical sense within the game’s world. It gave us the flexibility to stay true to the theme while ensuring everything functioned smoothly as part of the gameplay.
OS: Few works of art command the attention and adoration of album covers. What do you find powerful about the connection of music and art?
LF: Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been obsessed with vinyl covers. There’s something about holding a record that feels like you’re holding a piece of the artist’s soul – it’s like a 3D poster that brings their vision to life. Vinyl is the perfect blend of music and art. As a graphic designer, music is always my go-to inspiration, whether I’m designing or even playing board games, it helps set the vibe and adds a whole new layer to the experience.
OS: Can you talk about how the turntable element got imagined and executed in the game?
LF: The turntable concept was all thanks to André Teruya’s creative genius! It was there since its inception as the whole thing started with a rondel that was a vinyl disc. His prototype had many interactions for the disc but when I first saw the HiFi concept before deciding to publish it, the turntable was part of the board. My job as a publisher was to take that core idea and elevate it – literally! We transformed the entire box into a turntable, which gave the game a much bigger table presence and made it stand out even more.
OS: How much did you know about studio equipment before working on HiFi? Did you learn anything new or interesting from your research for the game?
LF: Honestly, I knew very little going into it. For all the detailed work on the mixing table board, Diego and our game developer, Robert Coelho, were lifesavers. They really helped make sure everything was spot on. But I did have some fun adding a few Easter eggs to the back label of the turntable box. I definitely learned a lot in the process, and it was a fun crash course in studio equipment.
DS: As I mentioned, when I was a teenager, I played in bands. We used to rent studio space for a few hours to record tapes. Over time, we got to know the studio owner, which gave us the freedom to experiment a little with the soundboards and equipment. It was all just curiosity and small experiments back then—it never went beyond that.
When I started working on the art for the game’s board, I realized I had completely forgotten what all the details of a soundboard were like. I had to dive into some visual research to refresh my memory and develop concepts that would provide players with a similar experience to using a real soundboard. It was a fun process of rediscovery, trying to capture that feeling through the game interface.
OS: At all levels of complexity, play is such a great tool for learning and exploring. After playing HiFi do you think you gained a better appreciation of any aspects of the recording or music industry?
LF: Playing HiFi definitely made me appreciate all the intricate pieces that go into creating a song. It’s not just about the music itself—it’s the studio environment, the layering of instruments, the mixing, and even all the tiny knobs and controls that shape the final sound. There are so many elements working together behind the scenes that I hadn’t fully thought about before. The game really opened my eyes to just how complex and collaborative the recording process is.
OS: For as much as modern music collectors are a rabid market of “special edition” collectors, HiFi is kept at a refreshingly modest $40 price point. With great and fun elements – made of cardboard and paper – was there ever thoughts for more ornate versions? What do you like and dislike about these editions?
LF: Coming from Brazil, where board games can be an expensive hobby compared to the minimum wage, we were very mindful of keeping HiFi accessible. From the start, our goal was to create something affordable that could reach as many people as possible. Of course, we considered adding fancier elements like plastic knobs or wooden tokens, but in the end, we felt those would be more about luxury than necessity. Personally, I think we got a lot of value out of using cardboard alone—it keeps the game fun and functional without driving up the cost unnecessarily.
But who knows… if the game sells well, I’m not opposed to a more deluxe version in the future!
OS: Were there other elements you considered trying to work into the art and packaging? Things that maybe you could see as expansions?
LF: From the very beginning, I had this idea that expansions could come in the form of separate “albums” that players could buy. That’s part of the reason why the turntable is designed to be detachable—so you can swap out and change the disc for new content. It adds to the whole vinyl experience and keeps things fresh. Time will tell if we get there, but it’s definitely something I have in mind!
OS: More so than most other mediums, board games really require a great marriage of illustrations and graphic design. Can you talk about what you think your collaboration brought to HiFi? Things you think they did really well?
DS: You’ve touched on a really important point. Even today, it can be difficult for people to distinguish between illustration and graphic design, especially in the board game world. But in many cases, like with HiFi, these two elements blend together so seamlessly that it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. That was exactly what we were aiming for.
We worked to ensure that both the illustrations and the graphic design contributed to a cohesive, playful experience. Our goal was to make players feel like they were actually working in a studio, while still keeping everything clear and easy to navigate. Balancing immersion with clarity was key, and in the end, I believe we walked away from the project with a sense of accomplishment.
LF: I like to say that if people don’t immediately notice the graphic design work, it probably means the job was done right. Good design frames the illustrator’s work and helps create the visual universe and experience without drawing too much attention to itself. In HiFi, the graphic design and illustrations had to work together seamlessly to capture that musical vibe, while also making the game intuitive and easy to navigate.
I’m biased, of course, but I think we did an amazing job bringing the world of HiFi to life while keeping a sweet spot between visuals and functionality. I’m especially proud of the rulebook. Every time someone recognizes a reference or stops to really take in the details of the game on the table, it brings a smile to my face. It’s those moments where you realize the design is doing its job; pulling people into the theme without overwhelming them.