Laukat was hired by Z-Man Games to do the artwork on Seegert's recommendation. "Alf had done the prototype with clip art, so I had a pretty good idea of where he wanted to go."

Getting published is every game designer's dream, but there's a lot of competition out there. "I read somewhere that Hasbro gets thousands of submissions every year," says Laukat. "It's really very difficult getting past all that." Plus, adds Seegert, not every company takes open submissions.

Bridge Troll, which sells for $24.95, is a game that Compton thinks will prove popular with his customers.

"It's a fast-playing game that is great for the whole family. It's easy to learn, and the artwork is just so fun. And it's a great value for the price. Anything under $30 is reasonable these days."

Seegert wanted to keep it fairly inexpensive, he says. For $25, you can hardly take the family to a movie, but "a game can be pulled out and played hundreds of times, by hundreds of people. Games are great that way."

Bridge Troll fits exactly what a lot of people are looking for these days, says Compton. "And it's great to see local people recognized by major publishers. For gamers, this is a very big deal."

If you go …

What: Bridge Troll launch party

Where: Game Night Games, 2030 S. 900 East, Salt Lake City

When: Saturday, noon-4 p.m.

How much: free

E-mail: carma@desnews.com