Leader of the Cult of Hippo, truffle-addict, owner of The Player-Killing Die, armed with Villeish grin, sometimes a clueless but endearing dummy, great cook (and a refined feeder), occasionally irritating with his God-like "I know best" views. Enjoys theatre (if somebody drags him there), bohemian lifestyle, game designing, good movies, driving players crazy. Dislikes onions, hot drinks, dealing with practical issues. -Leena Romppainen

Who Am I?

My name is Ville Vuorela but most friends call me "Burger". Since you got to this page you already know what I do on my spare time; write RPG material and publish it through Burger Games. I've been playing roleplaying games since 1985 and published my first game Miekkamies back in 1994. It was a hit and the two print runs have been sold out long ago.

Running Burger Games is a hobby and usually costs more than it makes. For living, I work as the Narrative Designer at Recoil Games in these days, writing the storyline, dialogue and background material for their upcoming premium title. Before that I have been the senior game designer at the mobile games company Rovio Mobile and still earlier an ordinary game designer for Sumea Interactive (now gobbled up by Digital Chocolate). In the distant past I have been a technical writer and documentation consultant for the ICT industry from 2000 to 2003. During the Stone Age, I did gigs as an English teacher and a youth group director. If you need to know more about CV, email me.

I am still a student in the University of Helsinki and have been one for more than a decade now. I once dreamed of graduating as a Bachelor of Arts but specialist qualification for audiovisual production and game scriptwriting is my only degree since high school. My major is English philology (almost completed) and my minors are Entrepreneurship from Helsinki School of Economics (completed), British and Irish Studies and Digital Games Research and Design for the University of Tampere. I have also studied Medieval Studies, Astronomy, Geology, Social Politics, you name it. Wide spectrum of interests or lack of focus? You tell me.

I have the kind of brown hair that most Finns do but I just blonded it, with a shock of black encircling it. Lately, I've been dying it red with henna colours, though. Sorry about the picture, though. I had just tried cropping my hair real short back then. I am short and round, have bad skin and have to wear glasses when driving. I once almost got rid of my fat but it crept back in. Damn! I used to be built like a dwarf, thanks to regular visits to the gym. Right now I am more like an oversized hobbit.

I dress in black, not because I want to make a statement but because I want to look thinner. It's not working.

What I like

Dreaming. I like thinking up fantastic worlds, which may or may not end up in my games. I like to develop stories even if I don't tell them to anyone. I like fantastic vistas, movies with fantasy or futuristic settings and to play with the development of human society and culture in alien environments. Some of this ends up in my games.

I like eating meat. I used to be on a low-carb diet (and lost 65 pounds in eight months) and eat lots of red meat and green vegetables. That was the only time I actually lost weight. Typically, I'd like to eat chocolate and salmiakki, as well as ice cream in the Summer. I am a big fan of light coke drinks, especially Rainbow Cola Light, which is also pretty inexpensive.

I like computer games. While far limited in scope of activities and setting compared to roleplaying games, they hold ideas, vistas and atmosphere which at best inspires me so much that I can overlook the restrictions innate to the media. It is the love of stories and identifying with fictional characters that makes me like games, movies and books, even if others might think them to be that good. I am not that interested in theatre as a media, but I am often hooked by plays if someone drags me there.

I like big gaming events. I've been to and will be at every Ropecon, even if it means rising from the grave after 50-odd years. I also visit other gaming events on occasion and especially when I am invited.

I like reading and writing. I read and write a lot, from history books to speculative fiction and that is what I write. For every published game or story I have three unfinished in the desk drawer. Sometimes you'll hear from them, sometimes you dont.

Raising hell with my blog. I did not think I would enjoy it this much but receiving ill-considered hatemail and trashing it publicly in the blog is one of the greatest joys that I have and many enjoy reading them. The "Elvis of Roleplaying" entry is the most popular blog entry I've ever written.

And of course, there is sweet and gentle Leena, the love of my life.

What I don't like

Stupid questions. Having to explain people that "no, I am not going to tell you what is on the far side of Borvaria" for the umpteenth time, or receiving questions like "Mobsters looks interesting but what are these gangsters?" really pisses me off. I guess it is one of the symptoms of old age.

Strong beverages. I used to be a teetotaller but with older age I've begun to enjoy some drinks, like Pimms, cream liqueurs and curiously absinthe. But I still drink only rarely and so far the last time I have been seriously intoxicated was when I was 13.

Onions and garlic. Why do people have to put them everywhere? Garlic is tolerable in some forms, but onions and lentils are not.

To be touched. I don't know why but it has always been so. I do accept hugs from my friends although they make me feel awkward, but my spouse is the only person whose touch is not only tolerated but also welcome.

Generic roleplaying systems: What is the point of having a mediocre system that works in all settings when you can have a system tailored for that particular setting? I have never published a generic system and never will.

Bureaucracy. Even the light bureaucracy involved in running Burger Games is sheer hell for me, but checking my ill-kept accounts must be sheer hell for the tax officials as well. It is fortunate that Burger Games is not making more money.

Organised religion: Although I've learned to treat religious people as individuals and can see the benefits of faith on that level, the idea of an organisation telling Humanity as a whole what it should or should not do freaks me out.

Religious or ideological zealots: Death to all fanatics! (Okay, Janka taught me that one). Goes without saying with the previous paragraph.

Prejucides. Years ago I made a decision not to be prejudiced. Unfortunately, I am instinctively prejudiced towards many groups and while I actively try to overcome it, it requires a conscious effort to do so. And it does not always succeed.

Pretentious people: Self-proclaimed prophets, be it about gaming theory or the virtues of vegetarianism. I've become less inclined to discuss my views as I've grown older. I've also grown more impatient with people who try to force-feed their ideals to me.

If you meet an idealist, be merciful and put him out of his misery.
-Kari Suomalainen

Now you know who the guy behind Burger Games is...