Archive for August, 2019

Meet Munzee Munzday: Dylan

Here at Munzee we’re constantly encouraging our players to meet and greet and build the personal relationships that make this game so great. Today we have the chance to get to know Dylan, the behind the scenes man who makes many fantastic aspects of Munzee possible. If you’ve been following us for a while, you might remember his 2014 Meet Dylan! Let’s see how things have changed since then! 

Striking a pose with Wylie at a friend’s wedding

Name and Title:

Dylan Derryberry, Creative Director (dderryberry60)

Where are you from?

I grew up in McKinney, TX as part of Munzee’s farm team long before they knew they’d need me.

Tell us about yourself:

Looks like a lot has changed since the last time I did this. I’m only slightly more humble than my previous Meet Munzee Munzday would suggest, but alongside my two corgis, the family has also grown to include a loving pibble named Dean, and my five year old daughter Etta. With the help of my wife and FT teammate Wylie, I try and juggle the family at home as well as at the one at office.

A very Derryberry Christmas card

I grew up in North Texas playing hockey, and then I took my talents to Glenwood Springs, CO followed by Lawrence, KS to get a little bit o’ learning under my belt before jumping into the working world. I studied Journalism at the University of Kansas, and I was pretty dead set on pursuing a career in that field. Life had other plans, but luckily my skills as a writer alongside a stellar cover letter led me to an opportunity with Munzee. Now five years later I’m doing a bit less writing, but working with a great team to take location-based gaming to the next level.

Another successful McKinney Ice Hockey Club alumni game back in 2016 with my biggest fan

How long have your worked for Munzee?

I’ve worked for Munzee for five years, the last two of which have been with Freeze Tag. As Creative Director I bridge the gap between gameplay and development. So more or less I help Rob’s crazy ideas come to fruition and hopefully keep Daniel Fischer from getting too overworked.

How did you find Munzee?

After college I moved back home to write for a local news organization as a sports reporter focused on the city’s high school teams. Unfortunately that publication shut down a few months into my time there, which left me looking for work with a kid on the way. Upon picking up my last paycheck, I asked my editor for a letter of recommendation and she let me know that a gaming company in town was looking for a writer. As it turns out they weren’t, and I never got that letter of recommendation, but after a coffee meeting led to a lunch meeting, I was welcomed in as the sixth member of the Munzee team. Five years later and I’m still learning new things about this game and industry every day.

College crafting

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?

My favorite aspect of Munzee is the versatility of gameplay options. Whether you strictly stick to Greenies, or focus on completing your Bouncer collection, Munzee gets players moving in one way or another. As part of the gameplay team we’re always trying to come up with new, exciting, and sometimes weird, aspects we can bring into our game. Location-based games have become much more popular in recent years so we’re constantly learning what works (and what doesn’t) for our worldwide community.

Family Halloween with Wylie and Etta

What are some of your other hobbies?

In what little free time I have I like to watch movies, work on craft projects, read (not nearly as much as I should), and prepare for the family’s annual Christmas card. I think it’s in poor taste to ask what someone’s favorite movie is (how do you pick just one?) but I float between campy horrors, indie rom coms, and comic book movies.

Famous last words?

“There are wood ships, there are steel ships, but the best ships are friendships.” – Ghandi, probably

Check back next week to get to know another member of the team!

Average sleep schedule these days

Team Munzee Tuezday: Rob

Here at Munzee we’re constantly encouraging our players to meet and greet and build the personal relationships that make this game so great. To bring back this fun way to introduce team members, here is the bossman himself, Rob! Of course many players are familiar with this face, but here’s an introduction to Freeze Tag’s President if you are new! Who doesn’t want to know more about coachV? 

Getting lunch with Trey (and the team) between MunzStock 2019 events

Name and Title:

Rob Vardeman, President of Freeze Tag (coachV)

Where are you from?

Born in West Texas (Odessa) but jumped around the state several times and had a 4-year stay in California before finally landing in Allen, Texas. I’ve lived in Allen for 27 years, about 5 miles from our amazing location for Munzee HeadQuarters.

Tell us about yourself:

I’m a nerd. A former math teacher who enjoyed teaching through the use of games. My love of GPS-based adventures led me to Munzee. Munzee opened a world of possibilities to me including meeting the love of my life. I’ve recently become engaged to Louise, our Worldwide Events Manager, with plans to marry in the future. I have a 17 year old son, Trey, who enjoys attending Munzee events with me when possible and sharing his very unique badge with players. In the not too distant future I’ll add 8 and 11 year old stepsons to my family. We all enjoy playing different location-based games and spending time together wherever that may be.

Repping Munzee and WallaBee with Robbie (L) and Matt

How long have your worked for Munzee?

Since June of 2012, when I started as a volunteer working with the player community and some business development. I was the first full time employee in January 2013, then became President in October 2014 when our team had grown to 4 full time team members.

Visiting Australia for Australia Day in 2015

How did you find Munzee?

August 13, 2011, just over a month after Munzee launched I was out playing two other location games. I was headed for a long trail, but stopped at a windmill to find a container. As I approached GZ, I noticed a tag zip tied to the structure flapping in the breeze. Odd but unimportant in my current search. I found the container a few feet away, took care of business, and turned to leave. Then I noticed the tag had a QR code on it and said “Scan for points.” Being a gamer, and having just installed a QR code reader on my phone a few weeks earlier, I scanned it and was taken to the Munzee website. I found out I needed to create an account to play this game, so I did. It was love at first cap. I spent the next 5 hours, and over 100 miles, driving to all the nearby munzees collecting my 5 points. Over the next few weeks I started to interact with “snicker” via email because I was unable to find some of his daughter’s deployments. He basically made fun of me (sarcastically) and said I needed to improve my “geo-senses” if I couldn’t find something hidden by his little daughter. LOL. It kicked my Munzee hunting into high gear when I figured out I was interacting with a co-founder and the president. Eventually capping Munzees in his neighborhood led to meeting him, so I took my shot and told him I would work for Munzee one day. I had a vision for what it could be used for and where it could go! I became addicted to chasing special icons and points. I was a fanatical player and made it all the way to #7 on the global leaderboard before I finally got added to the team. The rest of the story is history.

Supporting Lou and the InternationElles as they biked the entire Tour de France this summer to champion women’s equality in cycling (photo via Mona Pantel)

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?

The Munzee community. Meeting and spending time with new players and friends I’ve known over the years. I also enjoy building special contests for the players and continuing to evolve the game in new ways. Keeping everyone guessing each month with new clan requirements and bouncing specials adds an element of fun to my workload.

What are some of your other hobbies?

I’m into ALL location-based games. Seriously, if a new one comes out I will download it and start playing as soon as I find out. Sometimes for research, other times because I just enjoy getting out and moving and being “rewarded” for it. I’m also a fair weather cyclist. I enjoy riding my bike. I don’t do it to race, only to get from one place to another and get some exercise along the way. I enjoy soccer, specifically English Premier League football. Manchester United is my team and thanks to Louise I’ve been able to visit Old Trafford several times.

Famous last words?

NOPE.

Check back next week to get to know another member of the team!

Crashed the Butte event with Dylan to surprise the Montana Munzers back in 2014. Thanks for all the memories!