Tech life card game?

When he’s on-site, Michał is all about the job—handling sound, construction, and making sure everything runs smoothly. But when he’s off the clock, his creativity doesn’t stop. One day, during a gig in Vienna, he had an idea: what if there was a card game that captured the chaos, strategy, and teamwork of working in event production? That’s how Shift was born—a game inspired by BWS Event Support life, made by one of our own. We were stunned when we heard about if for the first time!

Who is Michał?

Michał has been part of BWS Event Support since August 2022 (237 shifts and counting), and he’s always up for gigs involving sound. When those aren’t available, you’ll find him at trade shows in Germany or working festivals abroad. He enjoys the variety of the job (and the paycheck, of course 😉), but one of the best things about the work? The people.

Back in Vienna, during Donauinselfest, Michał and the crew spent their evenings playing BANG!, a wild-west-themed card game that quickly became a nightly tradition. Watching how much fun everyone had, he thought—why not make a game that’s actually about what we do?

What is Shift?

Shift isn’t just a game—it’s an event production simulator in a deck of cards. It mixes competition with teamwork, just like a real gig. Every completed job gives players an advantage, but sometimes, working together is the best strategy. Sound familiar? That’s the essence of BWS life.

How the Game Works

Michał built Shift around key elements of event work:

• Equipment & Gear – Players need to gather the right tools for the job.
• Special Cards – Inspired by BWS Sinch badges and real-life situations on-site.
• Seasons – Each round represents a full job season, with challenges and wins.
• Venues – Production settings where our crews have been hard at work before

If you’ve ever worked an event, you’ll pick up the rules quickly. In fact, after playing, you might even understand BWS better than before—it’s almost like training.

From Idea to First Game Night

After months of brainstorming mechanics and refining the rules, Michał printed the first deck at a local print shop in August 2024. The real test? Taking it on the road.

During Business Run in Vienna, he got the crew together for a first playthrough. It was raw—some cards were missing, some mechanics needed tweaking—but by the end of the night, it was clear Shift had potential. Shoutout to the BWS crew who helped refine it: Łukasz Kujawa, Paweł Antał, Adam Biskup, Daniel Gach, Bartłomiej Kowalski, Łukasz Podborączyński, and Oliwier Stefańczyk. (Oh, and Łukasz Kujawa won that first round—double kudos to him!)

The Biggest Challenges

Creating a game while constantly being on gigs? Not easy. Michał quickly realized that expecting full commitment from a busy crew wasn’t realistic. Instead, he broke the project into small, focused tasks and got feedback in quick bursts. Slowly but surely, Shift started coming together, piece by piece—just like a well-organized workday on-site.

What’s Next for Shift?

While the base game is done, Michał is already thinking ahead. There’s potential for expansions—new mechanics, more event-based scenarios, and even bigger team play options. But first, Shift needs to get into more hands.

Wanna Play?

Shift is about to be distributed at a larger scale among the BWS crew for further testing. Ask our guys next time you see them about the game, and just maybe they will have some time to play it with you. It’s fun, it’s unpredictable, and just like the real job—it’s all about making the right moves.

A BWS game? How cool is that? 🔥