An Inspired Chat with Vincent Baker of Greenville

Vincent Baker shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Vincent, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I’ve been really enjoying the Wednesday series on Netflix and diving back into some Telltale games. Both are so well written and fun. It’s nice having entertainment like that to give my mind a break while also fueling creativity—especially when it feels like my brain’s been running full speed on the business treadmill (haha).

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Howdy! I’m Vincent Baker, founder of Vindicated. I’ve been a game designer and artist my whole life, with a competitive TCG background that shaped how I approach fun and strategy.

At Vindicated, we make card games and tabletop RPGs that all connect through one evolving universe, where the players themselves help shape the story.

I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with 2K Games (Borderlands) and Ivan Van Norman (Darrington Press, Hunter’s Entertainment). Along the way, Vindicated won an Indie Developer Audience Choice Award and was a finalist in Kohdok’s 2024 Game Jam.

What surprises most people is just how much detail we pour into the universe we’re creating and how easy and fun the gameplay is to pick up.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I entered the gaming industry bright-eyed and excited about the possibilities, ready to create and collaborate. But pretty early on, I caught the attention of THE biggest company in the industry, and over the course of a couple of years, they did some very unkind things.

I wasn’t mentally or emotionally prepared for that kind of experience, and the toll it took left me more emotional than I’d like to admit. The fallout caused some relationships to dissolve, not because I was angry, but because I felt so sad and alone. It was hard to process something so unusual, something that few people could understand or help me through.

A lot of unfair things happened, and it forced me to face a hard truth: life isn’t fair. And for someone like me, who deeply values justice and wants to believe good will always win, that was a crushing realization.

It wasn’t until this year that I reached two important epiphanies:

1. Life isn’t fair.

2. Because life isn’t fair, we have to act with even more conviction to stand against injustice. We can’t make life completely fair, but we can make it more fair.

I strive to lead Vindicated with integrity, grounded in compassion, sincerity, and honesty, and always standing by our friends.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Vincent, the world is not fair, but good does ultimately win. Be strong, and remember that your talents are the weapon you have been given to help make this world better. Never be ashamed to wield them, and use them proudly. The right people will see, understand, and support you, and that is what matters.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
In my industry, many people say creating your own unique IP is a waste of time. I even brought the topic up, very politely, in the world’s largest board game group. Before it could even post, the moderators banned it, calling it “too off topic.”

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What light inside you have you been dimming?
I have a lot of feelings about many things. I believe I am meant to speak out against certain issues, but it can be difficult to balance and to know how to use that talent most effectively so that something good comes from it.

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