Creating a World From Scratch - Ecos: First Continent Review @alderaceg.bsky.social

The past few weeks have been busy for DystopAI. Daniel (I've been cheering from the sideline) rebuilt all the tiles. We switched the action selection to a rondel… and then switched it again to something new. Our goal? Make players really feel like they have agency by programming action sequences.

when discussing parasociality & harassment, I refer to myself as a kinda-sorta public figure, or a half-assed or niche public figure my therapist hit me with: bitch* you were profiled in The New Yorker, strangers discuss your work, you are a public figure full stop (*"bitch" implied not literal) 🧵

By far the best part has been receiving messages through the contact form from local game designers who want to learn how to get into the industry and professors who want me to talk to their game design classes. But I also signed a game as a result of a publisher reaching out through my site!

A repeat of Ecos to most likely end the day. What a fun con this has been. @alderaceg.bsky.social #bottoscon

"And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer" by Fredrik Backman is only 76 pages long. I've read it multiple times. I cry every single time.

I moderated a panel discussion on how to approach board game publishers. Perhaps you want to listen omit afterwards? 🎲✂️ youtu.be/i1csZDlGVOo

I added a "game design resources" section to my site: www.petermcpherson.com/game-design-... This is a collection of mostly free online tools I use regularly, as well as links to excellent podcasts, blogs, and YouTube channels. I hope people find something helpful here! 🎲✂️

This is a great answer. The market cap thing is important. "Design where the money is" - this can be hard for designers, who usually get into it for the art of it. I'd add: to make a hit, you have to design a great game AND a great product. They're different things. Get good at both.

I talk about my finances each year (most recent is here: matthewdunstan.substack.com/p/finances-o...), and will hopefully soon do a video about 2025, and a separate video about my whole career.

I finally beat my oldest son in a board game! Okay… I might have played it more than he has. Okay fine, I designed the game and have played it 50+ times this year. Okay okay, it was only his second time playing. Still—don’t take this from me! I never win against him!

I will moderate a panel discussion with fellow Game designer friends. The topic for the discussion is "How to approach publishers". Live session on Tuesday if this sounds interesting! If you can't attend: the discussion and the following Q&A will be made available afterwards. fb.me/e/386Ikv0wm

Are there any deduction board games that can be played solo?

Now, use that ”translate” button beneath each post and read some things about the soul and the body that’ll fully agree with. We are our body. We are our experiences. (Also, Anna is great: sf fan, scientific journalist, and awesome! Follow her!)

This year’s SPIEL was truly special. Having The Glorious Guilds of Buttonville and Where is That? presented at the fair was an incredible experience. The signing sessions for both games were definite highlights.

The Glorious Guilds of Buttonville boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/44... boardgamegeek.com/filepage/306... www.ravensburger.de/de-DE/produk... 無人の村に人を集める2‐4人用セットコレクション。同じカードを重ねるほど特殊効果が強力になる。合計点の高さを競う。英文ルール公開中。

he remembered me cause I said something nice about his game whirling witchcraft years ago. now he has a new game buttonsville out from ravensburger and he's gonna be a star. go erik!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made #Spiel unforgettable! From demos to press events to meeting our heroes — it’s been a dream. Huge thanks to Thorsten Gimmler and Sebastian Em for making it all possible. 🎲❤️ 📸 From a signing session, captured by Mads Fløe

It's @eanderssonsunden.bsky.social !

We briefly met @eanderssonsunden.bsky.social who was signing his new family game "The Glorious Guilds of Buttonville" of which the English version is coming out early next year from Ravensburger. We also met @patrickleder.bsky.social! He had one of the best hotel stories ever!

A prickly fellow from this day in 2018 🌵

Emotional support Colin!

Please consider to come to the meet and greet sessions for The Glorious Guilds of Buttonville and Where is That! Thursday and Saturday at 15-16 at Ravensburger (Buttonville). Friday at 16-17 at Fractal Juegos (Where is That).

Spiel is approaching and I'm looking ahead with anticipation! On Tuesday, I'll board the night train from Uppsala, a wonderful way to travel that Daniel Olai introduced to me. I'm really looking forward to our train adventure together!

Is there a european discord for self-publishing board games? 🎲✂️

Cover art I painted for Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos

Over the past 6 months or so I've been using cheap, foldable pizza boxes for my prototypes. They are a bit flimsy but handy for organizing new games quickly, and stack flat very well. What kind of boxes do you use for your prototypes? Is there a cheap but more sturdy alternative I should look into?

I use A4 and A5 cardboard mailer boxes for anything that doesn't require a large central board. They're cheap and easy to get, and I can gradually upgrade them with cover sidebar and back cover as the prototype nears final status.

Aspects of the tabletop industry that can contribute to burnout for board game designers, via @matthewdunstan.bsky.social

Our new video features games from: @tricktaking.bsky.social @shreesh.bsky.social @seandavidross.bsky.social @nickferris.bsky.social @eanderssonsunden.bsky.social @beziergames.bsky.social @25thcentury.games @saibep.bsky.social @shreesh.bsky.social @bbornmueller.bsky.social youtu.be/CVDqxJVpqqg?...

Oh no! I have a new game idea! It is sort of a cross over of China and Whirling Witchcraft. We’ll see if it survives the first draft. Wish me luck!

Gestern habe ich drei neue Spiele von #Ravensburger kennengelernt: Buttonville: 4/5 Edora: 2/5 One Piece Nakama: 4/5 Freue mich auf die Messe :) #brettspiele

I start to have a full schedule at Spiel! I look forward to seeing friends, demoing games, and pitching other games. This will be fun! Will I see you there?

Today's video was a hard one for me to make - I wanted to talk about my experiences going through burnout in the last year or so as a game designer, and aspects of the wider tabletop industry that contribute to that. youtu.be/D2rC_8F10R8 🎲✂️

A preview of Buttonville! youtu.be/CBrRNIln4dk?...

A French review of Buttonville! 🇫🇷 youtu.be/nBTTu7wNMFI?...

There's a point where a board game prototype becomes "fun enough" that play testing it is not a burden or a favor; it's just playing a fun but incomplete game. I think getting to that point should probably be the initial goal of #BoardGameDesign, well before content, balance, or aesthetics. 🎲✂️

Lovely thread! We are not at all at a saturation point! ❤️ Spread the love!

"Vem ska bestämma över skolan – väljarna eller skolägarna? För de flesta är svaret väljarna. Men i dagens Sverige, där banden mellan politik och skolkoncerner är täta, är detta inte längre självklart." Jag skriver om lobbyismen för undervisning på engelska. www.gp.se/debatt/markn...

BG Stats sep. 2025 Omgångar: 21 H-index: 3 Spel: 12 Nya: 2 Spelare: 17 Platser: 2 Timmar: 12 Dagar: 10 Jenga: 3 Quarto: 3 Duel for Cardia: 3 Gobblet Gobblers: 3 Golden Cup: 2 Ark Nova: 1 Agricola: 1 Rats of Wistar: 1 The Castles of Burgundy: 1

From Paris with love 🎨✨ Bohemians will be available in French, thanks to our fantastic partner IELLO! Immerse yourself in the bohemian spirit of Paris—in the French language, of course!

🎉 Update from me: I've just sent my editor the first draft of my second book, "How to Build a Universe"! ⚛️ ➡️ 🌌 It's probably still about a year from publication, but even just getting this draft together has been a journey. Really looking forward to sharing more with you! #HowToBuildAUniverse 🧪🔭🎢

It looks like Osmosis (2025) by Agnès Largeaud is the 1,000th game added to this list on @boardgamegeek.com! 🎉 Thanks to @mcfluffy.bsky.social for that one, and to several others who contributed yesterday, including @bartgamedesign.bsky.social and @sblendito.bsky.social! Keep 'em coming!

IDK if publishers following me that are looking for some tipps for games to bring to Europe/US, but National Economy is a sleeper hit. There will be a new version in Essen,but TMK its again sold only in Asia. (I have no affiliation with publsiher or designer, just think that game is worth pushing)

Lots of @hollandspiele.bsky.social stuff, esp. City of Six Moons (but I could name half a dozen others).

Hey #boardgamesky! I'm looking for examples of /weird/ board games. Games that do something you don't expect games to do, whether theme, mechanic, player experience/emotion, or other surprises. Bonus points for being cheap, recent and/or quick to play, but none of these are essential.

Had a solid playtest of Hench, but folks tend to not do very much negotiation, even as I've been cranking the dial on that. Might experiment with cutting that whole system (maybe except for the liar)

I’m part of Hasbro’s #WomenInnovatorsOfPlay event again. Learn more and register here: spark.hasbro.com/womeninnovat... Also launching that day is their WIP Design Challenge. Winners get $10,000, mentorship, and a trip to Hasbro HQ. (but this year they're esp looking for mass-market toy ideas.)

I've just published a guest blog post from Chris Backe on The Dark Imp Blog. In this post, Chris talks about TabletopPublishers.com and how it can support designers with the pitching process. www.thedarkimp.com/blog/2025/09...