My work at The Spiel Foundation includes overseeing two game award programs with decades of history. The Major Fun Award celebrates games with a playful soul - games great for kids, families or parties The Spiel of Approval Award celebrates games that encourage thoughtful or strategic play

10 games are selected each year for each award. As 2025 comes to a close, we have many winners left to celebrate. As you read the announcement for each award winner, I hope you'll discover what we love about each of these wonderful games. Every one opens a door to new worlds of fun.

The latest winner of The Spiel of Approval is... Love Conquers All! Place tiles representing challenges we face when building relationships so they fit within the framework of the board. Congratulations to designer Jeff Siadek & Gorilla Games! thespiel.net/node/1393 #boardgames #spielofapproval

The world’s best game design convention is returning to Indianapolis for its seventh year! Meet us at Launch Fishers on March 13-15. Save $15 by registering early at protospiel-indy.org !

Now until January 5th, snag savings across your faves from Handelabra Games during the #WinterSale ⛄️ PLUS we released a brand new soundtrack for Spirit Island 🏝️ It’s the most wonderful time of the year indeed! www.handelabra.com #IndieDev #IndieGames #GameSale

If you get a chance, see my good pal and Hoosier Socialite @kklutzke with the #circlecityringers #BellChoir. They are amazing, especially this time of year! https://circlecityringers.org/ #hoosiermast

Thank you to the Hoosiers who called, sent letters, and let their legislators know that we will not be bullied into redistricting! YOU DID THIS! Please remember to call and thank those who voted no and stood up for their constituents. #HoosierActivism

Chirp has several audiobooks by @tkingfisher.com on sale for $3.99/$4.99, including Bryony & Roses, which is one of my comfort listens. www.chirpbooks.com/search?q=t%2...

Glad I saved this by @longwall26.bsky.social

Indy TableTop Game Creators are playtesting at The Game Preserve North on Saturday, December 20th! Learn more at indyttgc.org/event/596/ !

Two independent studies found that AI chatbots were better at persuading voters than political ads. The most persuasive bots also lied the most. This is something that humans working in psyops have known for decades. AI is psyops at scale. www.technologyreview.com/2025/12/04/1...

It only took four of us making a two-minute public comment about the library at the city council meeting for the councilors to restore the funding the mayor’s office had cut.

I fucking love memes you can understand through the language barrier, holy shit

It's time to talk to you about my cat.

So clever.

No-strings-attached, zero-means-testing, no-questions-asked cash payouts have been proven, over and over again, to be the most effective form of charity/aid going. It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.

Here’s my Spotify Wrapped 🎵✨

Pictures of things that (often hilariously) look like other things. www.reddit.com/r/Pareidolia... (Courtesy of Raptitude: www.patreon.com/posts/novemb...)

How can the Indiana legislature write a LAW that says the courts can't even touch it lol We truly live in a sham democracy then https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/02/gop-redistricting-bill-limits-court-actions-in-highly-irregular-move/87558230007/

So... this is happening. 😒 We'll see if they can pull it off. I'm sure the fact there are terrorists who are swatting politicians to scare them into doing this won't have any impact. 😔 They're literally splitting Indy into 4 districts so our impact is diluted to nothing. Sure, that makes sense. 🙄

It’s Giving Tuesday and The Spiel Foundation could use your help. We are in the process of renovating an old church to become The DeKoven Center for Play! We’re making great progress but still have miles to go and many bills to pay before we can open in 2026. www.gofundme.com/f/support-th...

We have an immediate need for an RPG proofreader. This is a paid gig, proofing just over 11,000 words. Experience is preferred. Please email [email protected] with your resume and rate. If you don't have a set rate that's fine - we can talk. Please feel free to share, tag and recommend.

Wildlife tracking! I'm reposting things I made this past year. If you look closely at the deer tracks you'll see I added the hint that they're double registering (hind foot is stepping into the same spot as front foot).

I think I've played this game.

Join us on Saturday, December 6, at the Indiana Statehouse from Noon to 3 p.m. to remind your Indiana representatives that Hoosiers have said no to Redistricting! #HoosierActivism

This is actually quite brilliant, up to and including the final sentence 🔥

Indiana Senate Republican Greg Walker “said he would have reported the alleged violation to federal authorities “if I thought that there was anyone of integrity in Washington that would follow through on my accusation ..” @adamwren.bsky.social #redistrict dailyjournal.net/2025/11/26/s...

I've been sleeping better since stepping away from Facebook. It's hard to do so entirely, since I sometimes need to share things there with groups that I help organize. Maybe I could do it for a month. www.raptitude.com/2025/11/in-f...

Flash fiction from Elie Dee, co-creator of the _Betwixt_ app. www.flashfictiononline.com/article/hope...

A *huge* vaccine victory. I've been writing on this for years; Australia has seen remarkable progress in cervical cancer prevention with the HPV vaccine. I love seeing science triumph like this.

Join the ACLU of Indiana, Indivisible Central Indiana, MADVoters, Common Cause, Indiana Conservation Voters, Planned Parenthood, and partners for a Day of Action at the Indiana Statehouse on the Second Floor South Atrium. Let's make sure every Hoosier's voice is heard! #HoosierActivism

this is mesmerizing

Anti-abortion lawmakers are trying to overturn the FDA’s 23-year approval of mifepristone—a drug safer than Tylenol or penicillin. This is not about safety. It’s about control. 📞 Call your reps: (202) 224-3121 #HoosierSky #Mifepristone #ReproRights #BansOff #GTC

Of course I would say this, but we need to talk about the moral & ideological case for play & leisure more than ever. So much political discourse - especially from the super-rich - assumes we ought to construct society around forcing citizens to spend most of their one, unrepeatable life working.

Does that seem right to you? 🤔

Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business — closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY. There was also a 71% drop in air pollution. Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople

We just saw another Fox 59 update from Hannah Adamson this morning about how the Indiana House is taking up the topic of redistricting...again. Please join Common Cause Indiana for an update on mid-decade redistricting, where we stand, and how you can help. (News link in comments.) #HoosierActivism

there was an amazing article about exactly this somewhere in the old days where everyone was paid well and was unionized, this chart was reversed, living expenses were cheap but luxuries like TVs and whatnot were what you had to save up for. You could live a comfortable life if you were frugal

I WANT TO HOST ONE OF THESE

a big runoff last night, in New Orleans: Calvin Duncan was exonerated after spending *28 years* in prison; he tried to get his own case records from the New Orleans city clerk—but the office dragged its feet. So Duncan ran to become city clerk himself, and yesterday ousted the incumbent.

🎲✂️ *New Episode!* @ericabouyouris.bsky.social and @senfoonglim.bsky.social discuss holiday-centric game and product design with Jordan Goddard from the Indy Toy Lab. ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-349...

The union is asking that you not patronize any Starbucks, even ones that aren't unionized, for the duration! Time to find your new favoriteocal coffee shop. To donate to their strike fund: sbworkersunited.org

I have been in Europe for almost a month and am now at DAU Barcelona for Devir's 25th anniversary. I have had the great good fortune to hang out with many board gamers and designers on this trip. And I have heard from them over and over that they are scared to visit the US right now.

You did it! All of the calls, emails, petitions, and protesting paid off. Thank you to every single one of you who took the time to speak up in word or in person to fight redistricting. The special session has been cancelled, and redistricting mid-cycle will not move forward! #HoosierActivism

I do not want to “Do my own research.” I want to pay trained accredited experts to do the research, trained accredited experts to report on findings, and trained accredited experts to make policy based on them. I am busy af with my own job, I don’t need to do eight zillion more.

Rest isn’t a reward for doing enough, it’s a necessity for staying whole. We often glorify hustle, but peace is the ultimate achievement. Taking care of your mind & soul before they reach their limit isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom. You don’t have to earn rest, you deserve it. #Jaye’sMorningLight

These games are super cute. And they hang on your Christmas tree! www.kickstarter.com/projects/ind...

Thanks to everyone who participated in last Saturday's playtest session! We'll be at LibraryCon! this upcoming Saturday, November 15th, and our next playtest session is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 20th.