I’ll be there! Come hang out with some awesome people and play some awesome games

I work with some of the biggest publishers in the world and I guarantee you they all consider BGG ratings as part of their strategic heuristics Data is data, and our industry is starved for it. People naturally cling to what is available, even when it’s bad.

Ugh I really hate it when someone stomps over a valid venting about game ratings bombs with facile shit like “uhhhh just ignore ratings” It’s 2026. Maybe just not give unhelpful asshole “advice?”

I also can’t wait for the trick taking trend to pass No offense; I’m happy for my many friends getting all the cool new twists on their favourite thing I just don’t enjoy trick taking in any form (And yes, I tried your example “trick taker for people who hate trick takers” of choice)

I think most party games are dreadfully overdesigned My most common critique of a title goes “I like the activity; too bad about the game”

Every transphobic argument comes down to “Why can’t I bully people that I find icky?”

I think hobby game trend cycles work the same as any other commercial creative industry Step one: a game breaks out and goes viral for whatever reason Step two: everyone copies that game with minor twists It’s not much more complicated than that IMO

Yes. Absolutely. 100% Not even a debate IMO

I will always push back on “your expectations are unreasonable” In situations where the expectations are “do the work you committed to”

Good at their job Good collaborator Good vibes Pick two (This is surprisingly difficult and fluid for me)

You know what sucks? Given my highly specialised skill set, I believe I’d be a very good Efficiency Expert (tm) And like, ick. Ick. Blarg barf

Real accountability talk for my fellow neurodivergents: If you have a poor memory, that's not your fault. If you're given important information and don't take notes, that is your fault. You're choosing not to remember.

I love the concept of this game, and the designer is a rock star. Give it a look!

If you ever want to see me run screaming from a conversation Start the "do we call them it 'mechanics' or 'mechanisms'" debate 😂

Recent stuff I’ve changed opinions about: I used to lowkey think that sometimes folks saying they’re chronic overthinkers was a humble brag I now believe it very much never is. It’s more often a cry for help 👀

I left twitter a couple years ago or so, and I still think that was too late. It’s a far right extremist organising platform with rapidly diminishing upside for anyone else

I think I may be too opinionated on party games. Might need to take a break 😂

Mamdani feels like a heavenly exception when he would be the boring norm in a country not brainwashed into oblivion.

One price of speaking publicly about social issues you care about Is that your creative output gets forever review bombed by the worst people on the internet. And you'll consistently get the advice "well maybe you should have just shut up and dribbled" from folks on the sidelines.

It has been such a pleasure to work on this game with the @innersloth.com team! I can’t wait for you all to get to play!! ♥️♥️♥️

Both US political parties are not the same But by god they are not even close to different ENOUGH In a civilised country, today’s Democrats would be the conservative oligarch party that working class need to mobilize against. And they’d lose all their progressive hostages

I've been a broken record on this for three years and I'll be a broken record for as long as that fucking website exists: X is a viciously racist far-right organising platform that ONLY WORKS because a huge number of centrists, lefties and progressivs cannot stop propping it up

Me: I actually feel pretty good and starting to get excited about a new— Grief: NOPE YOU DO NOTHING BUT SOB FOR HOURS we both know whose in charge

Tough medicine: Holding allies to the same standards as your friends is parasocial and toxic They’re your ally, not your friend. You need them to do a thing. Be happy they do the thing. Embrace imperfect allies.

If we were as obsessed with the character of our local electors as we are with that fucking orange clown Maybe we’d have closer to the government we need rather than what we deserve

It was a treat to have @ericlang.bsky.social on as a guest of BATS! I hope you enjoy our chat on design, theming (per BATS usual!), and balancing the fun of playing games to working on them~ Available wherever you get your podcasts! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

27C, sunny with cloudy breaks Mild to moderate breeze Medium humidity Me:

“I’m not a bigot, I just don’t want the mob telling me I have to pronoun” “You don’t have to” “Yeah I do. Or I get canceled” “By whom? This is a Wendy’s” “I’ll lose it all” “Like what, exactly. Your job?” “Well—“ “It’s not that you want freedom of speech. You want to control others reactions”

I’m joining the @ourfamplaysgames.bsky.social fam in Omaha next month for their first game convention! I’m very excited about this, because it’s all potential and exposure to new audiences. Can’t wait!

New Mastodon single slays. I’m such a happy 🐼

I don’t debate bigots online. Block and report without a second look Unless it’s truly horrific, in which case I will find your employer and share your hate with them. Make bigots afraid again

I think I still design as many new games as I used to (ie. an insane amount) I just abandon games much more easily than before. It’s not exactly “higher standards”; it’s more like lower boredom threshold I think.

FMK but for board game box covers

If you want to be a full time game designer, your highest priority is to build a reliable playtest network. It’s a LOT of work. And there are infinite obstacles in your way. Individual and systemic. But it’s the price of success. You just gotta do it You can debate me on this, but I’m right.

One of my favourite dopamine hits in point salad games is drawing some new goal card that I’ve already completed Some games doing this that come to mind: ticket to ride and takenoko Many designers rail against this sort of “unearned” reward potential, but i embrace it It’s like, THANK YOU GAME!

Btw - even though 2026 has been personally horrific Massive shoutout to BGG Spring for remaining among my top 3 cons And being healing force during these dark days Y’all rule! ❤️

Holy shit I just cracked a mass market game I’ve been lazily thinking about for many years Designed the entire thing on a 2 hour plane ride. I know it’s going to work, and it will be fun as shit The key: this isn’t a 2-hour design. It’s a 3-year subconscious design

Last Spiel des Jahres thread, for the main prize, or SDJ. Nominees: ⭐️ Jinxo ⭐️ Cozy Stickerville ⭐️ Morty Sorty Magic Shop (Pictured Below)

As promised, second Spiel Des jahres nominees thread: the Kennerspiel games ⭐️ Moon Colony Bloodbath ⭐️ Rebirth ⭐️ Boss Fighter (Pictured below)

Clash of Clans in the wild. I cannot wait for y’all to experience this one

Played Death May Die (season 1) for the first time in a couple years. God damn I’m proud of this game. Not gonna be even a little humble about it.

I love everything about this, but I’d completely rewrite the sign 😂

First thread, the three Kinderspiel nominees (pictured below) ⭐️ Boo Party ⭐️ Mooki Island ⭐️ Verflixt Verzaubert

I decided to go to BGG Spring (one of my favourite cons) almost last minute. And like last time, they’re showcasing the Spiel des Jahres nominees So ima play all of them, and write about my feelings on each And predict a winner (as well as what I think should win)

“Broad appeal” is not at odds with quality. Only snobs think that It’s also not at odds with complexity, though there is admittedly some tension (not nearly as much as snobs say though)

Describe your job weirdly: I identify fun social moments and then put obstacles in the way to make them feel earned somehow

For the first time in many years, I have no predictions for Spiel des Jahres nominees. I've played almost no new games this year. That's a me problem, not a game industry problem. Games as a whole are more polished and refined than ever.