Fun is not a monolith. You may not know exactly what kind of fun your game wants to be when you come up with it but it’s critical to understand the intended experience before you pitch it.

Bye forever, WeTransfer.

HEY BOARD GAME DESIGNERS! We're updating our reports on publishing contracts! If you've signed a game with a publisher in the past 5 years, let us know (our Gmail is our name) and we'll send you the anonymous survey. See our past reports here: cardboardedison.com/reports And please spread the word!

I am up early and ready for PAXU. Who will I see there?

It’s official! Today is my first day at Kids Table Board Gaming. We’re going to make so much cool stuff!

Yes! The way we use “Theme” to talk about how we style and set games frustrates the heck out of me because it mostly disregards what they are about and how we evoke that experience at the table. 🎲✂️

This is such a delightful homage!

#BlockCollective is a volunteer-run community with the united goal of sharing resources and information, disrupting bigoted spaces, and serious engagement on the topic of trans rights. Please join us as we help shape the boardgame industry into a safer and inclusive space. 🎲✂️ discord.gg/D7E6gqwrRF

This is a great article. After reading it I fixed problem in a rulebook I hadn’t even realized was there. Fragile elements in a modern game rulebook do not need to be subtext, they are opportunities to set expectations about a game’s tone and intent.

🎲✂️ Designers how well do you really know your game? We’re updating our pitch guidance and want to highlight the key questions a designer should be able to answer when submitting. Our working list attached : What would you add? #boardgames 🎲✂️

When you make your own garden veggie cream cheese you can put as many garden veggies into it as you want

Finally finished a complete draft of a rulebook I started 2 months ago. It's never taken me this long to put together rules for something I'd pitch but travel, iteration, and a lot of self-doubt really drew this one out. I'm going to have a root beer float or something to celebrate now. 🎲✂️

Coming back to a game after a long break makes it a lot easier fix balance issues and to identify the stuff that was unnecessarily balanced. 🎲✂️

Check out our interview with @xopherchan.bsky.social from a few weeks ago: youtube.com/live/6soJZXz...

If your Self-Doubt asks, "Is 7 prototypes enough?" when you're packing for a convention the answer is always: "Yes, shut-up." 🎲✂️

Late w/my @unpub.bsky.social 2025 recap, but in the darkest timeline a little light is always relevant. Spending 4 days with this roving village of game designers is one of the most joyous events of the year for me. I’d trade all the spring/summer holidays for more. And it only works b/c of you.🎲✂️

Hey Unpub goers! I’m set up at K6 with Threading the Needle (my mahjong garment worker game). I’ll be here until 6:30. Stop by! 🎲✂️

🎲✂️ Tonight at 9 PM ET on the Meeple Syrup Show, the triple threat @xopherchan.bsky.social talks about pitching via video. @drayerink.bsky.social is travelling, so it'll just be @senfoonglim.bsky.social at the helm! Join the chat at www.facebook.com/MeepleSyrup or www.youtube.com/MeepleSyrup

On the road to Unpub! Not saying I didn’t pack a rotary cutter and a bunch of hole punches but not saying I didn’t either.

After playing it at #Breakout with @xopherchan.bsky.social , my copy of #StalkExchange has arrived. I pulled out an old dice bag to make the greenhouse bag a little bigger.

So far, every single interaction I’ve had with the Canadian equivalent of the DMV has been much faster and easier than anything I ever had to do in the states.

Day 3 at Breakout was basically all demoes until the con was over. It was an honor to share my published stuff this so much the convention. On the prototyping side I only got 2 playtests of my own stuff in but I’m proud to report I played 6 other designers games. Looking forward to next year!

hey @xopherchan.bsky.social look what was on the front page of BoardGameArena today!

Day 2 at Breakout 2025 has been really busy for me. I did 2 panels and 2 demo sessions today. One where I moderated a discussion on games in education and one on game design 101. It’s been a delightful experience so far and, as usual, I forgot to take pictures at all today.

You're telling me I can play a @xopherchan.bsky.social game in my browser? Stalk Exchange on BGA!

Had my first meet up with a new playtest group in Toronto last night and got to try out a new investment game I’ve had in a drawer (yes, another one). I’m tentatively calling this one Witch Way. It’s loosely inspired by Trax and is basically a train game for people who don’t like trains or math. 🎲✂️

I was cleaning out a folder and found this old board for Stalk Exchange and got all nostalgic. That game branched at least 4 times as I was figuring it out thanks to the most regular and frequent playtest schedule I’ve ever had. Community like that is truly special. Don’t take it for granted. 🎲✂️

Finally back from GAMA after a spot of car trouble. I'm looking forward to doing follow-ups, and working through a big, inspiration fueld post-con to do. And I definitely, definitely will not put any of that off to watch every @cardboardedison.com finalist pitch video.

One of my old teachers is getting into game design and needs to find a playtest group. Does anyone know of any groups I could direct them to in Rochester, NY? 🎲✂️

My first sighting of Stalk Exchange at Barnes & Noble! (It’s even right next to The Night Cage!) 🎲✂️

A bit of obligatory self-promotion. Stop by and see me at GAMA next week if you want to learn a bit about pitch videos! 🎲✂️

I’ve been reading a lot of job descriptions lately and just had this moment where I to wondered what the description for “freelance board game designer” would look like on a job board. I’d write one but it’s 1AM and I don’t feel like warding off imposter syndrome so how would you describe it? 🎲✂️

I snipped open my first bag of milk this morning! Am I Canadian now?

Best mail I’ve gotten in a while! I’m so excited to dig into this one @amabel.bsky.social

🔴Live now! I'll be unboxing, teaching, playing, and then reboxing Stalk Exchange by @xopherchan.bsky.social from @theop.games with @bookofnerds.bsky.social 📺 www.twitch.tv/panda8ngel

Cardboard Edison judging has begun and I’m so excited to watch these pitches! If you entered, I hope you know you’re the fun thing I’m doing to put off the other less fun stuff I should be doing for the next couple weeks. 🎲✂️

Played a game of Spirit Island today and the friend I was playing it with pointed out that it pulls off a magic trick: you always feel like you’re going to lose but you mostly win. For a 2-3 hour co-op game, that’s a solid design goal. I’m fine w/losing, but winning invests me after that much time.

Today was the last day at my job AND the last week before I move to Canada. It's scary, but for the first time in 10 years I don't have a contract to prevent me from freelancing. Hit me up with your art direction, illustration, and/or game design gigs! www.chrischan.land 🎲✂️

I am entering my disco era. Send me your recommendations.

Hey, the first chapter is available as a preview on the website if you want an overview of the book's whole deal, and the vibe.

I just bought some print ads I worked on years ago off of ebay. It's equal parts annoying that I never got a physical copy from the agency and cool that people would want to sell them.

Oh hi! I’ve got a little article in this year’s best practices and I hope you give it a read!

As someone who mostly takes notes on a phone, I’ve forced myself to keep my design journal for the garment workers game purely physical and to use cursive when I write in it. I don’t know if this is helping or hurting the process, but it is making it feel more personal and specific. 🎲✂️

Cardboard Edison is one of the finest awards in unpublished game design. Even if you don’t win you walk away with a lot of high quality feedback and bunch of pitch materials for your game. Do yourself a solid and submit a design this year!

I'm really terrible about posting anything during the holidays— and you can be, too! It's really ok. Spend time with your loved ones and tell the world about it later, or not at all!

I made it to Philly. Let’s play some board games!

It’s 4am, my alarm isn’t supposed to go off for another hour and I can’t wait. I’m on the road to PAXU. See you there, friends!

I stopped by Millennium Games to do some Xmas shopping and was surprised to see them displaying Stalk Exchange! Seeing your game out in the wild never gets old! 🎲✂️

Do I keep my Movember ‘stache for a passport photo? And if I do, do I have a good excuse to keep it indefinitely afterwards?

We were trying to name a puppy, but ended up making plans to watch Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure with my mother-in-law over Christmas instead.