Self-promotion... It's been a little over a year since my first commercially published game, Grab Bag Jungle (co-designed with @mikeharrisonwood.bsky.social), was launched. If you have bought it or played it, please would you do us a favour and rate/review on BGG or wherever you bought it. Thanks ❤️

This is a really odd argument because I think at the heart of it, there is a deep misunderstanding about what writing is for. I write to communicate my thoughts and ideas, and to bring people along with me, which AI cannot do for me because it isn't me.

Ive seen seen with menus saying “we don’t cater for coelaics”. This is much better than a “ask me about alergens” sign which normally means 10 mins queues being being told there is a risk of cross contamination. This is keeping me safe.

I have a Character Demo Reel! Check it out! youtu.be/Gmi0S3LTDsw For more info, find out more at mikeharrisonwoodva.carrd.co

Thanks to @spaceship47.bsky.social for joining @alcannon.bsky.social and I for a playtest of The Artificers. About 45 minutes for a brisk 3-player game, leaving me lagging behind in scores as is often the case! 😅 🎲✂️

I've just come up with an amazing idea...maybe, if we ever get the chance, we should try and create a political environment where a Donald Trump-style regime can't thrive.

I've been really lax about blogging lately, so in an attempt to get going again, here's the latest on the game I am working on with @alcannon.bsky.social... 🎲✂️ firsttakesomedice.blogspot.com/2026/03/intr...

Dear IOC, Please explain, for the record: *the advantage kids on blockers from age ten have over their cis peers *the relevance of gender in any way to curling, shooting, etc. *how exclusion aligns in any way with the vision of the Olympic Charter. I'm all ears. Alao, fuck you.

Thanks to the lovely folk at this evening's @playtestuk.bsky.social Oxford meetup I got to see the latest iteration of The Artificers (co-designed with @alcannon.bsky.social) played by 4 folk who weren't me for the first time. Some useful feedback and observations there, so I'm very happy.

me when the AI bubble bursts

Big Pasti's latest video, entitled "The 7 Deadly Sins of Board Game Design", had a real effect on me, and today's video is a response to his. I think there is a better way we can talk about game design. youtu.be/BY7TeikZcBw 🎲✂️

lads, don't repost screenshots of ai summaries as sources of information. especially when they're hallucinations. even if they align with how you'd like the world to be. this is how the world burns.

I'm currently chugging through old episodes of the @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social podcast (I'm realising how overdue this it - it's always great!) and was just floored by this joyous discussion about art and jigsaw puzzles... ❤️ Go listen! beyondsolitaire.buzzsprout.com/1091807/epis...

NO LONGER CORRECTING TYPOS - THEY ARE ARTISINAL PROOF OF HUMANITY.

In today's video I push back on the advice that new designers should expect their first creations to be bad, and what can be missed if you follow this advice. youtu.be/eB6ln4buwxg 🎲✂️

#tabletop Bluesky people! We're organizing a small print run board game market, hosted at UKGE this year (think Night Market at PAX). If you've got a small, original production that you'd like to get in front of people, we'd love for you to apply at market.bastiongames.co.uk Please share!

There are few hot takes I agree with more than this. - too many hobbyists take rules complexity as a proxy for depth, which it isn't. - too many hobbyists play simple games, don't understand the strategy but assume they do, and conclude "shallow". It's hubris.

Neurospicy, Neurosweet, Neurosour, Neurobitter and Neuroumami. The five neuroflavors.

Playtesting The Artificers in person with @alcannon.bsky.social - great to get the game to a physical table again

Inside every designer are two wolves: One leads the pack, charging toward possibility, One gnaws at the back of your brain, begging you not to risk failure ...wait where did all these other little wolves come from? NEW ideas?! Now?! No! Shoo! I need to focus! ... damnit

I finally playtested the game and it was terrible. Irredeemably so. Time well spent. I regret nothing. 🎲✂️

The autistic spectrum has been stretched to breaking point. Being autistic used to mean you were either a) a young boy who only communicates in six-digit primes & is the sole witness to a terrible murder b) Dustin Hoffman Now they've grandfathered in ladies, folk with *zero* Sonic OCs, the Dutch etc

We've just had several days in a row when it didn't rain. This was confusing to me. It is raining again now and the world feels like it is back to a semblance of normality. Or what passes for normality this year.

Security vendors have discovered AI. So have the attackers. Every booth at RSA will say "AI-powered". Ask any of them what they're doing about prompt injection or context poisoning and watch the subject change. Compliance theatre got a software update.

Convention Organizers: If you have invite a guest from a minority demographic 👏Invite👏them👏to👏participate👏in👏more👏than👏just👏the👏diversity👏panel👏 PLEASE AND THANK YOU

❤️ Very timely message to game designers from Matthew...

Time again for one of the greatest videos in board game history. www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjHa...

Love how this claims to be complete and unabridged while censoring the cover

I DO NOT want AI to come up with game ideas and playtest them for me I DO want robots to do the tedious painful parts like cut out a card sheet and then stuff them in sleeves for me I SHOULD NOT make robots that have access to the sharp edges necessary to cut cards

Open up my torso and you'll find this etched onto my ribcage like the zinger to some cosmic horror novel.

Wow.

Anyone in need of cash and looking to do some grotty art? Looking to spend £40, I'd like an A5 re-imagining of this piece from an Arthur Conan Doyle short story. I feel it's likely AI has been used on this version, so I'd like to commission someone to draw something with the same proportions

In today's video I go over what I earnt as a full time game designer in 2025, comparing my income over the past few years and how it varies from game to game. My aim has always been to increase transparency in the industry and help newer designers with what to expect. youtu.be/avLL2siSmyc 🎲✂️

Wanted: Regional Director to work for an organisation opposed to home working. The successful applicant will be expected to work from home.

This is one hell of a public service announcement from Mr Wild that I can very much get behind...

Something compelled me to make this

I was invited to a con in Puerto Rico soon after the hurricane. They were rebuilding everywhere, parts of the island were still without power. Trump was of course screwing them over. I didn't feel it was right to go, but I was told repeatedly to please come, they needed tourism back. 1/

Today I delve into the topic of balance in games, and discuss why there might be some much more important things to do than optimising for a perfectly balanced game. I also look at feelings that players might ascribe to imbalance, but that are actually caused elsewhere. youtu.be/7fpbTsZI3EI 🎲✂️

Just had a nice evening playing @jontexmo.bsky.social's game about renaissance poo, Night Soil. Lots of fun, but I did sooo, sooo badly. I got the hang of things by the end, but it was way too late. Looking forward to another try tough.

I don't like being this vulnerable in public but I also felt like I had to say something. youtu.be/1qlEn8ob2ns

Are you interested in history and/or historical board games? If so, please take 5 minutes to complete the form below for me. If not, please share it with people who you think might be interested. forms.gle/wbfWAn2JFp4N... Thank you. 😊👍 #boardgames #HistoricalGames #history

Playing Timeline: British History. Odd that they included this card showing something that never happened.

Suggested EU response: - US airbases now represent an armed presence, inside our borders, of a nation that is openly threatening to invade our territory - Withdraw the threat or we have no choice but to close those bases - This turns USA from a global power to a regional one, overnight 1/5

Today's video is about approaching game design in a new way - trying to design a bad game from the start! youtu.be/wj3IZtxw_PI 🎲✂️

The latest episode of 'But Why Vikings?' is out right now. Inside this audio dumpling you'll find some tasty, hot tabletop game opinions from myself and @ava.foxfort.net on limited communication games, games as in-world objects, and a very odd question at the end. open.spotify.com/episode/6cOa...

I feel every word of this from @werenotwizards.com

And now, lets ask a grumpy old man what he thinks about late stage capitalism.. www.werenotwizards.co.uk/they/

While I love my niche stupid hobby of historical board gaming, sometimes it does just make me want to scream. Take the latest example, a board game about the Irish Potato Famine where you get to compete with friends to see who survives best (?) www.kickstarter.com/projects/com...