There were two games at #Unpub with real buzz, from where I sat. Games I heard about from multiple vectors. Both "road" games. • Rough Roads • Roads with No Name (by @ianzang.bsky.social)

Me: "I have some paper if you want to take notes" Them: "Nah, I'll just vibe." Them 30 minutes later: "Oh."

Roads with No Name by @ianzang.bsky.social at Unpub It was 1:30AM. For hours, 5 archaeologists of different fields had discussed, analyzed, and unearthed a lost civilization. No one mentioned game mechanisms the whole time. We were just immersed. One of the best gaming experiences I've had.

Got some excellent feedback tonight during a playthrough of my new game "Roads/Streets with No Name" Unpub continues to take my game from "this is decent" to, "dang, this is really fun" in so little time. Thanks to everyone who has played!

If you're at GAMA, go hang out with @darringtonpress.bsky.social and play my game! I need to live vicariously. Please send pictures.

Did I... just break Cartographers? I don't think I've ever scored NEARLY this much in a solo game. 30 is the "high" score, I had 79...

Trivia was fun tonight! @nkjemisin.bsky.social had a feature!

Play as one of the iconic companions of #CriticalRole Campaigns 1–3, including Trinket, Mister, and Pâté, in an all-new fast-paced card game race with a touch of whimsy from Darrington Press this April 7th! ✨ LEARN MORE & PRE-ORDER ⬇️ https://critrole.com/a-familiar-find-coming-soon/

Y'ALL. I MADE A THING. darringtonpress.com/afamiliarfind/

I'm teaching a college-level board game design class. One of my student groups designed a card game appropriate for the mass market. If I had designed it, I'd be reaching out to Hasbro yesterday. So..... Anybody know anyone at Hasbro? :D

I think(?) this may be one of my proudest accolades on a game. @jontexmo.bsky.social I -believe- this was directly after @wunfatkid.bsky.social convinced me to play Dead Last at late night Unpub. I remember the advice, despite everything. "DO NOT COMPROMISE ON THE THEME. THIS IS THE THEME."

Do you like puzzles? Go here: sufferbox.com/perimeter

Follow the Leder. @patrickleder.bsky.social

Thanks to everyone at PAX and @unpub.org that made my convention excellent. I'm so glad I was able to catch up with so many of you. Quality time is so valuable, and I was lucky to be gifted yours!

I'm at the PaxU Marriott! Anyone around to hang?

Just saw a MAGA dude on my local Facebook page make an actually good gender joke and I am REELING. "If Trump identified as a woman, they would call it NO QUEENS." Because yes. Yes we would.

My partner just got published! authors.elsevier.com/c/1lWEfgeXDzG5 She developed an assay that has been able to map out nearly EVERY point mutation in a gene that causes colorectal cancer. Her assay can predict, with 100% accuracy(!!!) if a particular mutation is pathogenic. Crazy awesome.

I just saw @czechgames.com post about the HP license. This... is not it. "we encourage everyone to approach discussion with care, empathy, and respect", and then turns comments off. Care, empathy, and respect are the opposite of what Rowling is championing.

Cosigned. Seeing this come from @czechgames.com was surprising, and frankly disappointing. Y'all have been an excellent company to everyone you've worked with. You make innovative and crazy games literally no one else will make. Please consider Calvin's suggestions seriously.

Y'all. Blue Prince. It's a masterpiece. I've now had FOUR jaw-dropping moments of realization, and I don't even think I'm halfway through. The puzzles are so well designed and subtly hidden. store.steampowered.com/app/1569580/...

Uh oh. There goes the rest of my free time. Congratulation @matthewdunstan.bsky.social !!

I'm not at GAMA. Please give me cool stories. FOMO'ing something hard.

Hey all! I'd like to play more Board Game Arena with y'all. My screen name there is Zangzabar.

In Daybreak, apparently it's possible to achieve drawdown in round 2 thanks to the Global Efficiency standards and some lucky draws! @mattleacock.bsky.social during playtesting, I'm curious if anyone found a combo that triggers drawdown in round 1?

Hi! I'm Ian. I have been working in the board game industry for over 10 years. Would love to connect! Note: Bluesky for me is a positive place. If your only posts and reposts are political, you will be blocked.

The current state of Facebook, in a nutshell. I block EVERY page that is "suggested" to me to follow. This continued for two more full scrolls, with none of my -actually- followed pages and friends.

This is next up for us!

Just played Firewatch for the first time. A game hasn't resonated with me in a while quite like that. @richsommer.pizza , your voice acting was phenomenal. I could feel the emotion of Henry's situation come through in such a subtle way.

If you're a fan of roguelikes and have Marvel Champions, I created an Ascension path similar to Slay the Spire's. I wasn't happy with the "more encounters please" method of difficulty scaling that Fantasy Flight recommended, so I came up with some neat stuff! drive.google.com/drive/folder...

Ooh, Magik is bae. Marauders didn't stand a chance.

Restickering my dividers for Marvel Champions. I forgot why I stopped designing big games. I do not miss carefully scoring 250 stickers. It's worth it for Champions, but DAMN.

Defenders of the Wild is a neat little design. Picked it up on a whim, but surprised me with its depth! @tlsimons.bsky.social @henryaudubon.bsky.social put together a compelling story of disaster mitigation.

We’ve got very limited copies of Kingdoms of the Deep by @ianzang.bsky.social at #BGGCON in the exhibit hall! Come check it out.

Block and Key has some weirdness, but the table presence is not to be ignored.

Did I get added to a feed? I've been followed by more people in the past week. It's great to have you here, but... How did you find me?

I am once again thanking @elizhargrave.bsky.social for Wingspan because I just logged FOURTEEN NEW BIRDS TODAY. #officialbirder

PSA: calories don’t count today.

We're THAT house.

My work asked "What do you do for fun", and this was my response.

I'm actually really impressed with CGE's new Codenames app. I'm Zangzabar on there if anyone wants to find me!

*playing twilight imperium* you see how I'm not destroying your homeworld and am merely asking for five trade goods? Very demure, very mindful.

I went to the Michigame design day today for the first time, and @xopherchan.bsky.social and I had the moment below.

We go to see the full solar eclipse. Something else!

Happy 31st hatch day to this feather butt.

These are GOOD

Finished up the updates to my 2-player card game that got tested and "finished" at Unpub. It is SINGING right now. Any publishers interested in checking out a 51-card, 2-player, 10 minute heads-up card game. It was several folks "game of the con" at Unpub.

You know what, I'm owning it. Human Chaos Bomb. Beep Boop.