Great observation here that you typically elicit emotion from games by triggering them through design and content -- though I would not underestimate aiming for the holistic emotional impact of a game the way you plan a nice meal or paint a picture

I Kickstarted The Bonsai Diary last year to have the experience of running a crowdfund. That carried me to an Origins Award nomination, opening up my next learning experience: running (part of) a booth at Origins! (I'll be sharing space with @thebodhanagroup.bsky.social 😇) What advice do you have?!

Love this for the team, and also: nothing turns me off more than those "Funded in 3 minutes" brags... who cares? It tells me nothing about the product.

One item I forgot to include in yesterday's Designed in the DMV newsletter: author M.K. England will be signing copies of "Roll for Love," a queer teen romance set in rural America AND a D&D campaign: 📅 Sat, May 9 🕑 2pm 📍 @peoplesbooktakoma.com, Takoma Park MD peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/roll-f...

Two amazing interactions around my game Sanibel in the last couple days: 1. A young girl (I'm guessing 11ish?) came to my event last night. She sat in the front row and shot her hand up with one of the first questions for me. After playing, she came over to talk more...

Lots of opportunities to design games or meet game designers here in the DC - Maryland - Virginia region. Check out our latest newsletter with event listings right here: dmv-designed-games.beehiiv.com/p/tabletop-g... 🛎️ Subscribe so you don't miss anything!

One of the most provocative ideas from talking with Paul and Jason about journaling games on Building the Game podcast: youtube.com/shorts/pUfs0...

🗨️🧠 What games have you made or do you imagine making because of a phrase stuck in your head?

Great game by @goblinmixtape.bsky.social - can't wait to listen!

Designed in the DMV is a collective of tabletop game designers across DC, Maryland, and Virginia (not just the DC metro area). We promote events where analog gaming enthusiasts can meet designers and play our games. Interested? Sign up for our newsletter! dmv-designed-games.beehiiv.com

gee wiz, I now have a RPG Geek AND a BGG profile, and they're not the same still, it's pretty neat that I exist there! rpggeek.com/rpgitem/4692...

My friend is undergoing his third round of cancer treatment, and I am humbled that The Bonsai Diary is offering him some entertainment / distraction. (His treatment is particularly arduous, requiring week-long stays). I'm glad it's providing some comfort as he's one of my inspirations for making...

I think my favorite bit this conversation is that I've been writing a zine about how and why to make small journaling games, which will include one I made inspired by a quote that's been stuck in my head my whole adult life, and from the presumption that ...

I made it my mission over these past 6 years to change careers to a job that actually fueled my energy rather than sapped it of me. Play and games are incredible, precious things we all deserve to experience—and getting to hone that craft every day is a blessing.

I'm finally continuing my The Awards 2022 retrospective with Picket Line Tango, a Mothership zine adventure by Emily Weiss (published by @ianyusem.bsky.social) Also, there are 3 days left to self-nominate to be a judge for The Awards 2026! Don't miss out on your chance: forms.gle/mg1A4JmtxrTn...

I'm not claiming that you could collect all the designs if you bought five copies of The Ink That Bleeds from Paul, but I'm not not saying that either.

I think fundamentally it's about whether the publisher sees games as art and designers as artists to be respected with a vision to be supported, or whether they see games as products and designers as interchangeable, easily-exploitable labor

Sometimes I wonder if we design ourselves into a box when we try to create "games" rather than start from the experience of play, then worry about whether something "is a game" and "mechanics" and all of that later. Go read this thread in its entirety, it'll challenge you in great ways:

The Bonsai Diary has a simple premise: all trees tell a story. It offers a unique method to capture that story in a drawing or painting: youtube.com/shorts/wkyC7...

I had such a great time talking with Paul and Jason about journaling games. I learned a LOT. Take a listen!

I've met some world-famous game designers, but none have impressed me like Anne Anderson. She's working on a strategy game called "DC Statehood Now!" (Yes, the exclamation point is part of the game's name, but should be in her name too) 1/▶️

How do concerns about AI shape people's sense of community & information trust online? CAT Lab surveyed thousands of redditors in @askhistorians.bsky.social to find out. Our survey is special because we surveyed viewers, commenters, and banned accounts. (1/🧵) www.reddit.com/r/AskHistori...

Periodic reminder: We have a little collective of local tabletop game designers called Designed in the DMV! If you're local, come join us! We collaborate on events, doing game demos, working with local shops, meetups, and other stuff! Most discussion is on discord. www.designedinthedmv.org

I think that's a fascinating piece of #gamedesign thinking. Yes, games are a dialogue between creator(s) and people who play them. In a solo game it is easier to see the communication occuring between the two. #ttrpg #sologames

You're minding your own business when suddenly you wake up with wings on your back and a few hours to find a mate before you die. Here's the zine I made in penance for all the bugs I've ever inhaled. There's a cool little dexterity puzzle inside! (Link after the jump) ▶️

Games are a dialogue between creator and player, most obviously so in a solo game. The relationship between the bare tree and the clouds/moon in the picture Josh posted feels like something we made "together"

I love print and play games, but nothing beats the feeling of opening a special package in the mail. Thanks @ex1stgames.bsky.social for this special copy of we&we

Yes, you can grow bonsai on a train! I want to emphasize that drawing skills are not required to enjoy The Bonsai Diary -- but I am loving the way Josh's tree looks!

We are in the LAST WEEK of funding #LyricalLudology Season 2 😮 We've hit our fund goal, which means you can back with confidence 😎 While the Gender Wizard tier is all gone, you can still be a Summoner or make me say your name in a silly voice on air 😆 Back now! www.backerkit.com/c/projects/n...

I strongly believe there's no "wrong" way to play a journaling game, so I resisted making a how-to video for The Bonsai Diary. But a trusted friend and experienced designer shared that he could have used some tips in the first few pages. That changed my mind: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CDJ... 1/▶️

Traditional RPGs tell you what happens, and you decide how your character reacts. It's a common bit of advice to GMs: don't tell your players how they feel. But what if the game instead tells you how you feel, and you need to figure out why? What can we achieve when we reverse the formula?

It's a universal game. We all feel the six things are a part of our struggles in the world. Even if we've never been arrested or near death we feel them as present possibilities.

Glatisant is a nominee for Best Rules for IGDNs Groundbreakers Awards! When designing this asymmetrical two player game we really wanted the Knight to feel like they were chasing, and the Beast to feel like they were leading. You can read about the rules in a few places:

Last weekend I visited Boston/Cambridge, where I lived for 15 years. I got to visit Pandemonium Books & Games, just a few blocks from my last apartment. I was delighted to find my game, The Bonsai Diary, there amidst an oasis of other small-press / indie games... 1/▶️

Yes I am indeed writing a paper on the least amount of mechanics a game can have. It's called The Bonsai Diary

QE by Gavin Birnbaum is a great example of subtractive design: what if blind auction game, but no money? The answer is a social deduction game with a press your luck twist. Last night was my group's second play of this game. Our economist was there the first time, and between the two of us 1/▶️

In penance for all the gnats I inhale every spring, I made this tiny journaling game about finding your one-in-a-million love as a gnat. The drawing mechanic of this one is a-maze-ing: stickydoodler.itch.io/gnat

You can now watch @connievdc.bsky.social's 2026 Unpublished Games Festival for yourself: youtu.be/0bGs8WSxZE0 This is one video where you can't listen at 1.5x speed because it's PACKED FULL OF GOOD STUFF

Truly nothing uplifts my soul like seeing people getting something out of my games. Thanks, Josh, for sharing these moments. If you've enjoyed someone's game recently, take just a minute to say so! You have no idea how much it means to us. 💚

Finally playing The Bonsai Diary every day. I started one a few months ago but didn't commit until this week. I'm loving it as a small contemplative slice of my day @stickydoodler.bsky.social #ttrpg #journalinggame #sologame

I'm very proud to back this podcast. If you believe, as I do, that games can be art -- even poetry -- you should at least listen to season one and decide for yourself that it's worth supporting.

Sharing that I design tabletop games blew open a panel discussion about "Redefining Success" at my 25th law school reunion. Many nodded along when a panelist shared that he hadn't defined success when he started his career, so he optimized for money because it was easy to measure... 1/▶️

What are your absolute favorite solo RPGs? I'm talking about the solo TTRPGs that you wish you could experience again for the first time or the ones you return to over and over.

Creating a maze of gnats one gnat at a time is possibly the most tedious thing I've ever done for a throwaway game idea but else are you gonna do at the airport

I met @sidequestbooks.bsky.social at PAX Unplugged and wow I love this place. Check out their selection of solo games -- just one of four boxes of indie zines (more after the jump). (Tag yourself if you see your game!) ▶️

I spent many happy years in Central Square, Cambridge MA, right down the street from where Pandemonium Books & Games is now. So it warms my heart to see The Bonsai Diary in the shelves of their EXTENSIVE indie books section. (Pandemonium works a lot with @ipr.bsky.social !)

Exciting news from @breakmygame.com! They're offering regular playtesting 🎲✂️ events at these locations: 🏠 House Rules - Grand Rapids, MI 🔭 Modern Explorers Guild - Midland MI 🦉 Owl Central Games - Lancaster, PA 🏯 Game Kastle - Austin, TX 🏰 Game Kastle - Greenville, SC ! 🤩 Wow 🤩 !

Jessica posted a really cool preview of her Bonsai Diary experience! youtube.com/clip/Ugkxap1...

Cole's essay is an interesting exploration of games as a cultural commons vs games as intellectual property. (I commented with the most notorious example of this tension: Monopoly). But personally I get more out of seeing games as essays in community management and self-governance. After all, ...

The Bonsai Diary got a delightful writeup on Instagram: "I'm not great at drawing, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that you don't really need to be an artistic person to play. I think that the "tracing" element is incredibly clever." www.instagram.com/p/DW49aiCjhrF/