I was very happy to chat with @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social about the what, why, and how of Hawk & Dove. Liz is always a pleasure and asks many good questions (as you'll hear me say about 15 times in this). Hit our website and join the newsletter to follow for more!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJVc...
Sorry I missed your tag! Couldn’t remember which username was yours.
Looking forward to seeing it, and you!
The thing is, these don't even count all the incredible published games that hit the table. Especially new stuff like Seljuk, Bretwalda, Thee Guerilla Generation, China's War, Baltic Empires, Cross Bronx Expressway, and Chicago '68, among many others. This convention slaps so hard!
Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my own games (by @rollplusfun.bsky.social). I'll be demoing Spindletop, my game about oil prospecting in early 20th century Texas, as well as Painkillers, a depressing game about the opioid crisis that started in the 1990s in the USA. Check 'em out!
The hose @fortcircle.bsky.social is also going to have several cool games in the mix: Hunt for Bklackbeard (including a sweet trophy for a tourney winner); First Monday in October, about the history and legacy of the Supreme Court; and The Halls of Montezuma, about the Mexican-American War.
Other interesting games I hope to peek at over players' shoulders: Cabinet Noir by @writegameread.bsky.social, Drachen by @volko.bsky.social, and Echo from the Dark by @blinks.itch.io. All very different but doing new and interesting things in their own ways.
Very excited to see where An Infamous Traffic, by @colewehrle.bsky.social through @wehrlegig.games, sits at the moment. I had the chance to play it in November, and it felt smooth. For those who don't know, it's a 2nd edition of a game about the British Empire's Chinese opium trade in the 19th c.
I'm always a fan of games by @danbullock.bsky.social and he's bringing both Blood and Treasure, about United States defense contractors in Afghanistan, and Fruit, about the United Fruit Company's exploits in Latin America. Dan's games always hit hard and with the sharpest edges, in a great way.
I won't get to play it this time, but @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social is running Foxes and Lions again, an epic 5-player game about the Italian Wars of the 16th century in the legacy of Here I Stand. This game will be very cool when it's finally done.
From @alexknight.bsky.social I am always happy to see Hammer & Sickle on the table, an interesting 4-player game about the Russian Civil War. And I finally get to play his new game Dethrone on the French Revolution. Can't wait to see Alex's take on that particular conflict!
At Circle DC this year, I am super excited to see games from some of my favorite designers! This'll be a thread about some of the most exciting ones (to me).
First, Chalice of Poison by Akar Bharadvaj, is an incisive look at the struggles of managing authoritarian govts in the Iran-Iraq War
Circle DC is one of two historical conventions (other is SDHistCon) I've attended each year for a few years now, and the combination of publishers, prototypes from top-notch designers, recently published games, old classics, and general good fun at both events is unrivaled.
A week from today, we'll be flying to attend Circle DC, hosted by @fortcircle.bsky.social! Looking forward to seeing everyone and especially checking out all the games that are still in development.
This is going to be very cool.
Go check out this fascinating game about Agincourt. Plus, it has screen-printed meeples! And @josephnschmidt.bsky.social is a very good dude who deserves your support.
Two weeks ago, we announced our existence to the world. People have been super supportive, and I genuinely appreciate everyone who has shown us kindness.
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This week on the pod, I talked to Taylor Shuss about Walkable City, as well as several other projects. Check it out! @drawnonward.bsky.social youtu.be/SzqDZmmki6s
Game designs aren't "bad" because they choose to use specific mechanisms. Designs can be bad, but most of the time that happens when designers don't take enough care with marrying the game's setting/theme and its mechanisms. Esp. in historical design, the model must fit with the mechanisms.
This is a great video by Matthew. Check it out.
Most of what Big Pasti mentions is publisher choice.
The design process should be rooted in each individual game and what it needs to express itself best. That may include eliminating players, roll and move, or any other supposedly "bad" choices.
I own about 120 board games. I'm moving across the Atlantic within the next two months. How many games can/should I take with me? Tough decisions to be made...
Thanks! I'm very proud of this game.
Thanks for the interest! I don't think we're quite at the point of doing PnP or unguided tests, but I'll keep you in mind for when the game is ready for that stress testing!
I saw and played a bunch of other games too - games about eternal soups and poisonous plants and cutesy monsters and feeble beetles. Being surrounded by so much creativity and joy is incredibly enriching. I’m grateful to all for their games, time, and thoughtfulness.
The third is called Small Steps to Fight Fascism. It’s a cooperative game about things anyone can do to resist authoritarian regimes, small every day thing that build resilient communities, which are then ready to resist in big ways during major crises.
Another is called Rex Regnat, a trick taking game about the Polish-Lithuanian constitution of 1791. It’s an interesting game about a unique political moment of hope, and one that allows for some good tension among players as they “debate” the future of their country.
One was The Last Olive Tree, an 18-card game (with a few tokens) that paints a portrait of the erosion of the Palestinian olive oil industry over the past 100 years. It’s tough and tight and poignant. An extremely evocative game in a small package.
On the historical side, I saw several interesting things. I wasn’t expecting a lot of strong historical entries at Unpub, since that’s not the focus of the con and it’s a pretty small gaming niche. But I should have known better - too many cool designers attend for there not to be historical entries
Sellout Studio by @coo.games and Joe Kell is my new favorite party game, and it’s not even published. Players are writers pitching ideas to the editor of a tv show, trying to sneak in their words, but they’ve sold out to corp. sponsors and want product placements. Hilarious and wild.
The Great Patch by @palanion.bsky.social is an interesting look at the great pacific garbage patch and efforts to address it. With a 3D element based around pick up sticks, the game models the breakdown of microplastics and the difficulty of removing them. I look forward to its development!
I’m a huge fan of what @lunarpunk.games is doing and I got to play two of their games this weekend - Camp Charmwood and Bread. Both do really interesting things in the unranked games space, giving players the choice to collaborate or not toward end game objectives. Lots of thoughts on CC especially