I just pick the most simple element as the base for everything and give it a value of one and then cost everything against it except if I reach something that would have a cost of ten or more I delete the game and read a book instead because what am I some sort of human calculator I don't think so
When we went from 1000 to 250, more than one person thought I was dying.
In the few trick-takers I've worked on, I've always tried to use a thematically appropriate word or phrase, even before the orange pestilence era. So "Scariest Monster" in Fright Factor, or just "Most Powerful" in a couple others. Players will still call it what they want though.
If enough publishers opt to use a platform like this, I feel it will help undo a lot of the harm that crowdfunding has inflicted on game development in the past decade.
Everyone should check their spam folder for notice of a class action settlement in Taylor v. Google. It's 100% legit; punch in your info on the settlement website so you'll get surprise money down the road.
Also, the irony that a lawsuit against Google ends up in my Gmail spam folder...
You've got two of the big ones already, but I can also suggest The Game and Mansions of Madness.
If you tell yourself "I love trick taking games, but I can't play them in October because none of them are scary," then be sure to pick up a copy of Fright Factor before they're all gone, and then you can play trick taking games in October. Otherwise you have to stop, sorry I don't make the rules.
A whole pineapple with a hand written post it note declaring "Passive aggressive pineapple" seated on a small table.
My wife is trying to send me a message in a language I do not understand.
Those are more late summer varietal boxes.
Board game boxes are so useful! I've even heard there's fun things inside sometimes, but you need extra people to help with them.
A wire rack holding a number of board game boxes. Atop the boxes are plant starts in various stages of early growth, just under some LED light panels.
Hobbies, amirite?
But you DO only make X kind of game.
X = really great
Sounds like you could make a killing with whatever copies you have left, perhaps with the username This Is Not The Designer Not Selling A Game That Is Not About A Pipe.
This past weekend got some gaming in, some treats, & got to connect with @nickferris.bsky.social in person!
Great times~
Tim has found the ideal review format.
Nick's Game Design Tip of the Day.
Stuck on something in your game? Write the rules for that part, even if it's broken, or even if you haven't designed it yet. Sometimes just writing in the area of a problem gives your brain the means to solve it. 🎲✂️
Considering I've watched it three times now, I'm ready to proclaim Starfleet Academy as my favorite Trek series premiere of all time.
Please watch this show so it gets a proper run. (Maybe, dare I ask, a 20-episode season?)
@jenniesue.bsky.social and I ate about 3% of those cookies. They are delicious and so are the games, so you should all come check out the cafe sometime!
This is a smartly curated best-of selection for 2025--perhaps the one I've seen so far with which I most agree.
(Yes I'm on it, but I swear that's only 4% of the reason why this list is so great.)
LITTLE DRUMMER BOY: I have no gift to bring.
BABY JESUS: Nice drum.
LITTLE DRUMMER BOY: ...
BABY JESUS: ...
LITTLE BOY: ...
BABY DRUMMER JESUS: New plan, Mom and Dads. I'm starting a band.
Wizardologist is sold out! (A few copies are still in transit to purchasers; a few are on hold for those I've spoken with.)
Final donation tally to the Trans Youth Emergency Project between PAX Unplugged sales and after: $1345.00
I cannot express my appreciation to the board game community enough.
Wholeheartedly agree. @hokiestone.bsky.social did such a phenomenal job with this one. All I want for Christmas is to make a worker placement game half as good as Santa's Workshop!
A sealed copy of the game Fright Factor by Nick Ferris (me) with illustrations by A. Giroux who is amazing and is going to continue to take the board game illustration world by storm into 2026 and beyond, also the game itself is great too. Published by New Mill Industries. The game is sitting on the corner of a brown table. In the background, seasonally appropriate holiday tree, a table, the back of a sofa, and part of one of those pretentious sliding barn doors.
Look at this thing.
PLEASE LOOK AT THIS THING.
Thank you.
Just a casual Monday text-only post to say I'm expecting to mail the last copies of A Wizardologist Most Hexasperated this week. DM to order. After that, I'll have a few copies left you could get if you find me in person, and that's that. Options for its future are still being explored. 🧙♂️✨
Yes, it's very heavily implied and might immediately turn away some folks who think werewolf = deduction. But also yes, a game can have werewolves and not be social deduction. Probably would need something in the title or box art to quickly distinguish this.
Today is a "Go to the grocery store and hand-pick individual green beans out of a pile in the produce section" kind of day.
There are no stores that have that around here.
So I guess it's just Tuesday.
Remaining copies of games featured at the Indie Games Night Market at PAX Unplugged, like Houdini's Last Act, are starting to pop up online. Be sure to keep a lookout for them here and wherever else their designers tend to hang out, or you might miss them forever!
Last chance for Bluesky folks to snag a copy before I open up orders to the unwashed masses of the world!
For those who have already ordered, thank you!, and your packages are packed and ready to go to the post office by this Friday.
"No, it's just those two." (Mental note to avoid this person forever.)
I'm going to start carrying around board game proselytization pamphlets I can just hand to people and then quietly walk away. (But then I come back two minutes later with a stack of games to play.)
Try it now!