𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝘇𝗶𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲.

It was a very useful and honest test. Most players seemed to like the theme, but one thing became clear: the current version gives players too little agency.

Too often the game says “you cannot” instead of asking “what risk are you willing to take?”

I think I already felt that, but the test helped me name it.
The ritual is not dead. It needs rebuilding. 🔥
#BoardGameDesign #Playtesting #TabletopGames #SlavicTraditions

Board game design meetup: Join us at ThinkTank Adelaide on 16 May 12:30-17:00 @ Dragon's Lair, Edwardstown.

#BoardGameDesign #Adelaide

Interesting thing about board game UX:
Removing even a few visual separations and regrouping actions differently can dramatically change how “heavy” a game feels before the first turn even begins.

Currently testing a streamlined 3.5 location structure for “Vienna 1814: Waltz of Nations”.

One of the key changes: each sphere now revolves around a single-action choice structure.

Comparison screenshots below.

#BoardGameDesign #Eurogames #HistoricalGames #TabletopGames

A recent episode of the Game Design Deep Dive, featuring the podcast host, Dan Bullock, in conversation with prolific board game designer of many historical and storytelling games, Cole Wehrle, got me thinking about something I had never really questioned before: who we actually are when we play board games. Player roles are often afterthoughts, taken for granted as part of the theme or setting. However, the more I thought about it, the more it became clear that they shape how we understand a game, how we make decisions, and even how they influence our emotions as we engage with what is happening on the table.

Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/05/player-roles-who-we-are-in-board-games-topic-discussion/
Listen to the audio version here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0QNUh5WhuyUiQBpnbryvpf?si=B9QQgX4DQDyXPvKXbCIskw

(Photo by Simon Haslett on Unsplash)

#boardgames #BoardGameDesign #design

Hey - it's official. I have a new game on #BoardGameGeek ! My retro-future demolition derby game #VroomZoomBoom is scheduled to Kickstart in early 2027.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/469267/vroom-zoom-boom

#BoardGames #Kickstarter #BoardGameDesign #GameDesign

The joys of laser cut prototypes.

#boardGameDesign

I have a coffee and an almond croissant, and I’m editing games rules in a café. I should do this more.

#boardGameDesign

Les Mécanicartes de Prismatik reviennent sous forme d'une application web :
https://app.mecanicartes.fr/cartes

Piochez dans la liste de ludèmes autour du matériel, des actions et des émotions pour analyser un jeu existant ou créer le votre.

#j2s #boardgamedesign

Board game design meetup: Join us at ThinkTank Adelaide on 18 April 12:30-17:00 @ Dragon's Lair, Edwardstown.

#BoardGameDesign #Adelaide

Interesting article looking at degenerate game states:

https://www.skeletoncodemachine.com/p/degenerate-game

#boardGameDesign