Free-range thoughts about design, writing, and play
There’s a trap to look out for when you design a word game: it can’t be about the words. That sounds contradictory, doesn’t it? But avoiding that trap has been key to the success of word games from the classic Scrabble to the recent iOS release Capitals from Nimblebit.
When I saw the Kickstarter for Rikki Tahta’s new game Melee, a herd of thoughts stampeded through my brain. “He created Coup! I love Coup!” came first, followed by “Will my wife notice me backing yet another Kickstarter?” and “What will I do if a big box of games arrives in September?”
As I mentioned in my last blog post, I’ve been traveling around and doing some consulting for the last few months. I didn’t have a lot of time to write blogs or manage the group, but it seemed to get along just fine without me. We’re now at 200 members and growing, so the question…
This blog has been dormant for too long! I’m happy to report that despite the six months of travel that kept me away from the keyboard, the San Marcos Board Gamers are going strong and meeting several times a month. I also had the chance to pick up some tips about gaming from the Headingley…
I’m spending some time up in Massachusetts consulting for HitPoint Studios, and one of the many things I like about the company is its game night. They get together every other week to share new games and old favorites, which gave me a great excuse to introduce them to Bohnanza.
How old do you have to be to play Wits and Wagers Family Edition? It’s hard to say, but yesterday my preschooler beat the pants off the rest of this family in this “age six and up” game from North Star Games. She had a blast doing it, too. So what’s the formula that makes…
Last month wasn’t so great for blog posts, but it was a winner for October meetups and memberships!
New families, new games… it was a busy September meetup at the San Marcos Public Library last week.
It was a dark and scary night! The convention function room was silent, waiting for the little girl’s response. She hefted the mike, put a steely look on her face, and firmly told the villagers, “I am NOT a werewolf!”
September is here! And while it may still feel like summer down here in Central Texas, the seasons are changing and fall is on the way. Which leads me to wonder: why don’t games do more with slow changes like seasons?