[#002] Scratch-off stickers, a fascinating academic paper (yes, really), and a new contest

Looking back at the year that was

Yeah, I know, most people won't really get to that for another week or two. They usually want to get to Christmas without the kids seeing their presents or a fight with the in-laws or a thousand other stresses that crop up.

I wish everyone a happy holidays, but also, I wish you will remember to take some time to relax and get away from the holiday weirdness... you know, by playing games.

So what was your biggest game-related accomplishment this year? Hit reply to share.

Personally, I think it was getting everything with No Box Games up and running. Finding the right people to make up the team, identifying how we'll work together (we've made a game and I don't think we've ever met IRL!), producing and marketing the Kickstarter, keeping up with people's questions in the comments and on Board Game Geek, finding previewers, and a thousand other things.

Something I learned about game design this week

Although much of my playtesting is still being done online, there are plenty of reasons to have physical prototypes around. This goes double for games that can't be played virtually — gotta find the time and place to play those in real life.

A couple of things I've recently bought to help with physical prototyping (and full disclosure, these are affiliate links of things I've actually bought with my own money):

• Scratch-off stickers - Great for legacy style games, a 'fog of war' mechanic, or covering anything up for a time. This size (1.9 x 0.6", or 4.8 x 1.5 cm) is pretty flexible, but other offerings are essentially a full sheet to let you cut any size you want. Either way, a clear plastic layer underneath the scratch-off part protects the card from overzealous scratching.

• Overhead transparency film - great for printing clear cards or tiles. The difference between 'rough' (the side you CAN print on) and 'smooth' (the side you CANNOT print on) is pretty subtle, so keep them in the package!

• Clear vinyl stickers - print on them like glossy photo paper, then peel and attach to the transparency film.

You can also laminate those clear vinyl stickers - I stuck them directly onto the inside the laminating pouch. No issues with the heat, but attach carefully to avoid bubbles!

This is what that looks like for one of my prototypes - note you can still see the board's numbers through the piece, which is exactly what I wanted:

What I’ve been working on last week

• Released my first email newsletter (yes, this one)!

• Finished client work.

• Started work on a new game called Smite. Deck-building with some set collection, auctions, and asymmetric actions - think Dragon's Den with gods and mortals instead of 'Dragons' and inventors. Who to smite? Who to save?

• Playtested How Does Your Garden Grow.

• Worked on a solo mode for a game with a publisher.

What's coming up this week

• Playtest Smite

• Research publishers going to Nuremberg

• Iterate on some mass-market game ideas

• Work on a one-player puzzle version of a game

• Review a book I've recently received

Stuff I'm enjoying

It's always fun to find inspiration from video games. For today, the Real Civil Engineer has my vote, especially his videos on Poly Bridge 2 (all about making bridges or... structures... that get from A to B) inside a sandbox with a physics engine. Confused? Don't be. Just watch.

I learned about unlock.pics this week from Product Hunt. Selling a file (like a print-and-play game, a photo, etc.) shouldn't be rocket science, and this looks to be about as simple as it gets. No affiliation, haven't tested, just thought it looked solid.

This formal academic paper entitled "Unpacking “Boardgames With Apps”: The Hybrid Digital Boardgame Model" was written in 2021, and makes for a fascinating rabbit hole to explore.

ICYMI

Jellybean Games is running a contest to make new games for a new edition of its game, The Lady and the Tiger. You have to use the cards and tokens that will be included in the box. Learn more at https://jellybean.games/contest/.

Also, if you live in the US or Canada (doesn't ship elsewhere, unfortunately) go pick up a copy of the Game Design Starter Kit from Gabe Barrett's shop. Normally $40, now $20.

New icons for free, anyone? "Atlas icons is a free and open-source library, licensed under MIT. Delivering 2,300+ Pixel perfect icons and more in the making." Change their color, size, stroke (thin, medium, or bold) in your browser before downloading. Learn more at https://atlasicons.vectopus.com.

Random picture of the day

Guess Where? (2004), the follow up to Guess Who? (1991). Found in a thrift shop in Birmingham, I hadn't heard of this game before. Seems to be a lot more cerebral than the iconic game you might have played as a kid. Still love this basic design, though, especially as I'm playing with more mass-market concepts.

One more thing...

The Lunchtime Game Challenge is live, and my game Around the World in 10-15 Minutes is a part of it! Go vote for it, pretty please? https://www.thegamecrafter.com/contests/lunchtime-game-challenge

Thanks for reading! What would you love to see in future issues? Hit the reply button and let me know =)

Cheers - Chris