Third Layer Games

Hand to God: a man named Kirk drew the Spock card. Here are four seniors — three women and one man — all trying to do the Vulcan greeting, one woman full-body laughing. (Heart)

Five people sit at a table playing our game, including three women and one man from the Senior Center, and one of our bankers from First Fed.

One of our goals is to create different versions: kids, travel, literary, Finland, etc.

And: a senior edition! We just playtested at a senior center, and they absolutely lit up while playing.

Making board games is the best job in the world. 🥰

boardgames #community

Whoo-hoo! 🎉

You'd think there'd be a bigger demand for thinkers these days.

Inspired by last weeks crowdfunding conference, we finally ordered the first actual prototype of our game, which meant learning a whole new set of skills and creating over 400 cards :) Thanks @thegamecrafter.bsky.social for making the process easier!

Awesome; thank you!!

You know what’s amazing? They’re scattered in, but those exact three are our top three choices. 🤯🙀😊

Crowdfunded Summit Games 2025 Learn how to crowdfund your tabletop game on Kickstarter directly from the experts

PS. The conference goes until 5pm: games.crowdfundedsummit.com/schedule/?ut...

They say to take care of your brain, learn new things.

We’re at this *amazeballs* online conference for self-publishing board game designers, put on by @launchboom.bsky.social. (Designers: So valuable. And free!)

Next level unlocked: Dementia staved off another 17.3 months.

#boardgames

Board game names!

1. Perceptual
2. That Makes Sense
3. Subjective
4. Imagine That
5. Story Over Sense
6. Senseption
7. Pet the Bear
8. Six Layers
9. Lincoln Hates Beets
10. You As We Are

Which one do you most *want* to play?

#boardgames #naminghelp

The shortcut to close bonds? Asking meaningful questions The right questions can help us connect with strangers – and create closer bonds between parents and children.

To get to know someone on a deeper level, ask deeper questions. ☺️

www.bbc.com/future/artic...

‘By acknowledging this evolutionary heritage and consciously choosing how to respond to ancient drives, we can achieve greater peace w our desires while still honoring the fundamental human need for growth and connection.’ 💓

Translated: Buy stuff. But don’t skip game night.

@psychologytoday.com

I just learned that emus don't actually hide their heads in the sand. What?? #MindBlown ... Still, I really like "Emu hiding their head in the sand" as a perspective. Can we keep it? -JJ

Our game’s ‘Sense’ cards lists their category (taste, interoception, etc).

In playtests, people *love* declaring almost rebelliously: “Oh, I didn’t even LOOK at the sense!”

Q: Why is skipping the ‘hint’ so emotionally satisfying?

#cogsci #behavior #neuroscience #psych #boardgamedesign

A blue- and brown-eyed husky sitting on the floor at the groomers after getting her ears and tail dyed in stripes of red, yellow and green. Which tracks: No stillness in huskies. ☺️🐕

🚨 Alert
🍋 Challenge
🌿 Calm
🧊 The blues

Creativity moves through all of ‘em.

A board game-to-be with the Sense cards: Longing, Machete, Losing a tooth, Making mischief, Lust, and Marooned on a desert island.

Coming up with Sense cards for our board game (name *still* TBD) is the most fun thing e-var. 🤩♟️🎲
#boardgame #perception

My brain thinks summer goes til end of Sept. Then, the leaves start changing in end of Aug/beginning of Sept. Late summer: the xennial of seasons.

Outdoor concert on the grass with people on low chairs.

Which of these evokes bigger feelings: a Concert, a Rock Concert or Outdoor Concert? As inspired by the Waxahatchee concert at the Zoo couple of days ago :)

A mosaic bench in Mexico of two skeletons getting married.

Testing some weirder ‘You As’ Perspective cards. Any ‘oh totally!’ or ‘hell no’ first impressions?

* You on your deathbed
* You + bad life choices
* You on the Death Star
* Your liver, personified
* Your evil twin
* You, vomiting

#playtesting #boardgames #creativethinking

This just *looks* fun!

That seems like a lot?

Guess I should have paid attention that day in math class. 😁

(Thinks for paying attention that day in math class.)

a man with a beard is surrounded by mathematical equations on his face Alt: Zach Galifianikis with an expression akin to the one we have now: staring at floating big numbers like, whoa.

Math help! 🧮

Our game has:

100 ‘Perception’ cards with 401 categories

+

600 ‘Senses’ (300 double-sided cards)

(Each turn = draw 1 Perception and 6 Senses)

=

ChatGPT says that equals 177 trillion possible play combinations. Can that be right??

#math #boardgames #AI

The most frightening AI-generated image imaginable (lightning bolts, disembodied fingers, etc) of a bug-eyed Lincoln and a bunch of floating eyeballs freaking out about a plate of beets.

We started out as 'Lincoln Hates Beets.' The AI art still haunts me.

We've considered 'Words Over Whiskey', 'Slugs Over Slogans,' 'Siltaso,' and 'Pet the Bear.' Sigh. Naming is haaaa-aaaard! (Maybe we should check with Jennifer to see if she'd mind? 😂)

Concept Cells Help Your Brain Abstract Information and Build Memories | Quanta Magazine Individual cells in the brain light up for specific ideas. These concept neurons, once known as “Jennifer Aniston cells,” help us think, imagine and remember episodes from our lives.

“…found some concept cells respond to abstract ideas like government and taxes…but more respond to things like Jennifer Aniston.”

Our game is pretty much that, w more petting bears. Promise we won’t name it ‘Jennifer Aniston Over Taxes’.

www.quantamagazine.org/concept-cell...
#boardgames

More playtesting! This time at Bundok Books in #Puyallup, WA with my OPALs creativity group. Pure. Joy. 😍 From Gem, an OPAL and the owner of Bundok:
"We can’t wait to carry this board game in stock and even have it on hand for customers to play on our Slow Sundays."

🥰

Screen image of post that reads: “We giggled and loved thinking about how other characters would feel about various objects: for example, would I-5 (yes the interstate) prefer bacon or getting a compliment? What does Indiana Jones think about stiletto heels? We can’t wait to carry this board game in stock and even have it on hand for customers to play on our Slow Sundays.” We will join you, Gem and Sasha, for one of those Slow Sundays! ☺️ If you’re near #puyallup check out Bundok Books. The inclusive space carries local authors, underrepresented voices, and a curated selection that’ll make your overwhelmed brain sigh with relief. Grand opening is *this* weekend!

Gem describes our game perfectly. ☺️

If you’re near #puyallup this weekend, go check out Bundok Books’ grand opening. #indiebookstore #boardgames

Bonding over the love (or loathing) of beets, teeth cleanings, or the sound of a match striking is so weirdly powerful a way to connect, this is our entire board game.

#boardgamecommunity #boardgames #weirdlittlejoys

We share ~98.5% of our DNA with chimpanzees. Which would be nuttier if we didn't also share 98% with pigs, 70% with sea urchins and 60% with bananas.

(What happens when you're researching names for a board game.)

A brownish banana slug, about three inches long and slimy. But also surprisingly cute, for a slug. Or so we think.

Stinky cheese. The smell of gasoline. The first Martian colony. Cruises. Beets. Petting a bear. Getting your teeth cleaned. Banana slugs.

You know that thing you love (or hate) that everyone feels the opposite about? Here’s your chance to make your case. Coming Nov 2025. Name TBD.

#boardgames