Scott - Minerva 🦉

A picture of a card game in play. Each card has a word, a colour, and a symbol on. The first name reads ‘Stank Patrol 3000’ and the second reads ‘Mad Hard Barb’

I then tested Turbo Crusher Princess which I’m working on with Leo Samson, a light card game about creating increasingly ridiculous Mad Max-esque titles for your post-apocalyptic warlord. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of the Stank Patrol 3000?

A picture of a board game in progress. A number of 3D-printed logs are stacked up across the board, with beavers and birds sat upon them.

I played Dam Nation by Matt Hoather, a beautifully-produced prototype about beavers building up dams to cross a river whilst trying to claim to highest spot.

A picture of a number of people sat at tables in a board game cafe, playing board game prototypes.

We had one of our busiest playtesting sessions last night at The Ludoquist in South London, with three full tables playing ten different game designs!

These are the games I played 👇🏻

@playtestuk.bsky.social 🎲✂️

A picture of a card game in play. Each card has a word, a colour, and a symbol on. The first name reads ‘Stank Patrol 3000’ and the second reads ‘Mad Hard Barb’

I knocked up a quick prototype yesterday to test last night. The next version of the game will need brand new cards 😅

The game is Turbo Crusher Princess, a light card game about creating increasingly ridiculous Mad Max-esque titles for your post-apocalyptic warlord!

It's #CraftWednesday! Do you have a game-related crafting project in progress? It could be a prototype, print and play, upgrading the components of a favourite game, making an accessory or even something larger like a table or games room. Share a picture and join in! Please RP!

August 2025 Welcome to the Indie Tabletop Newsletter, hear from independent tabletop games designers about their current and upcoming projects. Take a look at the games we've already self-published and our upcomi...

August's #IndieTabletopNewsletter is live! Check out new games and crowd funding campaigns from @postcurious.bsky.social @stuffbybez.bsky.social @benny275.bsky.social Man O' Kent Games

atikingames.com/newsletter/a...

I’m seeking anyone interested in seriously organizing around #BlacklistCGE and distributing zines and information with others both online and in meat space, including future boycotts.

I’ve created a private discord server that I’ll let people into by my own discretion and safety.

Let me know!

It’s not necessary as there’s no narrative continuity, only thematic links, but rewatch 28 Days because it’s a great film 😛

Two paperback copies of my book The Game Changers

The back cover, with pull quotes and a blurb which reads: 'Why is playing games a universal human instinct? And how can those games make your life happier, healthier and more fulfilled? In this fascinating look at games through the ages, Tim Clare explores how, through play, we become fully ourselves. From Roman anti-cheating devices to organised crime card syndicates, from Pokémon's world domination to the combative domestic bonding ritual of Monopoly, The Game Changers explains why games are more popular now than ever, and how playing them helps us learn to be better losers, make smarter decisions and become more human'

Ahh! The paperback of The Game Changers just arrived! Out at the end of this month. If you like boardgames, card games or roleplaying games or you're just interested in how games shaped culture throughout history (& continue to do so today) I think you will dig it.

CGE still has not posted any type of follow up to this post.

Their credibility on actually caring about this issue is rapidly dwindling.

I have been a big fan of their work, and Vlaada is one of greatest designers of all time - making this all the more painful.

YouTube video by Matthew Dunstan One game design practice I've changed that saves me a lot of time

My latest video talks about one of the things I have changed about my game design practice that has saved me the most time - minimising the work I do on a game before I test it.

youtu.be/Yy1c-57mvaU

🎲✂️

Punchboard - Board game reviews and previews Board game reviews and previews

@punchboard.co.uk just passed the 5 year mark doing this weird part of our hobby that is criticism. Check out Adam's work and give him a follow. He covers newer games and writes very well.

punchboard.co.uk

The letters AB CON, large and in white, on a blue background. A chess pawn is inside the A, two dice inside the B, and an outline map of Africa inside the O. Faded in the background are people playing board games.

Four pictures of people sitting around tables playing board games.

Africa’s longest-running board game convention, Nigeria's AB Con, is hoping to double its attendance this year after exceeding its goal in its latest, ongoing Kickstarter:

boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...

The KS is still live if you're able to help @nibcard.bsky.social and the team with backing!

“But Doctor, I *am* Mr. James!”

Board game company fucks around (announcing new Harry Potter game), finds out (when fans revolt and media announce boycotts):

aftermath.site/harry-potter-j...

Speak for yourself!

Too good 😂

Glad to hear it! And thanks for being an early supporter of the event 😊

Mike actually attended our first Playfest in 2022 with an early version! I saw it in a photo from that event and it reminded me 😀

It’s great to see games that have been playtested at Playfest London finding their deserved success! Grab Bag Jungle joining a ever-growing list 😀

Yeah it looks pretty awkward!

I saw that the artist was accused of plagiarism so they’re replacing the card art.

YouTube video by Beyond Solitaire Beyond Solitaire Podcast 201: Matteo Menapace on Cooperative Game Design

The Beyond Solitaire podcast is BACK for Season 11! Kicking off the season is a delightful conversation with Matteo Menapace. youtu.be/jfGFH-HsZsQ

It’s always the ones you most expect…

Fingers crossed you can make it! 🤞🏻

Oh awesome, where’s that?

And you can talk to him about it at Playfest! 😁

A graphic advertising Matteo Menapace's attendance of Playfest London. A picture of Matteo shows him holding a copy of Daybreak.

SPECIAL GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT:

Matteo Menapace, co-designer of Spiel des Jahres-winning Daybreak, will be attending Playfest London! He'll be giving a talk and answering questions about his experiences, as well as testing one of his upcoming games.

Find out more: www.minervatabletop.co.uk/playfest 🎲✂️

A blue box to the left with four sillhouette-style humans, each notably wearing wizard-like robes from the Harry Potter universe. The box says Codenames and Back to Hogwarts on it, with Harry Potter in golden letters at the bottom. To the right, a cartoon astronaut head in a Harry Potter scarf winks, a variation of the logo of board game publisher Czech Games Edition.

Reviewers including No Pun Included and Shut Up & Sit Down are boycotting Codenames publisher CGE for releasing a new Harry Potter-themed game while ignoring JK Rowling’s anti-trans rhetoric:

boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...

CGE | Why we created the new licensed version of Codenames

This woman actively funds programs aimed at ending my existence, which CGE will now indirectly help fund. She certainly has no empathy for me. Pardon me if my community's fight to survive interrupts your enjoyment of your "magical world". 😮‍💨

www.czechgames.com/news/why-we-...