Christopher Chan-BLM

I’m real glad I pre-ordered it!

Hey! Rad. I’m also relatively new to the Toronto scene. Hit me up for board game playtesting sometime.

The unwritten rules one was a hard lesson about incentives.

Literally, the entire card.

Congrats!

I’ve been working on this issue for a bit with a game of mine called Possums in a Trench Coat.

One of these days I will make a D100 work.

Of course when I was writing about fixing a rulebook I made a typo. “left out a problem…”

This is a great article. After reading it I fixed problem in a rulebook I hadn’t even realized was there. Fragile elements in a modern game rulebook do not need to be subtext, they are opportunities to set expectations about a game’s tone and intent.

Recently signed up and I really appreciate that you made this.

I’ll be there with a few prototypes. The main ones are Canal Street Awakening, a mahjong inspired game about the 1982 Chinatown garment worker strike, and Too Many Chrises, an I-cut-you-choose/sudoku game about seating a bunch of people easily confused people at a wedding.

Datamerge on InDesign is pretty critical for me any time I make cards.

Cabanga goes from pleasant to genuinely fun because of the rule that you must take a penalty card if you play on the same color that was just played.

I’m intrigued.

🎲✂️ Designers how well do you really know your game?

We’re updating our pitch guidance and want to highlight the key questions a designer should be able to answer when submitting.

Our working list attached :

What would you add?

#boardgames 🎲✂️

A sliced bagel on a plate on a black table in the sun piled high with finely chopped vegetables, loosely held together with some cream cheese.

When you make your own garden veggie cream cheese you can put as many garden veggies into it as you want

Thanks! It was a little bit of both. The game is definitely more complex than my other stuff, but the biggest challenge was organizing the flow of a few key concepts.

Finally finished a complete draft of a rulebook I started 2 months ago. It's never taken me this long to put together rules for something I'd pitch but travel, iteration, and a lot of self-doubt really drew this one out. I'm going to have a root beer float or something to celebrate now. 🎲✂️

I’ll be there!

And this is how I end up with other LoTR game on my shelf. Congrats!

Yeah that part is harder.

Coming back to a game after a long break makes it a lot easier fix balance issues and to identify the stuff that was unnecessarily balanced. 🎲✂️

Pitching Via Video w/ Christopher Chan YouTube video by Meeple Syrup Show

Check out our interview with @xopherchan.bsky.social from a few weeks ago:

youtube.com/live/6soJZXz...

If your Self-Doubt asks, "Is 7 prototypes enough?" when you're packing for a convention the answer is always:

"Yes, shut-up."

🎲✂️

A selfie with me on the left and an incredibly talented team from the game jam.

Curt demonstrating a tabletop dexterity game about playing HORSE during the ProAm game jam.

A selfie (probably shot around 2am) of Ian, Muzzy, Hunter, and me playing Riichi mahjong.

Playtesting one of my weird Hex variants. This one’s called Triplecross and it will probably melt your brain.

Late w/my @unpub.bsky.social 2025 recap, but in the darkest timeline a little light is always relevant.

Spending 4 days with this roving village of game designers is one of the most joyous events of the year for me. I’d trade all the spring/summer holidays for more. And it only works b/c of you.🎲✂️

📌

That makes me so happy!

We’ll find another time! It was really good feedback, but your perspective as an early tester at some point in the future would be incredibly valuable.

A table with a series of boards and player aids set up on it with mahjong tiles. The table cloth is blue hexagons and the Unpub ready for players sign is raised.

Hey Unpub goers! I’m set up at K6 with Threading the Needle (my mahjong garment worker game). I’ll be here until 6:30. Stop by! 🎲✂️

🎲✂️ Tonight at 9 PM ET on the Meeple Syrup Show, the triple threat @xopherchan.bsky.social talks about pitching via video. @drayerink.bsky.social is travelling, so it'll just be @senfoonglim.bsky.social at the helm! Join the chat at www.facebook.com/MeepleSyrup or www.youtube.com/MeepleSyrup