There will be a more official announcement later, but for those of you who have been curious about what's going on with the game formally known as Roux Mates and Spell Week, now you know! 😉
Come check it out at Unpub Festival!
This article is another sad and infuriating reminder of the rampant misogyny that goes unchecked in most industries.
It's why people in the tabletop industry quietly compare lists of the men they've been told to avoid. It's always much worse than you think.
variety.com/2018/film/ne...
Thanks so much! It plays very quickly so I'm hoping to get a few runs in each of my blocks. Swing by if you get a chance!
The new Mitski album sounds like a perfect fusion of "Puberty 2" and "The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We".
If any of those words mean anything to you, that's probably very exciting news. And if they don't, welcome to your next favorite artist!
Sorry for posting about my own stuff so much lately. I always feel a little like I'm hogging the mic when I do.
I'm just really excited about this one! The prototype is ready for Unpub! A twenty minute Pax experience that (almost) fits in your pocket? You betcha!
Folks are starting to get their scores back for the @cardboardedison.com Award and from what I'm seeing, the quality of entries must have been super high this year.
My game that won the award in 2022 wouldn't have even qualified for this year's finals based on some of the scores I'm seeing.
Sticker Ninja and Sticker Giant are two that I see people saying nice things about.
I can't wait to see you all there to check out what you're working on!
A placeholder version of the Saros logo. The word "Saros" is stylized over a space background with stars and a glowing rounded surface.
4. 🌗 Saros
An 18 card "we cut, we choose" game for 2 players about the sun and moon deciding who gets to eclipse who.
A placeholder version of the Pax Playground logo. The words "Pax Playground" are next to a caution sign with children on it. A grassy illustration is below the text.
3. 🛝 Pax Playground
New kids at the playground try to make friends in a game that recontextualizes mechanisms and player dynamics from Pax games in a non-violent setting.
A placeholder version of the Oar Deal logo. The words "Oar Deal" are stylized over a water texture background.
A digital rendering of a game of Oar Deal. Colorful cards with icons and numbers are laid out in stacks along a row while another card floats nearby.
2. 🛶 Oar Deal
A trick taking and shedding game about going on a canoeing excursion and trying to not fall in the river.
A placeholder version of the Camp Charmwood logo. The words "Camp Charmwood" are stylized and lightly faded over a wooden background.
A photo of Camp Charmwood being played. A variety of colorful tokens and cards surround a central board area that resembles the map of a summer camp.
1. ⛺️ Camp Charmwood
Witches go on weeklong trip to summer camp to learn about magic and community.
(Formerly known as Roux Mates and Spell Week)
In a (not at all) stunning turn of events, I'm only bringing 4 games to #UnpubFestival and none of them are Secret Game 1 or 2.
BUT here's a thread about each of the games that made the final cut! 🧵
Like... I'm making a non-violent non-war Pax game right now. There's NO way I'd be doing that pre-design hiatus.
Balancing self care is an important part of making cool art.
I recently chatted with Emily and Jason on the Building the Game Podcast about the lack of good advice for hobbyist designers and the benefits of going on a lil hiatus.
Tldr; Y'all. Take a break. I'm making the coolest stuff I've ever done right now.
www.buildingthegamepodcast.com/episode-714-...
I remember reading this a year or two after it came out and finding it to be interesting but a little myopic. I think I'd probably find it insufferable now.
BUT! Two things can be true at the same time!
I actually often agree with Eric's original post. But I've also seen how excellent onboarding and thoughtful theming can get new gamers into more challenging systems fairly easily.
I'm so grateful when designers like Cole share threads like this. It's exhausting being told that the only worthwhile way to make games is to design for mass market. It damages the artistry of game design and makes assumptions that have been repeatedly debunked.
Overall, another year of excellent work, promising ideas, and compelling stories. I look forward to hopefully trying some of these soon!
Best of luck to everyone who submitted!
If you insist on using AI generated material in your game:
1. Why?
2. Don't do that.
3. The least you could do is double check to make sure what you're presenting makes sense.
I judged at least two games that would be stunning victorless experiences. I'd love to see more designers explore how impactful their storytelling could be if they ditched traditional win/loss frameworks.
I loved how many games I saw attempting to tackle difficult themes, but there were a few that could benefit from considering what the game systems are saying about the subject matter. It makes your messaging difficult to parse if your systems aren't speaking to your themes.
Your rulebook needs to explain how to play the game. All of it! Yes. Even that part you think I know.
This feels obvious, but I judged more than one entry that assumed a level of familiarity with game terminology that folks new to hobbyist games wouldn't know. Trick takers were the prime culprits.
If your game has points, players should understand what they represent and why they want them.
I saw a few games struggle to explain who we are, what we're doing, and why we're doing it.
I just hit submit on my last judging assignment for this years @cardboardedison.com Award!
Congrats to everyone who entered! I know first hand how much work and emotional energy goes into participating, waiting, and hoping for good news. But you did it!
Here's a few observations from this year:
"When it comes to publishing Harry Potter, it’s pretty simple: don’t."
Members of a grassroots movement are pressuring Upper Deck Entertainment to not put tabletop money in the hands of a powerful transphobe. So far, they've been met with silence.
You're going to have an amazing time! It's an unreal set!
A photo of Sudan Archives performing life. She's standing on a stage playing a violin with various music equipment around her. The stage lighting is moody and red.
First concert of 2026 in the books! Sudan Archives set the bar impossibly high. Absolutely unreal.
Announcing the Unpub Festival 2026 Guest of Honor Connie Vogelmann
We're delighted to announce that our Unpub Festival 2026 Guest of Honor is Connie Vogelmann!
Learn more about Connie and preview her keynote topic in our latest newsletter:
https://www.unpub.org/news/announcing-the-unpub-festival-2026-guest-of-honor
