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Robert StartPlayer

@startplayer

Boardgames, baking, geocaching, poker, coeliac, trying to draw and learn Italian. ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ My attempts to post in Italian at @giocatoreiniziale.bsky.social

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18.02.2024
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Latest posts by Robert StartPlayer @startplayer

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The obligatory i was here at #Airecon photo!

Its so nice being here. So many people saying hello. Here till sunday

Ive done my good deed once by saving a family from a rule book and just teaching Bomb Busters.

12.03.2026 22:34 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I seem to have stopped recently as never know here if its shouting into the void. Iโ€™m over half way Ticket To Ride Legacy and it doesnโ€™t seem ok to share pics because spoilers.

12.03.2026 13:47 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Ive made it to Harrogate for #Airecon. I seem to stopped sharing on here games i play. Felt i was playing lots of the same things. Is it worth sharing the games Iโ€™ve played over the weekend and why Captโ€™n Clever will be the greatest of them all. Apart from prototypes its all i bought with me

12.03.2026 13:43 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I was at the first playtesting The Beeching Axe all weekend! The dates of the second didnt work for me. Those dates are currently free so ill keep that pencilled in.

12.03.2026 07:10 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Ill prob be loitering near playtesting! Not selling Flick Fleet this year?

11.03.2026 20:49 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Ive been remaking a physical prototype for Numbers Station. This was actually signed a few years ago but the publisher isnโ€™t able to continue with it. So Iโ€™m trying to get it and a sell sheet up to date in tome for Airecon just in case.

11.03.2026 16:31 ๐Ÿ‘ 6 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

I donโ€™t remove stickers usually. I use a sharp kitchen knife to gently cut along the opening. This way i can open the box leaving a sticker in place.

02.03.2026 11:24 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

A game that best played with 2 players is getting a 2 player version?

I love citadels but every extra player makes it worse.

27.02.2026 13:29 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Alowly. I just donโ€™t have as much time to design these days! Its at the โ€˜trying lots of different stuffโ€™ stage. Yesterday it was described as โ€˜playableโ€™. So that makes me happy as Iโ€™m making progress. Im still finding myself simplifying and taking bits out. Should be good enough for Airecon

19.02.2026 09:58 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Playtested โ€˜In Bocca Al Lupoโ€™ today. Having a soft toy wolf as a game component is working. Iโ€™m on a mission with this game to see if i can make it without using a computer at all. Scrawling in sharpie and making something that looks terrible is more than fun that trying to make it pretty.

19.02.2026 00:31 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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Iโ€™m working on a prototype now where Iโ€™m trying to be 100% computer free*

Being able to to scrawl with a sharpie is so much quicker and is making iterating so much quicker.

Also having a 2ft toy wolf as a component wouldnโ€™t work digitally!

*unless you count photocopying

18.02.2026 15:32 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Absolutely. Working this way Iโ€™m able ti change things really quickly. Even in middle of playtest group and i can quickly create changes. Im hoping to make this good enough for Airecon testing. Does mean carrying a giant wolf around.

18.02.2026 11:02 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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For my current project Iโ€™m try to not use a computer at all. It looks unbelievably scrappy. But Iโ€™m having more fun doing this then spending wasted tome on computer files and editing them every iteration.

18.02.2026 10:57 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I relate a lot!

17.02.2026 15:12 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The semi regular gripe that getting home from Manchester Airport to where i am in Leeds takes longer than it does to fly from Rome To Manchester.

15.02.2026 15:38 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I get that a play has a limited length and cuts will happen. But that ending was completely different!

14.02.2026 08:33 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Well Iโ€™m glad i studied it so i knew the story as dialog quite different from the book. Some very odd cuts were made though. Missing out the garden of roses and the serpent feels like cutting hugely significant parts if the story out!

But i managed to follow enough to enjoy it.

13.02.2026 22:22 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Tonight after 19 months of learning Italian i will be attempting to follow a show at the Theatre. No idea who this will go, I think I know the story and the vocab from The Little Prince well enough to follow it in general. Let see how this goesโ€ฆ..

13.02.2026 19:19 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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More reasons i love being in Italy. The size of the vegetables. Yogurt comes in Stracciatella flavour. And an entire too shelf of a supermarket is just different varieties of pesto and pasta sauces. Ill be having pistacchio pesto tonight!

11.02.2026 08:36 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Good work. The problem of scammers is a grave situation.

06.02.2026 17:06 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I am so happy with this ending the #TheTraitors

Ive played so many social deciction hames and the classic Diplomacy over the years and this weirdly upside down honest moral victory is so lovely to see.

23.01.2026 21:45 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Depends what social media comments you read!

14.01.2026 21:43 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

What worries me is the public/faithful perception of morality. If i play a game and get a secret card that says have more red cubes than other players then Iโ€™m not a bad person. I hare the hate people try to cast traitors as โ€˜bad peopleโ€™. They are just playing the hand they get.

14.01.2026 21:39 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The title is an italian phrase which directly translates as โ€˜into the mouth of the wolfโ€™. But really means โ€˜good luckโ€™ in same way in English uses โ€˜break a legโ€™. So a push your luck game about the stone age domestication of wolves to dogs needs a players to put there hand in a wolfs mouth right?!

14.01.2026 19:03 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Iโ€™m working on โ€˜In Bocca Al Lupoโ€™, a kids push your luck game.

The game needed a bag to be a wolf. So I ordered a large soft you wolf and my mum did some sewing magic so this wolf now functions as bag you pull tokens from its mouth.

I will be spending most of #Airecon carrying this with me.

14.01.2026 18:38 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
โ€œYou are marvellousโ€ โ€œand you are amazingโ€

With โ€˜bearโ€™ and โ€˜pandaโ€™ emphasised

โ€œYou are marvellousโ€ โ€œand you are amazingโ€ With โ€˜bearโ€™ and โ€˜pandaโ€™ emphasised

โ€œTypes of legumeโ€

Lentichie = lentils
Lenti - slow (adj, plural)
Veloci - fast (adj, plural)

So in English maybe โ€œSlowโ€ฆlentilsโ€ โ€œfastโ€ฆlentilsโ€

โ€œTypes of legumeโ€ Lentichie = lentils Lenti - slow (adj, plural) Veloci - fast (adj, plural) So in English maybe โ€œSlowโ€ฆlentilsโ€ โ€œfastโ€ฆlentilsโ€

This translates well into English.
Octopus - โ€œDo you want to navigate the internet on my phone?โ€
Fish - โ€œno thank youโ€
Octopus - โ€œhow come?โ€
Fish - โ€œbecause i am scare of The Netโ€

โ€œLa reteโ€ means โ€˜the netโ€™ in a physical sense but also internet, similar to english, Italians explains to me that this is a โ€˜boomerโ€™ term and not really used anymore

This translates well into English. Octopus - โ€œDo you want to navigate the internet on my phone?โ€ Fish - โ€œno thank youโ€ Octopus - โ€œhow come?โ€ Fish - โ€œbecause i am scare of The Netโ€ โ€œLa reteโ€ means โ€˜the netโ€™ in a physical sense but also internet, similar to english, Italians explains to me that this is a โ€˜boomerโ€™ term and not really used anymore

Mild swearingโ€ฆ

Tooth brush โ€œi have a crap jobโ€
Toilet roll โ€œand you say that to meโ€

Mild swearingโ€ฆ Tooth brush โ€œi have a crap jobโ€ Toilet roll โ€œand you say that to meโ€

Ive now been learning Italian for about 18 months. Im mostly practising listening skill at the moment as that seems weakest skill.

But Iโ€™m very happy when i saw this joke book at the airport that i was able to understand much of the word play inside. Explanation in alt text.

11.01.2026 14:58 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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I met a friend in Rome from a language exchange app and visited the museum on musical instruments.

Here are some photos in case anyone needs to see a piano cross with a harp, or a bassoon that looks like a dragon.

11.01.2026 14:44 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Im back from Italy, 8th visit in the last 12 months! This time i visited Viterbo which had very Knightmare type vibes walking around.

11.01.2026 14:42 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Playing Brass: Birmingham is how everyone spends New Years Eve right? #boardgames

31.12.2025 22:47 ๐Ÿ‘ 18 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Is this likely the only date or should i wait for somewhere further North?

30.11.2025 15:00 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0