I do also think that beyond just nerd social fallacies, there's a hesitancy born of the frailty of a game group. Like being painfully aware that someone could just be playing video games and if they dip it ruins the whole thing probably prevents folks from saying "hey please lock in" sometimes.
God that's such a good shirt
Yep, and Demon's Souls before it is in some ways even more retro (up to and including being broken up into world+level combos like it's a Mario game). This was very remarked upon at the time, even, and it's *absolutely* why it hit.
(And then the series got smoothed out over time, but y'know.)
"Making [thing] missable is unfair to the player" possibly, yes. However, a. the idea a player MUST have access to 100% of a game's content at all times regardless of choices made is an unreasonable constraint in many contexts; and b. achievement-hunter culture is a disease. Glad we cleared that up!
Ahistorical in what sense? Like notably different from past decades?
Yeah that's fair! If it's working for you then great. Just something to think about
*Have* to, sure, once you've got a few things in circulation you can just keep them circulating. The question you're going to run into is "do I *want* to do less game making"
Back Arcana: www.kickstarter.com/projects/lev...
We're just a couple of pledges away from $1000 on day 2!
Thanks to everyone who's backed so far!!
Illustration credit: @stregawolf.art
Yeah. Or it's just "what if we crashed the economy again and bought everything up cheap".
I like to sit the Card & Coin box next to me and the computer. We just stare at each other. "do they know i'm a lot of fun?" it asks me. and I just stare back wondering how to get better at marketing and why i'm hearing voices from a board game. Life is strange.
And... we're live baby!
Hop aboard the Elseware Express!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/mim...
Topic had my attention even before my process optimization post got mentioned in it. It's a really important question! Ask it!
Title card for "Is the juice worth the squeeze" with royalty free juice being squeezed and doro in the background
BLOG POST TODAY
This one's short and sweet and asks the age old question; Is the juice worth the squeeze?
www.failforward.moe/2026/03/is-j...
I appreciate Alex's transparency, and in the spirit of further transparency, for months I've had a note in my list of newsletter topics that reads "stop being too much of a coward to share numbers". I might go more in-depth in a newsletter, but the best way to start is to start, so: a thread!
Happy birthday!
i keep getting into (enjoyable and fun) arguments about the nature of games that can run the risk of getting lost in the sauce with overly broad definitions, so i invented a lil logic tool
www.patreon.com/posts/152130...
In the midst of a retaliatory layoff, ceo Everette Taylor gave a self congratulatory interview to the ny times about the impact of his leadership on kickstarter
If you’re not at kickstart for the right reasons, I don’t want you here he says of his employees who he ran a retaliatory layoffs against after 42 days of striking
Missing the irony entirely, Everette spoke to supporting smaller creators in a difficult economy saying
You get laid off again and again and then you can’t find a job. What else are you going to do to do? I want kickstarter to be a place where we welcome those people
DOO DOO DO DO DO DO DOO DO DOOO DOOO HONK HONK
Absolute clown behavior from Kickstarter leadership.
But you can totally tell him what’s up and that you support Kickstarter United and their efforts by emailing him at e@kickstarter DOT com
I played Final Fantasy Tactics and it was a game of all time. Delita Heiral lives rent free in my head now, so I decided to unpack the ways in which this game has influenced my ttrpg design.
www.fluoriteguillotine.com/blog/2026/03...
Every dollar made over at gemroomgames.itch.io this week will go direct to the LGBTQ Foundation of Kansas.
Go buy some games, some settings, some adventures, and know that you're helping efforts to make life slightly more functional for people dealing with some exceptional bullshit right now.
KANSAS FUNDRAISER HERE
What Kansas is doing to trans residents right now is vile.
We've supported Trans Continental Pipeline but most people cannot get up & go. For them, we're fundraising for lgbtqks.org who are helping deal with day to day impact.
So come buy some games, details below!
Look. I really want a new disco-like to be good. I'm willing to be flexible
Exactly the one I was thinking of when you said FNM. It's so fucking good
Arcana is finally launching on Kickstarter!! Be one of the first to back the game and get it at a discount too!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lev...
Early bird tiers are limited, so don't miss out on Tuesday, March 3rd, when the campaign launches.
A short and very busy month on the road means this month's Explorateur is light. I mean, it's still a mace to face with design links, but it's not the usual two-hander.
I'm doing this new thing with the intro where I share three design/creative/craft ideas.
www.explorersdesign.com/explorateur-...
Oh that's *bullshit*
My tactical fantasy PBTA roleplaying game is out now with new art and a new name.
Presenting Cleave!
Cleave is about bonds that both tie us together and rip us apart. Download now to navigate a world of politics and magic and try to keep your principles in tact.
thedevteam.itch.io/cleave-rpg
Now we're talking
(good reasons not to outside of laziness: Everything's Expensive Now)
