I've known about him for a long time because there's a local Afropop band who covers his songs and even has a song they named Fela Kuti... otherwise I probably wouldn't have come across him.
It's an imperfect metaphor perhaps to link this all the way back to counterpoint but the thought gave me the feels and I thought I'd pass it along.
Als, go listen to Fear No Man. Fela Kuti's music is worth knowing. 6/6
And within each playing of the game, there's a back and forth. Within the world of the game it might not look like cooperation, but from the next level up it is absolutely a cooperative act to sit down and play a game together. And it makes me feel that same amazed "This exists. It's possible." 5/
We make games, and people play them, and that feels like a sort of counterpoint in the sense that one cannot exist without the other, they are in conversation with each other. 4/
"... it's a sonic model for a more perfect community.... it's telling you this kind of cooperation exists. It's possible."
And because I'm immersed in a community of board game design, my brain jumps from here to how this feels true, for me, in games. 3/
They talk about counterpoint as a musical system where people leave space for each other, and fill in others' spaces, and how revelatory that was..."there's a whole community of musicians that it takes to make the music, it's not something one person can just play on the guitar..." 2/
I listened twice to the end of this piece about Fela Kuti's use of counterpoint and its influence on Brian Eno and David Byrne. Fascinating musically but also Byrne talking about its influence on him personally makes me think about games... 🧵1/
never, ever, ever, ever accept "how will you pay for it?" as an argument against social programs.
The latest newsletter from @mattleacock.bsky.social translates actual climate news into "what would this look like in my game Daybreak" and I love it so much (also: game announcement!) open.substack.com/pub/mattleac...
Oh, they noticed, and complained about it in their (mistaken) review
I think they had the wave only put tiles on one section of the beach each time. You can imagine how it might grind to a halt.
I'm told the translation of this rule is fine, and they acknowledged that it's stated in multiple places.
Shame on GAMA for once again not including designers in their "Excellence in Game Design" award announcement.
Last year they promised that this would be corrected in 2026, but again designers are not given the recognition they deserve.
The omission is no longer an oversight. It is a GAMA policy.
Oh I absolutely support you in putting out a bad review after checking that the unpleasant experience was based on a correct interpretation of the rules.
OUCH. Spielbox is thankfully being much better than that -- they've promised a new score, and from additional reviewers as well...but not until April
There's a mechanism (a wave) that causes new shells to come out on *every* section of the beach periodically. I believe they were putting them only on the *wave's* section. So they put out like 1/7 of the shells. And then commented in the review on how frustratingly empty the beach was.
I mean, usually I let reviews roll off my back if I look at all. But something about this one really got under my skin. I think it's the implicit assumption that I would let the version they played go to print. It's another thing if you don't like the actual game.
I've gone back and forth on whether to say anything. (For one thing, I don't want any more eyeballs on their mistaken review.) But I think it's worth pointing out that a) I hope to never publish an unplayable game and b) if you find a game unplayable, you might be reading the rules wrong.
Spielbox has just published a negative review of Sanibel after playing incorrectly. They've been gracious and apologetic, and will re-review, but that doesn't change the fact that the original version is in a print magazine in people's mailboxes right now, with the new review not coming until April.
Reviewers: if something doesn't seem right about a game, please take a moment to re-read the rules or even reach out to the publisher or designer for clarification before publishing a review. That extra step can save heartache and damaged reputation on both sides.
People need joy in their lives, and current events seem custom-made to destroy joy. So I will continue trying to be a joy counterweight to all the death and destruction by making games, while *also* looking for ways to assist people way lower on the hierarchy of needs.
Gonna try to stay off social media for a bit. My brain shorts out when my feed is full of war news. Keep making all your good points but I can't be here.
I keep having the phrase "bread and circuses" in the back of my mind. As in, that's what my whole line of work (making boardgames) is. But...
The front page of the website Board Game Geek, with a large picture of the board game Sanibel advertising the designer diary for Sanibel.
oh look Sanibel is on the front page of BGG, with my designer diary! boardgamegeek.com/blog/1/blogp...
It's like a giant wedding
Probably an above average number of family photos for a designer diary 😀
I wrote up a Designer Diary for Sanibel
boardgamegeek.com/thread/36691...
Eve: Should I eat this fruit even though God told us not to
Serpent: It isn't just a fruit — it's a future. You're determining your own path. You've got this!
Eve: God's really mad, I shouldn't have eaten it
Serpent: You're right! That one's on me. I'm only an AI model and can make mistakes,
Stonemaier announced it as part of their year-end info dump, so I suspect a bunch of my followers already kinda knew? Q3 release 🤞
Yes I think the "not spreadsheets" is also a key part of it for me!
The nomination period for the Diana Jones Award Emerging Designer Program is open! See our website for details. You can nominate yourself or any worthy tabletop game designers in their first three years of publishing.
Nominations close March 16.
Spread the word! Thanks!
www.dianajonesaward.org
