Tag Archives: Blogging

Overwhelmed: Committing to Board Game Design

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Hello to everyone who is still following this blog! I have to admit, part of me is surprised that I have kept this page running even after I stopped posting regularly. I suppose part of it is due to laziness, another part stubbornness, but the main reason is that I have always wanted to find the time to build back up to posting about board games on a regular basis. Ultimately, I have had a lot of changes in my life over the last few years that have prevented me from doing that, but I have decided that in 2020 I will give it another shot.

In my first post back, I wanted to highlight something that has been giving me a level of anxiety for quite some time now. As I have written about in previous posts, I came up with an idea for a board game that I have spent multiple years tweaking, play-testing, and trying to mold into something that can be published in the future. Of course, the game is still not perfect- I have had some play-testers help me with tweaks and I made some pretty significant rule changes over the past few months- but I have found myself hitting a wall trying to decide where to go from here.

One thing that I have learned about myself is that I have trouble finishing projects that I start- I have an idea that I love and I work it to the point where I get tired of it and do something else. I have trouble committing to an idea and getting it past the finish line, and in this regard I think that board game design is my nemesis. There is so much that goes into creating a board game: creating the rules, play-testing, graphic design, manufacturing, reviews, funding… it’s all very overwhelming. I see some of the projects on Kickstarter and wonder if I can ever come close to that level of quality with my game. But I also look back at the time I have spent on Star Crashing so far and don’t regret it, because I do believe that this could be a game that is a lot of fun.

So I guess, I am writing this post for a few reasons. First and foremost, if any of you are feeling overwhelmed with a project or a goal, I hope you know that you’re not alone. Everyone struggles in life and things that are worth working hard for don’t come easy. Second, I am hoping that fellow board game designers, or aspiring designers, see this and feel compelled to offer their advice in the comments below. And finally, this is a long-winded way of saying that I am going to get back in the blog posting game! Hopefully you will all be reading a lot more from me as I try to get back to my reviews, musings, and board game development updates. So Happy 2020 everyone, let’s get to it!

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Real Neat Blog Award Nomination

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I recently was nominated by The Geek Couple for the Real Neat blog award. Thanks for the nomination guys! For any readers who haven’t yet, please check out their awesome blog! The Geek Couple asked me some pretty tough questions, so I hope I can do them justice in this post. Here are my answers:

  1. If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be and why? Starting off with an almost impossible question for me to answer… as a lover of movies, TV, comic books, regular books, and video games, the number of fictional characters I adore and would love to meet is practically unlimited. I think for this question I’ll have to go with my favorite superhero, Green Lantern, specifically Hal Jordan. Not the normal answer for a favorite superhero I know, but the Lantern Corps has always fascinated me and Hal Jordan was the very first human to take up the mantle so he holds a special place in my heart. His willpower, determination, and kindness make him a good person, and his wit and dry humor match mine very well so the conversation wouldn’t get dull after I got over the “holy crap I’m meeting a superhero” moment.
  2. What’s the most memorable place you’ve ever traveled too? I went to Scotland with my family when I was in High School. I remember stepping off of the airplane and feeling a cool breeze, and taking in a deep breath of the cleanest air I’ve ever breathed. The views were amazing, and while we didn’t go to any fancy events or places we took walks and spent time outdoors as a family, and it felt great.
  3. What’s your favorite board/card/video game? Another tough question, I’m going to give one answer for each category. My favorite board game right now has to be Ticket to Ride, though Settlers of Catan is a close second. As for card games, I would say Cards Against Humanity and Exploding Kittens are tied for the top spot. Finally there’s video games- Witcher 3 is my favorite “new” game while Super Smash Bros. would be my favorite “classic” game. I know I was supposed to pick one and ended up choosing 6, but that’s what happens when you’re a fan of all things nerdy.
  4. Describe your perfect weekend? It would start off with drinks and board games with good friends on Friday, followed by a Saturday out with my girlfriend doing any number of different things (movies, skiing, museums, laser tag, the list goes on). Then on Sunday I would get up and go to church, come home after and watch football all day. Doesn’t get any better than that.
  5. Why did you want to start blogging in the first place? I think the main reason I started blogging is because I wanted a creative outlet for myself. I’ve always had a passion for board games, even so much that I’ve considered opening up a board game shop at some point in my life. I talked with some friends and family about it and decided that I needed to immerse myself in the world before I made a leap like that. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and while I wasn’t sure what it would be like to write a blog I have enjoyed it immensely and hope to continue it for many years to come.

Now it’s my chance to nominate some other cool blogs for the Real Neat Blog award. There are so many great blogs out there and great writers that I enjoy, but here are the 5 that stand out to me (in no particular order):

If you run one of these blogs and are interested in participating, write up a post and answer the following questions for me:

  1. What is your favorite book series?
  2. If you could learn one new skill in life, what would it be and why?
  3. Have you ever considered writing a blog about something other than your usual topics? If so, what about?
  4. What is your favorite type of game, between board game/card game/video game?
  5. Who is your favorite superhero and why?

I look forward to reading your answers!