gamesbyplaydate

[gamesbyplaydate]

Hi! I'm Glenn the designer of the game slash! So uhhhhh sorry? Obvs we are snarky in many of our descriptions but, frankly, we're not pushing one pairing or the other. That is literally why we made the game, so anybody could ship anybody.  I am sorry. The content of our games is not intended to hurt fans it's trying to get more fans involved in 'shipping; because we love it. And Sam, I think Sam is cute, cuter than Dean, and perhaps that card does need a rewrite. Our next printing should come up round the end of the summer and this card will definitely be on the list for further examination.

@thehoundzofhell hey, that is a bit harsh ;(. Dream Date is roll and move game like Life or Monopoly we are more of a social party game like Apples to Apples or Billionare banshee. And, yes, my office is technically in a basement, but it’s  not in my mothers basement, it’s my basement I have a house in the woods of New Hampshire.

@transgendersam again, we’re sorry the last thing we want as game makers is to ruin somebody’s day.  Regarding the claim that we have sold millions and that is has been played by millions, sigh, if only. Just an indie game designer working two jobs to support a family and two dogs.I completely agree that hatred, fear and toxicity has no place in boardgames, or any art form, at least not as the source of the entertainment. Maybe games or other arts can say something positive and helpful about painful things. Probably the Sam card fails to do that regardless your feelings are valid and important. As mentioned when we next go to print we will reexamine this card. I would also invite you to check us about a bit more thoroughly and I think that you will find that we are kind of big on the anti-hatred/transphobia point. Definitely more so than many of the fucking idiots in game culture...

Anyway, if anybody wants to speak directly with me, the creator of the game, just hit me on twitter @gamesbyplaydate or via email gamesbyplaydate@gmail.com and I’m happy to talk and to listen.

My brother just bought a new card game where you have to ship two characters from pop culture together.

I WILL FUCKING CUT A BITCH!!!

[gamesbyplaydate]

Hearts Blazing PnP - Again!

Hearts Blazing PnP – Again!

Just put some fresh edits and upgrades on Hearts Blazing. You can find the updated PnP linked below! We will be making this available for sale via Drive Thru Cards as soon as another pass of edits is done.

Hearts Blazing PnP 120215

[gamesbyplaydate]

Feedback loop

Accepting and incorporating feedback from playtests is a unique challenge for a game designer. It can be perilously easy to dismiss the opinions of others because “they don’t understand what you are going for” or chalk a problem up to a small mistake. On the other hand, you are a designer and you have a vision for what you are creating; sometimes you can ignore them.

Me, I use every comment as a…

[gamesbyplaydate]

Dreaming I made a little RPG game/experiment because I have been having concerning moments when I am not sure if I am dreaming or not.

[gamesbyplaydate]

Hearts Blazing! PnP release

Hearts Blazing! PnP release

At this past PortConMaine we ran a poorly-thought out, “Make a Game” panel. Therein, hopped up on 2 cappucinos the GbyPD crew collaborated with the audience to design a game.

This is that game.

Hearts Blazing is a collaborative card-driven RPG about speculative fiction conflict and romance. Basically we made a homage to mecha anime (like Evangelion & Robotech) and space operas (like Star Wars & B…

[gamesbyplaydate]

Great Googly Moogly It's been a crazy few weeks! PortConMaine! MassiveComicCon! These things happened and we are exhausted. Games by Play Date had the honor of providing more than 120 games to the fine folks in Worcester, CT. 

[gamesbyplaydate]

... and another thing! (Drunk Uncles release!)

We are pleased to announce the release of Drunk Uncles a push your luck card game. As idiot uncles attending a family gathering you must get as many of your terrible opinions off of your chest before you wear out the welcome of your fair-minded family. Players draft dice to determine their tolerance level and carefully play from their hand hoping to duck under the judgement of their family.

If…

[gamesbyplaydate]

We played Rocket Shipping! It, well...it wasn't great!

Friday night Rocket Shipping made it to table. It was kind of a mess. Here is the takeaway:

Positive Dynamic Resource Pricing model seems Math game! Algebra game! Similar to Modern Art Can’t just count ahead because of board changes Deterministic way to make value, eliminates randomization. Scoring is tight

Negative If you can figure out the math you have a large advantage Physically difficult to “…

[gamesbyplaydate]

For reasons beyond comprehension Glenn spent the past week or so making a pick up and deliver intrasolar trading game called Rocket Shipping. It was inspired by a twitter exchange with RPG designer Quinn Murphy about an Afrofuturist solar system setting. While much of the flavor for that universe will have to manifest in the art and language the core concept, that players make their living by rocketing goods across the solar system on family owned space freighters seemed fun. It’s parts Cargo Noir parts Ticket to Ride and Perry Rhodan and it is far from complete. We wanted to do accomplish a few basic design goals: • Dynamic market pricing and eliminate order fulfillment models • Include velocity and trajectory management • Play with the orbits and spins of planets.

Mission FUNcomplished!

This may be another large scale exercise liek Big Dumb Wargame but we do intend to play it at JiffyCon East 2015 and perhaps, submit it to Boston Festival of Indie Games. Who knows.

Read The Rules

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balsa wood drilling!

it ain’t pretty…

but I learned alot about…

making foldable game boards.

Watch a shakey video overview!

Blast Off! Rocket Shipping is another big dumb game we made For reasons beyond comprehension Glenn spent the past week or so making a pick up and deliver intrasolar trading game called Rocket Shipping.

[gamesbyplaydate]

High quality product images are not a luxury item for your design. I think this is part of a chronic failure on the part of indie designers to see the post-launch life cycle of their design. While, yes, GPD often spins up a new game and then spits it out to the cold cruel world unfostered, the games where we have invested substantial time and money see more tender treatment. Sometimes a design just needs to be born and manifested for the designer to feel they have done their due, that the idea is crystallized and out of their headspace, freeing up creative attention for greener pastures. But, if your intent is for your creation to have legs, to stick longer than a month or to see it self in need of a reprint, you should be spending as much time on it’s post-launch presentation as possible.

While there are many more actions to take to keep a product healthy and vibrant in the hobby community, one basic need that should be recognized is high quality images.

You’ve invested effort and resource into making a high quality item. Why are you letting it be represented via phonecam snaps? Doesn’t that do a disservice to your time? Phonecam shots are great and welcome when they are fans, in the wild, sharing their love of your product, but if that is how you are presenting yourself in an online sales environment you are missing a critical point of hobby games salesmanship. There is a large component of gamebuyer psyche that is tied up in the tactile nature of the hobby. We want to feel the cards, inspect the minis and flip through the glossy manuals. This is one of the reasons that your at-show sales will be strong. It is not just the live demonstration of your product that entices customers, it is the tangible recognition of the “thingness” that handling a product brings. It is an advantage analog games have over video games; stress it. Huge portions of design budgets are poured (or should be) into art assets; share it.

But, since we don’t have haptic VR, yet, high resolution images (and video) are the next best solution. As with an absurd amount of freelance work your personal network of resources often holds the solution. For our Pack the Pack product shots we use a former schoolmate Russ Heller (www.russhellerphoto.com) who has spent the past forever doing item photography; and doing it extremely well. We advise you find a similar individual (or call Russ) and get a respectable representation of the thing you poured your heart into. Your Amazon sales will thank you.

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untouched product shot

untouched product shot

untouched product shot

Ready for my closeup: high quality product shots aren't a luxury High quality product images are not a luxury item for your design. I think this is part of a chronic failure on the part of indie designers to see the post-launch life cycle of their design.

[gamesbyplaydate]

I bite my thumb at thee! (The Show Must Go On! release!)

Theatre!

Well, that was fast! Since our last post we have put a wrap on The Show Must Go On! Cards are on order, art, script and layout is complete and the packaging is en route!

If you would like to grab a copy please support us at Patreon.com/games where our backers will receive our first run copies!

Otherwise, feel free to download the TSMGO BW Printable Rules and Printable Cards. You will…

[gamesbyplaydate]

Is this a party game I see before me? Prithee! Verily! and other such Ye Olde English. Games by Play Date is barreling toward the short run release of our Shakespearean themed party game 

[gamesbyplaydate]

Bad Habit is launched!

Bad Habit is launched!

70 bridge sized cards

We are pleased to announce that the full professional print run of Bad Habit is available for sale! Each game comes with 70 bridge-sized cards made in American, 105 wooden tokens and one rules sheet in a elegant felt drawstring bag.

Bad Habitis a cooperative game for 2-5 players where you must work together to learn the patience and empathy necessary to help those who suffer…

[gamesbyplaydate]

d8 Mile

It’s been crickets around here lately. Let me dump some info for a few minutes before I jump back into the grind.

tl:dr working 7 days a week in a factory is time consuming, downtime is used for con preparation and development on next titles. Links after the jump.

(more…)

[gamesbyplaydate]

So, maybe I cried a bit. It's cool....

A few days ago, as I was working my second job (Teamster Local 633!), I received this email from a customer who had just ordered from us.

Hello Glenn, The Responsible Designer! I thought you’d get a chortle out of knowing where your games end up and the fun times they create. I work at an all girl boarding high school in Mclean, Virginia. Each Sunday, I bring a selection of my personal stash of…

[gamesbyplaydate]

Sexy Times.

A while ago we were contacted by Cecilia Tan editor at Circlet Press. It seems that the Circlet crew took a copy of slash: romance without boundariesto their romance/erotica writers retreat where it was a big hit! We ere, of course, thrilled to hear that actually talented people enjoyed our silly party shenanigans. What blew us away was that Ceclia just forwarded us some of the micro fanfics that…

[gamesbyplaydate]

Hello Boston folks. We are headed to Arisia this evening! You can find us at table A3 in the dealers room. In addition to copious free high fives we will have the following products for sale!

slash:romance without boundaries slash: the blanks slash: shipwreck 2014 expansion Bad Habit

as well as some great games from our indie friends!

Shock: Social Science Fiction by Joshua A.C. Newman A pen-and-paper indie RPG about the effects of the shock of cultural change on the individuals who make up that culture.

Questlandia, by Hannah Shaffer In Questlandia, you and your friends will tell the story of a one-of-a-kind fantasy world. Then, you’ll take on the role of characters trying to achieve their goals in a society on the brink of collapse.

Misericorde by Emily Care Boss A storytelling and role playing game meant for two to six people. As you play, you learn more about the town of Misericord and its inhabitants. The stories revolve around the members of the Guilds, but they meet many other people (and other beings!) in and around the town, so you’ll learn about and make up things about them, too.

Last Chance Noir by Emily Care Boss An American Freeform larp of noir fiction.

Mobile Frame Zero: Rapid Attack by Vincent Baker and Joshua A.C. Newman An indie tabletop wargame of tiny giant LEGO® robots battling

Arisia 2015: The con is on Hello Boston folks. We are headed to Arisia this evening! You can find us at table A3 in the dealers room.