Chris Lawrence 🔜 PAXU
@chris.eternalstudios.com
Board game designer, creator of Coupon Clipper and Propaganda, and avid fan of TTRPGs and indie video games. He/him
Pinned
Coupon Clipper is going to be at PAXU!
Copies of it'll be sold at the Indie Games Night Market, alongside @drawnonward.bsky.social's Fold & Fly!
The game has had a very rocky life, but I'm excited that at least a handful of copies will be able to reach people.
Copies of it'll be sold at the Indie Games Night Market, alongside @drawnonward.bsky.social's Fold & Fly!
The game has had a very rocky life, but I'm excited that at least a handful of copies will be able to reach people.
Coupon Clipper is going to be at PAXU!
Copies of it'll be sold at the Indie Games Night Market, alongside @drawnonward.bsky.social's Fold & Fly!
The game has had a very rocky life, but I'm excited that at least a handful of copies will be able to reach people.
Copies of it'll be sold at the Indie Games Night Market, alongside @drawnonward.bsky.social's Fold & Fly!
The game has had a very rocky life, but I'm excited that at least a handful of copies will be able to reach people.
November 11, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Coupon Clipper is going to be at PAXU!
Copies of it'll be sold at the Indie Games Night Market, alongside @drawnonward.bsky.social's Fold & Fly!
The game has had a very rocky life, but I'm excited that at least a handful of copies will be able to reach people.
Copies of it'll be sold at the Indie Games Night Market, alongside @drawnonward.bsky.social's Fold & Fly!
The game has had a very rocky life, but I'm excited that at least a handful of copies will be able to reach people.
Reposted by Chris Lawrence 🔜 PAXU
November 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM
I increasingly wonder if I should've made Propaganda a TTRPG. Every time I play it with new players everyone's laughing and having a great time, but it's mostly because of what the players themselves bring to the table.
The rules help facilitate that, but don't really cause it directly.
The rules help facilitate that, but don't really cause it directly.
October 16, 2025 at 12:22 AM
I increasingly wonder if I should've made Propaganda a TTRPG. Every time I play it with new players everyone's laughing and having a great time, but it's mostly because of what the players themselves bring to the table.
The rules help facilitate that, but don't really cause it directly.
The rules help facilitate that, but don't really cause it directly.
Reposted by Chris Lawrence 🔜 PAXU
Next up is local friend Mike Trias. His first game was Upstaged, and now he is crowdfunding DJ Icon. The turntable mechanism has always been a highlight and players can use real vinyl to play the game!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/koa...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/koa...
DJ Icon: A Game About Tactics, Timing and Turntables
DJ Icon is an easy-to-learn, tactical board game where 2-8 players battle to win the DJ Icon Series Championship.
www.kickstarter.com
October 14, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Next up is local friend Mike Trias. His first game was Upstaged, and now he is crowdfunding DJ Icon. The turntable mechanism has always been a highlight and players can use real vinyl to play the game!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/koa...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/koa...
Playtesting in Santa Monica! We got 6 or 7 games to the table so it was a pretty successful afternoon.
October 12, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Playtesting in Santa Monica! We got 6 or 7 games to the table so it was a pretty successful afternoon.
I've had a drop in attendance for a couple playtesting groups I run, and I've been trying to figure out if it's part of a larger trend or just a natural rhythm (maybe the holiday season started early?).
October 9, 2025 at 11:05 PM
I've had a drop in attendance for a couple playtesting groups I run, and I've been trying to figure out if it's part of a larger trend or just a natural rhythm (maybe the holiday season started early?).
I appreciate BlueSky getting rid of the algorithm, but it does feel like when you post now matters a lot.
October 5, 2025 at 2:48 AM
I appreciate BlueSky getting rid of the algorithm, but it does feel like when you post now matters a lot.
Reposted by Chris Lawrence 🔜 PAXU
We're closing! Last chance to get our games. Thanks yall!
www.zeruagames.com/shop
www.zeruagames.com/shop
October 4, 2025 at 6:49 PM
We're closing! Last chance to get our games. Thanks yall!
www.zeruagames.com/shop
www.zeruagames.com/shop
I was always pretty happy with how the cover to Propaganda came out. I made it by taking a couple different photos and "rotoscoping" them together.
My one regret is using toy pieces, since some people thought they were in the game. I could've probably found a different "model".
My one regret is using toy pieces, since some people thought they were in the game. I could've probably found a different "model".
October 4, 2025 at 1:01 AM
I was always pretty happy with how the cover to Propaganda came out. I made it by taking a couple different photos and "rotoscoping" them together.
My one regret is using toy pieces, since some people thought they were in the game. I could've probably found a different "model".
My one regret is using toy pieces, since some people thought they were in the game. I could've probably found a different "model".
Ran a playtest of Propaganda on Saturday! This board has a zone that scores only to whoever has the highest sum of dice in it.
(If it's a little off center it's because I was the superpower and had to close my eyes while they played lol.)
(If it's a little off center it's because I was the superpower and had to close my eyes while they played lol.)
September 30, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Ran a playtest of Propaganda on Saturday! This board has a zone that scores only to whoever has the highest sum of dice in it.
(If it's a little off center it's because I was the superpower and had to close my eyes while they played lol.)
(If it's a little off center it's because I was the superpower and had to close my eyes while they played lol.)
In one of my recent games there was a hard card to score - just 2 pts per set of A and B, but counting it was awful.
I changed it to a table so now you just count the pairs and then check the table, and it feels so much better.
I think a big part of design is psychology and how players see things.
I changed it to a table so now you just count the pairs and then check the table, and it feels so much better.
I think a big part of design is psychology and how players see things.
September 24, 2025 at 12:17 AM
In one of my recent games there was a hard card to score - just 2 pts per set of A and B, but counting it was awful.
I changed it to a table so now you just count the pairs and then check the table, and it feels so much better.
I think a big part of design is psychology and how players see things.
I changed it to a table so now you just count the pairs and then check the table, and it feels so much better.
I think a big part of design is psychology and how players see things.
If you're boycotting a company because of an action they took, you need to go back to supporting them if they then reverse course.
A boycott is to make it clear they will get your money only when they do the right thing.
But if you refuse to support them ever again, they have no reason to listen.
A boycott is to make it clear they will get your money only when they do the right thing.
But if you refuse to support them ever again, they have no reason to listen.
September 23, 2025 at 12:58 AM
If you're boycotting a company because of an action they took, you need to go back to supporting them if they then reverse course.
A boycott is to make it clear they will get your money only when they do the right thing.
But if you refuse to support them ever again, they have no reason to listen.
A boycott is to make it clear they will get your money only when they do the right thing.
But if you refuse to support them ever again, they have no reason to listen.
New boards for Propaganda! Including one designed by the lovely @neilk-design.bsky.social and one by @drawnonward.bsky.social.
I'm trying out a few different things and playtesting to get things just right, but hopefully they'll be in peoples' hands soon.
I'm trying out a few different things and playtesting to get things just right, but hopefully they'll be in peoples' hands soon.
September 13, 2025 at 8:40 PM
New boards for Propaganda! Including one designed by the lovely @neilk-design.bsky.social and one by @drawnonward.bsky.social.
I'm trying out a few different things and playtesting to get things just right, but hopefully they'll be in peoples' hands soon.
I'm trying out a few different things and playtesting to get things just right, but hopefully they'll be in peoples' hands soon.
I thought about making a board game called "Monopoly On Violence" and then realized I might run into some trademark issues there.
(Which would be a little funny given how unrelated the content would be.)
(Which would be a little funny given how unrelated the content would be.)
September 12, 2025 at 1:23 AM
I thought about making a board game called "Monopoly On Violence" and then realized I might run into some trademark issues there.
(Which would be a little funny given how unrelated the content would be.)
(Which would be a little funny given how unrelated the content would be.)
I'm loving the interconnectivity in Silksong so far. I feel like every area has at least 2 ways to reach it, and then a bunch more paths back to earlier areas.
September 7, 2025 at 8:58 PM
I'm loving the interconnectivity in Silksong so far. I feel like every area has at least 2 ways to reach it, and then a bunch more paths back to earlier areas.
Photos of Propaganda from playtesting this past weekend. There are new things in the works...
September 2, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Photos of Propaganda from playtesting this past weekend. There are new things in the works...
Played a lot of FlipToons last month. I enjoy the game and quite like the random "I hope I get lucky" feel from it, but it's hard to really give your deck an identity.
Part of me wonders if it's best on BGA where you can probably just knock out 20 games in an hour.
Part of me wonders if it's best on BGA where you can probably just knock out 20 games in an hour.
September 2, 2025 at 4:31 AM
Played a lot of FlipToons last month. I enjoy the game and quite like the random "I hope I get lucky" feel from it, but it's hard to really give your deck an identity.
Part of me wonders if it's best on BGA where you can probably just knock out 20 games in an hour.
Part of me wonders if it's best on BGA where you can probably just knock out 20 games in an hour.
Purging the ol' game collection a little bit. It's rough because I liked playing all these games but ultimately when choosing what to play I never looked at them and went "oh man I want to play this one".
August 29, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Purging the ol' game collection a little bit. It's rough because I liked playing all these games but ultimately when choosing what to play I never looked at them and went "oh man I want to play this one".
I kinda wish I didn't ping-pong back and forth between "too tired to do anything" and "too excited to sit still" and actually had more of a middle period to get stuff done lol.
August 27, 2025 at 10:39 PM
I kinda wish I didn't ping-pong back and forth between "too tired to do anything" and "too excited to sit still" and actually had more of a middle period to get stuff done lol.
Reposted by Chris Lawrence 🔜 PAXU
THIS. I'm already seeing comedy skits that are recycling anti-Black stereotypes and racism using robots/androids etc... as a poorly pallette swapped analogues. Rebranding racism in fictional scenarios/content only reinforces it in reality by normalizing the behaviour.
I really don’t care for this new term “clanker”. I sounds and feels way too familiar.
If we don’t address these underlying prejudices, they’ll keep replicating in nastier and nastier ways. It’s not going to die out with the “olds”. The youth have these issues baked into them, too.
If we don’t address these underlying prejudices, they’ll keep replicating in nastier and nastier ways. It’s not going to die out with the “olds”. The youth have these issues baked into them, too.
August 22, 2025 at 7:25 PM
THIS. I'm already seeing comedy skits that are recycling anti-Black stereotypes and racism using robots/androids etc... as a poorly pallette swapped analogues. Rebranding racism in fictional scenarios/content only reinforces it in reality by normalizing the behaviour.
Just backed Wanted Wombats. I played the original Japanese version a couple years ago and really liked it. It reminds me a lot of Flip 7; it's a dead simple push-your-luck game that just works.
August 19, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Just backed Wanted Wombats. I played the original Japanese version a couple years ago and really liked it. It reminds me a lot of Flip 7; it's a dead simple push-your-luck game that just works.
Interestingly Team Fortress 2 and one of the Left 4 Dead 2's were gift copies. If I included only games I purchased for myself Everquest (which I've played 10 minutes of) and Torchlight would be added.
It's funny how much overlap people have. It really shows you how small Steam was back then.
It's funny how much overlap people have. It really shows you how small Steam was back then.
August 15, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Interestingly Team Fortress 2 and one of the Left 4 Dead 2's were gift copies. If I included only games I purchased for myself Everquest (which I've played 10 minutes of) and Torchlight would be added.
It's funny how much overlap people have. It really shows you how small Steam was back then.
It's funny how much overlap people have. It really shows you how small Steam was back then.
I know board gaming bsky hasn't really been talking about what's going on with Steam/itch (for logical reasons), but holy shit it's getting bad out there.
twice today, when pressured, Stripe operators have said, plainly, that i cannot use stripe for the purchase of LGBTQ content. not just adult content, but explicitly LGBTQ.
August 12, 2025 at 11:56 PM
I know board gaming bsky hasn't really been talking about what's going on with Steam/itch (for logical reasons), but holy shit it's getting bad out there.
Got a chance to play Nature last week. I really enjoyed it, which isn't surprising since I think Evolution's one of the best designed games out there.
We played with Jungles and Disasters, and I like how the modules change how you should play each game. Like due to an event, Tusks were very good.
We played with Jungles and Disasters, and I like how the modules change how you should play each game. Like due to an event, Tusks were very good.
July 15, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Got a chance to play Nature last week. I really enjoyed it, which isn't surprising since I think Evolution's one of the best designed games out there.
We played with Jungles and Disasters, and I like how the modules change how you should play each game. Like due to an event, Tusks were very good.
We played with Jungles and Disasters, and I like how the modules change how you should play each game. Like due to an event, Tusks were very good.
I would probably shrink the timespan, but lesson 1 is also really good for board game design.
Four lessons I've learned making #ttrpgs:
1. Never spend more than two years honing/developing a game if the play experience doesn't feel fun in the ways you want it to be in the first two iterations. It's extremely unlikely you'll manage to make it fun how you want to if it's not early on.
1. Never spend more than two years honing/developing a game if the play experience doesn't feel fun in the ways you want it to be in the first two iterations. It's extremely unlikely you'll manage to make it fun how you want to if it's not early on.
July 13, 2025 at 8:45 PM
I would probably shrink the timespan, but lesson 1 is also really good for board game design.