Ian O’Toole
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ianotoole.bsky.social
Ian O’Toole
@ianotoole.bsky.social
2.9K followers 850 following 270 posts
Board game graphic designer and illustrator. Lisboa, The Gallerist, On Mars, Galactic Cruise, Nemo’s War, Voidfall, Carnegie and more. www.ianotoole.com for prints. He/Him.
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ianotoole.bsky.social
Ian O’Toole @ianotoole.bsky.social · Nov 28
Pinning this intro post! I'm a graphic designer and illustrator for over 100 boardgames, including Speakeasy, Ra, Voidfall, Galactic Cruise, On Mars, Carnegie, and Sausage Sizzle! May also post about films a lot :) www.ianotoole.com for print sales!
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
emckaw.bsky.social
We enjoy Rococo every time we play it, never disappoints. it’s elegant, clever, and so visually beautiful. Behind all the lace and silk, though, is a sharp strategy game. It’s competitive, but in this classy, subtle way. 👗🎩
#boardgames
#boardgamesky
@eaglegryphon.bsky.social
@ianotoole.bsky.social
November 28, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
punchboard.co.uk
I've been playing lots of Ayar from @ospreygames.bsky.social @flopiano.bsky.social @mandelafg.bsky.social & @ianotoole.bsky.social . I've really enjoyed it, and written a full review which you can read right now. Head over and see what makes it tick - punchboard.co.uk/ayar-childre...
Ayar: Children of the Sun Review - I have an Inca-ling it's going to be good
Ayar does things differently from its predecessors, but still retains the feel and atmosphere of them while offering something wholly different. I think it might be the best of the bunch.
punchboard.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 11:20 PM
ianotoole.bsky.social
The Great Library, the newest game by @vitallacerda.bsky.social and @eaglegryphon.bsky.social , is on Kickstarter now! >> www.kickstarter.com/projects/eag...
The Great Library by Vital Lacerda with Art by Ian O'Toole
• All the Knowledge in the World in One Place •
www.kickstarter.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
heavycardboard.bsky.social
Oh we are sooooooooo back!

Join us tonight at 1900 EST for a big'un: #TheGreatLibrary from Vital, Ian, & EGG!

Can. Not. Wait!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf1B...

@eaglegryphon.bsky.social
@vitallacerda.bsky.social
@ianotoole.bsky.social
The Great Library - 4p Teaching & Play-through by Heavy Cardboard
YouTube video by Heavy Cardboard
www.youtube.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
heavycardboard.bsky.social
Current status:

#TheGreatLibrary

@eaglegryphon.bsky.social
@ianotoole.bsky.social
@vitallacerda.bsky.social
November 12, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
tabletopgamesblog.com
Ayar by @flopiano.bsky.social and @mandelafg.bsky.social from @ospreygames.bsky.social with art by @ianotoole.bsky.social is a real point salad. You can’t do everything and need to keep two score tracks in balance all at the same time. I’m quite enjoying it. 🙂👍 #boardgames
the box for Ayar the player board with a multitude of components on it the male and female Ayar tokens fit together perfectly
November 9, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
punchboard.co.uk
A two-handed learning game of Ayar from @ospreygames.bsky.social @flopiano.bsky.social @mandelafg.bsky.social & @ianotoole.bsky.social in the books. First impressions are great, I want to play again right away and do better sun scoring! Touches of Merv, Sankoré and others all over it.
November 9, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
heavycardboard.bsky.social
Got the latest version of the rulebook printed. Ready to play this tonight! #TheGreatLibrary

@eaglegryphon.bsky.social @vitallacerda.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
heavycardboard.bsky.social
Happy Mail Day here at #HCHQ!

Very excited for the annual @vitallacerda.bsky.social design & @ianotoole.bsky.social art/graphic design!

Thank you, @eaglegryphon.bsky.social
A prototype of Vital Lacerda’s The Great Library!
November 5, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
nopunincluded.com
Hi, I hate doing self promo so I'll just say that this indie board game coverage channel that could is about to hit a milestone of sorts.

There is no skeet that can summarize who we are or what we do, but we do cool work and you should check us out. www.youtube.com/@NoPunIncluded
Screenshot of text. It reads: Current subscribers 99,777
November 5, 2025 at 9:28 AM
ianotoole.bsky.social
October watches! Had a BLAST binging the Universal Monster universe this year. What was your favourite spooky movie that you watched in October?
November 4, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
polyhedroncollider.bsky.social
A Message from the President of the Fabio Lopiano Appreciation Society
Subject: Ayar: The Children of the Sun
Designed by @flopiano.bsky.social & @mandelafg.bsky.scoial
Art: @ianotoole.bsky.social
Published by: @ospreygames.bsky.social
October 13, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
mandelafg.bsky.social
Facebook is showing me images from 6 years ago when I was messing 🎲✂️ around with this design.

Exciting to see it come to wide release very soon and with, I have to concede, improved art & graphic design thanks to @ianotoole.bsky.social, and much better gameplay thanks to @flopiano.bsky.social.
A paper gameboard map drawn with Microsoft paint and a hodgepodge of different components scattered across it. Cubes on a personal player board with a wealth of confusing, but very Euro, iconography. Quipu shown in the background.
October 11, 2025 at 6:42 AM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
grahamsgames.bsky.social
In today’s #boardgame blog I take a look at those in my collection featuring the wonderful art of @ianotoole.bsky.social. Be it through characterful illustration, or intuitive graphic design, it never fails to add positively to my board game playing experience.

boardgamegeek.com/blog/12040/b...
Art making a difference - Ian O’Toole | GrahamS Games
boardgamegeek.com
October 10, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
hinokodo.com
Big solo game challenge. Recently got On Mars and tried it out. What a brain melter. Love a lot about this one. The ai put up a fight. What a beautiful game too! @ianotoole.bsky.social knocked it out of the park on this one. (He always does) Fun challenge. K gotta recover now.
The on mars box on the table in front of the sun. The prettiest board in boardgaming The whole game fills up my kitchen table. It's pretty big.
October 10, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
ospreygames.bsky.social
📢 Ayar – from @flopiano.bsky.social, @mandelafg.bsky.social & @ianotoole.bsky.social – is out 1 week today: https://bit.ly/4oFvT0y

🌽 Compete for area majority farming maize
⚱️ Collect sets crafting pottery
🧵 Build your pattern weaving carpets
🛶 Traverse the lake board learning reed bundling
An image with the Osprey Games logo and the title of the board game Ayar framing various interlocking slices filled with close-up photos of the game board: differently coloured wooden meeple moving along various paths, other wooden pieces placed behind them, cardboard tokens arranged around a board depicting a lake, and a player board with various resources and scoring conditions.
October 9, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
ospreygames.bsky.social
☀️ The official Ayar: Children of the Sun tutorial from Getting Games is here: https://bit.ly/4nRLppj

Learn to play this hot new eurogame from the creators of Merv & Sankoré @flopiano.bsky.social @mandelafg.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social

// 16th OCT UK // 14th OCT US // https://bit.ly/4oFvT0y
A screengrab of Jonathan Cox from Getting Games from his tutorial video for Ayar: Children of the Sun. A screengrab from the tutorial video showing a fully set up game with a main board and player boards with various wooden and cardboard pieces arranged around them.
October 3, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
ospreygames.bsky.social
Ayar photos are on @boardgamegeek.com!

Get a sneak peek at the eurogame from the creators of Merv and Sankoré ahead of release @flopiano.bsky.social @mandelafg.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social

📸 boardgameshots

// 16th October UK // 14th October US // https://bit.ly/4n7je5c
A photo of the board game box for Ayar: Children of the Sun stood behind a fully set-up game: a large central board, 4 player boards and 1 side board, all covered with various wooden meeples and cardboard tokens.
September 19, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
whovian223.bsky.social
First Impressions - Galactic Cruise @kinsonkeygames.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social
First Impressions – Galactic Cruise
This is another "first impressions" post about a new game, a game that I'm not sure I will get three plays of but yet one I want to talk about. As I said in my Friday Night Shots post about first impressions, this is not going to be a review. I've only played it once! And I'm in the middle of three asynchronous games on Boardgame Arena.
dudetakeyourturn.ca
September 18, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
meeplenomics.bsky.social
Hey, Meeps! Today on the Table, Kanban EV! Published by @eaglegryphon.bsky.social, designed by @vitallacerda.bsky.social and art by @ianotoole.bsky.social. You are a new employee at the car plant trying to run the most efficient car making factory while impressing Plant Manager, Sandra! #games
September 13, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
ospreygames.bsky.social
In our hot new eurogame Ayar you'll balance different minigames with their own rules & benefits as your player clan learns the essentials of Incan life...

🌾Farming
⚱️Pottery
🧵Weaving
🛶Reed bundling

OCTOBER: https://bit.ly/4oFvT0y

@flopiano.bsky.social @mandelafg.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social
A close-up photo of a side board alongside the main game board in Ayar, depicting a lake with various cardboard tokens and coloured wooden pieces placed around it. A close-up photo of a player board next to the main game board in Ayar, surrounded with reference cards, a score tracker and various cardboard tokens, and split into different sections with all sorts of wooden meeple placed around it.
September 9, 2025 at 4:06 PM
ianotoole.bsky.social
Movie watches for August! New-to-me favourites included Before Midnight, Phantom Thread, and The Friends of Eddie Coyle. Favourite rewatch goes to the always perfect Battle Royale :) What were your favourites from last month?
September 2, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
meeplenomics.bsky.social
Hey, Meeps! Today on the Table! Galactic Cruise, published by @kinsonkeygames.bsky.social and art by @ianotoole.bsky.social. Become the Supervisor of a space tourism corporation where you build and launch rockets to satisfy your patrons desires to tour space! I loved the crunchy decisions! #games
August 30, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Reposted by Ian O’Toole
meeplenomics.bsky.social
Hey, Meeps! Today on the Table, Dead Reckoning, published by @alderaceg.bsky.social with art by @ianotoole.bsky.social and designed by #JohnDClair. Become a swashbuckling pirate and chart the seas to discover new islands while waging war at sea! A truly immersive pirate experience! #boardgames #fun
August 28, 2025 at 1:21 PM
ianotoole.bsky.social
Movies for July!

Travelling for a week and being SUPER busy meant I really had to squeeze them in. Overall pretty strong though!

What were your favourite new watches last month?
August 1, 2025 at 5:46 AM