Bill Huffman (he/him) ➡️ Granite Game Summit ➡️ Unpub
@palanion.bsky.social
Husband, father, copyeditor, boardgame designer, baseball fan, bi. Let’s talk board games.
https://palaniongames.wixsite.com/palanion-games
https://palaniongames.wixsite.com/palanion-games
Pinned
My game The Great Patch is a cooperative engine builder for about The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The goal is for the Patch to have not grown in quantity of plastics by the end of the game. It uses two sizes of dice, mini cards, wooden sticks, and a round tin. Coming to @unpub.org soon. 🎲✂️
Pledge to reserve your copy now!! The designer of Wormholes, Tiny Towns, and Fit to Print has another great-looking game to add to your collection!
Just a few hours left to back Lodge! $1 pledges help, and so does sharing the Kickstarter page ⛷️
We've passed the $140,000 mark. Eternally grateful to everyone who supported this game!
We've passed the $140,000 mark. Eternally grateful to everyone who supported this game!
LODGE - From The Designer Of Tiny Towns
A Cozy Hotel Building Game in the Stunning Swiss Alps
www.kickstarter.com
February 19, 2026 at 8:19 PM
Pledge to reserve your copy now!! The designer of Wormholes, Tiny Towns, and Fit to Print has another great-looking game to add to your collection!
Excellent point from Connor.
Like any artistic endeavor, the creator is influenced by past works, even if only indirectly or tangentially.
First Abstract painters learned about painting, concepts, techniques, etc, then did something different with the knowledge and skill.
Game designers do the same
Like any artistic endeavor, the creator is influenced by past works, even if only indirectly or tangentially.
First Abstract painters learned about painting, concepts, techniques, etc, then did something different with the knowledge and skill.
Game designers do the same
Minus the ai stuff, if you think game design is just combining past ideas, I can’t imagine you’re making anything interesting. To what end are you doing all this?
The mechanics are nothing without the purpose you give them. That purpose is everything. The mechanics are just there to support it.
The mechanics are nothing without the purpose you give them. That purpose is everything. The mechanics are just there to support it.
Ryan Dancey, a more than 30-year veteran of the tabletop gaming industry, has lost his COO job at publisher AEG a day after saying AI could generate game ideas as good as his company’s titles Tiny Towns and Cubitos:
boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...
boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...
February 19, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Excellent point from Connor.
Like any artistic endeavor, the creator is influenced by past works, even if only indirectly or tangentially.
First Abstract painters learned about painting, concepts, techniques, etc, then did something different with the knowledge and skill.
Game designers do the same
Like any artistic endeavor, the creator is influenced by past works, even if only indirectly or tangentially.
First Abstract painters learned about painting, concepts, techniques, etc, then did something different with the knowledge and skill.
Game designers do the same
Excellent. Now let’s move funds away from ICE and to the DOE among many other worthy agencies, organizations, and efforts that benefit humans and make our world a safer, more inclusive place.
February 19, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Excellent. Now let’s move funds away from ICE and to the DOE among many other worthy agencies, organizations, and efforts that benefit humans and make our world a safer, more inclusive place.
Reposted by Bill Huffman (he/him) ➡️ Granite Game Summit ➡️ Unpub
AEG would not exist without the creativity and hard work of designers.
February 18, 2026 at 12:57 PM
AEG would not exist without the creativity and hard work of designers.
Reposted by Bill Huffman (he/him) ➡️ Granite Game Summit ➡️ Unpub
Here's a great way show that you, too, celebrate the joy of human creativity, from @hinokodo.com:
hinokodo.itch.io/human-made
hinokodo.itch.io/human-made
Human Made by HINOKODO
An icon pack made by humans
hinokodo.itch.io
February 18, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Here's a great way show that you, too, celebrate the joy of human creativity, from @hinokodo.com:
hinokodo.itch.io/human-made
hinokodo.itch.io/human-made
Meanwhile, I suggest you back a creative or two, such as @peterlmcpherson.bsky.social ‘s new game Lodge.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/cam...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/cam...
LODGE - From The Designer Of Tiny Towns
A Cozy Hotel Building Game in the Stunning Swiss Alps
www.kickstarter.com
February 18, 2026 at 3:31 AM
Meanwhile, I suggest you back a creative or two, such as @peterlmcpherson.bsky.social ‘s new game Lodge.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/cam...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/cam...
Reposted by Bill Huffman (he/him) ➡️ Granite Game Summit ➡️ Unpub
I make games because I love every step of the process—the initial idea, the scrappy first prototype, the first playtest filled with glee and failure and hope.
Here’s my scrappy first prototype of Tiny Towns. [1/6]
Here’s my scrappy first prototype of Tiny Towns. [1/6]
February 18, 2026 at 12:40 AM
I make games because I love every step of the process—the initial idea, the scrappy first prototype, the first playtest filled with glee and failure and hope.
Here’s my scrappy first prototype of Tiny Towns. [1/6]
Here’s my scrappy first prototype of Tiny Towns. [1/6]
Dammit AEG. You should know better. AI is a major threat to creative people, in all mediums. A game CEO suggesting that AI could makes games “just as good” is enraging. Maybe a game CEO should announce support of creatives instead saying they are unnecessary.
You know what is unnecessary - AEG.
You know what is unnecessary - AEG.
As you may have seen, @alderaceg.bsky.social CEO Ryan Dancey stated that AI can make games “just as good as Tiny Towns or Flip 7 or Cubitos”, completely missing the inexorable humanity involved.
We’ve spent 10 years celebrating creatives in the industry. Until he’s gone we will not work with AEG.
We’ve spent 10 years celebrating creatives in the industry. Until he’s gone we will not work with AEG.
So fuck this sentiment, right? #boardgames www.reddit.com/r/boardgames...
February 18, 2026 at 3:28 AM
Dammit AEG. You should know better. AI is a major threat to creative people, in all mediums. A game CEO suggesting that AI could makes games “just as good” is enraging. Maybe a game CEO should announce support of creatives instead saying they are unnecessary.
You know what is unnecessary - AEG.
You know what is unnecessary - AEG.
The Corporations Profiting Off of ICE
YouTube video by Robert Reich
youtu.be
February 18, 2026 at 3:22 AM
I just backed Forage + Honeypot on @kickstarter.com
I love Joseph Chen’s @fanfactories.bsky.social Fantasy Factories! And his new title Honeypot sound like a really fun game! Cannot wait! Plus, Forage sounds great, too!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/fla...
I love Joseph Chen’s @fanfactories.bsky.social Fantasy Factories! And his new title Honeypot sound like a really fun game! Cannot wait! Plus, Forage sounds great, too!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/fla...
Forage + Honeypot
A pair of fast and fun games for everyone, from the team that brought you the smash hits Point Salad, Calico, and Cascadia!
www.kickstarter.com
February 17, 2026 at 6:07 PM
I just backed Forage + Honeypot on @kickstarter.com
I love Joseph Chen’s @fanfactories.bsky.social Fantasy Factories! And his new title Honeypot sound like a really fun game! Cannot wait! Plus, Forage sounds great, too!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/fla...
I love Joseph Chen’s @fanfactories.bsky.social Fantasy Factories! And his new title Honeypot sound like a really fun game! Cannot wait! Plus, Forage sounds great, too!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/fla...
Games I have played in person or on BGA since the start of 2026:
Cards Against Humanity - Family
Monopoly Deal
T.A.C.O.
Boop
Cribbage
Flip 7
Up or Down
Cascadia
Lost Ruins of Arnak
Splitter
Soothsayers
7 Wonders Dice
Everdell
Rail Baron
Bomb Busters
Palette
Parks
Ducks in a Row
Shake That City
1/2
Cards Against Humanity - Family
Monopoly Deal
T.A.C.O.
Boop
Cribbage
Flip 7
Up or Down
Cascadia
Lost Ruins of Arnak
Splitter
Soothsayers
7 Wonders Dice
Everdell
Rail Baron
Bomb Busters
Palette
Parks
Ducks in a Row
Shake That City
1/2
February 16, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Games I have played in person or on BGA since the start of 2026:
Cards Against Humanity - Family
Monopoly Deal
T.A.C.O.
Boop
Cribbage
Flip 7
Up or Down
Cascadia
Lost Ruins of Arnak
Splitter
Soothsayers
7 Wonders Dice
Everdell
Rail Baron
Bomb Busters
Palette
Parks
Ducks in a Row
Shake That City
1/2
Cards Against Humanity - Family
Monopoly Deal
T.A.C.O.
Boop
Cribbage
Flip 7
Up or Down
Cascadia
Lost Ruins of Arnak
Splitter
Soothsayers
7 Wonders Dice
Everdell
Rail Baron
Bomb Busters
Palette
Parks
Ducks in a Row
Shake That City
1/2
My game The Great Patch is a cooperative engine builder for about The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The goal is for the Patch to have not grown in quantity of plastics by the end of the game. It uses two sizes of dice, mini cards, wooden sticks, and a round tin. Coming to @unpub.org soon. 🎲✂️
February 15, 2026 at 10:59 PM
My game The Great Patch is a cooperative engine builder for about The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The goal is for the Patch to have not grown in quantity of plastics by the end of the game. It uses two sizes of dice, mini cards, wooden sticks, and a round tin. Coming to @unpub.org soon. 🎲✂️
Hey @marketbasket.bsky.social , why does your box of lasagna only have 17 noodles. Really? Lasagna is always in increments of 9 noodles. C’mon!
February 15, 2026 at 12:55 AM
Hey @marketbasket.bsky.social , why does your box of lasagna only have 17 noodles. Really? Lasagna is always in increments of 9 noodles. C’mon!
This is a great thread and something I can relate to. Sometimes, cutting for time or simplicity removes the needed texture in a design. I believe in the concept of “simplify, simplify” but that is only one piece of an often complex game design puzzle.
🎲✂️ When I initially designed Pact, it was 6 hours long and completely impenetrable, so of course I needed to start simplifying. I cut potential endgames, cards, rounds, even ahh abilities, until the game played in an hour and a half and was easily teachable.
It was also really forgettable.
It was also really forgettable.
This is sometimes really good advice. Creative work requires discipline and awareness. That means often cutting the extraneous elements and trying to find the best way to say what you want to say. But, the simplicity and digestibility shouldn't be the point and can do some real harm.
February 14, 2026 at 4:34 PM
This is a great thread and something I can relate to. Sometimes, cutting for time or simplicity removes the needed texture in a design. I believe in the concept of “simplify, simplify” but that is only one piece of an often complex game design puzzle.
Reposted by Bill Huffman (he/him) ➡️ Granite Game Summit ➡️ Unpub
The Seahorse & The Hummingbird is now carrying Scrapbots by indie designer and publisher David Torres of Detour Games! Scrapbots is a fast-paced 1v1 card duel in a robotic wasteland. Build up your bots, gear up with gadgets, and wreck your rival. You can buy yours right now!
#boardgames
#boardgames
Scrapbots - The Seahorse and The Hummingbird
Scrapbots is an exciting battle that strikes a balance between approachable gameplay and strategic complexity. All in a single deck-box!
www.seahorseandhummingbird.com
February 13, 2026 at 8:04 PM
The Seahorse & The Hummingbird is now carrying Scrapbots by indie designer and publisher David Torres of Detour Games! Scrapbots is a fast-paced 1v1 card duel in a robotic wasteland. Build up your bots, gear up with gadgets, and wreck your rival. You can buy yours right now!
#boardgames
#boardgames
Thinking about game design and reading skeets from my fellow designers is SO much more interesting than work right now.
Actually that is almost always more interesting. And I love my job.
What’s that say about me?
Wrong answers only.
Actually that is almost always more interesting. And I love my job.
What’s that say about me?
Wrong answers only.
February 12, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Thinking about game design and reading skeets from my fellow designers is SO much more interesting than work right now.
Actually that is almost always more interesting. And I love my job.
What’s that say about me?
Wrong answers only.
Actually that is almost always more interesting. And I love my job.
What’s that say about me?
Wrong answers only.
Reposted by Bill Huffman (he/him) ➡️ Granite Game Summit ➡️ Unpub
Trump's approval ratings are low so... they're going to stop reporting his approval rating.
Can't make this complict shit up any more.
Can't make this complict shit up any more.
Gallup will no longer measure presidential approval after 88 years thehill.com/homenews/med...
February 11, 2026 at 7:36 PM
Trump's approval ratings are low so... they're going to stop reporting his approval rating.
Can't make this complict shit up any more.
Can't make this complict shit up any more.
Reposted by Bill Huffman (he/him) ➡️ Granite Game Summit ➡️ Unpub
I can not overstate the excitement & validation I felt when Votes for Women was featured in the Washington Post Book section. Treating games like literature is an important phase of credibility for our medium.
RIP to the space, and I hope the best for the writers, editors, and staff.
Bezos sucks.
RIP to the space, and I hope the best for the writers, editors, and staff.
Bezos sucks.
What a nice surprise to find last week's Book Club newsletter review of Votes for Women made the jump to the Washington Post Sunday edition!
February 4, 2026 at 3:40 PM
I can not overstate the excitement & validation I felt when Votes for Women was featured in the Washington Post Book section. Treating games like literature is an important phase of credibility for our medium.
RIP to the space, and I hope the best for the writers, editors, and staff.
Bezos sucks.
RIP to the space, and I hope the best for the writers, editors, and staff.
Bezos sucks.
Grackles is totally in my wheelhouse! I need to play this!
🐦⬛ 🐦⬛ 🐦⬛ Grackles is a lightly-themed abstract strategy game, where you line up your birds on the telephone wire to score as many points as possible! Here's a quick run down of how to play.
February 11, 2026 at 5:54 PM
Grackles is totally in my wheelhouse! I need to play this!
While my brain hurt a little bit after reading this, I learned quite a bit about balancing games and mathematics. Geoff really knows this material well.
New GameTek! How to use Expectation Value calculations in game design.
🎲✂️
open.substack.com/pub/gametek/...
🎲✂️
open.substack.com/pub/gametek/...
Great Expectations
Mathematical modeling for game design
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:27 PM
While my brain hurt a little bit after reading this, I learned quite a bit about balancing games and mathematics. Geoff really knows this material well.
Without voices, without effort, bad things can happen. Here is an example of where voice and effort is helping.
The article on @blockcollectives.bsky.social and Upper Deck has dropped on Rascal!!
Go check it out, and spread the word to others who may not know about these issues!!
Go check it out, and spread the word to others who may not know about these issues!!
"When it comes to publishing Harry Potter, it’s pretty simple: don’t."
Members of a grassroots movement are pressuring Upper Deck Entertainment to not put tabletop money in the hands of a powerful transphobe. So far, they've been met with silence.
Members of a grassroots movement are pressuring Upper Deck Entertainment to not put tabletop money in the hands of a powerful transphobe. So far, they've been met with silence.
February 11, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Without voices, without effort, bad things can happen. Here is an example of where voice and effort is helping.
Reposted by Bill Huffman (he/him) ➡️ Granite Game Summit ➡️ Unpub
I want to thank people who took the time to read the document and watch the video I shared. It is also important to me that it is understood: I do not believe Matthew, Paula, Monique or Naveen (or anyone else) had involvement (or awareness) of the actions the owner of Game Night Picks took. 1/4
February 11, 2026 at 1:25 AM
I want to thank people who took the time to read the document and watch the video I shared. It is also important to me that it is understood: I do not believe Matthew, Paula, Monique or Naveen (or anyone else) had involvement (or awareness) of the actions the owner of Game Night Picks took. 1/4
I just backed LODGE on @kickstarter.com
I cannot wait to play this game! I love puzzle-y strategic games, and the cozy feel is right up my alley!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/cam...
I cannot wait to play this game! I love puzzle-y strategic games, and the cozy feel is right up my alley!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/cam...
LODGE - From The Designer Of Tiny Towns
A Cozy Hotel Building Game in the Stunning Swiss Alps
www.kickstarter.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:15 PM
I just backed LODGE on @kickstarter.com
I cannot wait to play this game! I love puzzle-y strategic games, and the cozy feel is right up my alley!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/cam...
I cannot wait to play this game! I love puzzle-y strategic games, and the cozy feel is right up my alley!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/cam...
Age Verification?
First game system at my house as a kid had pong, squash, and tennis, and both players had to handle the same platform.
First game system at my house as a kid had pong, squash, and tennis, and both players had to handle the same platform.
Age Verification?
I had an Commodore Vic 20
I had an Commodore Vic 20
Age verification?
My teacher told me the advanced math tests were for boys.
My teacher told me the advanced math tests were for boys.
February 10, 2026 at 12:50 PM
Age Verification?
First game system at my house as a kid had pong, squash, and tennis, and both players had to handle the same platform.
First game system at my house as a kid had pong, squash, and tennis, and both players had to handle the same platform.
Can I just say how much I thoroughly enjoy Lost Ruins of Arnak as a game but even more on BGA? No setup, easy visual cues to remind me of things, hover text rules reminders. Love it!
February 8, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Can I just say how much I thoroughly enjoy Lost Ruins of Arnak as a game but even more on BGA? No setup, easy visual cues to remind me of things, hover text rules reminders. Love it!
