Jeffrey D. Allers
@jeffreydallers.bsky.social
Award-winning Game Designer
Former Architect
🇺🇸 living in 🇩🇪 since '94
Instagram/TikTok jeffreyallers_gamedesign
yucata.de: DesignerJeff
Former Architect
🇺🇸 living in 🇩🇪 since '94
Instagram/TikTok jeffreyallers_gamedesign
yucata.de: DesignerJeff
Marshmallow Test on a pizza box while tailgating before a football game. My parents enjoyed this trick-taker by Reiner Knizia. When you win 4 tricks, you're out and score for OPPONENTS' tricks at that point. Go out later to score more, but failing to go out scores 0!
September 3, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Marshmallow Test on a pizza box while tailgating before a football game. My parents enjoyed this trick-taker by Reiner Knizia. When you win 4 tricks, you're out and score for OPPONENTS' tricks at that point. Go out later to score more, but failing to go out scores 0!
Then and now
September 1, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Then and now
I went to my first Iowa State football game since 1999. Such a fun experience with my Mom and Dad. I grew up going to the games, and later went to college here. So fun to be back, even for a short time! And my team won 55-7 on a beautiful day.
September 1, 2025 at 7:27 PM
I went to my first Iowa State football game since 1999. Such a fun experience with my Mom and Dad. I grew up going to the games, and later went to college here. So fun to be back, even for a short time! And my team won 55-7 on a beautiful day.
My son in his happy place...🤘❤️
August 22, 2025 at 11:36 PM
My son in his happy place...🤘❤️
My wife isn’t really a gamer—at least, not as much as I am—but I was immediately attracted to her spontaneity and playful spirit. We found this arcade while waiting for our table at a restaurant.
August 19, 2025 at 5:45 PM
My wife isn’t really a gamer—at least, not as much as I am—but I was immediately attracted to her spontaneity and playful spirit. We found this arcade while waiting for our table at a restaurant.
Some of the art and components for my upcoming game with DLP Games, Reef Gardens!
August 12, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Some of the art and components for my upcoming game with DLP Games, Reef Gardens!
Sunset on Folly Beach was gorgeous.
August 10, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Sunset on Folly Beach was gorgeous.
Playing Link City with Suzanne at a farm house-turned-B&B in the Smokey Mountains. This communication game (in the Codenames genre), designed by Émilien Alquier, was a fun party game to play as we celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
August 6, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Playing Link City with Suzanne at a farm house-turned-B&B in the Smokey Mountains. This communication game (in the Codenames genre), designed by Émilien Alquier, was a fun party game to play as we celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
You can now play my trick-taking card game, Pala, against AI opponents on the Trickster's Table app: boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/226...
August 3, 2025 at 8:05 PM
You can now play my trick-taking card game, Pala, against AI opponents on the Trickster's Table app: boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/226...
A perfectly legal mini-golf putt.
July 26, 2025 at 2:45 AM
A perfectly legal mini-golf putt.
Listening to my son play guitar with the ocean waves and wind through the palm branches is my favorite way to relax this week.
July 24, 2025 at 3:48 AM
Listening to my son play guitar with the ocean waves and wind through the palm branches is my favorite way to relax this week.
Drinking my morning coffee on a rocking chair on the front porch with a view. Summer in the Blue Ridge Mountains is beautiful.
July 8, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Drinking my morning coffee on a rocking chair on the front porch with a view. Summer in the Blue Ridge Mountains is beautiful.
Airport reading: Play Anything: The Pleasures of Limits, the Uses of Boredom, and the Secret of Games by Ian Bogost.
June 27, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Airport reading: Play Anything: The Pleasures of Limits, the Uses of Boredom, and the Secret of Games by Ian Bogost.
I tried face-painting today for the first time at our weeklong children's festival in an area of Germany with many immigrant and refugee families. I have done acrylic and water color before, but a moving child's face is a new challenge!
June 20, 2025 at 8:08 AM
I tried face-painting today for the first time at our weeklong children's festival in an area of Germany with many immigrant and refugee families. I have done acrylic and water color before, but a moving child's face is a new challenge!
Several weeks ago at a gaming retreat, a friend and I watched a livestream of our sons doing their music recitals while playing 7 Wonders Architects (I had seen my son perform live already before I left for the retreat)
June 17, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Several weeks ago at a gaming retreat, a friend and I watched a livestream of our sons doing their music recitals while playing 7 Wonders Architects (I had seen my son perform live already before I left for the retreat)
Finally got the unique 2-player card game, Tether, by Mark McGee, to the table. I really like the concept and the buildup, but the end was just drawing the right card. It was late at a weekend retreat, so I'd like to try it a few more times.
June 9, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Finally got the unique 2-player card game, Tether, by Mark McGee, to the table. I really like the concept and the buildup, but the end was just drawing the right card. It was late at a weekend retreat, so I'd like to try it a few more times.
Can't Stop by Sid Sackson is a push-your-luck masterpiece. It's also fun to play with this vintage-looking mat and wooden pieces from an early Franjos publication.
June 7, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Can't Stop by Sid Sackson is a push-your-luck masterpiece. It's also fun to play with this vintage-looking mat and wooden pieces from an early Franjos publication.
Party Game evening with teenagers: Werewords by Ted Alspach, and Just One by Ludovic Roudy & Bruno Sautter.
June 5, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Party Game evening with teenagers: Werewords by Ted Alspach, and Just One by Ludovic Roudy & Bruno Sautter.
I found a beat-up copy of this game on eBay for cheap, and got it to the table. Caesar!: Sieze Rome in 20 Minutes! by Paolo Mori is an excellent 2-player game with simple rules but lots to think about!
June 4, 2025 at 3:45 PM
I found a beat-up copy of this game on eBay for cheap, and got it to the table. Caesar!: Sieze Rome in 20 Minutes! by Paolo Mori is an excellent 2-player game with simple rules but lots to think about!
Las Vegas by Rüdiger Dorn is still a favorite dice-rolling "party" game for larger groups.
May 30, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Las Vegas by Rüdiger Dorn is still a favorite dice-rolling "party" game for larger groups.
The Ukrainian kids enjoyed the cooperative game, Burg-Ritter by Christian Tiggemann, at the refugee home. I enjoyed playing it too!
May 28, 2025 at 4:21 PM
The Ukrainian kids enjoyed the cooperative game, Burg-Ritter by Christian Tiggemann, at the refugee home. I enjoyed playing it too!
This day was the beginning of the best 25 years of my life so far...
May 27, 2025 at 4:18 PM
This day was the beginning of the best 25 years of my life so far...
I had the chance to teach Pioneer Rails, a game I co-designed with the wonderful @matthewdunstan.bsky.social from @drandagames.bsky.social. Five of my friends had not played it yet (the 6th played the prototype once). I laminated the boards and the fine dry erase markers worked great!
May 26, 2025 at 1:00 PM
I had the chance to teach Pioneer Rails, a game I co-designed with the wonderful @matthewdunstan.bsky.social from @drandagames.bsky.social. Five of my friends had not played it yet (the 6th played the prototype once). I laminated the boards and the fine dry erase markers worked great!
Bunny Kingdom by Richard Garfield, or, as I like to call it, "Sequence on steriods." I will play it now and then, but I sold my copy, as it falls in that space of being too complicated for casual gamers and too random for gamers.
May 24, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Bunny Kingdom by Richard Garfield, or, as I like to call it, "Sequence on steriods." I will play it now and then, but I sold my copy, as it falls in that space of being too complicated for casual gamers and too random for gamers.
Baker's Dozen is a fun little game from Dr. Knizia that has some 6 Nimmt! vibes--especially with the standard rules. Playing with all cards dealt out, however, allows for more interesting strategic decisions. And it's fun to play with round cards--and donuts!
May 22, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Baker's Dozen is a fun little game from Dr. Knizia that has some 6 Nimmt! vibes--especially with the standard rules. Playing with all cards dealt out, however, allows for more interesting strategic decisions. And it's fun to play with round cards--and donuts!