At Kublacon, we asked the ultimate question: Would you play the game again? Hear what playtesters told us, our responses to their feedback, and how their honest insights may shape the next version of the game.

We’re hitting the road—the road to Season 3! But before we get there, we’ve got some serious playtesting ahead to make sure the game is both fun and replayable. Next stops: Kublacon, Golden Gate Gamemaker events, and a Misplay board game community night.

We play a live match of Starfold that you can watch along with in real time. Follow the action to see who wins—and get a better feel for how the game works.

https://tinyurl.com/mujmabd9

We’re getting close to locking in a theme, so this week we explore where and how it can weave into the game. Mark takes “The Night Sky” and runs with it—imagining two friends lying on the ground, gazing up at the stars.

We present to you "Starfold"—our abstract game with a theme! We talk about entering the BoardGameGeek Two-Player Design Contest and how playtester advice pushed us to build a proper Print-and-Play to meet the requirements.

We kick things off with a funny misplay in Harmonies and share news about our new sponsor, Spielmas. Then it’s time for a round of “Jason Can’t Possibly Disagree,” where we debate whether our abstract game Currents should have a theme—or stay theme-free.

We spent four consecutive nights playtesting online with Protospiel Online and Golden Gate Gamemakers (GGG). We gathered a ton of notes and are busy folding them into the next build of the game.

We're back in studio and give a more complete Gen Con debrief and share highlights from playtesting in the First Exposure Playtest Hall. We cover a BoardGameGeek contest we entered and our recent Unpub mentorship program. Plus, we look ahead to the upcoming Protospiel Online and a Golden Gate Gamemakers online meetup.

https://playingcards.io/tvsqr6

Mark is joined by Mike C. of Brickly Games, live from Lucas Oil Stadium at Gen Con 2025. With Jason out this episode, the two dive into their Gen Con highlights and share insights from testing in the First Exposure Playtest Hall.

As we prep for the First Exposure Playtest Hall at Gen Con, we get real advice from designers at the East Bay Board Game Con. We sharpen our elevator pitches and learn what makes a great demo.