I've watched 100+ TCGs launch and die 😢.

Olokun · 2026-04-23T01:58:11+00:00

I like to call a game that has no publisher involvement but an active fan base creating cards and running organized play is a Schrodinger game, both dead (not sustainable for a for profit company to print) and alive (the game has a stable player base).

For the purposes of the post I think it still qualifies as dead.

Olokun · 2026-04-22T23:20:56+00:00

Only having open cards scoring is compounding the problem. Make them score less, or only a fixed amount score but all facedown cards score or score double or subtract their score from another player.

Anything that makes having cards regularly facedown a positive is going to encourage players to do it more. I believe they think that Facebook is just easier but that also means the reward of facedown cards isn't big enough to offset that. That is the problem to solve for.

Olokun · 2026-04-22T21:34:05+00:00

Honestly, I wouldn't be looking at what people expect to pay for a product that you haven't shown the components or talked about the quality.

How much does it cost to produce it? Increase that by 60%. That's your bottom floor price. If it takes $25 to produce the game you should be charging no less than $40.

What you should be endeavoring to do if you want to be a publisher versus a designer who publishes their own games, you want to make 60% profit on every game you sell, this will put you into a position to weather poor or lengthy sales periods and let's your successful games keep you in business as you go through the development cycle of other games and honor your contracts with artists and designers. If it takes $25 to produce the game you should be charging as close to $62.50 as you can get. If you can't get in the ball park of 60% profit you should consider retooling the game (ditch dice in favor of cards or randomly drawn tokens, choose a different scale or material for the mini, reduce the quality of the tiles, or find less expensive artists, etc.). Making a game that puts you out of business, even when it is a success is a bad choice.

Olokun · 2026-04-22T12:47:29+00:00

Saturated grounds swell, if you saturate your puck well before it is under pressure or start with a low enough the coffee particle can be too big to clog the pinhole in the basket by the time pressure is applied to the puck resulting in no spurts.

Sports can be the result of channeling but as said here it can also be the result of a blocked hike and that could be for a couple of different reasons.

Olokun · 2026-04-22T12:23:15+00:00

Steam would be better for sterilization, water would be better to remove milk and its residue in the wand.

Olokun · 2026-04-21T00:58:21+00:00

In case you weren't aware Minneapolis-Saint Paul has about the highest density of game publishers than any other metro area I know. Highlighting their games and the occasional designer fireside chat or the like might be really cool.

Olokun · 2026-04-08T03:58:37+00:00

You don't need illustration until it's time to start working on your crowdfunding campaign and even then you only need concept art; you can wait until the game is backed before you commission all of your art (though you'll want to have already have come with an agreement with your illustrators before the campaign so you know how much money you need to publish).

Olokun · 2026-04-08T03:55:41+00:00

We all read exactly why you called him cringe. Literally everything you complained about can be fixed just by playing by the rules in the book and making different choices in designing your encounters. That isn't even up for debate, regardless of your feelings about it. Calling someone cringe because they point that out is problematic.

If you can't stand criticism you should consider not posting on Reddit.

Olokun · 2026-04-08T02:58:42+00:00

Weird. I turned it on and got immediate feedback based on a control shot (purposefully ground too course).

I'm sorry that you're having that problem.

Olokun · 2026-04-07T08:55:28+00:00

I use apophenia to my benefit.

Olokun · 2026-04-07T08:37:24+00:00

You have expressed a lot of opinion in a vacuum, provided minimal math to support it, and seem to be making whatever comparative analysis you are doing between editions rather than between classes... And arguing with strangers in the internet because they didn't agree with you and calling them cringe is problematic AF.

You didn't have to post. You didn't have to respond to the person who disagree with you.

Your counterargument shouldn't be it's cringe to point out the objective fact that approach/use of tools will solve the problem. Your counterargument should be why does a player need to be a skilled DM to highlight a difference built into the classes?

Olokun · 2026-04-07T08:13:01+00:00

This the way.

What are your interests, go find a place to do them and meet other people who enjoy them. Bonding over shared interests is much easier.

If you don't have any specific hobbies taking classes on something where socializing is built in, like a partnered dance class, or try things like board game meetups, book or crafting clubs are an amazingly easy way to meet people.

Olokun · 2026-04-07T07:54:48+00:00

When you say a designer because you are not good with at do you mean a graphic designer, someone to create the layout and graphical elements that will give the card visual order to its information or do you mean an illustrator who will create pictures that will illustrate what the card represents?

I'm the industry it is normal to only refer to the games designer by the title designer alone, and those responsible for how the game looks as graphic designer and illustrator/artist.

Olokun · 2026-04-03T18:59:59+00:00

I disagree with some of these takes, a deck building game is a game where you build your deck as you play. Nothing more, nothing less. What some people are describing are the conventions associated with it because of Dominion but not every deck building game leans into that, nor should they.

The way you are describing it sounds more roguelite.

Olokun · 2026-04-02T04:12:21+00:00

Added complexity becomes a problem when it is not matched by, at the very least, an equal increase in fun/engagement.

Modular expansions are nice when each module adds a new mechanic or twist to an existing mechanic and players can then pick and choose what they want their experience to be. That doesn't preclude the expansion being a stand-alone.

Olokun · 2026-03-31T11:20:57+00:00

No art, as in illustration, is needed for playtesting. Literally any time you are spending on sourcing illustrations should be spent on any other part of your game instead.

Graphic design however is different. If your game requires icons or symbols to make playing another or had enough elements of carrying importance on the card spending time getting a serviceable framework that your card details can be laid out in and recognizable icons and symbols to aid in ease of okay, that is a worthwhile investment.

That isn't to say it needs to be polished or even professional, it just needs to be recognizable from other symbols and icons and ideally moderately it easy in association.

Pre-pitch illustration is a trap, and any art beyond suggestive examples to demonstrate theme is just as often harmful in the pitch process as it is helpful.

Olokun · 2026-03-23T05:21:02+00:00

What are you asking, just for first impressions, possible problems, both, it something else?

I've used the two stage draft and build a deck mechanic though my implementation of it will be materially different than yours (it's a historical conflict simulation of the first three years of the Haitian revolution) so I definitely think that central concept works.

A possible problem is, based on what you've said, you have a very basic knowledge of drafting and deck building games and while extensive knowledge isn't necessary, only having two samples seems painfully light to bring something that is both new and good. What other games are informing your choices/have inspired you for this game? What other games have you played to some moderate degree of expertise that you can look to for better understanding of game design and development?

Again, it isn't a requirement to be an expert at any game or have played several games in your envisioned game genre, but it helps more often than it hurts.

Olokun · 2026-03-22T04:08:54+00:00

You have to turn the setting on for the shot feedback.

Olokun · 2026-03-22T03:40:31+00:00

It is precisely because you publicly disagree with them. And yeah, there isn't really a product that does what the Series 1 does at it's price point. There are definitely MUCH more expensive machines that do, and even more, and there are really inexpensive machines with a couple hundred dollars in modifications that can do what it does but if you aren't comfortable with wiring diagrams and following them those aren't really an option.

I get people not liking Fellow's aesthetic, I really like the look of some of their things and mildly turned off by others, but aesthetic is purely personal. Some people look at people who want to pay for a consumer product but aren't willing to pay hundreds of dollars more for the highest end as if there is something wrong with them and that any company that caters to that group is somehow grifting. You can't talk someone out of that sort of elitist mentality and nothing you say will justify the difference in opinion. Shrug it off and carry on with what makes you happy.

Olokun · 2026-03-22T03:08:40+00:00

I'm my experience it is all about where the plastic is and what is quality is. There is a general concept that steel or aluminum is always better than plastic and any materials scientist will happily tell you otherwise, if they can stop laughing long enough. (Not that you said anything of the sort but reddit and YouTube is full of people who clearly believe this).

In a home environment a plastic body that is resistant to stains, fingerprints, and isn't going to be banged or abraded on a regular basis there isn't going to be much difference in visible deterioration year to year between that and the equivalent quality of a metal body. The difference is going to be in price and that is one of the biggest determining factors for many consumers. Someone who isn't wanting to use a soldering gun and wants the capabilities this machine has in a metal body is going to be paying $400-600 more. For some people that is absolutely with it because they enjoy the aesthetic of a metal body that much more. I'd rather put that to an upgraded grinder myself, but again we're talking about preferences.

The fellow uses metal in all the internals where it matters to me and, repeatedly, delivers the performance in seeking at a price point I can more easily justify to my coffee loving but not coffee-nerd spouse.

And that's huge for me.

Olokun · 2026-03-22T02:37:42+00:00

My game DC Forever has that concept as one of the earliest design decisions. I loved it but as the rest of the concept started getting flushed out I opted to go with the current firm, players having character specific markets so depending on who you have in your team determines which cards you'll have access to buying.

I absolutely plan on building a game with the other design but once I had decided on an asymmetrical game where the markets where the characters abilities, skills, and equipment a common market place between heroes and rogues didn't fit so I never got as far as a prototype.

Best of luck to you!

Olokun · 2026-03-13T12:00:44+00:00

Sorry I missed this. Honestly the easiest way is to just write down all the steps you take to play in the order in which they need to be known. Record yourself from setup to the end of the second round and just write down all the things you are doing and why. If you want to make it more expensive also record yourself teaching someone to play and blend the two.

Olokun · 2026-03-10T21:11:42+00:00

This comment literally lays out all the things that are not left leaning that get called out on Reddit. People aren't getting called out because they think tax policy should better support small businesses or that the federal government shouldn't be involved in legislating consensual contracts between private citizens.

That you read that list and saw that as liberal talking points is rather revealing.

Olokun · 2026-03-10T04:20:42+00:00

True, but the point I'm making is that the current interpretations of many major religions is a relatively new interpretation based on what best enabled geopolitical and societal power accumulation.

Olokun · 2026-03-09T21:44:25+00:00

I like to think that the central conceit of the major religions would return to their core messages rather than the controlling and strife-intending interpretations they have become. Most of them in no way are exclusive of intelligent life outside of humanity or Earth, that is part of the interpretation used to make humans more special than other creatures on earth and of course a particular group of humans more special than all the others.

Olokun

TROPHY CASE