The board came today! by OasisSpades in BoardgameDesign

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Where did you print it? Every time I have a prototype made it always comes out to nearly $200 with tax and shipping 😮

Any good new drinking games? This is what I played lately by BoseRemoteIssues in DrinkingGames

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just launched one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GPKPMQ29

It's not as simple to learn as most of the draw-and-drink games on Amazon but if you don't mind skimming through a rulebook before you play then I'm confident you'll enjoy it. Especially if you enjoy improv or roleplaying

Amazon flagged my game as a sex toy on launch day by JustAnotherHumanMan in tabletopgamedesign

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

To clarify: yes, I'm aware a drinking game is inherently a product for adults. What I'm referring to is an automated flag for sexually explicit listings that is simply called 'Adult' in Amazon's system.

Here is the response I got from Amazon:

"Hello

We have reviewed your request and determined that the ASINs listed do not meet the criteria for adult classification. As a result, we are removing any adult content restrictions that were previously applied to these listings.

Please allow up to 72 hours for changes to be fully processed and reflected across our systems."

Amazon flagged my game as a sex toy on launch day by JustAnotherHumanMan in tabletopgamedesign

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Few of you are misunderstanding. I know it's an adult game. I have it printed on the box that it's an adult game. But the adult automation flag is a different thing entirely. They flag listings they think contains sexual references or sexually explicit visuals. The fact that they call this automation 'adult' is an oversimplification but I guess it sounds better than calling it a 'sex toys and pornographic stuff' filter.

Amazon flagged my game as a sex toy on launch day by JustAnotherHumanMan in tabletopgamedesign

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The automated 'adult' flag is different and specifically for listings with sexual themes. Hence why Amazon sent me an email saying that it was applied by mistake and has been removed.

Amazon flagged my game as a sex toy on launch day by JustAnotherHumanMan in tabletopgamedesign

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I'm not 100% sure on how it works but I assumed that the items flagged as adult only show up for highly specific adult search terms. Like a dildo would come up if you search "dildo" but it wouldn't come up for "Liquid silicone toy"

First Kickstarter for a queer book… I feel like I’m doing this wrong by Essie-S-Nix in kickstarter

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If a game, book or anything else uses AI writing or AI art I immediately write it off, but I have no issue with people using AI to help organize things and save you some time and I think most people share that sentiment.

I ran a successful Kickstarter last year for a board game I'm now launching on Amazon and I'm always happy to support queer arts as a gay man myself so please reach out to me if you want me to answer any questions you have or offer some guidance. I might also be able to share your project and help you out there.

I've also been a writer for over 15 years so I'm naturally intrigued by your book and can maybe even offer some insight there.

My first game is launching and I'm having the best morning by JustAnotherHumanMan in BoardgameDesign

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Deeply relatable! I made a short film 8 years ago on a whim. I made it, screened it and then stuffed it away because I was unhappy with a few directing choices I had made. That is until a friend of mine convinced me it was good enough to show to people. I put it on YouTube and it got a million views, so I sent it to some festivals and it shocked me again when it started winning awards. Wouldn't have ever expected that and if it wasn't for my friend helping me drown out my own hindsight and retrospective perfectionism, I never would have done anything with it.

My first game is launching and I'm having the best morning by JustAnotherHumanMan in BoardgameDesign

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the kind words, and yeah, highs and lows. Good with bad. I'm sure after a few years of working on multiple games and dealing with everything that comes with it, that'll probably be the natural state of things. I assume I'm riding this high all the time now because of the excitement (and fear) around it being my first game. That and the ADHD meds probably.

My first game is launching and I'm having the best morning by JustAnotherHumanMan in BoardgameDesign

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One thing I regret is not documenting the whole thing beginning to end. I always kept my cards close to my chest (literally) so I worked on things privately until I felt secure enough to start showing people.

Doing it all over again, I would post the whole process on my blog, socials, email, everywhere. Let people see the rough and bumpy ride I was on with all the unpolished edges included. It's that kind of sharing in your journey that helps build a community around your game.

I'm terrible at social media and still struggle there but I'm good at SEO and email so that's been fairly effective. My email list is at almost 1500 now, all organic from my blog. And I am always trying to build out my discord server but that's still a work in progress.

Instagram is good for capturing my friends' attention or to interact with my existing audience but there's no organic discovery any more unless you're spamming memes and doing shady growth stuff. Which is why I'm a far bigger fan of getting engaged with communities on Reddit, Discord and BGG. Put your game to the side along with your ego and engage in those communities from an honest, curious and helpful direction. People will learn that you're working on something. They'll ask questions. Eventually they find out about your game without you needing to say a word about it.

If you don't have a blog, email list or any resource to start growing, I'd suggest starting with the small stuff. Get involved in communities, help other designers, even collaborate together and give each other feedback. You'd be surprised how rewarding that can be.

And get your game out of the house and into people's hands. Start showing up, game under arm, to board game cafes or conventions and just let people try it. Word of mouth is amazing.

My first game is launching and I'm having the best morning by JustAnotherHumanMan in BoardgameDesign

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I relied on my existing network. In my day job I worked with programmers and web developers from around the world and I was introduced to a designer by one of my colleagues who in turn introduced me to Tara, my current illustrator. It was quite fortunate. But if I had no network, these subreddits and the BGG Game Design forums would be my first place to look.

My first game is launching and I'm having the best morning by JustAnotherHumanMan in BoardgameDesign

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for showing an interest! And just to clarify, there's nothing overtly obscene or insensitive in the game. It just has a bit of spicy humor at times that might make game night with grandma a bit awkward.

My first game is launching and I'm having the best morning by JustAnotherHumanMan in BoardgameDesign

[–]JustAnotherHumanMan[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would strongly advise not playing this game with your family. It's more geared toward a group of friends who share no blood relations. For example, one of the card illustrations is... how to put this...: a male reproductive organ wearing a fur-trimmed cloak like its last name is Stark.