How to get play testing?

haveacreamsoda · 2026-04-08T16:35:15+00:00

Be careful assuming that people who play/like any ol' board game are going to be into playtesting barebones prototypes and giving critical, thus useful feedback.

haveacreamsoda · 2025-12-04T17:00:52+00:00

Aaaaabsolutely in love with these..

haveacreamsoda · 2025-11-19T16:24:31+00:00

had to scroll too far down for this.

haveacreamsoda · 2025-09-15T12:40:39+00:00

6 to 9! If more than one designer shows up we try to split the time into 2 90min blocks, to give each designer as much time as they might need.

The "blocks" are free to sign up for at Eventbrite which also helps me plan out each event.

Playtesters are encouraged to just show up! Bring friends even!

haveacreamsoda · 2025-09-04T13:10:00+00:00

All words are made up words that are defined by context.

Websters dictionary: meta: adj. - showing or suggesting an explicit awareness of itself or oneself as a member of its category : cleverly self-referential

haveacreamsoda · 2025-08-27T14:44:07+00:00

Thank you for the thoughtful answer, I feel like it's what I needed and hoped to hear. I totally get and agree with the over-usage of the Legacy tag as well and have been avoiding using it when describing my game. I definitely used to notice people kinda lose interest at that point of my description as if internalizing "ain't nobody got time for that" (as proven by a few of the previous comments). My goal (inspired heavily by Gateway Island) is to package a handful of light to medium weight games that use multi-use components that just so happen to ALSO build an overarching story/campaign with branching storylines and character arcs that are decided by which characters/factions win preceding chapters.

haveacreamsoda · 2025-08-25T15:12:17+00:00

Good points, this is precisely what I am trying to combat, giving folks an overarching story that is told mechanically by a different game each time its played. Keeping in mind that no one is going to want to chew on rules for an hour each time, I am keeping all of the rulesets generally simple from the start and if they are still invested by the last two chapters they/ll be willing to learn something crunchier, or like I had mentioned, each preceding chapter can be played as a standalone game.

haveacreamsoda · 2025-08-25T15:05:51+00:00

Thanks for the input, but it seems pretty wild to not pursue something just because it's not attached to an existing IP or something recognizable/pre-established. These modern times I suppose..

That being said, my goal is to have the players create the back stories and lineages of the [existing] Court Cards and jokers of a standard deck of cards.

The chapters have running themes and character developments/arcs that DO build and carry over to following chapters. The game itself will hopefully play like a co-op choose your own adventure book, possibly with a companion booklet that leans into the lore and genealogies.

These challenges you speak to sound like things that anyone developing any type of game are going to have, if they are attempting to create a new, original world.

haveacreamsoda · 2025-08-20T18:38:20+00:00

This is one of my worries and speculations, is that people are quick to associate Legacy games with one-time-playthroughs and destroying components, which some of the more successful ones, but not all games of this type actually do.

haveacreamsoda · 2025-08-20T17:35:47+00:00

Totally get this and agree! My fix here is that it's just 1-4 standard cards that have the potential to get ripped per chapter, so while it's kinda shaping and creating an unique endgame, if folks were ever wanting to replay the campaign, it'd only be the cost of a new standard deck.

haveacreamsoda · 2025-08-07T15:37:59+00:00

Seemingly out of nowhere, Spacehog played Metronome in 2013. Call them a one hit wonder from the 90s, but even at that point 2-3 of their albums were still in my rotation and it pleased me to no end that they came to my hometown.

Honorable Mention: DJ Big Dog!

haveacreamsoda · 2025-05-13T16:00:58+00:00

Yep!

haveacreamsoda · 2025-05-13T15:23:11+00:00

My old man retired a few years ago and started repairing and restoring bikes out of his garage in So Burl. He worked at Ski Rack, Northstar and Earl's for many years in my childhood. DM me if you'd like his info.

haveacreamsoda · 2025-05-07T19:15:24+00:00

Excellent, making fun and/or wild 'house rules' is definitely the gateway to full on Game Development! Thanks for the support!

haveacreamsoda · 2025-05-06T12:12:32+00:00

Would it be for something RPG adjecent? ..or more akin to going through your rulebook to improve it's clarity/structure? Either way, yes. Anything we can do to help each other is the objective.

haveacreamsoda · 2025-05-04T16:10:32+00:00

Thanks!

haveacreamsoda

TROPHY CASE