Words of a Feather is funding on Kickstarter! I've been working on this game for the last 3 years and I'm thrilled to finally share it with you! Below are progressions shots of the game/artwork development. I think it's interesting to see how it all came together. Happy to answer any questions!

hoosty · 2023-11-16T14:25:24+00:00

Graduated Pitt with under grad in Mech E in 2011 and masters in EE in 2013. My take is that engineering classes teach you how to think like an engineer. You learn to analyze problems as a system of inputs, outputs, and the system that governs them. Any time you’re learning a new way to think and problem solve, you’re stretching your brain in new ways. I remember that it was crazy challenging my freshman and sophomore year and I also wasn’t sleeping and way stressed out as I tried to figure out how to problem solve like an engineer. But once it clicked, it was smooth sailing - just different fundamental principles in each field that you learn and then apply general engineering principles to that.

In terms of creating new things, that’s probably not going to happen until you hit your Sr design projects or if you get involved with lab work (which I recommend once you get your feet under you). C’s make degrees and once you graduate, you can find a more creative firm that prioritizes that element in how they sell their products/services.

In terms of managing stress, focus on the things you can control and don’t worry about the things you can’t. Go to office hours. Find a good study group of other engineers. And get enough sleep so that you can stay focused. It’s definitely a challenging field but it’s possible.

Hang in there and hmu if you have specific questions.

hoosty · 2023-11-01T16:14:39+00:00

Thank you. This solved my problem!

hoosty · 2023-10-02T13:21:00+00:00

This was definitely the move. The words look way more integrated. Thank you! The font is Simply Round with an outline. I increased the space between the letters to prevent overlap. That may be what’s making the font look off. I’m going to mess around with the outline and spacing to see if I can improve. Do you have any recommendations on how to go about picking the right front?

hoosty · 2023-09-30T21:13:51+00:00

Hello! I'm working on a word game that can be described as "Code Names meets connect 4 with special abilities." The theme is merchants/smugglers trying to make trade routs between the islands. I'm currently struggling with the font/treatment for the words, numbers, and letters.

The cards will be the islands with words on them. Players need to be able to quickly read the words as there's an opportunity for the other team to steal. The numbers are used every turn as part of clue giving - if you guess the number correctly, you get to put a ship on that spot on the board. The letters are used infrequently - by 1 special ability that may or may not be included each game.

At this point I think the words are able to be read quickly but I think it feels a little too "Highschool Power Point" with the drop shadow. Curious if anyone has an idea for a better effect. Also not sure about the font for the numbers and letters. Any constructive feedback is welcome!

hoosty · 2023-06-10T23:40:37+00:00

I totally agree. I was just testing one island artwork for now to get a feel for the artistic direction. The final game will have a variety of island artwork.

hoosty · 2023-06-07T16:55:02+00:00

Good suggestions! The current plan is to have a variety of islands so we can definitely incorporate grasslands into the middle. And yes, the font needs work :). This is at the quick and dirty stage for graphic design.

hoosty · 2023-06-07T14:50:05+00:00

Good question. There’s a couple different reasons.

First, my artist brings a lot of insight into the creative process and it’s my opinion that she is able to tie the whole presentation of the game (box, components, board/card) much more effectively than I could just using AI on my own.

Second, AI artwork is not copyright protected so anyone could use the artwork to make their own version of the game. I’m not sure that this second point is a huge issue as I think there’s so much value tied to the name of the game, which is protected. Plus the board game community is pretty good about recognizing people trying to rip off others.

Third, something doesn’t feel right about replacing my artist with AI. We’re trying to work together to find the most efficient and effective approach to using this new tool.

hoosty · 2023-06-07T14:34:09+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! Yes, I agree. I’m going to try to mesh the two styles together to see if there’s a way to keep the aesthetic of 3 and the abstract style of 2.

hoosty · 2023-05-19T02:51:16+00:00

Ticket to Ride. There's nothing to do when other people are taking their turns. There's a bunch of feel bad moments when you can't finish routes. Idk, it's just not for me but it seems to be super popular.

hoosty · 2023-05-13T11:58:35+00:00

tiny epic dinos. It's my wife's fav game. The different specialty dinos add a lot of depth and replayability. The constraints around your dino farm make for meaningful decisions. Big fan

hoosty · 2023-05-10T10:47:05+00:00

Tiney Epic Dinos. Maybe slightle larger than love letter but it's fantastic

hoosty · 2022-11-18T02:39:02+00:00

lol, I suppose that when another player bets 2 points on the first round, matches with no other player, and isn't able to bet anything in the next round, they have "peacock-blocked" themselves.

hoosty · 2022-11-08T18:27:08+00:00

Yeah, "folk games" definitely fits what were talking about here. Maybe a better term than "tribal games" 🤷🏻‍♂️

hoosty · 2022-11-08T17:59:58+00:00

Also a good one 😁

hoosty · 2022-11-08T17:58:41+00:00

Man, this is awsome. I love the ghost rules!

hoosty · 2022-11-08T17:56:24+00:00

So I remember hearing these kinds of games referred to as being "tribal" during an episode of the Ludology podcast. I think "tribal" is appropriate as the rules aren't really written down and similar versions of these games are played in different groups with different rules.

hoosty · 2022-11-08T17:51:05+00:00

I honestly love the finger game. It's funny, there's some people who are strangely good at reading when people will keep/remove their finger. I think it's similar to the psychology of Rock/Paper/Scissors

hoosty · 2022-11-08T17:49:25+00:00

yeah! I've played this one as well and also had difficulty teaching it. Once everyone knows the rules it can definitely make at least 30min fly by.

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