You don’t need a published game to call yourself a designer. If you want to be one, just start designing and you already are one.
WannabeBoardGameDesigner.com is a learning journal. An ongoing project to collect resources and share stories and information about the board game design for anyone interested in board games.
I share what I’m learning as I go, from first prototypes to playtests gone wrong, so you can skip a few mistakes and join the fun.
Join me at @tracon_fi today and test new version of Hack-a-Pad.
#boardgamedesign #boardgameprototype #playtesting #tracon
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19.5 hours of board game design concentrated in about 20 mins. youtu.be/p0zMb3jETtE #designdiary #boardgamedesign #wildwestgame #24hourchallenge #designprocess
ring the first 1,5 hours in a 24-hour design challenge I have this much ready. 1 page rules draft, about…
Follow me while I try to make a full playable game in just 24 hours. (www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZgKrVRWElz4) This time the BGG…
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New Hack-a-Pad PnP files available
As of right now new PnP files are downloadable for Hack-a-Pad.
This is the version of the game that is playable at Lautapelaamaan event in Helsinki 14.9.2025.
Download links for files and list of changes available at Hack-a-Pad Proto 1a.1 PnP-files.
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Some progress and PnP files done
Design Diary – September 1, 2025
(Note: This entry was dictated by the designer while driving a car and transcribed by AI.)
I made unexpected progress today on the rulebook for Prototype 1.1. Writing rules always gives me a much clearer picture of how the game is actually supposed to work — and what’s still unclear. Just like always, I found some things I thought were obvious in my head but turned out hard to express cleanly. That’s a good sign something needs refining.
I also looked back at the feedback from recent playtests with family and friends. One thing stood out: the start of the game still feels a bit too slow. So I changed the starting hand size and initial app install counts slightly to get things moving faster. Now it seems that playtime is about 30 minutes which was my target. This also makes early decisions more meaningful, which is a bonus.
Another small step forward: I’ve started prepared the print-and-play files for upload. They’re not fully polished yet, but I want to get the ball rolling so I don’t get stuck doing everything last minute. You can find them at https://wannabeboardgamedesigner.com/board-games/hack-a-pad/proto-1-1/
All of this is part of my prep for the Lautapelaamaan event in Helsinki, which is now only a few weeks away (Aug 12-14). I plan to bring Hack-a-Pad there alongside my other prototypes, so I want everything to be as smooth and testable as possible by then. Every day counts at this point.