Design Diary – August 13th 2025

(Note: This entry was dictated by the designer and transcribed by ChatGPT.)

Last night, I already started feeling a bit of regret about entering the contest. I feel like I might be in over my head because I have so much else going on. I really want to give my full attention to my two main designs, Cats on the Table and Jewel eXchange. I’ve planned to demo both of those in September at the Lautapelaamaan board game event in Helsinki, and I want them to be just right. Plus, I know my day job is going to be really busy this autumn.

But what’s done is done. I noticed my VIP entry for the game got a thumbs-up already, so someone’s seen it, and I’m not going to withdraw. I’m going to make this happen no matter what it takes.

Little progress everyday

This morning, I used my time to write rulebook changes for Cats on the Table, and otherwise, I’ve been busy with life. I know I need to make at least a little progress on this contest entry every day because everything has to be ready by October 1st.

So I opened up Tabletop Creator Pro and started designing the first prototype cards digitally. I know it would probably be faster and better to start designing on paper by hand, but I want to make sure I have a digital print-and-play version ready when the time comes. So this time, I’m starting from the beginning with all drafts done digitally. This might be a mistake, but its my mistake to make.

I designed my first app card—the “Facepalm” app, a parody of a social media app. Uninstalling it will give the player an extra action point for that turn, just for a thematic touch. It’s a simple start, but at least it’s something, and now I have a base to work from.

Design Diary – August 12th 2025

(Note: This entry was dictated by the designer and transcribed by ChatGPT, as the designer was multitasking hands-free.)

Today, I officially decided to jump into the BGG 54-card design contest. I hoped to do a 24-hour contest again because I had some unexpected success last time. This time the 24-hour contest had keyword “PAD” as a theme. But since my vacation ended, I didn’t have the time. So this 54-card contest felt like a more realistic option. Especially as I have a tendency to design games with more cards this seemed a good way to limit myself.

I’ve been brainstorming Hack-a-Pad for a couple of weeks and used last couple days to draft few pages of notes on cards, mechanics, and layout. The idea is a two-player game where each tries to hack the other’s tablet. For tracking health (the “privacy” bar), I was inspired by Star Realms’ use of two cards to track a player’s authority and adapted it here.

Core game play idea

The core gameplay revolves around installing and uninstalling app cards while managing action points and trying to breach the opponent’s defenses. There are two main types of cards: App Cards, which simulate various (often humorous or risky) tablet applications, and Hacking Cards, which provide different offensive or defensive actions. Each hacking card contains two different features—one on the top half and one on the bottom—so players must choose which to use, effectively doubling the variety of play options.

I figured I needed a way for players to pay action points to play hacking cards. Because of the card limit, I combined the health and action point tracking into the same set of cards. That means the same cards track privacy and action points.

Do I have enough time for this?

I have to admit I’m a bit worried about finding the time for this design because I also want to focus on two other designs and get them pitch-ready this year. I’m a little afraid I might end up regretting entering this contest because I have so much on my plate. But we’ll see how it all unfolds!