We shine when we differ
This photo says it all. The quiet little Age of Galaxy, standing shoulder to shoulder with the massive, thundering beast that is Apex Legends: The Board Game. One modest retail release. One crowdfunding juggernaut. Two great games—two entirely different worlds.
I publish for retail. That’s how I design games. That’s how I believe it should be done. A board game, in my view, is a product meant to sit on a shelf in your Friendly Local Game Store. It should fit that shelf. It should work with distribution margins. It should respect the process—design, production, logistics, retail. That’s how the hobby grows.
You play Ticket to Ride or Detective at a friend’s house. You try Imperial Settlers or Heat. You fall in love. And what do you do? You go to a store and buy your own copy. That’s organic growth. That’s how boardgaming expands—you play a game, you love it, you buy it. Repeat. Multiply.
So now I have both boxes sitting on my table: 𝗔𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘅𝘆 and 𝗔𝗽𝗲𝘅 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀. Looking at them makes me happy.
It reminds me of the width of our hobby.
It tells me there’s room for both.
There’s room for games designed for stores—standard boxes, reasonable prices, classic distribution, focused on gameplay, balanced with solid components.
And there’s room for the insane—the once-in-a-while, over-the-top, fully tricked-out box of dreams that makes your inner geek cheer like a kid on Christmas morning.
There’s space for both worlds.
We shine when we differ.
We explore when we differ.
We discover new things—new experiences, new passions, new joys—when we differ.
In gaming.
And in life.
I strongly believe that good board game is the one that tells a good story. You play it and suddenly you are sucked into it, you feel chills on the skin. Emotions grow. In a moment you defend castle. You hear roar of warriors. You smell boiling oil. You are into it.
That's how I design my games. I always want to tell a good story. I want players to be into it. As deep as possible.
Leave a Comment