John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Just finished Lanterns. Fantastic series highly recommend. 020
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Very serious game development happening today. I have spent hours folding paper airplanes and throwing them across the room. Please respect the rigorous nature of our industry. 090
Reposted by John ZinserAlderac Entertainment Group @alderaceg.bsky.social · 02/10/2026It's Cascadia: Alpine Lakes Retail Release Day! This new standalone game builds on the foundation of the original, but now thematically allows you to stack tiles, adding elevation to your habitats. Check your FLGS for Cascadia: Alpine Lakes today. #cascadia #boardgames @flatoutgames.bsky.social 041
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 22/09/2026It’s 3:00 AM. In a few hours, we launch Electrify. There are years of work sitting in that box. Design, development, art, production, playtesting, changes, mistakes, improvements, and a lot of people trying to make something special. Now there’s only one thing left to do. Flip the switch. 031
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 17/09/2026I have played an unreasonable number of games of Electrify on BGA lately. I keep telling myself it’s work. This is the best kind of playtesting. :) #PlaytestingAEG 030
Reposted by John ZinserMatt Forbeck @forbeck.com · 09/09/2026Gamers! The chat I had with @bandofbadgers.bsky.social last week is already out on YouTube. Go check it out! youtu.be/DfOnv_6481Eyoutu.beLive Q&A with MARVEL RPGs Lead Writer MATT FORBECKYouTube video by Band of Badgers 083
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 04/09/2026Sitting in my dentist’s chair playing Electrify on BGA on my phone. Life is good? Or life is strange? :) 000
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 04/09/2026The power is on, and the Electrify Alpha is working great! I’m preparing for the most fun you can have as a game company employee: playing one of our games with new friends. Come join us and find out why people are calling Electrify “The Engine Builder’s Engine Builder.” 000
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 01/09/2026They’re both tableau engine builders, and that’s where the similarities end. Just played again and Electrify has such a satisfying “I built this” feeling when your engine really pops near the end. Space Base will always be my favorite, but I’m officially hooked on Electrify. 110
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 01/09/2026This game really is “The Engine Builder’s Engine Builder.” Playing it is making my brain hurt in the best possible ways. Tableau engine building from my favorite designer, John D. Clair. Electrify is a beast. 120
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 29/08/2026Went and saw the new Spider-Man movie with Mom yesterday. Wow, was it good. So glad I saw it in the theater. 000
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 29/08/2026I’m on summer break, but I’ve been working closely with Jaedon on this one. Can’t wait to get back to it and finalize the artist and name. Super fun game, and Jaedon’s videos are a great origin story to follow. 000
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Electrify is hot and I’m getting excited watching the engine for the launch come together. Yesterday we learned the BGA implementation is ahead of schedule, which means we get to turn the power on a little earlier than planned. So now we’re looking for a few engine builders to help. 010
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 18/08/2026The older I get, the less interested I am in proving what I already know. Companies change. Games change. People change. If you’re still learning, experimenting, failing, adjusting and trying again, you’re still in the game. Evolution isn’t something you finish. 030
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 13/08/2026Up at 4 AM again. Apparently this is who I am now. Coffee. Quiet house. A couple uninterrupted hours to think about AEG, what we’re building, what isn’t working, and what I’m learning along the way. There are worse ways to start a day. 120
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 06/08/2026I love the smell of rain in the desert. I learned a new word today. Petrichor - The small of rain after a dry day. I love the rain here in South Carolina but I miss the Petrichor from California. 000
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 05/08/2026I love the fact that you sent this video more than anything that happened at Gencon and it was a great show. You stayed under one minute which is tough to do. Strange and interesting theme. Send the pitch to Creative@alderac.com I look forward to checking it out. 130
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 28/07/2026On my way to Gencon. I have already been informed of a delay of my connecting flight in Baltimore. I was worried weather was going to get me. 010
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 27/07/2026Designers dropping by BGN: My staff has asked me to clarify that the VIP list is for drop-bys, not seats at the event. I’m looking forward to meeting each of you and hearing your quick pitches. My main goal is to connect a face to a name. I’ll remember the faces, games, but not all of the names. 010
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 26/07/20263:28 today. I am sure my brain knew I wanted to confirm for those of you who care. :) 000
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 25/07/2026Just spent 20 minutes reading about circadian rhythms. I wake up every day at 3:30. Turns out it’s probably not my bladder, my back, time to bed or random chance.My circadian clock has learned that 3:30 is when the day starts and begins waking my body before I’m even conscious. Brains are amazing. 110
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 24/07/2026I put this invitation out into the world last year and did not get any takers, so I am trying again! I genuinely love meeting new designers. The first Love Letter and Smash Up pitches were quick elevator conversations, so this really can be time well spent. 150
Reposted by John ZinserAlderac Entertainment Group @alderaceg.bsky.social · 24/07/2026Designers coming to Gen Con? Drop by Big Game Night for 15 minutes, see what the event is all about! Introduce yourself to John Z and let him put you on the clock (1 Minute elevator game pitch) Friday, 8-12PM Lucas Oil Stadium, East Club Lounge Post your name in this thread to get on the list. 🎲✂️ 243219
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 14/07/2026 JumbleJack, Word Wipe and Assemble. A year of building, testing, and learning. These three projects taught me more about improving AEG than I imagined possible. #playtestingAEG 030
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 11/07/20264/4 There is nothing quite like publishing your first game Every time we have the chance to help make that happen,it reminds me why being a publisher is so rewarding If the Design Portal helps more designers find the right home for their games, even when that home isn’t AEG, that would be a success. 010
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 11/07/20263/4 Over time, I hope we contribute enough useful articles, highlights, interviews, and insights that designers begin to think of the Design Portal as one of the first places they visit when they start their publishing journey. 100
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 11/07/20262/4 There is already a tremendous amount of great advice for new designers. I’d love the Design Portal to become a place that points people toward the best organizations, communities, tools, and educational resources, not just our own content. 100
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 11/07/20261/4 I believe the #1 thing game designers want is the opportunity to get their games in front of the people who can publish them. That is the first and most important goal of the AEG Design Portal. Make access to AEG decision makers as easy as possible. 100
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 10/07/2026It isn’t an accident that Jaedon Johnson, the designer of one of our Big Game Night 2027 games, is helping make Learn to Play videos for our 2026 releases. One of the biggest lessons from #PlaytestingAEG is that players want access, not just announcements. Expect more of this as we move forward. 010
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 09/07/2026Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the best podcast guests out there. I chase down and listen to his interviews wherever he shows up. This week he is on DOAC. He just said he got internet hate from saying that cows are machines created by humans to turn grass into steak. 👨🍳🌱 🐄 = 🥩 000
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 09/07/2026Good question. I think the thinking was that we were carving out a small corner of the universe to tell an interactive story, and Doomtown gave us a place to stretch our wings without interfering too much with the wonderful setting Pinnacle had already created. 010
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 09/07/2026Naming games is hard. Sometimes the name just lands. Smash Up. Love Letter. Other times you go through 500 ideas and still don’t feel like you have found the one that is worthy of the game you created. The game is great. The team believes in it. But until the name clicks, it's not finished. 260
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 29/06/2026Watching CSI reruns reminded me that every great TV team has roles. Nobody expects the forensic scientist to interrogate suspects or the detective to run the lab. Clear roles make extraordinary teams look ordinary. We’re still learning that at AEG. #PlaytestingAEG 010
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 28/06/2026A lot of my relearning how AEG works is happening inside of the work I am doing on BGN and the games we are launching at this event. I look forward to seeing the next big hit. #PlaytestingAEG 030
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 17/06/2026I spent the sunrise working on plans for Big Game Nights that won't happen until 2028. One of the odd things about publishing games is that you're usually working on the future while everyone else is looking at the present. #playtestingAEG 020
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 15/06/2026We've been thinking about Big Game Night as an annual event. Turns out it's three annual events running at the same time. One BGN in discovery. (2028) One BGN in development. (2027) One launching. (2026) Once we built it that way in Asana, everything started making more sense. #PlaytestingAEG 000
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 31/05/2026@alderac The best feeling ever right? Congrats I chase that all the time. 020
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 31/05/2026Going to start watching Spider Man - Noir on Netflix. Hoping the coin lands on great Nic Cage for this one. 100
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 24/05/2026Getting a few peices of art reframed. Wife asked who this was. I got maybe 1/4 way through Togashi Mitsu’s story before she said “I am sorry I asked”😜. 🐉🐉🐉 140
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 19/05/2026Multiple years of hard work and lots of teamwork and planning went into creating this great game. Very proud of my team. 120
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 16/05/2026I worked on 3-4 games featured at this years BGN. First true dev work I have done at AEG in many years. Very satisfying to see these games come to life. See you at GenCon. #DingDing #Alderac #Biggamenight 010
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 13/05/2026To bed early and awake at 3AM. Some days I roll over and go back to sleep. Other days, like today, my brain has other plans. Hi ho. #PlaytestingAEG 000
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 09/05/2026Some games have longer lives than you expect. Had a call today with a new partner bringing one of our older titles from the 2010's back, and the early work looks incredible. Excited to share more soon. #PlaytestingAEG 010
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 07/05/2026Frogs in the morning. Frogs in the afternoon. Frogs at suppertime. No more frogs. #PlaytestingAEG 010
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 05/05/20262 weeks until the Let’s Go to France Kickstarter launches. The team are doing great. Feels strange to be this disconnected from something so important. Not being involved creates more anxiety than being involved. It’s like letting someone else plan a vacation for you. #PlaytestingAEG 150
John Zinser @aegjohnz.bsky.social · 29/04/2026There are only so many hours in a day, and lately I feel like I am squeezing every ounce of juice out of them. Some days that feels productive. Some days it just feels sticky. #PlaytestingAEG 030
