iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Bryan Bornmueller

CMYK @cmyk.games · 29/09/2026

Our new game GRABBLE is out today. It's a 5-minute frenzy of grabbing mismatched game pieces out of a box, then having a weirdly intense showdown with them. www.cmyk.games/products/gra...

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Hope you enjoy the trick-taking game!

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Reposted by Bryan Bornmueller

Gail Simone @gailsimone.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

First was Krampus Kave, in Leavenworth, Wa. What a great store! It’s a small town, but this store had games, books, toys and a great selection of comics. We bought these here!

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I will be doing a signing for the Lord of the Rings Trick-Taking Games on Saturday at 15:00 (2:00 PM) in booth C111 in Hall 7, come by, say hi, and get an art print. Please feel free to share this post with other game designers you may know!

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Please send me an e-mail (bbornmueller@asmodee.com) with a sell sheet, video, or whatever details you can share about your game if you’d like to get time my calendar. If you already have a meeting with any Asmodee studios let me know and I may be able to join that meeting.

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I will be at Essen SPIEL this October looking at prototypes. I will be taking pitches for original board games and card games designed with the hobby game market in mind for some of the tabletop studios at Asmodee.

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Reposted by Bryan Bornmueller

BoardGame Animal 🐕 @boardgameanimal.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

You wanted a late night post…right? Better Card Games 1 ✨Top 25 Trick Taking Games✨ youtu.be/wmzeE3mbotQ?... Ft games by @indigopotter.bsky.social @dnlnwmn.bsky.social @tricktaking.bsky.social @seandavidross.bsky.social @bbornmueller.bsky.social @nickferris.bsky.social @allplay.bsky.social

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Happy Kindergarten Day! Break out the glue and the safety scissors. It’s the real game design stuff.

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

WOW! Handsome gents in shiny polos. Thank you for sharing!!

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Board games at the Minnesota State Fair: Agricola cake Wingspan Crop Art @elizhargrave.bsky.social Also Gollum in the Forbidden Pool (I understand this more than many folks, and it’s funnier for it.)

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

When Eric Lang AND Miyamoto are telling you the same thing, you should listen! I look at over 1,000 game pitches a year and I am pretty much only drawn to the weirdo personal projects.

Miyamoto: Games based on developers' personal interests resonate around the world, not those aiming for global appeal
IF DEVELOPERS TRY TO MAKE SOMETHING THE WORLD WILL LIKE, IT BECOMES GENERIC, HE SAYS

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Yes I am planning on going to Essen and yes similar types of games. If you schedule a meeting with any other Asmodee studio I can perhaps just join that too.

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Reposted by Bryan Bornmueller

Camilla Zamboni 🔜 Metatopia @czamboni.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Omg we finally finished LOTR - the Two Towers trick-taking game! The last two chapters were absolutely brutal, we all felt the pain of being ensnared by Shelob... Good job to @bbornmueller.bsky.social (though with a bit of sadism...). Then we played Inkwell again to celebrate! I loved it again.

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Reposted by Bryan Bornmueller

LoadingReadyRun @loadingreadyrun.com · 20/08/2026

Tonight on AFK Matt, Ben, James, and Jordynne are playing The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game. Anyone wanna take a guess at which character James is starting with this evening? If you don’t want spoilers don’t look at his head. twitch.tv/loadingready...

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Reposted by Bryan Bornmueller

Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Board games! I played some this week. What did you get to the table?

board games: Scribbly Gum, Six-Sided Seas, Dawn of the Zeds, Greylune, Revolutions, The Guerrilla Generation, Stakeout, Pond, Thunder Road: Ignition, The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict, Torchlit, Schadenfreude

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Reposted by Bryan Bornmueller

Brooke @proptartmn.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

One more performance of Magical Athlete: Stadium Showdown today! Go see it!

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I always think of this phase of game design as braising. Slow and low, like a roast.

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Reposted by Bryan Bornmueller

Daniel Newman // New Mill Industries @dnlnwmn.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

The vendors for the 2026 Indie Games Night Market have been decided on! www.newmillindustries.com/ignm

newmillindustries.com

Indie Games Night Market — New Mill Industries

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Reposted by Bryan Bornmueller

Geoff Engelstein - The Universe Explained with Cookie out now! @gengelstein.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

“After it published the absolute slammer that is The Lord of the Rings Trick-Taking Game, my hopes were high. Now I've demoed Circle of Conflict myself, my hopes are even higher.” www.wargamer.com/lord-of-the-...

wargamer.com

This epic new Lord of the Rings board game is a dynamic roll-and-write where you play both sides of the battle

Do we really need more Lord of the Rings board games? When the mechanics are this interesting, my money is on 'yes'.

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Reposted by Bryan Bornmueller

Elizabeth Hargrave @elizhargrave.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

One major purpose of TTGDA is to help tabletop game designers negotiate better publishing contracts. We just released the rubric of what we look for -- and info on how different publishers scored on the rubric. Soon we will also release a model contract. More at www.ttgda.org/contract-bas...

Tabletop Game Designers Association (TTGDA) Releases Scoring Rubric and Tabletop
Market Contract Analysis to Promote Equitable Industry Standards

Bridgewater, NJ – The Tabletop Game Designers Association (TTGDA) today announced the
launch of their Contract Scoring Rubric and publication of its Tabletop Market Contract Analysis
– 2026, a comprehensive industry report designed to share information about contract practices
and advocate for fair treatment, intellectual property protection, and designer involvement in the
tabletop game publishing process.
The report, developed by the TTGDA contract & grievance committee—led by industry veterans
Geoff Engelstein, Elizabeth Hargrave, Matt Leacock, and James Lowder—seeks to address the
wide disparity in publishing agreements across the industry. With many first-time game
designers accepting terms that may be disadvantageous, the TTGDA has developed a rigorous,
objective scoring rubric to evaluate publisher contracts.
“Our intention is to shine a light on these industry practices and lead to more equitable
standards,” says TTGDA Vice President Sen-Foong Lim. To assist in this effort, the TTGDA will
be releasing model contracts that adhere to the criteria established in the scoring rubric.
The full report can be downloaded at www.ttgda.org/contract-basics.
Key Industry Findings
The analysis of contracts from over 50 publishers reveals several critical areas where many
standard publishing agreements fall short of fair practices:
● Advances: Only two-thirds of publishers offer a baseline advance above the
TTGDA-recommended minimum of $1,000, while 20% offer no advance at all.
● Designer Involvement in Expansions: 40% of publishers retain the right to create
expansions without consulting the original game’s designer.

Intellectual Property Rights: 75% of publishers retain the rights to a game’s name after
the publication agreement concludes and rights to the design revert to the creator.
● Financial Transparency: One-third of publishers deny designers the right to audit their
books, and 10% include non-standard deductions to revenue before royalties are
calculated.
Moving Toward Standards
The Tabletop Market Contract Analysis includes aggregate results, with summary scores for
each individual publisher available to TTGDA members. However TTGDA would like to highlight
the top five scoring publishers (alphabetically): 25th Century Games, Fireside Games, Lunar
Punk, Plaid Hat Games, and UP Games.
“These results are not a call to avoid specific publishers,” says TTGDA President Geoff
Engelstein. “Rather they are a tool for designers to negotiate terms that include fair payment,
intellectual property protection, and a meaningful role in the final product.”
The organization plans to release semi-annual updates to the Tabletop Market Contract
Analysis as more contracts are reviewed and publishers revise their standard agreements.
About the Tabletop Game Designers Association
The Tabletop Game Designers Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization dedicated to
supporting designers of all types of tabletop games, including board games, role playing games,
card games, miniature games, and others, whether mass market, specialty, or hobby. Learn
more about us at www.ttgda.org.

Contact:
Geoff Engelstein
President
Tabletop Game Designers Association
president@ttgda.org
www.ttgda.org

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

A lovely game of @marcelineleiman.bsky.social ‘s Dino Racer with the family today!

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Who needs a collector booster when you have a pretzel booster?

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

To be fair, seven ate nine, and should be punished for their crimes.

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Reposted by Bryan Bornmueller

Lupe Gonzalez 🌈 🔜 Essen @adalupe.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Lupe, what nails have you done? Great question! I've done Cozy Stickerville, The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring Trick Taking Game, River of Gold, and Fate of the Fellowship.

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed them!

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Reposted by Bryan Bornmueller

BoardGameWire 🔜 Spiel Essen @boardgamewire.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

The Ukrainian publisher of board games including Catan and Exploding Kittens is fighting for its existence after a Russian missile strike destroyed its warehouse, wiping out its entire stock of about 200,000 games: boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...

A fire engine outside a burnt out warehouse, with a burnt out van outside. Smoke and steam are still rising from the destroyed building. Photo shows damage to Ukrainian board game publisher Rozum's warehouse following a Russian missile attack on August 1. Photo Credit: Rozum.

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Bryan Bornmueller @bbornmueller.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I won a Dice Tower award for best coop game! Very grateful.

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