iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

back on my antics waiting for the barbecue to heat up, got 4 new versions of old protos to prepare

Outdoor table with dark pink tablecloth on which sit a pair of scissors and over twenty pages of card, each with game cards printed on them.

CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

I have had multiple design block breakthroughs come to me in dreams. I don't know if I should be concerned at this point lol

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

There's certain things it's very good at (large amounts of simple cards with similar layouts), and there's things where it would take longer to write an implementation in nanDECK than to make the components in an editor, I agree. It's best used as one tool in a varied toolbox

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

If you'd like to take a look inside one of the files that demonstrates this, I just shared a zip of one of my games' decks that you can download. Would be happy to explain how anything works and answer any questions bsky.app/profile/capt...

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Hi, I don't use the visual editor and instead add elements line by line using the code editor. I also define positions by using % of the dimensions of the card. So for example 5% margin, 90% width. This lets me do maths to make sure elements don't overlap

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

I'm sharing part of one of my projects for people curious to how it works! drive.google.com/file/d/1i2Gm... Download nanDECK, unzip the folder, and build your own copy of one of my prototype's decks by following the readme.txt. Try making changes to the cards or their quantities! 🎲✂️

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

This is why whenever I have a serious idea I always take the time to set it up in nanDECK, so no matter the size of the changes I want to make, it's as simple as editing a spreadsheet :) it's already tiring enough to have to make sweeping changed to a game so it's important to streamline it

Screenshot showing a Nandeck setup, a Libreoffice spreadsheet containing titles and text for prototype cards, and a handful of digital playing cards as output

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

- I'd wager it has never been a better time to be a tabletop gamer (variety, community, reviews, niches) - I'd wager it has never been easier to be a board game designer (community, resources, choice, means) - I'd wager it has never been harder to stand out (so many good games) 🎲✂️

A picture of Elizabeth Hargraves' Sanibel being demonstrated

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

- Many manufacturers, the vast majority Chinese (left side of image is all from manufacturers, right side is my day 1 game haul) - Chinese manufacturers aim to deliver everything conveniently, European ones seem to excel in specialisations - A few first time exhibitors but fewer than I was expecting

Various informational material from board game manufacturers on the left, two board games on the right

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

- Decided not to attend the designer/publisher networking as it was mostly a lot of small/first time designers trying to break out/get distribution - Meeting small/indie designers 'in the wild' and having chats without pretenses has so far been incredibly rewarding

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

- Seminars aimed at designers feel a lot sparser this year, but what's there is very useful (manufacturing, legal insights) - Some games and prototypes that are using AI for placeholder and final art, but much more anti-AI sentiment from the non users (who will often declare it on their stalls)

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

holy based, that's definitely a way to introduce someone to it

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Enjoy trying to work out what's valid for Meal Deals and what's not!

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

It's absolutely a problem that can be fixed but it's a bit of a self perpetuating system, people brought up in the UK sometimes struggle to see anything wrong with it and the social attitudes have adjusted to it

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

It's a valid concern and a strong argument towards decreasing government overreach but historically anti-"Nanny State" has sadly been used for American style privatisation and general decay of the quality of service without addressing how those services are overreaching in the first place

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

In the UK, this is what's called the "Nanny State". Like an overbearing nanny raising a child, the government is very involved in things that some think should be personal, and there are many checks, low transparency, and general personal responsibility for social problems (eg. see it say it sorted)

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

That's the way it goes with minorities and the art they make- suppress them, their genuine methods of expression, and foster negative public image, while creating a washed out version for easy consumption, conveniently detached from their actual struggles

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

new prototype finally made it on paper after kicking around my head for over a year, this one's a Deadlock + Root inspired game where you play as different mobster families in a occult version of London. it played pretty ok for a first trial, finally got me out of my slump of 5 failed games in a row

Board game prototype where 4 players have makeshift tableaus of cards in front of them, centred around a simple map of districts of central London

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

me: so yeah sorry to bring you back but the funding board wanted to hear your perspective on the achievements of capitalism, like the moon landing Karl Marx: holy shit they patented seeds? me: is there hope in the modern age for communism? Karl Marx: the seeds in the fucking ground?

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

whenever someone I know joins bsky and complains about the discover feed, I tell them to follow your list, add the For You tab, and like a bunch of shit posts and art, and it fixes like 90% of their complaints. so thank you for your service maia

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

98% of them are not having a lasting impact beyond getting sarcastic Reddit comments but the last 2% have the potential to change the entire indie board/video game ecosystem for the next 3 years by not only finding a winning combination of x and y but also not fumbling the execution

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

this is because transgender is holy and they are simply recipients of divine light

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Reposted by CaptainKlutz

🏰meg⚔️ @impavid.us · 02/04/2026

SCREAMING THIS FROM THE FUCKING ROOFTOPS

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Rejuvaskin Rejuvasil, got it from an online pharmacy, made in the USA apparently

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Very grateful I no longer have a patch on my leg the size of my palm that itches so bad I used to scratch it till it bled in my sleep. Very confused how several specialists could only at best mitigate the symptoms or even exacerbate them. Thank you for giving me my leg back, Katie.

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Idk but I think it was @katie.bzky.team who randomly mentioned silicone scar cream one day. On a whim I bought 10ml and tried it on a burn scar that developed eczema and it's the only cream that's lessened the redness/itching. 3 years, 4 dermatologists. And Katie solves it without ever seeing it

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

- 100% corn pasta in 5kg bags is very cheap from wholesalers and restaurant suppliers - Rice is very economical and easy to make if you have even a cheap rice cooker - Gluten free bread is horrendously marked up and overpriced, it's better to go with natural alternatives like rice crackers

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

if you take creatine as a supplement you legally owe Katie $20 RIGHT NOW. i don't make the rules

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

being a leftist is making peace with the fact that all workers deserve liberation despite sometimes being dumbasses who can't even give me tech support for the right product, yes Jason, it was in the email header AND body text goddamn it

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

this is why we need more arts education in schools, like how are so many adults in the creative industry like this? haha I'm just making satire. aimed against certain ideas. that I've somehow decided to reinforce

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Didn't make it to the #cardboardedison finals, but got some absolutely excellent feedback from the judges which I've already started working on! I'm very glad I entered and I'm grateful for the time of everyone involved. Time to get straight back into creating and improving my board games! 🎲✂️

Board game prototype of an abstract strategy game about growing trees and mushrooms on a pub table

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

PS: It's common for publishers accepting game pitches to list what types of games they are and are not taking pitches for. Along with social deduction, take that! games, and dexterity games, in my experience, roll and move is one of the more common entries on those lists.

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

prototypes in the future? Maybe! But there are so many ways to explore randomness, asymmetry, and hedging for future turns using different mechanics than just dice with none of the preconceptions. The mechanic isn't bad, it just brings history. That's why I haven't used it yet.

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

setting off on an uphill battle from the start. That's not to say it's fruitless! I've played some excellent roll and move games that have come out in the past 3 years. In the difficult beginnings of getting into the scene, however, every impression counts. Will I use roll and move in any of my

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

use the mechanic and primarily the frustration they cause. And when you've designed a prototype, and you go to anyone- a friend, a playtester, a publisher - they will likely already have a strong mental image of this type of game. And if you're trying to do something novel with the mechanic, you're

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Apart from chess pieces and the playing card itself, roll and move is probably one of the oldest and most familiar mechanics in board games. Hence, people are more likely to have an opinion on it and hold stereotypes about it. You can see a lot of others bring it up here- talking about classics that

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Hey, I'm quite new to the scene but maybe I can offer a perspective. Last year I designed 12 prototypes in 12 months. They varied hugely in mechanics and weight, but I didn't use roll to move once. Why? Because of the reason you're likely writing this piece and what we're seeing in this thread. 🧵

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

IMO it's actually preferable to do this because then you don't front load too much information on (especially new) players but also cover all edge cases explicitly to prevent disagreements and confusion. I don't think it's even possible to be too explicit when it comes to rule appendices

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

I've only played the base Imperium because it's the perfect complexity weight for me and my wife, does Uprising add a lot more moving parts?

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

It's a social media trend, and combined with the popularity of the American Century Of Humiliation + lunar new year a lot of people are just like. Posting Chinese memes, changing their discord usernames to Chinese memes. All of the ones I've seen so far have been pretty harmless and good natured tho

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

Whenever I hear people act as if the conclusion is foregone, I try to draw their attention to how much fossil giants are spending trying to convince people and politics that they're still relevant and needed- that spending would not be required if the tide wasn't already turning. Keep fighting

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Stayed in a booking.com place 3 stops down from the NEC last year. Zero problems, train was packed every morning and evening but never full to the point I couldn't get on

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

only time I've ever seen you be wrong

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

we (vegans and the climate aware) all know fish farming is just as terrible as the rest of it, it's just much much easier to get people to see eye to eye when the subject is fluffy cow, fish can wait until further down the pipeline

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CaptainKlutz @captainklutz.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

The game definitely calls on many skills with varying floors and ceilings and physical requirements that it easily overwhelms. Even when I win I feel inadequate sometimes. Big differences in skills between ranks and inconsistent matchmaking doesn't help... Still an incredible game though

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Reposted by CaptainKlutz

Rebane @rebane2001.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

i made a version of wikipedia you can doomscroll xikipedia.org

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