iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 1h

Super interesting thread! Worth a read if you're in the industry

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Heading home from Cairo. Lots of thoughts. A very long🧵

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Next up was Valley of the Kings. *Wild.* Dozens of tombs carved 3500 years ago. Some hundreds of m deep with dozens of rooms & ornate carvings & paint. Now a major tourist attraction. Un-acclimated people sweating their tails off in a completely inhospitable environment. Check alt text!

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Today has been a wild day in & around Luxor. We got up for a 5:00 pickup for a hot air balloon ride. Beautiful, but also *wild* experience. Organized chaos led to ~30 *giant* balloons being simultaneously inflated at exactly 6:28 AM.

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Hmmm. Floating down the Nile in a hammock. I feel like life is pretty great

View from hammock. Deck of boat, banks of Nile

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I think about this a lot. I can't think of a playtest I've ever done where I haven't tweaked something. By the end it's teeny tiny, but still.

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Hey look it's a pyramid or three (and a half)!

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Such a good example of the fact that politicians *can* actually do stuff, though a combination of talent & willpower

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

On my flight to Egypt and the #1 recommended movie to watch is The Mummy. Feels a little on the nose. Doesn't mean I won't watch it

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Hinokodo @hinokodo.com · 08/09/2026

9. Wyrmspan by @connievdc.bsky.social (14 plays) (I've only played solo twice it seems! I thought it was more!) Just a gorgeous game, wingspan but the heat is turned up a bit. You play twice as many cards, you get MORE actions not less. Slick, fun, classic. 10/10 boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41...

boardgamegeek.com

Wyrmspan

Build a cavernous sanctuary for dragons of all shapes and sizes!

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Honestly this is the hockey content I'm here for

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

And just like that, my adventure with Avalon Hill comes to a close. We departed from an airport consisting of a man, his dog, a hand-written passenger list, and a bathroom scale. Stay tuned until early October for details!!

An airport with a staff of one human and one dog

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Day 4 - highlight so far was seeing a sloth. Also saw two types of monkeys, plus birds, crabs, and lizards!

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Day 3 of my adventure with Avalon Hill & @hexstardragon.bsky.social . Can't share what we are doing, but I had a little down time & explored town. It's on a peninsula, with a canal on one side, & a walking path on the other. The town is car free. Can hear howler monkeys, but haven't seen them yet.

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Day two of our adventure!! We're not in Kansas anymore. Any guesses?

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Going on an adventure with the Avalon Hill team and @hexstardragon.bsky.social ! Any guesses as to where we are headed?

View out of plane window with clouds, mountains, and greenery

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

The English language is often dumb, and it gets even dumber when you want to refer to another human (or humans) without gender. 😡

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Just got done with a Mass Effect campaign by @ithayla.bsky.social & @ericlang.bsky.social! Played with my same group that has played through Gloomhaven & Frosthaven & had a great time! 1/

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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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Geoff Engelstein - The Universe Explained with Cookie out now! @gengelstein.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Engelstein’s Law: Your game is more complicated than you think, even when you take into account Engelstein’s Law.

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Great video from Matthew Dunston on the life of a game designer :-)

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Eric Lang @ericlang.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

It’s July 2026, and I’m calling it. @marcelineleiman.bsky.social will be one this generation’s most important artists in our field I’ve been doing this a long time, and I know singular greatness when I see it Publishers, pay attention

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Alderac Entertainment Group @alderaceg.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Designers 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. 🎲✂️

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Ygrene @ygrene.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

hey, remember: don't eat anything and don't breathe

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David Masnato 🔜 PAX U @davidmasnato.com · 15/07/2026

I'm David! I'm a graphic designer, illustrator, community manager, and game designer. Most of my graphic design and illustration work in the tabletop world has been for my own projects, but I'd love to get serious about changing that! 💼: davidmasnato.com ✉️: hello@davidmasnato.com #PortfolioDay

The box cover for my game Pax Playground. The illustration shows a child in a yellow coat standing at the top of a slide. The title of the game is in big bold red letters below with my name nearby.

The cover for another game called Pax Penning. The words "Pax Penning, Game Design by Matilda Simonsson, Graphic Design by David Masnato" are surrounded by a detailed and colorful border.

A digital render of my game Tiers of Joy. Colorful tokens are spread across a playing area. Some of them are stacked to resemble miniature cakes.

Some cards from my game Oar Deal. Some cards are laid out in a playing area while another card is off to the side. The cards have a watery blue background with some iconography and numbers.

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

This is a topic that's near & dear to my heart - these are the regs I built my legal career around. Please take a moment to say you oppose politics in science & political meddling in government grants.

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Almost exactly a year ago, I left my (stable!) job for full-time game design. Some reflections 1/ 🧵

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Musicology Duck @musicologyduck.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

There are still a couple more local “improvement” projects to check on but that’s a project for another day, I think my feet are done 😂

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Marceline Leiman is Racing Dinos @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Oh this is me for sureee If this isn’t everyone who designs games, time to put an ice pack on that swollen head

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Incredible. I'm watching the fireworks from my house and it's literally the most boring fireworks show I've ever seen.

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Can we talk about this firework show? They're advertising 850,000 fireworks. That's 300 fireworks/sec for 45 mins. Starting at 11 pm. Last year was 7,000 & the air was shit for days. This year it's about a thousand degrees & the air isn't moving.

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Ok ya'll. I'm 2 hours into a hair appointment and am bored! AMA! Or show me something cool you saw on the Internet this week! Or a photo of your pet! Anything!

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Ok @popville.bsky.social any idea why there have been nonstop helicopter flyovers in cap hill today? They're low enough to literally shake my house & it's been nonstop.

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

On the one hand, this is laugh out loud funny. On the other, it's depressing. Something that could have been cool - for residents, visitors, local businesses - replaced with utter garbage.

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

This is an absolutely wild series. So glad @hexstardragon.bsky.social and I were able to catch part of it

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

SO excited!! Wyrmspan is coming to digital. Check out the incredible trailer below! Easter egg in the comments 🙂

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Ok, I was trying to read an article about the upcoming DC mayoral primary. TF are these demographic groups, and why has AI been allowed to ruin everything

Snippet of news article that has one candidate earning stronger support with groups including Instagram/TikTok news consumers and bicycle commuters. The other candidate leads groups including Commanders fans.

Snippet of news segment saying that survey was conducted by TrueDot, "an AI-powered insights platform"

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

I had a great time chatting with Mollie, and the her article is fantastic! Definitely worth a read & some soul searching.

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

I think about this a lot with regards to my own situation. I work (very!) hard, but I'm acutely that in a lot of ways, my life has been a series of lucky breaks that got me to where I am.

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Thank you @stickydoodler.bsky.social! I tried to consolidate everything I've learned about soft skills into an hour long presentation. Hope folks find it helpful :-)

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

One of my JoCo cruise highlights was snagging an advanced copy of Shades of Forever by @chriswarcraft.bsky.social. I thoroughly enjoyed it & highly recommend that sci-fi/humor/video game fans check it out when it's released later this year. Review below! www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Love this April Fool's tradition. A real bright spot in a "holiday" that otherwise falls incredibly flat for me. I just wish it hadn't sold out in <1 hour!

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leon @leyawn.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

i bet it all on "will the strait of hormuz open by april" on polymarket. desperate, i launch a solo mission to open the strait. piloting a boat down the persian gulf, i immediately get blown up by a mine and die. "first person to get blown up by a mine in the strait of hormuz" pays out on march 31st

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

This is true, though I'm pretty sure my pendulum swings back and forth every few hours. I was feeling like an idiot all day and now I feel brilliant! (Likely back to idiot tomorrow. So the cycle goes)

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Big thanks to Gene for this thread! A lot of my game design advice (particularly around soft skills!) is boiled down & summarized here!!

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Connie @connievdc.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

I'm about to flip the table. I'm reviewing a PDF of game graphics & am trying to add and review comments. Every time I hover over one of my own goddam comments, Adobe *replaces it with an incorrect AI summary of the underlying graphic.* Every AI setting I can find in Adobe is TURNED OFF. Jesus

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