iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 26/09/2026

Ruel shows off our Texas Deck, and I learned a new game as a result—thanks @ruelgaviola.com!

Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 08/09/2026

PAX West 2026 is in the books! Thanks to some lovely friends for keeping Kelly and me rolling at the show. Rayne, Andrew, Davi and Sarah—y’all are the best. (Bonus points to Sarah taking pics at the booth)

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Ted Mann Schaller @tedmannschaller.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Do you love classical music?! Me too! 🎻 Do you love card games?! Me too! ♣️ Do you love cute animals?! Me too! 🐷 Wow! Look at everything we have in common! 💖 Counterpoint is live on Kickstarter right now. Go back it! www.kickstarter.com/projects/squ...

The game box for Counterpoint, surrounded by sheet music, a violin, and a copy of Johann Joseph Fux's The Study of Counterpoint

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Always Awake Games (Connor) 🔜 PaxU @connor.alwaysawake.games · 11/04/2026

Now that the ks is officially fulfilled, Club Spooky and That’s the Spirit are now available! www.alwaysawake.games I’ve also got a few review copies set aside, so if you do reviews and are interested, send me a DM!

The store entry for That’s the Spirit bird game. “A game of deduction, second guessing, and unfortunate ghosts”

The store entry for Club Spooky. “A game of picky creatures and bidding for attention”

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Always Awake Games (Connor) 🔜 PaxU @connor.alwaysawake.games · 10/04/2026

Reminder that applications for the indie tabletop market at PaxWest close on the 19th!

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Rob Newton | Coin Flip Games @coinflip.games · 16/03/2026

Launching a KS tomorrow. I'm not panicking, you're panicking! (because you haven't hit the follow button yet, right??) www.kickstarter.com/projects/urb...

Chicken Fried Dice cover art for Kickstarter. Includes a "Project We Love" sticker

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Taylor Shuss @drawnonward.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Almost exactly 3 years ago I started working on a game about public transit & reducing car dependency. And on Wednesday the Kickstarter campaign for the game goes live! Link to our page - www.kickstarter.com/projects/fow...

kickstarter.com

Coming soon: Walkable City - the Urban Planning Boardgame

Asymmetric Cooperative boardgame about building a city without cars.

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Friday Afternoon Tea @fridaytea.com · 10/03/2026

You may have heard by now that we did have a break-in at the tea house this morning. There are three major inconveniences we're dealing with because of this:

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

It's live!! The game I designed, Honeypot, just launched on Kickstarter! Two years of loving work. Would be grateful if you checked it out & considered backing! It's an "I stack, you choose" game where you play as secret agent bears setting and avoding traps! www.kickstarter.com/projects/fla...

kickstarter.com

Forage + Honeypot

A pair of fast and fun games for everyone, from the team that brought you the smash hits Point Salad, Calico, and Cascadia!

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W. Eric Martin @wericmartin.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Board Game Beat is officially launched & loaded with content...with more to come as I report on Spielwarenmesse! If you're into independent board game journalism—articles, videos, interviews, news, reviews & more—please check it out and share. www.wericmartin.com #boardgame #spielwarenmesse

wericmartin.com

Board Game Beat LLC | W. Eric Martin

Tabletop and board game journalism with deep-dive news, reviews, interviews, videos, and essays, plus rulebook writing and editing services.

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

After a long hiatus the game I designed, Honeypot, is finally coming to Kickstarter next month! Play as secret agent bears setting traps & avoiding traps in this "I stack, you choose" card game. Would mean a lot to me if you checked it out! Reposts welcomed. www.kickstarter.com/projects/fla...

kickstarter.com

Coming soon: Forage + Honeypot

A pair of fast and fun games for everyone, from the team that brought you the smash hits Point Salad, Calico, and Cascadia!

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Emma Larkins @emmalarkins.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

💼 I’m looking for work as a board game designer. 🌎 I’m open to in-person, hybrid or remote work. ⭐ I’ve previously worked at the Uzzle and made Abandon All Artichokes, Starry Night Sky, and other board games.

Four photos - several of early Abandon All Artichokes board game prototype, vegetables with cartoon eyes. One of person with pink hair holding the published copy of Abandon All Artichokes in front of shelves of board games.

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 18/12/2025

Chicken. 🐔 Fried. 👏 Dice. 🎲 Q1 2026 🎉

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Megan Wyreweden @thecreepingmoon.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Okay, I’ve put them up in the shop! I must stress that these are veeeeeery unlikely to get to y’all in time for Christmas. I’m actually still assembling these sets so consider this a sort of preorder. thecreepingmoon.store/products/fan...

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 09/12/2025

New free game download! Roadrunner is a climbing/card-shedding game for 3-5 players from our Texas book of new card games that is live on Kickstarter right now. Use speed tokens to boost card values, and aim to empty your hand of cards each round! gameswell.itch.io/roadrunner

A book with roadrunners and game rules, a run of cards J-Q-Q-A with a wooden token on the second queen, a larger wooden token engraved with “TEXAS”, and some smaller tokens atop two Jokers.

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 05/12/2025

Booked my travel to OrcaCon! Excited to be going as an attendee this year for more games and such.

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 30/11/2025

Took a true sick day today. Video games played: - Slay the Spire - Hades - Super Mario Strikers - Silksong

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Reggie ➡️ Origins! @rollingreggie.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

New video just in time for Thanksgiving! youtu.be/rwC62BjX0os?...

youtu.be

8 Great Games for 8+ Players

YouTube video by RollingReggie

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 24/11/2025

We funded this weekend at PAX Unplugged! It was awesome to see a bunch of folks there! I had a great time demoing our games new and old, sneaking in games with folks after the expo hall closed, and chatting with designers at the Indie Games Night Market.

Thomas and Kelly holding a sign that says “Just launched on Kickstarter” in front of our Texas: Card Games Inspired by the Lone Star State book banner. The word “launched” is crossed out and replaced with “funded!”

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 19/11/2025

We'll be at @officialpax.bsky.social in Philadelphia this weekend at Booth 4309—we are launching our Texas Kickstarter and showing off our PNW games! Come say hi if you'll be at the show! #paxunplugged

Map of PAX Unplugged with an arrow pointing to booth 4309 labeled "This way to Gameswell". PNW- and Texas-themed card game books are overlaid.

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 10/11/2025

If you will be at PAX Unplugged, come say hi and play our new card games! You can add us to your list of things to see here: boardgamegeek.com/geekpreview/...

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 06/11/2025

Boomhauer: Dang ol’ New York dang ol’ Times dang ol’ infographics man

Map of Texas with Dallas and Houston incorrectly labeled from a New York Times infographic showing possible affected airports from the government shutdown.

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Ted Mann Schaller @tedmannschaller.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

📣 It’s announcement time! 📣 The pre-launch page for Counterpoint is up on Kickstarter! All the cool kids are saving it! You should too! 🎻🎶 www.kickstarter.com/projects/squ...

kickstarter.com

Coming soon: Counterpoint: a Co-op Trick-Taking Classical Music Card Game

Counterpoint is a cooperative trick-taking game for 3-5 players where the challenges are based on different pieces of classical music.

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 05/11/2025

There’s still time to do the thing!

Picture of Thomas pointing to an “I Voted” sticker.

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Always Awake Games (Connor) 🔜 PaxU @connor.alwaysawake.games · 03/11/2025

Just 24 hours to go and we only need 6 more backers to cross the finish line!

Progress tracker for the ks. $4280/4500 funded

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Always Awake Games (Connor) 🔜 PaxU @connor.alwaysawake.games · 28/10/2025

Just one week left to back Club Spooky and That’s the Spirit! If you back now, you can get both games for $35 (they’ll be $25 each after the campaign). And of course, these games will only exist with your support. Thank you everyone’s who’s backed so far!

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 18/10/2025

My wife Kelly and I met in high school in San Antonio. Fifteen years later, those nerdy kids are writing a Texas-themed book of card games together! Play as a meticulous cactus wren, a speedy roadrunner, and more. We launch next month on Kickstarter: www.kickstarter.com/projects/gam...

kickstarter.com

Coming soon: Texas: Six New Card Games + Playing Cards

Texas nature playing cards and a book of new card games written by San Antonio high-school sweethearts.

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Always Awake Games (Connor) 🔜 PaxU @connor.alwaysawake.games · 08/10/2025

Excited to announce that Club Spooky and That’s the Spirit are finally launching on Kickstarter next week, October 14th! Assemble the coolest group of ghouls at Club Spooky and find the culprit of your accidental death in Thats the Spirit! Preview page here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/alw...

A banner for the Ghost Party bundle ks with the launch date of October 14th. A copy of each game is standing upright with cards from the games splayed in front.

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 24/09/2025

Another great Game Market West! www.gamemarketwest.com/fall-2025-re... As always, the game community is the best part of these indie markets. Thanks to everyone that brings enthusiasm, energy, and joy to the space.

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Ted Mann Schaller @tedmannschaller.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

When life is busy, it’s nice to recognize some small incremental progress. Earlier this week I finally got Counterpoint up onto BGG and I’d say it looks pretty good there. 😍🎻 Lots more testing needed, so if you love trick takers and playtesting online, DM me! ✂️🎲 boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/45...

boardgamegeek.com

Counterpoint

Classical musicians cooperatively perform chamber music through trick-taking

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Johnny Chin @gamemarketwest.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Game Market West is this Sunday, September 21 at Guildhouse in San Jose! It's a tabletop game market where indie designers show off and sell their newest board/card games. RSVP: luma.com/6khylmfu #boardgames

youtu.be

Game Market West | Fall 2025 Games

YouTube video by Game Market West

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 04/09/2025

I highly recommend this! It was great for us last year to get to show off our games to so many lovely folks at PAX Unplugged.

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 26/08/2025

@distantworlds.bsky.social is closing this Sunday—I got a “The Last Unicorn” in their honor. If you are in Seattle give them a final hurrah! I demo’d PNW here when the first Kickstarter was running. A good place.

“The Last Unicorn” latte with pink, blue, and purple. Distant Worlds Coffee in backdrop, with Pride flag hanging from window.

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 25/08/2025

Find yourself someone who is as excited about you as @fanfactories.bsky.social is about the PNW Tabletop Game Market at PAX West this weekend

Joseph wearing a large board game backpack with a sign binder-clipped to it that says “PNW Tabletop Game Market”

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Johnny Chin @gamemarketwest.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

GMW Fall 2025 Countdown - PNW: Card Games Inspired by the Pacific Northwest by Thomas Cardwell It's a fully illustrated book of six new card games featuring modern mechanics such as deck building, drafting, and worker placement. #boardgames @tomcardgames.bsky.social

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 22/08/2025

There will be hot dogs 👏 There will be ghosts 👏 There will be indie storytelling games 👏 check it out!

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 20/08/2025

PNW book and cards as in this SU&SD preview! They talk about Trail, the drafting game of the bunch, and briefly opine lupine (they talk about our seawolf card—awoo).

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🌈Sarah Pauling @sarahpauling.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

oh my god hi i'm finally here?? hi. what is bluesky. i am an SFF writer in the PNW whose work has showcased distinctive character voice, post-cyberpunk and space opera influence, and slightly unhinged women who are annoying 😌😘 highlights include:

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Nathan HawkBlogger @nathanhb.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

While I’m game-posting look at this beauty that showed up this morning from @tomcardgames.bsky.social (PSA if you are a designer/creator and you wear a Mariners hat in your promotional material I will support you)

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Marceline Leiman is Racing Dinos @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

At present time of posting this, I am helping push #BlacklistCGE to share resources and information, disrupt spaces, and engage in serious conversations about boycotting game publishers that make anti-trans decisions. Want to learn more about it? I’ve made an informational zine you can access here:

drive.google.com

Blacklist CGE - Google Drive

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 08/07/2025

PNW Cards Launch Party! Join us at Yonder Cider August 3rd, 12-5pm in Seattle. Learn new card games, and snag a book and cards. An all-ages, pet-friendly game day awaits!

Me holding a linen hardback book of card games, engraved with “PNW: Card Games Inspired by the Pacific Northwest” in front of a wood-paneled bench at Yonder Cider in Seattle. The table in front of me has fake greenery, little wooden tokens, and more books, along with some playing cards.

The Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of Clubs in our new Pacific Northwest deck of playing cards laid in some rocks freshly wet from a rain. The Ace depicts Deception Pass, with its windy wooded shores. The Jack is a bears head tooth mushroom growing from a log, the Queen is an Orca, and the King is a Seawolf.

Our PNW book of card games on a wooden table, embossed with gold foil on a linen cover, surrounded by playing cards and little walnut circle tokens depicting orcas, campfires, mushrooms, and compasses.

The Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of Diamonds from our PNW playing cards nestled in a bush with small waxy leaves. The Jack depicts a morel mushroom, the Queen a salmon in sea-stage and spawning-stage forms, the King a Roosevelt elk, and the Ace shows a scene Crater Lake, Oregon.

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 07/07/2025

July Thirst is a reminder to stay hydrated this summer.

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Always Awake Games (Connor) 🔜 PaxU @connor.alwaysawake.games · 01/07/2025

Im really excited to announce the games for the PNW Tabletop Game Market at PaxWest! Hope to see you there on 8/30 @ 7PM www.alwaysawake.games/pnw-tabletop...

alwaysawake.games

PNW Tabletop Game Market | Always Awake Games

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Megan Wyreweden @thecreepingmoon.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Brass page tabs for ur books or journals thecreepingmoon.store/products/set...

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Thomas Cardwell @gameswell.shop · 08/05/2025

When you want to play but only understood half of the rules. #boardgames

Dog looks longingly at a human looking through my PNW card game rulebook; playing cards and game pieces are placed on table in front of them.

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