iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Kyle Cushman

Gabriel Toschi 🎲✂️ @gabtoschi.com · 28/09/2026

My new website (and personal brand) is finally live! www.gabtoschi.com After some years creating games and making my childhood dream become true, it was the time to rethink what I want for my design career from now on. Let's change the world, one round at a time. 💜

gabtoschi.com

Gabriel Toschi

Game Designer & Software Engineer

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Lunarpunk Games @lunarpunk.games · 22/09/2026

The Color Jam Kickstarter is now live! 🖍️ We're very excited by the design work Gene Koo and Joe Kell put into this game, along with the beautiful art by Erin Laue, and are honored we get to share it with you. We can't wait to see the incredible art you make through this cozy, puzzle-y game.

kickstarter.com

Color Jam: A Print-and-Puzzle Coloring Game

Enjoy cozy and clever coloring at your next game night. Craft the story of each hand-illustrated picture with creative color choices!

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Hawk and Dove Games @hawkanddovegames.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

A week from today, Hawk & Dove will be in Bordeaux for the Open de France des Jeux d’Histoire! I’m looking forward to meeting a whole new group of people interested in this hobby, and to finally catching up with others I’ve only known online. I’ll have prototypes for all three games in the pipeline

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I'm so excited to be part of this amazing project; I couldn't have asked for a better partner in @hawkanddovegames.bsky.social for my first published design. Let's build another, better world together.

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Oh hey, I was on a board game podcast talking about my one of my games about community resilience and collective action. Incredibly exciting to talk about two of my favorite things!

buildingthegamepodcast.com

Episode 733: Fighting Unchecked Corruption Keeps Institutions Compassionately Equitable – Building the Game

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 29/11/2025

Honored that you asked me to help sell Adulting at IGNM this year :) It's a great game and I think a lot of people saw it as the fun and charming package it is.

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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

The leadership of the Tabletop Game Designers Association was disappointed to see the publisher CGE touting Codenames: Back to Hogwarts, a new Harry Potter-themed version of Codenames.

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

Got feedback from @cardboardedison.com and I'm incredibly happy with what was said about Chainbreakers, even if it's not a winner I got some work to streamline the game more (isn't that always true?) but knowing that the core foundation of the game is a solid experience is worth its weight in gold.

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

Way cool to see Chainbreakers played in the wild!!

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Jeff Grisenthwaite @jeffgrisenthwaite.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

🎲✂️ Learn my secrets to get your game signed with a publisher (without spending $$$ to go to a Con) in this @breakmygame.com webinar recording! www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ew5...

youtube.com

Pitch Online and Get Signed - with Jeff Grisenthwaite

YouTube video by BMG

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

It’s always a good learning experience when you get to playtest with folks who aren’t designers or otherwise immersed in the hobby. A lot of folks don’t have the experience to fill in gaps and correctly assume how a mechanic works. What are some learning experiences you’ve had with non-designers?

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BoardGameWire 🔜 Spiel Essen @boardgamewire.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Reconstruct ancient Greek pottery, decode an alien language and watch your money burn in real time: Cardboard Edison nominees revealed as unpublished games award celebrates 10th year: boardgamewire.com/index.php/20... @cardboardedison.com

Four orange cards with black writing and ancient greek designs to the left, a black and orange circle with ancient Green-style pottery designs featuring gods, monsters, pillars to the right

A box with seven white numbers inside on an orange background, with human written on top in orange. Another box is facing away with alien written on in blue. To the right are pieces of paper with nuclear atom symbols and empty white and black spaces

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

So excited to share that Chainbreakers is a finalist for the Cardboard Edison Award!! I’m even more stoked, though, that about half the games were put through the wringer with @breakmygame.com and @protospielo.bsky.social. It takes a community to build great games, and I’m grateful for mine ❤️

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

I'm so excited to see what these folks come up with. From playing their games over the past year, I'm inspired to make some unranked, narrative-focused designs.

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

I hate making sizzle reels for games. It’s a big reason I haven’t done much pitching. It’s a thing I have to do which gives me zero joy. Does anyone have advice on pushing thru this process?

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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 12/12/2024

You don't have enough contempt for the New York Times.

OPINION
Brian Thompson, Not Luigi Mangione, Is the Real Working-Class Hero
Dec. 12, 2024

By Bret Stephens
Opinion Columnist

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

Bike lanes don’t slow down traffic: intersections do. Segregated bike lanes save lives. In my city of Madison, WI — considered among the most bikeable — I cycle past multiple ghost bikes every day. More and bigger cars aren’t the answer. Stroads aren’t the answer. I want transportation to be safe.

youtu.be

The World's Dumbest Bike Lane Law Just Passed in Canada

YouTube video by Not Just Bikes

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Lex McMenamin (they/them) @lexmcmenamin.com · 11/12/2024

wrote about the media frenzy following Daniel Penny's acquittal for murdering Jordan Neely, and the disparity in the NYPD's reaction to finding Luigi Mangione, vs the stabbing of 17-year-old Yeremi Colino—about a country making some lives more valuable than others. @teenvogue.bsky.social

teenvogue.com

Why Does the UnitedHealthcare CEO'S Death Matter More Jordan Neely's?

The difference in media treatment, and in punishment, for killing seems to depend on how much money the person was worth.

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Read the book Read Raising Expectations (and Raising Hell) @jphillll.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Luigi Mangione was taken into custody just as Daniel Penny walked free. The ruling class wants us to celebrate the murder of the vulnerable and condemn the murder of the powerful. They fail to see how killing the powerless breeds violence against the powerful. www.jphilll.com/p/who-gets-t...

jphilll.com

Who gets to kill?

Daniel Penny and Luigi Mangione

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Read the book Read Raising Expectations (and Raising Hell) @jphillll.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

Kyle Rittenhouse is allowed to get away with murder. Daniel Penny is allowed to get away with murder. Cops get away with murder all the time. The people pearl clutching about this CEO killing are really concerned with who was killed, not the act of killing.

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southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

“As NYPD officials boasted of the resources expended finding the killer of a corporate CEO, another sidewalk murder the same week, of a migrant teen, has not received the same treatment.” hellgatenyc.com/two-manhatta...

hellgatenyc.com

Two Very Different Manhattan Murder Investigations

The NYPD spent countless hours and resources searching for a CEO’s killer, but has made little evident progress on the fatal stabbing of a migrant teen.

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Playing a Hello Kitty tile laying game with my wonderful partner ❤️ Very cute and simple game to introduce some great board game mechanics!

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Reposted by Kyle Cushman

Susan Rinkunas @susanrinkunas.com · 07/12/2024

Newly elected Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar is already cooking www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...

NBC news screenshot of interview with Texas representative Greg Casar
"The progressive movement needs to change. We need to re-emphasize core economic issues every time some of these cultural war issues are brought up," Casar said. "So when we hear Republicans attacking queer Americans again, I think the progressive response needs to be that a trans person didn't deny your health insurance claim, a big corporation did - with Republican help. We need to connect the dots for people that the Republican Party obsession with these culture war issues is driven by Republicans' desire to distract voters and have them look away while Republicans pick their pocket."

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Got a couple plays of Chainbreakers done in the Unpub room! Really happy how the game is playing and lost horrendously both times (which I love). Got lots to think thru to help streamline and make it the little bit faster it needs to be “done”! #PAXUnplugged

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Second game at #PAXUnplugged: Suitcase by Marni Abramowitz, another @breakmygame.com designer! I’ve always appreciated her designs breathing new life into classic games.

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

First game of #PAXU: Wolfchains by @vickilanger.bsky.social! We successfully built a thriving ecosystem ensured that nothing starved. I’ve had the pleasure of playing this game at @breakmygame.com in the past. Really excited to see how it’s shaping up!!

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Spending most of my Friday in the Unpub room at #PAXU ! I’m testing Chainbreakers and Paws of Anarchy at 2pm today and 8pm tomorrow!! Come say hello and build some bikes with me!

Break My Game table cover at the PAXU Unpub room, table E4!

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Reposted by Kyle Cushman

Micah @rincewind.run · 05/12/2024

counterpoint: sports gambling should be banned and draftkings dismantled for parts

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Got all 3 prototypes I’m bringing to PAXU packed! Chainbreakers, Paws of Anarchy, and Queen Bee. Amazingly, they all also fit snugly in my messenger bag 🥳 Which prototypes of yours should I play??

A suitcase with 3 board game prototypes:

Chainbreakers, a card drafting / contract fulfillment game about being a bike mechanic with gameplay centered around a rotating bike wheel

Paws of Anarchy, a trick-taker they breaks all the rules with no trump, variable suit strength per trick, and dynamic partnerships

Queen Bee, a letter shedding game about spelling and dancing

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Making sure that everything still works for my prototype Chainbreakers. I’m so excited to show this game off at #PAXU!!

Prototype board of Chainbreakers, a card drafting and contract fulfillment game about bike mechanics centered on a rotating bike wheel!

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Anyone else getting follows from accounts with no mutuals pushing crypto?

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Thanks for the idea :) Just give me a reason to talk about the games I adore!

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Teen Vogue @teenvogue.com · 20/11/2024

A new report details both an epidemic of fatal violence and discriminatory legislation against trans Americans. While many fear a Trump administration will only further threaten trans lives, these orgs are fighting back. ⤵️

teenvogue.com

Amid An Violence Epidemic Against Trans Americans, These Groups Are Fighting Back

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Had a great time running the first NaNoWriMo club session this afternoon. The kids are wildly creative and I’m so stoked to see them be excited by what they make.

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Visited #MeowWolf in Denver yesterday. I haven’t felt that same sense of discovery since I first visited the City Museum in STL ~10 years ago.

A satirical poster showing an octopus landlord in a suit for a fictitious property management company

One of the dimensions of MeowWolf in Denver

An amphibious horse monster with tentacles for a head

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Reposted by Kyle Cushman

Leonard Pierce @leonardpierce.bsky.social · 27/09/2024

The reaction of a lot of liberals to Chappell Roan saying she’s unhappy with Harris but will vote for her anyway doesn’t do much to dispel the notion that what they want is not a measured support based on realistic political analysis but rather blind partisan obedience

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 21/09/2024

Just realized that a friend posted my birthday/farewell show when I moved out from my coop and stepped down from running shows. 6 years since we performed together!! youtu.be/oRTCj7dZNWs?...

youtu.be

Non Serviam - Voices of the Raging Masses | Nottingham Co-op - Madison, WI | Jan 20, 2024

YouTube video by Steven James

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 12/09/2024

I love/hate the titles of Spotify day lists. Like, what are you trying to tell me??

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 26/06/2024

One of my favorite parts of designing games is hiring and collaborating with friends to create something more than their individual parts. I’m so stoked about these player emblems in my upcoming trick-taker Court of Swords. Which noble house do you like the most?

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 29/03/2024

My incredibly talented housemate sent me this promo piece she made from the WIP cover for an upcoming micro game coming out in July. Can you guess what it’s about?

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 21/03/2024

With just 12 hours to go, I’m stoked that Panoply’s small project reached nearly 400% funded! Learned a lot, but learning even more for our next campaign hopefully later this year. Most importantly, I think this shows that hand crafted games are viable.

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 17/03/2024

The best thing to happen to me as a designer was an old friend dragging me to my first Protospiel Madison about 5 years ago. I didn’t think my games were “convention ready”, but I was just anxious about being seen as a bad designer. Ironic lol. The second best was joining @breakmygame.bsky.social ❤️

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Dr. Allison Betus (she/her) 🌈 @allisonbetus.bsky.social · 08/10/2023

I have never seen "We have to give white supremacists space to talk publicly or they'll never change" backed up by facts, data, logic, history, or even just a general roadmap of how that might help. If that worked, it would have worked a long time ago. WS don't need any more special treatment.

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 08/10/2023

It's funny, going thru my current design journal, and see all the different games and ideas I've had the past few months. Since helping to start Oracular Studios (a worker-owned arts collective) as a way for members to fund and cross-pollinate and produce in-house our individual projects...

Part of some notes for "River Rats", one of a postcard sized game I designed (and passed over to the artist) for a couple Missouri nonprofits.

This is a basic worker placement and set collection game about players -- who are rats -- collecting trash out of the river to build the best garbage boat.

Having been a teacher and tutor, and still having friends in the profession, I wanted to design learning games that can be used in the classroom.

Currently, I have 3 literacy games in the works; this one has the working title of "Pizza Phonics" and is for 3rd graders learning how to flex 💪 their vowels and better blend phoneme-grapheme combinations

This is a game that I put on the back burner for about a year and is one of my traditional board games. Will be returned to that status soon.

It's a 2-player game called "Prey & Predator". Players take on the role of herbivores and carnivores and must grow and eat to score points. However, players have to try to stay in balance or else crash their whole strategy (which also gives their opponent an advantage as they recover).

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Kyle Cushman @goatgruff.bsky.social · 07/10/2023

Yeah, I guess I'm back on social media. See you nerds around ❤️

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