iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 9h

I'm selling my old Qidi X-pro 3d printer. It's in good shape. About 6 years old. It will need new nozzles. It started to be more maintenance than I wanted to handle. It's a dual extruder. Feel free to ask me anything. $250 obo. It's too heavy to ship so pick up in Harrisburg.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Just finished In Memoriam by Alice Winn audiobook. Haunting, but so good. I highly recommend it. (It ends as okay as it could. I had to look online for spoilers before I finished it.)

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Current status of the game room. I guess it's not just for playing games now, but for making games too.

Multiple print outs of game components on tables and floor of room

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Help me settle an argument. Player 1 has a card in play that says if Player 2 plays an X card, Player 1 gets Y. Whose job is it to make sure that happens?

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

A Kelpien, a Bynar, and an Edosian walk into Ten Forward.....

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Hey local folks, I'm trying to sell my scooter! If you know anyone looking for a great deal, let me know. Very low mileage.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Five. Count them five solo blind playtesting at one time. I think it's a record.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

So I called the game Community Cats, then only put one cat on the box. So I went back to the artist and asked her to draw two more. The left is Six, who passed away a few months ago. We still have Luna (on right) at home. It's nice to see all my kitties together again.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Had a really good playtest at Break My Game tonight. I think mechanics are set, just need to work on balance and my teach.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Break My Game Wednesday or as I like to call it, the day I print way too many copies of a game then have to throw them all out for the next iteration.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Made the front page of the newspaper again. Nailed it!

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Newest copy of Tumulus came in . Definitely going to dig this one. @exeunt.press let me know next time you need a photo of retro gaming stuff.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Some info on how I plan to produce 50+ copies of my game at home (Yes, I may be a little bananas).

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Got some sample boxes for Community Cats and I think these will work! Any feedback?

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Authors, when your books go for sale on Bookshop.org for very cheap, am I helping or hurting by buying it? I usually get it from the library and rarely buy digital books unless they are under $5.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

My game's setup in the rule book only has 9 steps. Do I make up another so I don't drive people crazy?

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I think I solved the problem of the board for Community Cats. It always felt clunky and unnecessary, except I had to have individual colonies labeled. So trying out this idea of having wood indicators that go on top of the colony tiles. They match the other wooden components. What do you all think?

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

My recap for Harrisburg Board Game Day 2026 open.substack.com/pub/mandasha...

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I remembered to take exactly one picture at Harrisburg Board Game Day. Here are some fine folks playing (and breaking) Harrisburg 1878.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

What would you do? I'm working on an engine-builder roll and write. Right now it's more of a multiplayer solitaire, but that means any number of players. I do have a way to make it more competitive with dice drafting, but that makes it more like a 1-4 player game and longer time.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Folks, we've got an awesome line up of designers coming to Harrisburg Board Game Day. I'm most looking forward for a chance to pick their brains on some mechanics I'm struggling with, and playing their games of course!

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

In case my subscribers thought I died, I finally updated it. I said weeks late, but it's actually months. Oops. open.substack.com/pub/mandasha...

open.substack.com

“Monthly” Update

The one where Manda didn’t update her newsletter for weeks

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

The coolest part of making Community Cats myself is the custom tokens I can make!

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Had an awesome time taking to Jared of 20 sided gamified podcast. I'm too shy to listen to it so you all have to and tell me how I did podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

podcasts.apple.com

Episode #133: Building a Game Community: Manda Shafer of the Harrisburg Boardgaming Alliance

Podcast Episode · 20 Sided Gamified Podcast · August 14 · 57m

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

So excited that Community Cats was chosen for the Indie Games Night Market. Busy months ahead of me. 😳

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Looks like I can fit all the tiles on a single sheet of paper for Community Cats, which means much easier production

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Didn't get to see Lestat in concert but still getting my vampire fill in NYC

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Almost forgot I'm supposed to keep this Substack thing updated... So let's do a retrospective/introduction open.substack.com/pub/mandasha...

open.substack.com

A look back at The Establishment

How I got my start in game design

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Had fun trying out some custom meeples. I think the taller ones are probably too light.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

We were glad to have you! There's plenty of other opportunities for BMG all around so hopefully you can make it to more.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Got a playtest in at Break My Game yesterday of Community Cats. Some word choice issues I have to look at. Also worried the intro might be too easy. Got to try it on a few more people..

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Reposted by Manda Shafer

Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

For today's Space-Cast!, I was joined by Greg Loring-Albright to discuss his recent Keep the Faith, the board game / RPG crossover about a religion in transition. Come for the games, stay for the trauma! A nice light chit-chat for the whole family. Listen here: spacebiff.com/2026/05/20/s...

spacebiff.com

Space-Cast! #56. Keep Your Shirt Tucked In

Ever wanted to play a game that would make you feel strange feelings about your childhood religion? Heyo, Greg Loring-Albright’s Keep the Faith is the title for you! In this conversation, Gre…

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Duo tone acrylic is kind of awesome. Now considering doing acrylic time tokens for Community Cats.

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Reposted by Manda Shafer

Cardboard Time @cardboardtime.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

I doubt I'm going to hit the majority of the audience that really needs to hear this on this page, but you should read it anyways. Great points from great minds in the industry. www.wargamer.com/board-games/...

wargamer.com

Tabletop sexism, hidden women, and the myth of the 'wife board game'

Board games are bigger and more welcoming than ever, but women still face an uphill battle for the right kind of representation.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Had a great time selling local game designers at Harrisburg Board Game Yard Sale.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Today is the day! Board game yard sale! Join us at Second City Church 12-3!

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

I'm looking to create a small DIY run of my newest game. Looking for opinions on using coin envelopes instead of plastic bags to hold/separate tokens: www.grainger.com/product/BUSI...

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

If you are around the Harrisburg area next Saturday and want some good deals on used board games, check out our Yard Sale! It all helps a good cause too.

A young couple smiling at the camera holding a pile of board games such as El Dorado, First Martians and Twilight Imperium.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

I got to play Take Time yesterday. I hadn't heard about it before then. It was me and two others. I had never played, and the other two never met each other. Somehow our minds combined playing the game. We did pretty awesome.

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Learn about my newest game design: open.substack.com/pub/mandasha...

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Talking about playtesting at Mepacon open.substack.com/pub/mandasha...

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Trying out a new way to share what's going on in my game design journey by using an email newsletter through Substack.

open.substack.com

What is Mind Midden?

A brief explanation behind the name

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Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

I'm trying something different. I created a Substack to journal out all the things I'm doing that's board game related. If you want updates about my games, or events in the Harrisburg area, then you can subscribe to get those updates in your email box every two weeks.

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