Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 18hThanks! I'm considering printing a giant one for display at PaxU 030
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 20hI will accept my punishment. Here they are. You'll notice the gray one has an ear tip. 010
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 21hShockingly I somehow am doing okay on the components as long as I don't change any counts.. the game now is I can modify the rules but only if it stays within the component count because it's already on the boxes I ordered. 010
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 21hTrying out all the scenarios again since some rules changed. Desperately trying to get this all settled so I can send some preview copies of Community Cats out. If you do reviews or previews or like to talk about solo games or indie game designers, I'd be happy to send you a copy. DM me. 280
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026My new 3D printer makes the sound of a mourning dove and I keep thinking they're nesting in my gutter again. Here's me printing a cat army. 030
Reposted by Manda ShaferPanda Game Manufacturing 🔜 SPIEL (Booth 5G111) @pandagm.com · 05/10/2026How tall is it? Think you know? Prove it. Height Fight from Barn Boy Games is a family-friendly party game of “reckless confidence” where players arrange cards from shortest to tallest, and argue about it along the way. Congrats on funding! www.kickstarter.com/projects/bar...kickstarter.comHeight FightA party game for people who are sure they know the height of things. Place cards in one line, shortest to tallest, and fight it out. 011
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026I sent it out to clean a mess not make one... 😡 000
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Had a great time repping the Harrisburg Board Game Alliance at the Stuff to Do Fair. Talked about our events, other game meet ups, what modern hobby games are, local designers, and played a round of Color Jam. So many people! 161
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 01/10/2026I'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. 000
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Just 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.) 000
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 27/09/2026Right, assuming they are not hiding it on purpose. More of, whose job to remember? 110
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 27/09/2026Current status of the game room. I guess it's not just for playing games now, but for making games too. 041
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 27/09/2026Help 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? 110
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 27/09/2026A Kelpien, a Bynar, and an Edosian walk into Ten Forward..... 000
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Hey local folks, I'm trying to sell my scooter! If you know anyone looking for a great deal, let me know. Very low mileage. 010
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Five. Count them five solo blind playtesting at one time. I think it's a record. 040
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Everyone loves to color so there's no excuse not to back Color Jam: A Print-and-Puzzle Coloring Game on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/lun...kickstarter.comColor Jam: A Print-and-Puzzle Coloring GameEnjoy cozy and clever coloring at your next game night. Craft the story of each hand-illustrated picture with creative color choices! 162
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 18/09/2026So 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. 010
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 17/09/2026I mean.... it gets rid of games.. just replaces them at the same time. Technicalities :) 010
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Locally we have two board game yard sales a year. Could be worth checking out if there's something like that near you? 110
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Had a really good playtest at Break My Game tonight. I think mechanics are set, just need to work on balance and my teach. 030
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Break 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. 020
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Made the front page of the newspaper again. Nailed it! 020
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026"If you regularly have game days at your house, I highly recommend keeping Tumulus in the bathroom. It's great bathroom reading material and your gamer friends will really notice! Only problem is the line it creates." 110
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Haha. I maintain it is great bathroom reading material. I also love that people have noticed. Now I'm just bragging about all my retro games with the photos. 110
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026There's room at my house, but you might mysteriously be minus one with some cash at the bottom. 030
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Newest 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. 120
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 15/09/2026There should have been :) open.substack.com/pub/mandasha...open.substack.comProducing a Small-Run, Niche GameCommunity Cats in Production 011
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Forgot the link! open.substack.com/pub/mandasha...open.substack.comProducing a Small-Run, Niche GameCommunity Cats in Production 000
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Some info on how I plan to produce 50+ copies of my game at home (Yes, I may be a little bananas). 382
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 11/09/2026The logo text? It's def darker than I expected so I probably could play around with the color. 100
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Got some sample boxes for Community Cats and I think these will work! Any feedback? 140
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 07/09/2026Authors, 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. 000
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Pretty easy. Only like 10 min on the laser cutter. Worst part is slightly sanding and then cleaning dust. But I only need 6 each game. 010
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 04/09/2026My game's setup in the rule book only has 9 steps. Do I make up another so I don't drive people crazy? 000
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 03/09/2026I 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? 100
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 31/08/2026My recap for Harrisburg Board Game Day 2026 open.substack.com/pub/mandasha... 000
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 30/08/2026I remembered to take exactly one picture at Harrisburg Board Game Day. Here are some fine folks playing (and breaking) Harrisburg 1878. 030
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 27/08/2026It could make sense. It's a city builder and it could be those resources are only available at one time. But then again they are building the same city, so suspension of belief there 010
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 27/08/2026What 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. 300
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 27/08/2026Folks, 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! 020
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 26/08/2026In 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” UpdateThe one where Manda didn’t update her newsletter for weeks 000
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 26/08/2026We are in local paper TheBurg Harrisburg Board Game Day to return this weekend with play, connection - TheBurg share.google/mZ4VZSMkWPME...share.googleHarrisburg Board Game Day to return this weekend with play, connection - TheBurgIt’s your move. Harrisburg Board Game Day will return to Strawberry Square this weekend for a full day of play as a community. “Harrisburg Board Game Day is about giving people a reason to come togeth... 020
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 19/08/2026The coolest part of making Community Cats myself is the custom tokens I can make! 010
Manda Shafer @mandashafer.bsky.social · 17/08/2026The Exeunt press meta world. I knew my monster hunter's muffin looked odd. 120
