iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 4h

I do have a beekeeping suit, but I have ZERO of the real associated knowledge, skills or equipment.

Demoing BEEEEES! at Gen Con in a full beekeeper’s suit. Gloves on the table next to the board game bits.

🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 4h

Apropos of nothing in particular I’d love to get a reprint/second edition for BEEEEES!, my frantic, realtime, beehive builder dice game. youtu.be/fnybdgJEg4s?...

youtu.be

BEEEEES! Review - with Tom Vasel

YouTube video by The Dice Tower

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 4h

Just found out: 1. My house came with one of those fake plastic rocks you can hide stuff in. 2. It’s a big one. 3. Big enough to contain a beehive. 4. It in fact, does contain bees. 5. They were happier when that was a secret only they knew.

A deceptively rocky flowerbed which secretly contains bonus bees.
What a treat.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

No lie: this game just appeared in my house and no one has claimed to have purchased it or received it as a gift. As such I’m a little afraid to open it.

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Reposted by 🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗

Our Family Plays Games @ourfamplaysgames.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Omaha Gaming Convention is returning in 2027! Join us July 9th-11th, 2027, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Omaha Downtown Old Market, featuring more convention space, and more room for events and #boardgames! Let's get it! Buy your badge EARLY for a discount: tabletop.events/conventions/...

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Mattel rabbit hole has led me to previously unknown depths of Scrabble-ing. Words fail to describe word game man. Understanding the rules <<< Playing the game youtu.be/p94DqHv3xk8?...

youtu.be

Nigel's Most Mysterious Move Isn't Even A Word

YouTube video by Will Anderson

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Reposted by 🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗

Luke O'Neil @lukeoneil47.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

There is no such thing as art without a human on one end of the line and a human on the other end. In communication with each other.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Sidebar: Enjoy this gonzo box cover with me. And this one has TWO spinners for double the fun.

Box cover of Barbie Dream Date from 1992.

Back of the box for Barbie Dream Date showing a full color board and heart-shaped double-locket spinner.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Next: I’d find someone to modernize this absolutely correct idea from 1986. Like it can’t be a spin and move snooze, but the theme is 100% Barbie. I’m not the person to make that game, but a good one should exist.

The box cover for the Barbie “We Girls Can Do Anything” Game.

Back of the box showing the classic spinner board gameplay.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Feels kind of obvious, but first order of business I’d make a Hot Wheels race game that lets you use your own cars for game pieces.

A selection of my own Hot Wheels collection. These 40 something are just the EVs.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I’m a bit baffled by the decisions here. Mattel owns Hot Wheels and Barbie. The only Barbie movie tie-in game I can find was yet another UNO variant and the last Hot Wheels game was a variant of DOS (worse UNO). There’s a Matchbox movie on the way. If there’s a game coming for that I don’t see it.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Like a lot of games I thought they made, that’s actually Hasbro’s. Here’s what they have: shop.mattel.com/collections/...

shop.mattel.com

Mattel Games

Mattel Shop

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

So I went to Walmart (plus a couple extra stores) and did some market research. No wonder Mattel is looking for a games lead. They almost exclusively sell UNO variants with a spendy license +one extra rule and call it a day. Otherwise their games are very old and surrounded by new ideas from others.

Walmart aisle display with recent releases for a number of publishers. Mattel isn’t even listed as Mattel Games, just UNO between Hasbro and The Op

The card game section at Walmart focused on Mattel’s almost exclusively UNO offerings. Games from other publishers are much more varied.

Another expanded view of the same section. Phase 10 Tiles (practically the same game as the cards in plastic form) and an older print of SkipBo are the only additional Mattel titles visible.

I don’t know how many times normal people want to own a new, very slightly different copy of UNO, but it’s probably 3 or less.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Yeah I’d be headed to the nearest usps drop box.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I’m thinking this one, but I am not handy enough to install things. a.co/d/0ijQN1qt

a.co

Amazon.com

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I don’t know if they ever saw my video, but they did mostly fix the cards.

2025 version of Skip Bo from Mattel with totally revamped graphic design. All hint corners have the card value and each value of card has its own color. The Skip Bo wild card back and front are completely different and easily distinguished.

Red/Green colorblind simulated view of the same cards showing a clear difference in most cards that had issues before. Six and nine are still a bit close.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Admittedly more curious about this than I was last week by about 20,000%.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

It’s the smell that really gets you. Organic. Brown. Unsettling.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Don’t mind me I’ll just be over here researching whole home water filtration systems. 😵‍💫

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Hey do you feel sane? No? Okay, don’t buy a water distiller. It works great, but you’re gonna find out what’s in your tap water and you are NOT GOING TO LIKE IT.

A water distiller.
A truth teller.
A peace disturber.
More information than you require to live a life of joy.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I’m just sad they weren’t enough of these weirdos.

A comically sculpted T-Rex and Triceratops with oversized heads are posed riding chopper style motorcycles. They’re adorable.

Card showing the woefully incomplete Push-N-Go Dino friction powered vehicle collection. Needs a brontosaurus and a stegosaurus to be perfect/complete.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Still don’t have the game yet, but I found these at the dollar store. They’re mostly the wrong colors, but that’s a temporary problem I’m taking care of.

Several dinosaur figurines placed near a palette of acrylic paint on a work surface. There is green splatter from the brontosaurus painting in progress.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

If anyone near me has a copy they’re keeping it a closely guarded secret while I’m waiting for the reprint.

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Reposted by 🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗

Amabel Holland @amabel.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

In 1990, an elementary school teacher won $16,500 on a game show, and used her winnings to publish a board game about the Exxon Valdez oil spill. This is her story. youtu.be/r1g7C0o9Oqc

youtu.be

Tracia Newman's Board Game: Oil Spill & Amateur Art

YouTube video by Hollandspiele

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Vote with your dollars / Scream into the void (tip jar at Spielbound)

Voting Tip Jar at Spielbound
Split choice question: who would win?
Jar Jar Binks vs Waluigi

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Reposted by 🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗

These Games Are Not For Sale @notforsalegames.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Games are art Make games for the sake of art Celebrate artful games this December at PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia Follow for more details coming soon

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I was already getting pretty sick of Paramount’s open avarice and associated worsening politics. (The lack of commitment to this franchise in particular fits right in line.) I can forgive misfiring on content, but if they’re this dispassionate about it I’d love to see another take elsewhere.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I have seen the Star Trek (and even as a person who actually liked sillier episodes like Rascals or Move Along Home) I have some thoughts for Paramount:

Paper bag with eyeholes cut in it as if to be worn as a mask. The bag has “SELL THE TEAM” in big bold letters on its front.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

For Natalie I’ll make an exception: *PLEASE* use AI to write your terrible letters. Mine poor eyes had to read and mine brain… comprehend? The thoughts are all dog water, but the struggle is real. Just Bad. Bad bad bad.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Currently playing Obsession with friends and I can’t help wondering what it would be like reskinned with Klingon events and houses.

A five player spread of Obsession, a board game about Victorian courtship and social events

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

They know who they are (complimentary) and they know what they did (effusive relief of grail regrets/master class gift giving).

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

So... that listing disappeared for ✨ REASONS ✨ (My accounts are being monitored, my friends are truly incredible and I’m enjoying my birthday month quite a lot, thank you very much.)

A new in shrink copy of Stamps, the 2011 Japanese rerelease of Dr. Reiner Knizia’s Modern Art from Oink Games.
The relief of grail regret is almost as good as the gift itself.

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Reposted by 🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗

BoardGameWire 🔜 Spiel Essen @boardgamewire.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

“This is a time to be disciplined, focused, and clear about why a game deserves to exist”: board game industry veteran Scott Morris on launching new publisher Steelwing Games: boardgamewire.com/index.php/20... Thanks so much for the interview @critshappen.bsky.social, best of luck with Steelwing!

A man with shaved head and short brown and grey beard, wearing black rimmed glasses. He wears a red and black and orange shirt, and has one hand reaching up to rest his chin on. Lucky Duck Games Chief Sales and Marketing Officer and Steelwing Games founder Scott Morris.

Board game box cover art for Rainbow Blvd. showing an anthropomorphic bird and turtle overlooking a city under construction, which is covered in rainbows.

Rainbow Blvd. board game set up on a white table, featuring many plastic rainbows.

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Reposted by 🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗

Kenna Alexander @kennaalexander.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Sometimes I daydream about what I could make if I were able to write and design games full-time.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Steel chair to the back and a clean getaway.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

But *I’m* not doing that. We’re gonna have a whole point system and each round’s worst finisher chooses the next flavor of the game we’ll play. (Dice and Golf definitely get the weird points).

The UNO championship belt, presented behind 8 different UNO games.

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🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗 @marcusross.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Currently bringing chaotic energy to the family group chat.

The UNO Championship Belt and a classic UNO deck in rather dramatic lighting.

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Reposted by 🎲📐Marcus Ross ⚡️🚗

BarCamp Omaha @barcampomaha.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

BarCamp Omaha 2026 will be on November 14th and returning to the beautiful KANEKO in downtown Omaha! Tickets + Sponsorship prospectus is live now! I’m so excited to see everyone! tidy.events/events/barca...

tidy.events

BarCamp Omaha 2026 tickets on sale now!

Tidy Events is an un-conference platform organized in your community, by your community. Make new friends or catch up with old ones at one of the world's best events.

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