iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

hell yeah, minnesota finally getting representation in the board game market

screenshot of wikipedia page on the state flag of Minnesota which includes an 8-point star

geographical outline of the state of minnesota

ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

anyone looking for board game marketing model talent? 😘 babe got a new outfit and I immediately connected the color vibe :p #boardgames someone get 2tomatoes on bsky

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

Planet Unknown the one remains in my top ten! breezy but satisfying numbers-go-up polyomino optimization game I think the rover element is what really differentiates it<3 I did _horrible_ with my goals this time. whiffed all of them 😅 timing of the bad events was brutal #SoloYear #boardgames 32/

ryan posing in front of completed game of Planet Unkown board is a planet with polyominoes arranged on it.

completed game of Planet Unkown board is a planet with polyominoes arranged on it.

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Tokyo Highway: Rainbow City finally arrived! new edition of TC with rubberized cars and rubber road tips make things really stable! the solo mode is surprisingly effective? play 4 colors, colors are assigned direction limitations such as "road must go north" + Rainbow! #SoloYear #boardgames 32/

ryan posing in front of complete game of Tokyo Highway board game, tons of sticks and cars interlaced

Tokyo Highway solo game start, four player colors facing each other

Tokyo Highway early game, some highways crossing each other

close up macro shot of Tokyo Highway with many highways crossing each other

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

okay there's only SO MANY "Erik" bad cards in the deck and I had flopped a ton of them early putting me close to losing. great time to play the Ellefolk "scry 4, rearrange" right???? WRONG I drew nearly all of the rest of the "Erik" bad cards 😒 mind, I did rearrange them out of spite

ryan holding hand of four cards named "Gamble Erik" above table of game

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Skoventyr another whim pickup. cute light coop with scandi foklore! and great art! badgers as protagonists? hell yeah feels very Oniverse: Nautilion with the ring chase & Sylvion w/ forest health cardplay has tough tradeoffs and great risk pulls. I lost badly : p #SoloYear #boardgames 31/

Ryan posing with peace sign in front of Skoventyr board game

top down photo of Skoventyr end of game state. six cards with images of trees are in a ring to represent an abstract forest

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Cthulhu: Death May Die my first crawler of the year. got a steal on the recent KS super clean compared to other crawlers the stronger-as-you-get-closer-to-loss player arc is exhilarating. <90 minutes to go from "this looks impossible" to "I am a god". last minute win >:D #SoloYear #boargames 30/

Ryan posing with peace sign in front of Cthulhu: Death May Die board game. board is made up oflarge monster miniatures and dungeon board tiles.

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs Truly impressive how they crunched the core GH experience into an iiitty bitty living space. I do with the full rules were printed tho 😒 I appreciate the GH system (I mostly finished JotL) but I get too loss-averse to fully enjoy it. #SoloYear #boardgames 29/

Ryan posing with peace sign in front of game Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs on the table

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Ginkopolis this is I think my favorite game and I don't know how it took me so long to try the solo! she's a bit _too_ easy to dodge since you choose which of your 4 cards to give and can usually dump an ineffective urbanization I trounced, but will try again w/ hard #SoloYear #BoardGames 28/

ryan posing with peace sign above board game Ginkpopolis midgame on table

close up photo of board game Ginkopolis midgame

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Solutions 1st play and I was surprised to see this was a kind of coop Timeline but with climate impact mitigation projects (try to place in order of efficacy) it's cute! best game I've seen yet for an educational setting! solo definitely lacked the intended discussion #SoloYear #boardgames 27/

ryan posing with peace sign in front of table with the board game Solutions displayed mid-game

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

now. this doesn't look anything like Come & See director Elem Klimov but I like now it added penises like how war and its consequences are frequently male-decided and male-glorified

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Samurai Spirit fun lil base defense coop! cardplay is mitigigable blackjack. you want enemies that _just_ meet your threshold, but you can/need to sideline some the variable powers are a good mix, and I'm a sucker for "losing? get more powerful" w/ the animal form bit #boardgames #SoloYear 26/

ryan posing with peace sign in front of game mid-play of Samurai Spirit

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Sol @prismofeverything.bsky.social orbital concepts are so seductive but sol is the only one that's has earned it for me solo is cute! I was surprised it existed. exceeded expectations multiplayer, this game is 💯 doppler effect applied to infra investment #SoloYear #boardgames #sologaming 25/

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

White Castle love how much this crunches into "9 actions" very combo-y but fun and just short of annoying bot can be swingy with how often it doubles actions, but it was very polite this play. lost by one!!! #SoloYear #boardgames #sologaming 24/

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Shinkansen: Zero-Kei reading rules, I thought this would be _too_ much of a plate/pancake/glaive spinning type of game but it blends much better than I thought I got lucky w/ draw but it's _brutal_ to have bot lock out carriage swap right out. that's kind of the game? #SoloYear #boardgames 23/

Ryan posing with peace sign in front of board game Shinkansen: Zero-Kei mid-game

Close up photo of board game Shinkansen: Zero-Kei with box cover in background

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Flatiron tight 1-2p tableau-building worker placement to build a shared building I _really_ dig the knife-fight from the different color pillar requirement, especially since the color point values are asymmetric also, what a visual! #SoloYear #soloboardgames #boardgames 22/

Ryan posing with peace sign in front of Flatiron board game mid play.

closeup photo of flatiron board game at end of game with layers of wooden cylinders precariously holding up layers of cardboard floors making up a loose representation of a flatiron building structure

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea lean version of twilight struggle which does the original great justice! very funny to play only two hands, but it surprisingly works the first time I played, the bot stuck in a loop that I couldn't help but cheese. good challenge this time! #SoloYear #boardgames 21/

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea board game setup, Ryan posing in front.

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

no joke I saw Tactics II at a store today and I would not have acknowledged its significance without this book (whatever book it is 🤔)

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

hey! I also just started doing pics/micro reviews of solo games! also have beard!

Ryan posing smiling in front of board game Dieson Crusoe mid-game

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Half Price Books strikes again! I've been looking for Ares Project (from Brian Engelstein & @gengelstein.bsky.social) ever since trying to learn it from a con library >10 years ago asymm mech rts-like, iirc. can't wait to try I got lucky with a good deal and! unpunched / shrink cards #boardgames

photo of The Ares Project board game box opened with components spread out. four decks of cards are in shrink and punchboards are unpunched.

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Dual Powers light area-influence Russia 1917, first time the MP game is mostly about the secret objective "headline" card choice but solo gives you a face-down one and are forced to spend a precious action to inspect. bot getting will of people automatically is punishing #SoloYear #boardgames 20/

Ryan posing in front of board game Dual Powers mid play

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

The Wars of Marcus Aurelius from @rdeleskie.bsky.social & HS haven't played in a minute! had some nasty rolls (shh about the empty Quadi), but this one's really fun. I like the dig-your-own-grave temptation of unlimited cardplay while your draw dwindles #SoloYear #boardgames #sologames 19/

Ryan posing in front of in-progress game of The Wars of Marcus Aurelius

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Irish Freedom great topic! only played once before when it came out. both times I think tooooo swingy out of the gate for me. need to try again soon to try to make it to the second half of the game ; D #SoloYear #boardgames #sologames 18/ (ugh, bad photo, sorry)

Ryan posing with Irish Freedom game mid-play

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

DerrocAr sick theme, knife fight for pres succession in Argentina 2000-ish. it's Pax Munchkin? That's mean. but set collection gotcha is core. the political aspects make it _very_ interesting novel solo what's procedure flowchat uses and plays _your_ hand. fine solo? #SoloYear #boardgames 17/

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

I'll never be able to convince anyone this was unintentional. this was on my "maybe solo tonight" pile but wanted to do some "fuck the world" nails first. guess this is a War Game Nail Art account now

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

better than a crowdfunding arrival!

excited selfie holding Cardboard Ghosts book by Amabel Holland in foreground

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Pocket Master Builder hits _right_ at the limit of too spatial for me. the bot is a little hard to preempt. super mean flipping/denying in a great way >: D lots to juggle and it makes me _more_ reticent to take on Rome #SoloYear #boardgames 15/

ryan posed, peace sign, with initial setup of Pocket Master Builder

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

The Red Cathedral still great! I love the cadence of using delivery or claim turns to stall for when the dice are where you want but the storage space/coin game is tight. I realized bot cards should NOT be randomized as written, flop gave me way too much head start, trounced it #SoloYear 14/

Ryan in front of Red Cathedral board game

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

also: I've never felt more seen

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Peak Oil: Profiteer WOAH what a surprise it's got the King is Dead / Pax Penning kind of using your tenuously favored non-player suits for gain at the expense of their future efficacy (increased cost in this case) but wrapped in a lil euro econ solo was eh, but wanna play MP _SOON_ #SoloYear 13/

selfie of ryan giving peace sign in front of finished game of the Peak Oil: Profiteer board game

photo of the front cover of the Peak Oil: Profiteer board game

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

La Granja wanted to try this since I fell in love with Cooper's Island! (also by ode.) I love some pfister/chudyk multi-use cards but I didn't feel like there were enough card-play actions in the game that I was feeling good tension there. And I was fine with any die draft result? #SoloYear 12/

selfie of Ryan posing with peace sign in front of the end game of La Granja board game

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

had a helper for a minute : p

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Time Stories - Damien short promotional/demo Time Stories mission it's fine? like great production and art but it's an hourish to play what would be, no joke, a five minute point and click adventure game. I think it would be miserable with multiple players and limited comms #SoloYear 11/

selfie of Ryan giving peace sign in front of Time Stories Damien board game set up to start playing

Time Stories Damien board game at the end of play. tons of cards sprawled on the table.

photo of Time Stories Damien board game box cover

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Halls of Hegra still the best solo game I've ever played gameplay arc is: oh god I'm so stressed where do I put these plates → oh god wtf now I'm juggling plates → WHY ARE THEY SHOOTING AT MY PLATES @tompetgames.bsky.social y'all did a good one <3 #SoloYear 10/

selfie of ryan giving peace sign with the Halls of Hegra board game set up on the table. another person is beside ryan

photo of the board game Halls of Hegra midgame

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Bargain Basement Bathysphere girl, I need to play this more often. the risky delve bait gives good Dome Keeper vibes. metaprogress works great in a short campaign my partner and I played half the campaign together before [gestures broadly] but we'll have to get back into it. cute fun! #SoloYear 9/

ryan posing close to the table giving peace sign. table has Bargain Basement Bathysphere game midplay

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

I need to save these stills in my wallet for every time I'm like "what would making a board game youtube take? 🤔" @kovray.bsky.social ; D

screenshot of "2024 in Reflection" video from the Kovray board game YouTube channel with Ilya and Tylor sitting together. An overlay states that they've played 600 games in 2024

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/32... I've been on this because I had a 4p game planned tonight and it went over great with everyone! learning game, but it was easy to dive into the tasty faction codependencies and rivalries. Hegemony gives me what I was hoping to get out of Weimar, which I didn't love

photo of Hegemony board game mid-play with people around the table out of frame

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Hegemony (take 2) finally! I should have used the basic bot the first time ;D early impressions, but I had a blast capitalist has a tough puzzle enticing the working class _just_ enough to get them to bite and still make bank. definitely coming back to this, probably as middle class #SoloYear 8/

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Castellion first play in a while. confirmed what I mentioned after Nautilion that I think it's too puzzly for me. honestly, the most friction I have with it is that the (great!) tile art is too noisy to quickly discern shape / colors Micro City cute lil resource game but kinda flat #SoloYear 7/

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

I was soooooo sleepy by the time I was ready to play I couldn't finish even the one round 😩 I tried to knock out a round of For Northwood! just to say I completed a game yday but I literally fell asleep looking at my cards. hegemony: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/32...

game of For Northwood! mid play with Hegemony board in the background

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Hegemony beastly asymm political euro w/ neat intersection of faction interests took me an eternity to sort everything and reread and setup, so I only got through most of a round as capitalist vs working class bot, but left it mostly set up so going back tonight >: D #SoloYear 6/

sorted components of Hegemony board game spread over table

Hegemony board game set up with Capitalist player to the left of the board and Working Class automa to the right of the board

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

oh man oh boy, I'm trying this again. fully read rules this morning and re-org'd a bunch to fit everything w/o box lift 9:29 box about to be opened 10:47 ready for start, Capitalist v Working Class bot. trying the advanced (complicated) bot, pray for me

photo of hegemony board game box on neoprene mat on table

Hegemony board game fully set up with Capitalist and Working Class factions. Working class is setup to play with the automated player.

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

9:37 the box is out (I'd been skimming rules before vampire hours) 9:45 oh, what's this? more table? (added table leaf) 10:45 most bits deshrinked & bagged (soon after I realized tonight wasn't happening) 11:30 _everything_ properly sorted & bagged 11:37 game packed, ah well!

table with neoprene mat. game box of Hegemony and a pile of rules books are beside

display of large board game board and components and rulebook

display of same board but with many decks of cards set out and many tokens in bins

many tokens of the same scene are now bagged

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

Nautilion - die assignment race from Oniverse series so fun, not as maddeningly puzzly as the other Oniverse games I've played. there's just enough die agency that I know I'm to blame for cockups ;D I'm always seduced into going slow (wrongly!). the shrinking spiral map is precious #SoloYear 5/

Nautilion board game set up. two square boards with circular slots, two reference cards, and a loose game map made up of a spiral of tokens with a cardboard standee at the center and the edge.

Nautilion board game at end of game. two square boards with circular slots, two reference cards, and a loose game map made up of a spiral of tokens with a cardboard standee at the center and the edge. Much fewer tokens than previous image. Ryan is in frame taking a selfie w/ peace sign

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ryan @ryanisabird.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

#SoloYear 4/365 Knight - chonky roll&write, Hadrian's Wall-inspired this rules _hard_. more than just the asymmetric characters/scenarios, I think having a few win/lose conditions gave me more freedom to play around on the tracks where Hadrian's sometimes felt more on rails. worthy successor

selfie of ryan giving peace sign next to computer showing the Knight board game on Tabletop Simulator

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