iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Got to relive a part of my childhood tonight. It's just as ridiculous a movie as I remember. But damn did I enjoy it.

A selfie in front of the movie poster for The Transformers animated movie.

David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Going to see a 40th anniversary screening of The Transformers: The Movie this Friday. I'm old enough to have seen it the first time in the theater. The opening shocked my five year old self, and I cried when Optimus died.

Poster of the 40th Anniversary release of The Transformers: The Movie to theaters. Image depicts a small image of Rodimus Prime opening the Matrix of Leadership. Overlaid on an image of a dying Optimus Prime opening his chest to release the Matrix, overlaid on Unicron in planet mode.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

9 years ago today, I was spreading the word about Churrascaria, gearing up with the Kickstarter that would essentially start my company, @absurdistprod.bsky.social. It's been a wild 9 years. Also, I miss having all that hair.

Photo of David Thomas at a game shop called Loot & XP in 2017, showing off Churrascaria on a live stream for the shop. David can be seen holding a copy of Churrascaria above a copy of the game Bonk and a copy of Star Wars - Destiny.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I did the main design and plotting for this one, and wrote about 50% of the prompts on this one. Really proud of the noir vibe we managed to get and some of the cool stories people have sent us that they've ended up with after a playthrough.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

My game shelf is stalking me. And it just meowed.

Photo of a bookshelf of boardgames. In the shadow behind the games the yellow eyes of a black cat can just barely be seen.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Just listened through this 4 part podcast again. Always amazing to me that something I created inspired someone enough that they made an entire radio play style podcast for it. open.spotify.com/episode/6C68...

open.spotify.com

Seven Murders Til Midnight - Episode 1

Rolling Alone · Episode

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Working on an expansion for the first game I ever designed/published. Churrascaria is a game about fighting over meat at a Brazilian steakhouse. The game is a lover letter to the food, this expansion is going to showcase the drinks.

A photo of cards from the game Churrascaria featuring 4 food cards in a 2x2 tableau. Their titles in Brazilian Portuguese, and then a Food Coma reaction card laying on top of the food cards. Canceling the players attempt to eat their food.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Cat tax on a lazy Sunday. My wife is consistently jealous of the fact our Shaka Khan Kitty loves me more, ignoring the fact that for every one instance of these cuddles, there are ten instances of love claws and bites.

Photo of a black cat cuddled on a man's lap looking up into the camera.

A photo of a black cat asleep, cuddled in a man's lap. Her head facing towards the camera.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Had a relatively small turnout for my workshop/game jam, but have some cool game designs being worked on. Including a satirical take on the Soviet Space program during the space race.

Photo of a prototype worker placement game being designed at a Game Jam.

Photo of a prototype deck building game being designed at a Game Jam.

Photo of designers works hoping ideas on how to improve Candy Land at an Intro to Game Design Workshop/Game Jam

Photo of a ton of bits and craft tools for a Game Jam. Most of the bits were supplied by The Game Crafter.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

In final prep for the intro to Game Design workshop/Game Jam I'm running this weekend at a local shop. Should be alot of fun. But anytime I do one of these I have to push back the imposter syndrome.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

My friend at @mintybeans.bsky.social just launched his game on Kickstarter. Great little Hollywood-themed game with plenty of satire and just a little bit of cutthroat as you buy scripts, recruit stars, and try to produce award-winning films. www.kickstarter.com/projects/min...

kickstarter.com

Executive Producer: Filmmaking Fun for 2-5 Players 12 and Up

Drive your studio's success in Executive Producer, where 2-5 movie moguls build hits, manage chaos, rule the box office and win awards!

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

It always amuses me that in The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, you can become Master of the Mages Guild with essentially no magical ability. On a no-magic run where I'm just sword and bow. Finished the Mages Guild without ever learning a spell beyond the healing and little fireball you start with.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Just picked up a copy of Candyland to use in an introduction to Game Design Workshop I'm running in a few weeks. Basically going to explain the history and mechanics of Candyland to folks, discuss some other mechanics, and then let them loose on the bits bin to create.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

A friend of mine has his first Kickstarter coming up in a few weeks. I've watched @mintybeans.bsky.social develop this game over the last six years, and its a great time. You should check it out. www.kickstarter.com/projects/min...

kickstarter.com

Coming soon: Executive Producer: Where Box Office and Buzz Collide!

Drive your studio's success in Executive Producer, where 2-5 movie moguls build hits, manage chaos, rule the box office and win awards!

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

WOTC has started revealing more of the Star Trek set. I'm really mixed. I love Trek, I love Magic, and these LCARS framed cards look really cool. But I still don't know how i feel about Star Trek mixed with Magic.

Image of the Dr. Beverly Crusher card from the upcoming Star Trek Magic the Gathering set. This specific version shows the special LCARS themed framing on the card to mimic the computer displays in Star Trek.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

I always have a good time playing games with DC. If you are interested in any of Absurdist Productions games, you should tune in.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Just finished book 4 of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. It continues to be amazing. I'm putting this series up there with Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos novels as my favorite Fantasy/Sci-Fi fiction.

Photo showing the cover of Book 4 of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Titled The Gate of the Feral Gods

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Crowdfunding is weird. We crowdfunded Winter Rabbit 2 years ago. It was delivered to backers in early 2025. Now, with the news that it won the Origin Award, we suddenly have backers who never completed their surveys and ignored our emails, wondering where their award-winning game is.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

This is exactly why I love this industry, gamers help gamers. There is some competition, but listening to everyone sell each other's games, you can hear the love for all the games in their voices. Its been a really good weekend.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

So proud of this game. @willmthompson.bsky.social did the design, I did development work, and then the amazing art of Kindra Swafford and Jonni Ketcher. So happy that it won.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Now waiting for the fourth book of Dungeon Crawler Carl to arrive in the mail. Loving this series. It's full of meta commentary on politics, economics, and politics, but it's also doing an excellent job commenting on game culture and doing it all with some great comedy.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Took this last night, cat refused to leave the basket for a good ten minutes as she rolled around soaking up the heat and smell of fresh laundry. She then curled up on the freshly cleaned towels and went to sleep. My life is run by two females, my wife and my cat.

Photo of Shaka Khan, a black cat, lying in a laundry basket, after a fresh load of towels that had just come from the dryer and been folded. She is basking in the residual heat.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

I'm late to the party, but highly recommend the Dungeon Crawler Carl books. Its a twisted take on alien invasion, the apocolypse, and pop culture. Also, "Goddamnit, Donut!"

Photo of the cover for the first Dungeon Crawler Carl books.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Does anyone just really like sitting down and organizing Magic cards? I find it really soothing to just sit down and organize things. I sort by color, rarity, and then alphabetically. Makes it easy to find things when building a deck, and just helps me relax.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

I don't really have a title for this one yet, but it's a card game based on the mechanics of Gin Rummy, where players draft units to build an army, then try to capture each other's units to score points. Only 52 cards, and so far it is working well. I'm really enjoying designing small games lately.

Photo of a prototype for a card game that involves using the mechanics of Gin Rummy to draft an army and then fight it out between 2-4 players for points.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Just finished Spider-Noir in black and white, and it was excellent. Cage was a perfect. It balanced the detective/noir aspects well with the superhero trappings. It goes a different direction from the comic, and thats fine. I definatley recommend it.

static.klipy.com

Spider Noir Nicolas Cage Eyes Light Up

Alt: Gif clip from Spider Noir of the goggles Nicolas Cage wears lighting up just before he attacks a criminal.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Some morning cat tax with my coffee before I start work. The joys of working from home. Of course, now I can't get up, because I might disturb her.

Photo of a black cat sitting in a person's lap and staring up at the camera.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Under a Killing Moon was one of my favorite games in the 90s. Sci-Fi, Comedy, and fun puzzly adventure gameplay. Just found out it's trying to get a remaster via Kickstarter. And I am here for it. www.kickstarter.com/projects/tex...

kickstarter.com

Coming soon: Tex Murphy: Killing Moon Rising

A high-fidelity modernization of the 1994 cyberpunk noir adventure classic video game.

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Reposted by David Thomas

Absurdist Productions ➡️ 🎆 SkasdiCon 🎇 @absurdistprod.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

We are in the last 30ish hours for the Riposte! and Cellblock 18 backerkit campaign. Really looking forward to putting in the other to get the games manufactured. If you want to be one of the first to have them, please head over and pledge. www.backerkit.com/c/projects/a...

backerkit.com

Riposte! and Cell Block 18 - Micro Card Games

Riposte! and Cell Block 18 are two-player, 18-card strategy games that fit in your pocket. Try to anticipate your opponent's next fencing move in Riposte! or escape from prison in the asymmetrical Cel...

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Took the cat for a little walk post rain in hopes the wet grass would persuade her the outside was a bad idea. She loved it. So i think I'll be doing more cat walks now.

Photo of a man and a black cat in a purple harness. A leash held by the man is clipped to the cat's harness. And he is taking her for a walk in front of a house, where she is exploring the grass.

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Reposted by David Thomas

Absurdist Productions ➡️ 🎆 SkasdiCon 🎇 @absurdistprod.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

We have funded, which is super exciting. So now let's look at some other cool campaigns that haven't and we really want to see get made. Starting with, The Cure, by our friends from @thebaronsgameroom.bsky.social www.backerkit.com/c/projects/t...

backerkit.com

The Cure

Create The Cure! The cure to what? Well, that's up to Marketing. However, rumor has it that a rival lab has sent someone to sabotage your efforts... Work together, if you can trust each other...

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

And yes, I will be refreshing the page constantly until we do officially fund!

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

So if you were buying an 18-card game where the mechanics were emulating some sort of aerial combat, which theme would you prefer? A: WW2 air craft B: Dragons/Mythical Creatures C: Birds D: Other (I am open to suggestions)

Image of a prototype for an Aerial Combat 18-card game. Showing cards played out to depict the paths taken and the two combatants in the center, with one in the range of the other's attack.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Have I mentioned today yet that I have a campaign going on Backerkit right now? Two great 18-card games! Play as Warden vs Prisoner in an attempted jailbreak in Cellblock 18, or face off as dueling fencers in Riposte! www.backerkit.com/c/projects/a...

backerkit.com

Riposte! and Cell Block 18 - Micro Card Games

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

If you are attending Geekway this weekend, make sure to check out the work of my buddy Josh of Salamander Games.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Not funded yet, but we are getting there.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

While the campaign for Cellblock 18 and Riposte! is happening, I've started working on a new 18-card game, which I'm currently calling "Cabinets of curiosities". Players draft cards to build their collection of the odd and macabre.

Photo of an early prototype of "Cabinet of Curiosities". Several cards are laid out in a tableau to display a collection of oddities. Each card shows two items in the categories of Nature, Science, and Artifact. Some have multiple categories.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

We got the video of the Cellblock 18 playthrough up on YouTube, so it's easier to share. I'm really proud of this one. Asymmetric play and language-independent cards. Plus, the art came out great. youtu.be/GXsCkujYfNE?...

youtu.be

Cell Block 18 Playthrough

YouTube video by Absurdist Productions

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

This video shows how fast a game of Cellblock 18 goes. I was playing the Warden, and I probably could have won if I'd switched my Guard to block instead of making a guess on what escape method he was going for.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

This is my design. The Warden has 5 cards, while the prisoner has 10 (though only plays with 8 per game). Prisoner chooses 1 of 3 action cards each game, giving them a one-time way to mitigate the Warden's defenses and adding some variability to this super quick game's play style between games.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Forgotten Labyrinth, the local game shop where I played last weekend, posted a video of me explaining my aerial combat 18-card game. It is only on Facebook, unfortunately. www.facebook.com/reel/1521656...

facebook.com

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Watched my stepson try to play the original Resident Evil last night on a PS1 classic he picked up. Tank controls stymied him hardcore. Poor kid couldn't make it past the first zombie encounter. He went in so confident, because he's beaten the remaster of the remake. And now I feel very old.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Chaka Khan was not happy to be woken from her nap so I could move and make lunch.

An image of a fluffy black lying on a blanket and staring towards the camera with a slightly annoyed look in her eyes.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Tested this 18-card aerial combat game yesterday. double-ended cards, pick one each turn with simultaneous reveal. Damage is taken if in range and opponents firing arc, with an initiative system to handle if both players get to shoot. Its working pretty well.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

While the Mirror Agents campaign wasn't a success, we keep going. I have three prototypes ready to take to a Playtesting event today. An 18-card aerial dog-fighting game. A Gin-based war game, and a dexterity-based dice game. I'll post pictures of each in action later.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Sadly, this happens sometimes. We obviously didn't do a good enough job showing people why the game is fun and why they should back, plus we know money is tight for a lot of folks right now. So we will just have to figure out how to connect people with the game and try again in the future.

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Just 24 hours until my game launches on Kickstarter. To say I am excited is an understatement. Two-player dual hidden-movement, in a world of art deco and noir, as rival spy masters hunt each other and try to stop each other from reaching their secret objectives. www.kickstarter.com/projects/941...

kickstarter.com

Coming soon: Mirror Agents

Two-player hidden-movement spy game where both players hunt and evade, tracking clues, collecting intel, and completing secret missions

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David Thomas @tentagil.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

This GIF moves a little fast, but it shows one reason we want to work with real artists rather then AI slop. From the rough sketch to line render, to the finished colors, little details shift and improve. And the final product is so much better for it.

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