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Tabletop Game Designers Association

@ttgda.bsky.social
1.6K followers 6 following 157 posts

Official account of the Tabletop Game Designers Association. More information at ttgda.org

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Reposted by Tabletop Game Designers Association
Gus&Co @devoreur.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
75 % des éditeurs étudiés gardent le nom du jeu après la fin du contrat. 40 % peuvent créer une extension sans consulter l’auteur. La TTGDA passe plus de 50 contrats au crible. Notre analyse : #j2s
gusandco.net
Dans la jungle des contrats de jeux de société
📃 Quels éditeurs de jeux de société proposent les contrats les plus équitables ? L’étude TTGDA analyse avances, royalties, droits...
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Reposted by Tabletop Game Designers Association
BackseatGamer.com @backseatgamer.com · 12/08/2026
Board Game Publishers Just Got Their Contracts Scored #BoardGames #GameDesign #TTGDA #BoardGameNews #TabletopGaming #BackseatGamer
backseatgamer.com
Board Game Publishers Just Got Their Contracts Scored
The Tabletop Game Designers Association scored 50+ publishers' standard contracts out of 110 points. A fifth pay no advance, and 75% keep your game's name.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
A nice (French-language) discussion of our contract survey report. gusandco.net/2026/08/13/c...
gusandco.net
Dans la jungle des contrats de jeux de société
📃 Quels éditeurs de jeux de société proposent les contrats les plus équitables ? L’étude TTGDA analyse avances, royalties, droits...
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Today TTGDA released what we believe is our most important effort so far - our Licensing Contract Rubric. This is an objective scoring metric that can be used to partially evaluate the quality of a contract. We applied it to a huge swath of the industry, and this chart shows how they scored. 🧵 🎲✂️
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Reposted by Tabletop Game Designers Association
Elizabeth Hargrave @elizhargrave.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
One major purpose of TTGDA is to help tabletop game designers negotiate better publishing contracts. We just released the rubric of what we look for -- and info on how different publishers scored on the rubric. Soon we will also release a model contract. More at www.ttgda.org/contract-bas...
Tabletop Game Designers Association (TTGDA) Releases Scoring Rubric and Tabletop
Market Contract Analysis to Promote Equitable Industry Standards

Bridgewater, NJ – The Tabletop Game Designers Association (TTGDA) today announced the
launch of their Contract Scoring Rubric and publication of its Tabletop Market Contract Analysis
– 2026, a comprehensive industry report designed to share information about contract practices
and advocate for fair treatment, intellectual property protection, and designer involvement in the
tabletop game publishing process.
The report, developed by the TTGDA contract & grievance committee—led by industry veterans
Geoff Engelstein, Elizabeth Hargrave, Matt Leacock, and James Lowder—seeks to address the
wide disparity in publishing agreements across the industry. With many first-time game
designers accepting terms that may be disadvantageous, the TTGDA has developed a rigorous,
objective scoring rubric to evaluate publisher contracts.
“Our intention is to shine a light on these industry practices and lead to more equitable
standards,” says TTGDA Vice President Sen-Foong Lim. To assist in this effort, the TTGDA will
be releasing model contracts that adhere to the criteria established in the scoring rubric.
The full report can be downloaded at www.ttgda.org/contract-basics.
Key Industry Findings
The analysis of contracts from over 50 publishers reveals several critical areas where many
standard publishing agreements fall short of fair practices:
● Advances: Only two-thirds of publishers offer a baseline advance above the
TTGDA-recommended minimum of $1,000, while 20% offer no advance at all.
● Designer Involvement in Expansions: 40% of publishers retain the right to create
expansions without consulting the original game’s designer.Intellectual Property Rights: 75% of publishers retain the rights to a game’s name after
the publication agreement concludes and rights to the design revert to the creator.
● Financial Transparency: One-third of publishers deny designers the right to audit their
books, and 10% include non-standard deductions to revenue before royalties are
calculated.
Moving Toward Standards
The Tabletop Market Contract Analysis includes aggregate results, with summary scores for
each individual publisher available to TTGDA members. However TTGDA would like to highlight
the top five scoring publishers (alphabetically): 25th Century Games, Fireside Games, Lunar
Punk, Plaid Hat Games, and UP Games.
“These results are not a call to avoid specific publishers,” says TTGDA President Geoff
Engelstein. “Rather they are a tool for designers to negotiate terms that include fair payment,
intellectual property protection, and a meaningful role in the final product.”
The organization plans to release semi-annual updates to the Tabletop Market Contract
Analysis as more contracts are reviewed and publishers revise their standard agreements.
About the Tabletop Game Designers Association
The Tabletop Game Designers Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization dedicated to
supporting designers of all types of tabletop games, including board games, role playing games,
card games, miniature games, and others, whether mass market, specialty, or hobby. Learn
more about us at www.ttgda.org.

Contact:
Geoff Engelstein
President
Tabletop Game Designers Association
president@ttgda.org
www.ttgda.org
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
'Some Assembly Required' is a flatpack furniture-building experience that will actually make you feel smart is a game designed by TTGDA member @leighperrott.bsky.social and published by @allplay.bsky.social that's currently funding through Thursday May 14. www.kickstarter.com/projects/boa...
kickstarter.com
River Valley Jewelcraft
Back the spiritual successors to River Valley Glassworks and Things in Rings. And: a flatpack furniture-themed tile placement game
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Reposted by Tabletop Game Designers Association
Peer Sylvester @peersylvester.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
RIP Reinhold Wittig, one of the big gaming pioneers in Germany has sadly passed away. In the 80s he was THE small indie-publisher, who established the "tube cames", i.e. games in a cube here. Also his artwork of games like Müller&Co is one of the best until today.
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Reposted by Tabletop Game Designers Association
Peter McPherson ⏭️ PAX U @peterlmcpherson.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Missing Pieces is looking for your game design questions! Our pile is low right now, so your questions has a good chance of being answered in an upcoming @ttgda.bsky.social newsletter. Here are some of my favorite recent questions we've received. Submit yours here: forms.gle/53QtYWvZqJvA...
Three text boxes reading: 

Cube Pusher:
I think a fun challenge I’d like to try is to make a Eurogame that’s as simple as possible, but I’m having a hard time pinning down a solid definition of what a Eurogame actually is. What elements would you say must be present in a game in order for it to be considered a Euro game?


Humor Hawker:
I’m working on a card game with humor at its core but with strategic gameplay. I imagine most of the cards having jokes and illustrations in the finished version. How do I go about playtesting and prototyping? Should I just test the core mechanisms, or should I create some of the jokes from the start?

Unlikely Customer:
When testing someone's game, for which you are not a likely customer, should you approach it the way YOU would typically play such a game or should you take on the persona of "someone who would probably like this kind of game" and try to do what THAT person would likely do?
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
ALERT: Mattel has been pushing game designers to submit pitches using their My Mattel Ideas portal, even if designers are in discussions with Mattel people directly. The portal forces you to commit to a royalty cap of 1.5% plus a 10% deduction to net sales - effectively 1.35%.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
We conducted a survey of our members about their experiences and thoughts on AI usage in tabletop game design. 🎲✂️ The full report can be found here: irp.cdn-website.com/2b6905d0/fil... A few takeaways: 🧵
irp.cdn-website.com
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Kudos to @barnesandnoble.com for including designer names on their game listings!
The listing for the for the game Sanibel showing Elizabeth Hargrave
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
A designer said to us that TTGDA has made him realize that the contract terms he accepts affect every designer who gets a contract from that publisher. And that has impacted his negotiating positions. We love this sentiment!
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Third year in a row GAMA has snubbed designers with their "Excellence in Game Design" award. 🎲✂️
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Shame on GAMA for once again not including designers in their "Excellence in Game Design" award announcement. Last year they promised that this would be corrected in 2026, but again designers are not given the recognition they deserve. The omission is no longer an oversight. It is a GAMA policy.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Hex Factor by TTGDA member Frederick Weller is a fast-paced abstract game for 1-4 players where you claim territory by solving puzzles where the pieces have a mind of their own. 1 minute to learn and 10 minutes to play. It's currently funding through 3/17. www.kickstarter.com/projects/sne...
kickstarter.com
HEX FACTOR: THE ADDICTIVE, REAL-TIME PUZZLE GAME
Race to claim territory by being the first to solve puzzles in an easy-to-learn, real-time, abstract strategy game.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
AEG would not exist without the creativity and hard work of designers.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
In Memoriam 2025 Designers build on the creativity and hard work of those who came before. TTGDA would like to recognize those in the tabletop industry who we lost last year. We are deeply grateful for their contributions, and are diminished by their loss. irp.cdn-website.com/2b6905d0/fil...
irp.cdn-website.com
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
Upper Deck has announced that they have acquired the Harry Potter license for a series of trading cards. They have not yet said that they will be using this license for games, and we urge them to refrain from doing so, to help keep gaming a welcoming environment.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Super Team by TTGDA member @amirsalamati.bsky.social is a fast and exciting tactical football game where players take control of unique teams managing offense and defense using a deck filled with powerful abilities. It's currently funding at gamefound.com/en/projects/...
gamefound.com
Super Team Tactical Football Board Game by Roomiz Games - Gamefound
Control unique teams and captains, using powerful cards and strategic resource management in this fast-paced, tactical football game!
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Pyrotechnics by TTGDA member @backwardscapgames.bsky.social is a 2 player head-to-head card game that's quick and easy with just the right spark of strategy. It's currently available for pre-sale with delivery expected before the end of January 2026! www.seahorseandhummingbird.com/shop/pyrotec...
seahorseandhummingbird.com
Pyrotechnics - The Seahorse and The Hummingbird
Pyrotechnics is a fast, two-player card duel packed with strategy and sparks—easy to learn, quick to play, and endlessly replayable.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
Are you looking for a last minute gift for a game designer in your life? We asked TTGDA members for their favorite tools they would recommend as gifts. They've been collected into our first ever TTGDA Gift Guide! tinyurl.com/3z3u9umh
tinyurl.com
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
Texas: Card Games Inspired By The Lone Star State is currently funding on @kickstarter.com This anthology of six games includes Roadrunner, a climbing/shedding card game designed by TTGDA member @jonahkagan.bsky.social www.kickstarter.com/projects/gam...
kickstarter.com
Texas: Six New Card Games + Playing Cards
Texas playing cards and a book of new card games by San Antonio high-school sweethearts.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
Phantasmic by TTGDA Member @marcelineleiman.bsky.social is releasing at Pax Unplugged from Button Shy Games! Members of the elite Phantasmic Dueling Squad test their skills against each other. Employ your knowledge of counterhexes to prove that you’re the best! boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43...
boardgamegeek.com
Phantasmic
Feint, bluff, and challenge correctly to become an elite magical duelist.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
Heavenly Bodies by TTGDA member @marcelineleiman.bsky.social will be available Saturday at Indie Games Night Market during Pax Unplugged Inspired by Gin Rummy and Koi-Koi, players collect melds of 3 or more cards to pass thresholds for each suit to score points boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/45...
boardgamegeek.com
Heavenly Bodies
Unite the power of the cosmos to form new stars using sets of cards.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 16/11/2025
Check out Adulting, a 'cozy, engine-building card game about the mundane struggles of adulthood' from TTGDA member @ericdittmore.bsky.social during PAX Unplugged's Indie Night Market this Saturday night! Build a healthy balance of chores and self-care. Find more information at DittmoreDesigns.com
A copy of the game Adulting showing cards laid out on a table.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Nayakas by TTGDA member andydgames.bsky.social is a worker placement game for 2–4 players and works to capture the spirit of India’s feudal kingdoms after the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire through simple yet strategic gameplay. Find out more information here: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/44...
andydgames.bsky.social
Andy D (@andydgames.bsky.social)
Aspiring to be a good board game designer
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Reposted by Tabletop Game Designers Association
Peter McPherson ⏭️ PAX U @peterlmcpherson.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Got a specific game design problem you're trying to crack? We'd love to give our input in Missing Pieces, a board game design advice column in @ttgda.bsky.social's newsletter! You can submit questions here: docs.google.com/forms/d/1hc3...
docs.google.com
Missing Pieces: a Game Design Advice Column
Send us whatever game design quandary you're facing and someone from our team of designers, developers, and publishers will do our best to solve it! We cannot respond to all questions, but if we ans...
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Uh Oh, Dino! from TTGDA member @ludoliminal.bsky.social is a cute & chaotic cooperative dinosaur game with a shifting board, adorable dinos, and a drawbag of danger that's currently funding on @kickstarter.com through October 30. www.kickstarter.com/projects/lud...
kickstarter.com
Uh Oh, Dino! - Cute & Chaotic Co-op for 2-4 Players
Shifting board, adorable dinos, and a drawbag of danger ☄️&🦖 Meteors & Meat-Eaters expansion ✨Limited 2025 Holiday Shipping Available!
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
We were pleased to hear that @cmyk.games will include the designer on their packaging in the future. Their box artwork, while striking, was ultimately a disappointment for hiding the contribution of the designer and other creatives that worked on the game. Thanks to all that voiced your concern.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
3 Witches designed by TTGDA member @coreyyoung.bsky.social from @allplay.bsky.social will be available at Spiel Essen. Check out this unique trick-taking game that does a lot with only 18 cards and asymmetric play. boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/44...
boardgamegeek.com
3 Witches
The three witches can’t agree—every trick is a 2 vs 1 battle for the cauldron!
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
We were recently contacted by one of our members about a publisher missing a series of royalty payments on a popular game. We reached out to the publisher on behalf of the designer and were able to get them paid within a few days. Learn more about the benefits of membership at ttgda.org
ttgda.org
Tabletop Game Designers Association
Home page for the Tabletop Game Designers Association
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Cardboard Edison @cardboardedison.com · 08/10/2025
The deadline for submissions to Ion Award 2026 is December 1
saltcon.com
- SaltCON
The Ion Award 2026 Opens on October 1 Ion Award Rules and Entry The Ion Award competition at SaltCON is the premier competition for game designers to meet publishers. Rule Summary: Deadline for submis...
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
Epipocalypse: Bug Detectives is a new game by TTGDA member @pharmageddon.bsky.social currently funding on @kickstarter.com through October 30. Learn the clues to infectious disease diagnoses using a game that tests your knowledge beyond basic trivia questions. www.kickstarter.com/projects/pha...
kickstarter.com
Epipocalypse: Bug Detectives, A Medical Card Game
Learn infectious diseases by playing cards. Symptoms, transmission, reservoirs, and more!
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
Academia: A Game of Administrative Bloat is an engine-building, action-management game about running a university. Designed by TTGDA member Ian Pytlarz and published by The Dietz Foundation, this game is currently funding on @kickstarter.com through October 16. www.kickstarter.com/projects/die...
kickstarter.com
Academia: A Game of Administrative Bloat
A Love Letter to American Universities
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Step into the shadowy world of 1930's private detectives in Stakeout by completing investigations and closing cases. This game by TTGDA member @esisgm.bsky.social and Lamplight Games currently funding on @kickstarter.com through October 16. www.kickstarter.com/projects/pla...
kickstarter.com
Stakeout: A 1930s Detective Dice Game
Embark on a thrilling investigation in this competitive 1-4 player game of stakeouts, wiretaps, and case-solving action.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Check out The Game Makers, a new game from TTGDA member Ben Rosset and @beziergames.bsky.social for a game about manufacturing boardgames currently funding on @kickstarter.com through October 2! www.kickstarter.com/projects/ted...
kickstarter.com
The Game Makers - An Epic Board Game About Making Games
Craft and Market 300 Real Board Games in this Strategy Game. 1–6 Players. Simultaneous Play.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
Thanks to Devir for acting swiftly to recognize and correct this issue. boardgamegeek.com/thread/35556...
boardgamegeek.com
A message to the community | Ace of Spades
Hello everyone, There’s a principle we hold on to in moments like this: never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity. It does not excuse the error, but it reminds us that harm can be...
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
TTGDA statement about sensitivity around art depictions in games.
Recently the leadership of the Tabletop Game Designers Association became aware that the new game from Devir, Ace of Spades, contains offensive and disturbing artwork of minority groups in the American West. While the industry as a whole has made progress in being more inclusive and sensitive in depictions of people, this demonstrates that there is still much work to be done. 

We urge all publishers to use cultural consultants to review artwork, language, and other aspects of games to help guard against these issues and protect against the blind spots that all of us have in certain areas.

Also, generally, it is fraught when slavery and other serious issues are used as ‘window dressing’ or stereotypes. These issues are worthy of inclusion and exploration in games, but need to be engaged with in a thoughtful way for a reason, not just for period seasoning.

TTGDA will also now strongly recommend that all contracts contain a clause that gives designers the right to review art prior to publication, and remove their name and likeness from a game if they have issues with the artwork, theme, or mechanics changes implemented by a publisher. This will be part of our standard review template going forward.

As an industry we need to continue to strive to do better.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
12 Parsecs is a Roll & Write Space Race microgame designed by TTGDA Member Andy Desa that's currently funding as part of a @kickstarter.com campaign that was launched today by Powercell Games! Check it out. www.kickstarter.com/projects/pow...
kickstarter.com
12 Parsecs / Songs of the Smokewater
A Kickstarter DOUBLE FEATURE! A space race microgame and an RPG supplement for tavern encounters!
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
VNTYPL8S is a new party game from TTGDA member @stoichamster.bsky.social about creating vanity license plates and then racing to decipher the plates and match them to their owners. @25thcentury.games is releasing it at Gen Con and everywhere else soon after! boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/42...
boardgamegeek.com
VNTYPL8S
If you can read the title, you're already playing the game.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
If you're looking for a light bluffing gabe about stealing acorns using sleight of hand, Squirrel Away from TTGDA member @stoichamster.bsky.social published by @floodgategames.bsky.social is releasing at Gen Con this week and will be available everywhere soon after! floodgate.games/products/squ...
floodgate.games
Squirrel Away
You and your ragtag crew of squirrely thieves just pulled off the biggest heist of your bushy-tailed lives. You’re sitting on a whole winter’s worth of acorns, stolen back from the clutches of a greed...
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
The leadership of the Tabletop Game Designers Association was disappointed to see the publisher CGE touting Codenames: Back to Hogwarts, a new Harry Potter-themed version of Codenames.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
Beasts from TTGDA member @stoichamster.bsky.social published by @pandasaurusgames.com is releasing this week at Gen Con and currently up for pre-order on their website. pandasaurusgames.com/products/bea... Check out this co-op 'Cards with Numbers' game today!
pandasaurusgames.com
Beasts
Releasing in September. If purchased with other items, your entire order will not ship until all items are in stock. Beasts is a cooperative card game where players work together to build an ever-clim...
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
The GameMaster’s Apprentice 2e: Post Apocalypse Deck from TTGDA member @larcenousdesigns.bsky.social is currently live and funding on @kickstarter.com through August 14. www.kickstarter.com/projects/lar...
kickstarter.com
The GameMaster's Apprentice 2e: Post-Apocalypse Deck
RPG Toolkit for Instant Post-Apoc-Themed Characters, Encounters, and Solo/GM-free Gameplay!
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
Grendel: The Game of Crime and Mayhem from TTGDA member @senfoonglim.bsky.social is currently funding on @kickstarter.com through July 24. www.kickstarter.com/projects/min...
kickstarter.com
Grendel: The Game of Crime and Mayhem
Highly approachable and asymmetric gameplay
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Reposted by Tabletop Game Designers Association
Elizabeth Hargrave @elizhargrave.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Earlier today I posted about the Hill visits that I did with @gamaofficial.bsky.social and @ttgda.bsky.social this week. I want to share more about how to reach out to your members of Congress about this if you live in the US (and not in DC). Step 1: Find your members: 1/ 🧵
congress.gov
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Pet Names: A Game of Endearments by @pinktigergames.com is currently funding on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/ami...
kickstarter.com
Pet Names: A Game of Endearments 🦊
A fast, fun game where you compete to make the best nicknames for friends and family, featuring 400 mini cards in a furry fox plush.
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Reposted by Tabletop Game Designers Association
Elizabeth Hargrave @elizhargrave.bsky.social · 09/06/2025
Tomorrow I'll be representing @ttgda.bsky.social and @gamaofficial.bsky.social on a lobby day on tariffs. Feel free to share your stories with me about how you've been affected by tariffs on games.
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
May I Enter: A Vampire Game by TTGDA member @highlevelgames.bsky.social is currently live and funding on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/hig...
kickstarter.com
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Tabletop Game Designers Association @ttgda.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Thanks to Mensa for adding designers to their list of the 2025 Mensa Select Games! TTGDA and Mensa had a productive conversation leading to this update and future collaboration opportunities. www.mensamindgames.com/about/winnin...
mensamindgames.com
Mensa Select® Games
Explore nearly 30 years of Mensa Select winners, including information about each game, its manufacturer and where to purchase.
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