Thomas Cardwell

Sincerely thankful for the wonderful folks in this hobby. Go check out some climbing and shedding games that we share the list with!

Ruel shows off our Texas Deck, and I learned a new game as a result—thanks @ruelgaviola.com!

PAX West 2026 is in the books! Thanks to some lovely friends for keeping Kelly and me rolling at the show. Rayne, Andrew, Davi and Sarah—y’all are the best. (Bonus points to Sarah taking pics at the booth)

Do you love classical music?! Me too! 🎻 Do you love card games?! Me too! ♣️ Do you love cute animals?! Me too! 🐷 Wow! Look at everything we have in common! 💖 Counterpoint is live on Kickstarter right now. Go back it! www.kickstarter.com/projects/squ...

Now that the ks is officially fulfilled, Club Spooky and That’s the Spirit are now available! www.alwaysawake.games I’ve also got a few review copies set aside, so if you do reviews and are interested, send me a DM!

Reminder that applications for the indie tabletop market at PaxWest close on the 19th!

Launching a KS tomorrow. I'm not panicking, you're panicking! (because you haven't hit the follow button yet, right??) www.kickstarter.com/projects/urb...

Almost exactly 3 years ago I started working on a game about public transit & reducing car dependency. And on Wednesday the Kickstarter campaign for the game goes live! Link to our page - www.kickstarter.com/projects/fow...

You may have heard by now that we did have a break-in at the tea house this morning. There are three major inconveniences we're dealing with because of this:

It's live!! The game I designed, Honeypot, just launched on Kickstarter! Two years of loving work. Would be grateful if you checked it out & considered backing! It's an "I stack, you choose" game where you play as secret agent bears setting and avoding traps! www.kickstarter.com/projects/fla...

Board Game Beat is officially launched & loaded with content...with more to come as I report on Spielwarenmesse! If you're into independent board game journalism—articles, videos, interviews, news, reviews & more—please check it out and share. www.wericmartin.com #boardgame #spielwarenmesse

After a long hiatus the game I designed, Honeypot, is finally coming to Kickstarter next month! Play as secret agent bears setting traps & avoiding traps in this "I stack, you choose" card game. Would mean a lot to me if you checked it out! Reposts welcomed. www.kickstarter.com/projects/fla...

💼 I’m looking for work as a board game designer. 🌎 I’m open to in-person, hybrid or remote work. ⭐ I’ve previously worked at the Uzzle and made Abandon All Artichokes, Starry Night Sky, and other board games.

Chicken. 🐔 Fried. 👏 Dice. 🎲 Q1 2026 🎉

New free game download! Roadrunner is a climbing/card-shedding game for 3-5 players from our Texas book of new card games that is live on Kickstarter right now. Use speed tokens to boost card values, and aim to empty your hand of cards each round! gameswell.itch.io/roadrunner

Took a true sick day today. Video games played: - Slay the Spire - Hades - Super Mario Strikers - Silksong

New video just in time for Thanksgiving! youtu.be/rwC62BjX0os?...

We funded this weekend at PAX Unplugged! It was awesome to see a bunch of folks there! I had a great time demoing our games new and old, sneaking in games with folks after the expo hall closed, and chatting with designers at the Indie Games Night Market.

It's almost time!!! #PAXUnplugged2025

We'll be at @officialpax.bsky.social in Philadelphia this weekend at Booth 4309—we are launching our Texas Kickstarter and showing off our PNW games! Come say hi if you'll be at the show! #paxunplugged

If you will be at PAX Unplugged, come say hi and play our new card games! You can add us to your list of things to see here: boardgamegeek.com/geekpreview/...

Boomhauer: Dang ol’ New York dang ol’ Times dang ol’ infographics man

📣 It’s announcement time! 📣 The pre-launch page for Counterpoint is up on Kickstarter! All the cool kids are saving it! You should too! 🎻🎶 www.kickstarter.com/projects/squ...

There’s still time to do the thing!

Just 24 hours to go and we only need 6 more backers to cross the finish line!

Just one week left to back Club Spooky and That’s the Spirit! If you back now, you can get both games for $35 (they’ll be $25 each after the campaign). And of course, these games will only exist with your support. Thank you everyone’s who’s backed so far!

My wife Kelly and I met in high school in San Antonio. Fifteen years later, those nerdy kids are writing a Texas-themed book of card games together! Play as a meticulous cactus wren, a speedy roadrunner, and more. We launch next month on Kickstarter: www.kickstarter.com/projects/gam...

Its alive! Checkout Club Spooky & That's the Spirit on KS now! www.kickstarter.com/projects/alw...

Excited to announce that Club Spooky and That’s the Spirit are finally launching on Kickstarter next week, October 14th! Assemble the coolest group of ghouls at Club Spooky and find the culprit of your accidental death in Thats the Spirit! Preview page here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/alw...

@campaignspotlight.bsky.social chatted with us at Dragonflight a few weeks ago! Check out their podcast version of the merchant hall at the con: share.transistor.fm/s/750eca69#t...

Another great Game Market West! www.gamemarketwest.com/fall-2025-re... As always, the game community is the best part of these indie markets. Thanks to everyone that brings enthusiasm, energy, and joy to the space.

When life is busy, it’s nice to recognize some small incremental progress. Earlier this week I finally got Counterpoint up onto BGG and I’d say it looks pretty good there. 😍🎻 Lots more testing needed, so if you love trick takers and playtesting online, DM me! ✂️🎲 boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/45...

Game Market West is this Sunday, September 21 at Guildhouse in San Jose! It's a tabletop game market where indie designers show off and sell their newest board/card games. RSVP: luma.com/6khylmfu #boardgames

I highly recommend this! It was great for us last year to get to show off our games to so many lovely folks at PAX Unplugged.

@distantworlds.bsky.social is closing this Sunday—I got a “The Last Unicorn” in their honor. If you are in Seattle give them a final hurrah! I demo’d PNW here when the first Kickstarter was running. A good place.

Find yourself someone who is as excited about you as @fanfactories.bsky.social is about the PNW Tabletop Game Market at PAX West this weekend

GMW Fall 2025 Countdown - PNW: Card Games Inspired by the Pacific Northwest by Thomas Cardwell It's a fully illustrated book of six new card games featuring modern mechanics such as deck building, drafting, and worker placement. #boardgames @tomcardgames.bsky.social

There will be hot dogs 👏 There will be ghosts 👏 There will be indie storytelling games 👏 check it out!

PNW book and cards as in this SU&SD preview! They talk about Trail, the drafting game of the bunch, and briefly opine lupine (they talk about our seawolf card—awoo).

oh my god hi i'm finally here?? hi. what is bluesky. i am an SFF writer in the PNW whose work has showcased distinctive character voice, post-cyberpunk and space opera influence, and slightly unhinged women who are annoying 😌😘 highlights include:

While I’m game-posting look at this beauty that showed up this morning from @tomcardgames.bsky.social (PSA if you are a designer/creator and you wear a Mariners hat in your promotional material I will support you)

At present time of posting this, I am helping push #BlacklistCGE to share resources and information, disrupt spaces, and engage in serious conversations about boycotting game publishers that make anti-trans decisions. Want to learn more about it? I’ve made an informational zine you can access here:

This Sunday!

PNW Cards Launch Party! Join us at Yonder Cider August 3rd, 12-5pm in Seattle. Learn new card games, and snag a book and cards. An all-ages, pet-friendly game day awaits!

July Thirst is a reminder to stay hydrated this summer.

Im really excited to announce the games for the PNW Tabletop Game Market at PaxWest! Hope to see you there on 8/30 @ 7PM www.alwaysawake.games/pnw-tabletop...