Nick Ferris

The finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation counts as an adaptation of A Christmas Carol

I've updated my list of designers selling their games at the Indie Games Night Market at PAX Unplugged with the new folks of 2026 including @practicalpeng.bsky.social @tricktaking.bsky.social @jamiesabriel.bsky.social @nnoa.bsky.social @mandashafer.bsky.social and more! If I missed you, let me know.

A few episodes later, decided an update was due. One each of STRANGE, NEW, and WORLD in my humble assessment. No combination is readily presenting itself as clearly the best, though I will say I thoroughly enjoyed "Off-Hour" in an otherwise lackluster season.

Don't sleep on one of the greatest game design and playtest opportunities in all of New England. Heck, in all of New *and* Old England. Yeah, I said it. Anyway, come play our games and show us yours and we'll all be better for it! 🎲✂️

Lots of love for A Wizardologist Most Hexasperated the past couple weeks, and here's some more courtesy of @boardgameanimal.bsky.social along with an overview of last IGNM. Coincidentally, I did a very small reprint of Wizardologist to fill lingering requests. If you want to buy one, DM me!

I spoke on the candle to my grandmother's lover this morning for just shy of 20 minutes. We talked about ANAPHASIC life forms, PLASMA conduits, and that awful new guy Mitch who just showed up where he is. I told him we want to see him get a prequel episode in SNW Season 5.

If you've been waiting to pick up a copy of Fright Factor until it's closer to Halloween season, YOU FOOL.

They're giving Ro Laren her own videogame? Excellent. Amazing. I really hope this is the start of a new golden age of Star Trek videogames.

Time to do some democracy.

I'm breaking the news of Tim's upcoming release before he even works on it. Don't let this one sit on the side of the road with a sign saying "free" for six months until it literally dissolves in the rain. No raccoons harmed in the making of this game.

If enough publishers opt to use a platform like this, I feel it will help undo a lot of the harm that crowdfunding has inflicted on game development in the past decade.

Everyone should check their spam folder for notice of a class action settlement in Taylor v. Google. It's 100% legit; punch in your info on the settlement website so you'll get surprise money down the road. Also, the irony that a lawsuit against Google ends up in my Gmail spam folder...

If you tell yourself "I love trick taking games, but I can't play them in October because none of them are scary," then be sure to pick up a copy of Fright Factor before they're all gone, and then you can play trick taking games in October. Otherwise you have to stop, sorry I don't make the rules.

My wife is trying to send me a message in a language I do not understand.

Hobbies, amirite?

This past weekend got some gaming in, some treats, & got to connect with @nickferris.bsky.social in person! Great times~

Tim has found the ideal review format.

Nick's Game Design Tip of the Day. Stuck on something in your game? Write the rules for that part, even if it's broken, or even if you haven't designed it yet. Sometimes just writing in the area of a problem gives your brain the means to solve it. 🎲✂️

Considering I've watched it three times now, I'm ready to proclaim Starfleet Academy as my favorite Trek series premiere of all time. Please watch this show so it gets a proper run. (Maybe, dare I ask, a 20-episode season?)

@jenniesue.bsky.social and I ate about 3% of those cookies. They are delicious and so are the games, so you should all come check out the cafe sometime!

This is a smartly curated best-of selection for 2025--perhaps the one I've seen so far with which I most agree. (Yes I'm on it, but I swear that's only 4% of the reason why this list is so great.)

LITTLE DRUMMER BOY: I have no gift to bring. BABY JESUS: Nice drum. LITTLE DRUMMER BOY: ... BABY JESUS: ... LITTLE BOY: ... BABY DRUMMER JESUS: New plan, Mom and Dads. I'm starting a band.

Wizardologist is sold out! (A few copies are still in transit to purchasers; a few are on hold for those I've spoken with.) Final donation tally to the Trans Youth Emergency Project between PAX Unplugged sales and after: $1345.00 I cannot express my appreciation to the board game community enough.

Look at this thing. PLEASE LOOK AT THIS THING. Thank you.

Just a casual Monday text-only post to say I'm expecting to mail the last copies of A Wizardologist Most Hexasperated this week. DM to order. After that, I'll have a few copies left you could get if you find me in person, and that's that. Options for its future are still being explored. 🧙‍♂️✨

Today is a "Go to the grocery store and hand-pick individual green beans out of a pile in the produce section" kind of day. There are no stores that have that around here. So I guess it's just Tuesday.

Remaining copies of games featured at the Indie Games Night Market at PAX Unplugged, like Houdini's Last Act, are starting to pop up online. Be sure to keep a lookout for them here and wherever else their designers tend to hang out, or you might miss them forever!

Last chance for Bluesky folks to snag a copy before I open up orders to the unwashed masses of the world! For those who have already ordered, thank you!, and your packages are packed and ready to go to the post office by this Friday.

Struggle artists of board game design, unite! I had to teach myself something resembling art for Wizardologist. In my case, I was lucky enough to be able to leverage experience with photo editing that I knew some tricks to turn my pixel doodles into something a little more eye-appealing.

Also, if you're in the central Connecticut area and wanna stop in for tonight's social deduction game night at @backagaincafe.bsky.social in Middletown, I may just have a few copies of A Wizardologist Most Hexasperated on hand...

Though they completely sold out at PAX Unplugged, I have a handful of copies left of A Wizardologist Most Hexasperated that I'll be putting together and making available in the next day or two. And since Bluesky is such a swell bunch of folks, I'll announce it here first!