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Hello Friend,
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Welcome to a jam-packed issue of our newsletter- exciting things are afoot!
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- Diatoms WON the Cardboard Edison Award (!!!) and the Kickstarter is coming this September and you won't want to miss it! Sign up for launch notification.
- We've got more playtest opportunities than ever to share with you- for board games AND digital games, including a playtest this Saturday, June 17 for families with kids ages 3-6.
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.... and more below, including where you can find our read-aloud gamebook, The Riddle of the Cloud Kingdom!
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At the end of May, our game Diatoms was honored as the 2023 winner of the Cardboard Edison Award. We couldn't be more excited! You can check out the award announcement at https://cardboardedison.com/award
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Some of the Judges’ comments on Diatoms:
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“Superb organization of mechanics, with lots of excellent choice points. I think the sampling mechanic is really lovely. There is so much really delicious nuance to this game. Incredible mechanic/thematic integration, elegant gameplay, I'm really quite in awe.”
“The theme is amazing and the game is equally engaging. Each mechanic works seamlessly with the others and really puts the player in the world of the game.”
“This was outstanding. I played it multiple times and enjoyed the experience each time.”
“This is truly one of the best games I've ever played.”
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Later this year, Diatoms will be available for pre-order through a kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, where you'll be able to get the game for a special early supporter discount off the full retail price. You can get on the pre-launch list right now! We would love your support spreading the word.
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Speaking of playtesting, we've got lots more opportunities coming up:
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That's right, we're holding our first in-person playtest for families and it's for a digital game experience from a like-minded company making games for kids! We're looking for 3 families with a child in the 3 to 6 age range to join us this coming Saturday in the East Liberty area of Pittsburgh. The playtest will last 45 minutes total. Participating families will receive a small gift in appreciation for their time and travel. Apply now to be considered. Details for this Saturday will be sent to accepted participants by Friday morning.
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We've also got some Ludoliminal designs in playtest mode this summer. These are both newer games with very early prototypes and codename titles. "Sleepytides" is a cooperative game for kids & adults to co-play, ages 4+. "Creature Rescue" is another kids & adults cooperative game, ages 6+. We'll be running ongoing weekend playtests throughout the summer. Interested families can sign up here:
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Even More Playtesting!
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We also have a special invitation for all our families to playtest with Ululab:
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"We're constantly working on new features for Math Makers, our award winning educational math app, and we'd love to see what you and your child think of them. We're looking for parents with kids 6-10 years old that would be interested in playtesting our new content, live over video call with one of our designers. Participants will receive a free subscription as thanks for your participation!"
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We wrote a book you play!
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Inspired by our niblings, The Riddle of the Cloud Kingdom is a "Read & Roll" gamebook designed to be read aloud together with young kids. There are choices to make, dice to roll, items to collect, riddles to solve, escapades to achieve, and secrets to uncover. There's also an Adventure Log page you'll want to print out to record your journey and solve the final riddle! The book is available on Lulu.com, Amazon.com, and Barnes&Noble.com, among other book retailers.
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Here are some games we've played that you and your family or friends might enjoy checking out.
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Ooblets - This is a simulation game where the player is unravelling the mysteries of an island populated by quirky characters and adorable herds of short-statured creatures called ooblets. You garden, you collect, you complete quests, make friends, open a shop, cook foods, 3D print ooblet figurines, clean up trash, fix wifi, uncover conspiracies, and, most importantly (according to my 9-year-old) do dance battles! Dance battle face-offs are how you can win new ooblet seeds (which you plant to grow more ooblets.) There's personality and charm in every corner of this game. You can spend a while just running around collecting things and chatting up characters. There IS a main quest story line that you can "beat" but at its heart, Ooblets is not a game about winning. I co-played it with my 9-year-old so we could share the story experience (and the gardening duties!). It's available for Windows PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
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Psychic Pizza Deliverers Go to the Ghost Town - In this long-named, asymmetrical game, one player takes on the role of the "Mayor." They have a town map that is hidden from the other players. Other players start with a blank map and have to move blindly around the town, relying on the Mayor player to give them hints about their surroundings. Ultimately the non-mayor players are competing to be the first to find a pizza lying around town and deliver it to the correct house, while navigating fences, ghosts, and disorienting teleporters. This is a game that plays best with older kids, definitely at least 8yo, but if your group is tolerant about making mistakes, younger players can enjoy as well. The Pizza Deliverer players have quite a challenge to correctly map out the town so they can properly navigate their delivery route and the Mayor must be very careful to give accurate information.
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Sago Mini's Road Trip- In our gaming household we now have an 18-month old who is just taking their first steps into learning the skills needed to play digital games, so we'll be starting to sprinkle in some games specifically for very young players. Road Trip was a favorite when our oldest was a toddler and it still shines. In this playful, toy-like game, you are helping cat pick which friend to visit, select a vehicle to travel in, and then roll along a long road with all sorts of delightful interactive moments. There's just enough chaotic physics with just enough forgiving controls to make this a great early game for little ones still learning physical skills like touch and drag, and gameplay ideas like choosing things, exploring, and completing goals.
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Just One - This game has become my default party game recommendation. It's so easy to learn, plays fast, is cooperative, and you can even expand it beyond its intended 8 player count cap. The idea is simple: all but one player (the Guesser) knows a secret word. Players all write down a one-word clue to help the Guesser figure out the word. The trick is players can't communicate which word they'll choose and if two players write down the same word, then both words are removed from the clue list. The role of the Guesser moves between players as your group tries to successfully complete as many of a set of 13 cards as you can. Just One is great for kids to play alongside adults- as long as they can read and write confidently.
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Wow, you're still reading, eh? See if you can spot the tiny hidden dinosaur hidden somewhere above.
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