A brand new substack

Hello everyone!

It’s great to finally introduce myself. My name is Ed. I’m a passionate creator who lives at the intersection of game design and graphic design, and I’ve been honing my skills in both fields for quite some time.

I’ve been designing board games for over 10 years now. While my work remains unpublished (for now!), my library of prototypes is constantly growing. I’m deeply fascinated by the mechanisms that create engaging player decisions, the subtle balance of asymmetrical abilities, and the challenge of designing elegant rulesets.

My designs tend to focus on:

• Light/family-weight games with lots of replayability.

• Thematic immersion using clean mechanics.

• Player interaction that is meaningful but not overly punishing.

Professionally, I’m an experienced graphic designer with over 25 years in the industry. A significant portion of that time has been spent specifically within the hobby games sector (tabletop, RPGs, and miniature games). This background gives me a unique perspective, as I’ve been responsible for bringing many designers’ visions to life on the page, the box, and the board.

I’m here to share my game design journey, discuss the challenges of design (both mechanical and aesthetic), and hopefully connect with other creators and players. I believe that good graphic design is an integral part of good game design—it’s what makes the game accessible and beautiful.

What am I working on right now? I’m currently finalizing the prototype for my game Escape from Nemo’s Island. It’s a family-weight semi-cooperative game of exploration and treasure hunting where only one person can win, but everyone can lose.

Feel free to ask me anything about my design philosophy, my favorite game mechanisms, or the subtle art of icon design! What’s a design challenge you’re currently wrestling with?