The Antibyss Remark – No. 009

Prototypes/Crowdfunding Projects to keep an eye on:

For the gods (Mighty Boards) – this project is live on Kickstarter until March 10th! I love the visible style and the column stacking is both fun for the theme and as a mechanic. Plus, they also have lots of options for you to test it out before you back!

Forest Fellowship (Costavolcano Games) – this project is live on Kickstarter until March 4th! This game has a fun tableau of cards that you navigate through and the cool idea that it expanding they player count with each deck. They also have a bunch of cool painting time-lapses you can check out of the artwork.

Canals of Windcrest (First Fish Games) – this project is live on Kickstarter until March 12th! Flying whale taxis… what else do I need to say? Nothing, but it looks like it will be a great time delivering people and their goods where they need to go.

Games we were playing this month:

Regicide (Badgers from Mars) – I backed this game way back in 2020, and this is a game that usually comes with us travelling. The game is definitely a challenge and they dynamic changes with the number of players. I also definitely was inspired by sketchgoblin’s style for Project Aleutian.

The Blessed Dark (Nathan Mueunier) – This is another one that fits in a small form factor with a fun push your luck mechanic to cast spells and summon demons. I always enjoy talking about collecting blood and summoning demons in cafes.

The Search for the Lost Species (Renegade Game Studios) – This is the second game in “The Search for…” series of games that I’ve played, and I really enjoyed it. It was different enough and the way that you engaged with the board was a very fun change of pace after playing Search for Planet X so much!

We’re Going to DTW 2026

Antibyss will be at the Prototype Con at Dice Tower West again this year to showcase Project Aleutian! Project Aleutian playtest times will be posted on cardboardevents.com in the next couple of weeks. If you don’t have a badge already, online badge sales are still available but close on 2/13. As of 2/3 they were reporting that sales are 20% larger than last year and there is no guarantee tickets will be available at the door! If you are planning on going to the con, you can sign up for the prototype session in your my.cardboardevents portal once they are available (so keep your eyes peeled). I am excited to see you there and hope you’ll have a chance to try out Project Aleutian! That said, there is an exciting line up of other prototypes at the con this year and I encourage you to give them a try as well!

The Antibyss Remark – No. 008

Prototypes/Crowdfunding Projects to keep an eye on:

Medieval Madness (Mint Panda) – this project is live on Kickstarter until February 8th! This is a competitive trick taking game, which makes the rules familiar to most players, and it stands out amongst many co-op trick taking games out there right now.

Ants & Crumbles (Fried Potato Games) – this project is live on Kickstarter until February 19th! The theming of this game is just plain fun and it looks like it would be a fantastic 30 min start to a board game night that might lead to rematch after rematch when your ant colony crumbles and you need revenge.

Colt Express: The Complete Collection (Tycoon Games) – this project is live on Gamefound until January 29th! If you haven’t played Colt Express before I’d highly recommend it, and this campaign is for a complete collection of the base game and all of its expansions.

Games we were playing this month:

Everdell: New Leaf (Tycoon Games/Starling Games) – My wife and I keep coming back to Everdell, and I think New Leaf might be our favorite expansion. It adds several really fun mechanics to the base game not to mention several fun new cards.

It’s a Wonderful World (IAWW): Corruption and Ascension (Lucky Duck Games) – We talked about It’s a Wonderful World before, but this expansion found its way into our hands over the holidays. It adds a lot of fun changes to the base game and also expands the player cap up to 7!

Puerto Rico (Rio Grande Games Version, bgg) – I have a sentimental attachment to this game because it was the game that really got me into hobby gaming beyond Catan way back in high school. There is something just so refined about the gameplay that keeps me coming back with so many strategies and paths to victory. That said, whenever I bring this game to the table it also sparks a good and important discussion about the game’s themes of colonialism and how that theme was handled.  

Project Aleutian Art Update

It has been a while since I shared some of the cards or artwork for Project Aleutian, and I wanted to share some of the new visuals with you. The game continues to look more and more like a finished product with each added piece of artwork to the cards. Alongside the artwork, the graphic design on the cards is also seeing some refinement as we try to strike the right balance between keeping key information visible and better communicating the theme of the game. On a computer screen the scale of the physical cards can be hard to judge, and with each new printing and playtest we are learning about what works and what doesn’t.

Happy 2nd Anniversary

Happy New Year! As we step into 2026, we’re excited to be celebrating the Antibyss’ 2nd Anniversary! Last year was full of gameplay and card updates on Project Aleutian. We were busy with art, playtesting, and conventions. We also turned the focus outward a bit highlighting other exciting crowdfunding projects from other companies and people. Many of those projects were funded and are on their way to becoming a published game. With another year down, I can’t thank you, anyone who is reading this on social media, our blog, or in our newsletter, enough for being a partner with us on this ride. Your time is valuable in this busy busy world, and it means a lot that you are willing to spend it with us. A special thank you to all of the alpha testers who took time over the last year to play the game, and to Madelyn Hogrebe, @heartoflakesandmountains, whose contributions to Project Aleutian always encourage me and constantly make the project better!

As a fun look back at 2025, I’ve also included an image of my BG Stats year in review!

We’re excited for all that is on the horizon for Antibyss in 2026, and we’re excited for you to join us on that journey!

The Antibyss Remark – No. 007

Prototypes/Crowdfunding Projects to keep an eye on:

Beyond The Sky & Dead Star (titanboardgames.com) – this project is live on Kickstarter until January 19th! This is a pair of print and play games that look like they will be a fun and fast paced and can hit your table as early as 15 days after the kickstarter closes.

Forage (foragebeegame.com) – this project is live on Kickstarter until January 10th! In forage you will collect nectar across four seasons to create a thriving bee colony. Plus, the bees and other figures look amazing!

Intelliwar: Accession to the Throne (remarkable.games) – this project is live on Kickstarter until January 11th! An abstract war game like chess with a large variety of unique units and strategies.

Games we were playing this month:

Potions & Spells (potionsandspellsgame.com) – This is a fun game that is quick to learn, easy to teach, and is never played only a single time in one sitting.

Splendor (store.asmodee.com) – A game I don’t own, but always enjoy playing. I always find myself trying to do some crazy strategy with my sets of jewels that either really pays off or busts.

Herd Mentality (bigpotato.com) – This is a party game introduced to me by my extended family over the holidays. I couldn’t count the number of times someone was confident it would be a unanimous answer only to find they were the only one with their answer leading to a lot of laughs.

Project Aleutian Timeline (Dec. 2025)

As we come up on the end of the year, I wanted to give you a status update and a revised timeline for Project Aleutian.

The last time I gave a timeline was back in June with some pretty ambitious goals of having the artwork all done in November. Here we are in the middle of December and there is still a good amount of artwork to go. It is looking like we will actually be finishing the art closer to June 2026.

I know this is a big shift in the schedule and our targets, but I think this is a more realistic and conservative plan for the artwork. The dates beyond that are still very tentative (and will be until we get manufacturing quotes).

While artwork is the main focus, the game continues to get some tweaks both in gameplay and overall card layout in response to play tester feedback. With every play and new player, the game gets more refined which means a better product for everyone.

We are very excited about where the game is, and we are so grateful for you being with us on this journey.

The Antibyss Remark – No. 006

Prototypes/Crowdfunding Projects to keep an eye on:

Abduction Deduction (Prototype by Brian Husnick, bgg) – this was one of the fun prototypes from Protospiel Madison actively looking for a publisher! This was a standout game as it visually looked like a completed game, and it was just plain fun as you alternated between farmer turns trying to get your cows into the farm and spaceship turns where you abduct opponent cows.

Order vs Chaos (Prototype by Dana Chaffin, trimira.com/boardgames) – this was one of the fun prototypes I played at Dice Tower West this year that was actively looking for a publisher! This is a fun asymmetric 2-player tile placement as one player knows their moves ahead of time and the other doesn’t. It had fun interactions that made a seemingly unbalanced situation feel balanced.

Hood: Troubles in Sherwood (phalanx.co.uk) – this project is live on Gamefound until December 18! In the spirit of asymmetry, each faction has their own way of growing power and gives each play (as a player and as a group) a unique feel.

Games we were playing this month:

The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game (officedoggames.com) – Trick-taking games are approachable to anyone who grew up with a deck of cards in the house, but co-operative ones take the difficulty to a whole new level. I also just love their choices on art style for this rendition of the LOTR.

Raiders of the North Sea (garphill.com) – This game has been a mainstay at our house for a while and is a lot of fun whether playing with 2 people or 4 with just different strategies for each. I find it a very fun and quick game to teach to others.

STACCS (sticcy.cc) – This game has already made it full circle from the crowdfunding projects to our door.  The game is light, fun, and quick variation of crazy eights with a twist that allows for more choice in what you can play. Because the box is nice and small, this will probably find its home as a game we take travelling (as long as there is a big enough table at our destination).

Protospiel Madison 2025

It was a beautiful weekend in Madison and it is hard to believe it is my last day here and the final day of Protospiel. It was my first time attending one of these events, and I’m really grateful for all of the feedback that I got. Project Aleutian will definitely be a better game for it! It was also exciting playing other games of various types and in different stages of development.

I picked the Madison event because I have several friends who live in the area, and it was great getting to spend time with them and explore the Madison area. I made sure to enjoy Spotted Cow, squeaky cheese curds, and beautiful lakeside views.

After such a great weekend, I just want to give another big thank you to all of the players and designers I interacted with who made this weekend amazing!

The Antibyss Remark – No. 005

Prototypes/Crowdfunding Projects to keep an eye on:

Chronicles of Crime: Beyond Doubt (luckyduckgames.com) – this project is live on Kickstarter until November 11! I was a big fan of the Chronicles of Crime Millennium series and this looks like it will be a fun new addition to the who done it mystery and escape room style app driven game.

Dicey Devices (origamiwhalegames.com) – this project is live on Kickstarter until November 21! The aesthetic and fun theme really drew me to this one along with a fun blend of mechanics. Who doesn’t want to be a mad scientist with a death ray?

Mystic Curling Club (Asmadi Games) – this project is live on Kickstarter until December 2! This is a fun dexterity roll and flick curling game with a dash of magical powers to shake things up!

Games we were playing this month:

Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game (brotherwisegames.com) – I’m a big fan of the Mistborn books and Brandon Sanderson’s cosmere. This game really makes you feel like an allomancer as you burn metals to play cards to best your opponents. I also thought the targeting mechanic was a fun strategic element.

Terraforming Mars (fryxgames.se) – I hadn’t cracked open this classic in a while, and it won my heart all over again. It is just very satisfying and well-paced with the prelude expansion.

The Quacks of Quedlinburg (cmyk.games) – This game is just an amazing push your luck potion brewing game trying to make the best brew before it explodes in your face. There are always fun laughs and peer pressure as you try to push for just one more ingredient.