Greetings, Boltonauts! A few brief updates for you:
Production update
I can confirm that all game files are 100% done, and were submitted to the factory earlier this month. We have been working through some corrections this week, but in general, the manufacturing process is fully underway.
I expect to review a fully printed sample (with all cards, tokens, etc) very shortly -- I'll share some pictures once I see it!
Perfect for stuffing into a stocking, or, any other use whatsoever.
The PDF linked above has 2 pages: full color and low-ink.
Full color version
Low ink version
Designer diary
I've written a "Designer Diary" about some of the game's development process. If you've been following my updates throughout the year, or you've playtested this game with me, you may recognize some of the events and versions described!
I like sharing process stuff, even though it might spotlight some of my more doofus choices and missteps, because I trust that some people will find the evolution interesting, and take heart at how a polished outcome can be the result of a long, winding, and setback-filled process.
Does that mean that the final result is definitionally awesome? Well, yes, of course.
This particular piece was mainly written for an audience new to the game and new to my work generally. I submitted it to BoardGameGeek for their blog of designer diaries (which will be read by people who have never heard of me or this project).
I don't actually know if they'll publish it, but I wanted to make sure it was published SOMEWHERE, so while I wait to hear back from them, I've posted it myself!
Bolted: A Game of Creative Necromancy
When you combine different things, sometimes the result is a chemical reaction. Other times, it’s a surprising creative breakthrough.
I’m the author of the comic strip Wondermark, which is created collage-style out of vintage illustrations. So I’ve long been a champion of “creative re-combination.”
Making comics from collage has both freedoms and limitations. I get to hitch a ride on beautiful artwork from ages past, but I’m also constrained in storytelling (to a degree) by the images I can find.
It means the artwork itself is a creative collaborator. The gestures, expressions, and style of the artwork inform the stories that I tell with them…
