What if I actually used this thing?

The Press Pot Games Ridiculously Infrequent Newsletter

Happy summer everyone, Travis here!

With the impending downfall of the bird-site, I thought "Well, maybe I should actually use this Substack newsletter thing..." So here we are. As always, if this isn’t your thing, feel free to unsubscribe. You won’t hurt my feelings.

This is what you’re in store for. Feel free to skip ahead, but I would appreciate you reading the new game design philosophy part.

1. A Minor Life Update (A New Game Design Philosophy)

2. CardRunners: a 2p cooperative cyberpunk game in 55 cards

3. An updated RPG from an 18-card company

4. How many 18-card games can Travis make? (A New Publication Model)

5. Upcoming Train Games (like, for real)

1. A Minor Life Update

The last time I left you (almost 13 months ago), I was deep into a PhD program while also working for a school district full-time. I am still deep into a PhD program. I have 3 semesters of class left and then the easy part: dissertation! I have recently transitioned to an educational nonprofit organization which requires far less daily emotional and mental energy. It’s been a fun 5 weeks so far, and requires some travel, but I have had time now to pursue things. That’s so important.

I recently wrapped up Meeting Memos for the Modern Mage: a solo RPG you play during a meeting. It was a lot of fun, but all of those boxes are out of my house finally. I have a few extra if you want to grab one or two.

You can do so here.

A New Philosophy of Game Design:

While I have been slow to publish games over the last two years due to graduate school, I have also been slow because I have been scared. I received a lot of negative feedback about a couple of games that really hit me in a funny way and were severely detrimental to my belief that I was worth creating anything for anyone to enjoy (despite everything telling me otherwise). Those comments have spent a long time ruminating in my brain and slowing me releasing new things. I have a half dozen designs ready or near ready to be released, but I was always worried someone would lash out or tell me it was the worst thing ever or…

So here I am, saying screw it. I’m going to make what I like. Come along on the journey with me, won’t you?

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2. CardRunners

CardRunners is a 2p cooperative cyberpunk game in 55 cards. The goal is to exploit 5 buildings before the police arrive. It’s a game about sticking it to The Man. I have gone back and forth with this, but I am going to do a direct preorder model with this one. There’s no need to crowdfund it. Everything is ready to go.

• 55 cards

• 2 players over 30 minutes

• $19 (free US Shipping & +$11 International Shipping)

• There are no plans for a PnP yet, and this will be the only way to get this game.

You can sign up to be notified of its release here.
You can find it on BGG along with an overview video.

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3. An updated RPG from an 18-card company

A couple of years ago I crowdfunded a PnP RPG about trying to fit in during awkward situations. Truly, it is a game about masking and off-putting conversations wrapped up in a game about non-humans. Well, fairly soon there will be a well-known 18-card game publisher releasing a fancified and updated version of it to the masses. That’s really about all I can say right now, but those of you who have been around might put 1 and 3 together.

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4. How many 18-card games can Travis make? (A New Publication Model)

Way earlier in this newsletter (like forever ago), I mentioned that I am ready to move on and do my own thing in the game design and publication world. So here I am doing just that. I have gone down an 18-card rabbit hole. Here are my thoughts:

• Create fun, small, interesting, and/or quirky 18-card games that come in a hook box package (like this).

• Only make 100 (or so) copies of each game. This might change depending on various possibilities.

• Open up preorders for people who want a copy. While preorders are open, I go ahead and order the 100 (or so) copies. Price would be super reasonable (like $12 or something. I still have to do some math).

Some of these will be card games, hidden movement, cooperative, competitive, economic, RPGs, and just kinda whatever I want. That’s the point, right?

So far, I have already designed a game about jazz music. It’s a cooperative numbers-on-cards game about playing the best song. Prototype cards should come in soon.

I’m excited about this adventure.

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5. Upcoming Train Games (like, for real)

This is a joke by this point, right? It’s been like 2 years since I said I would put out more train games. Remember that whole thing earlier about feeling like I wasn’t good enough? Yeah, that’s squarely right here. So here are two games coming out somehow, some way, be it preorder or crowdfunded on Backerkit.

West Texas Railways

West Texas Railways is a 1-6 player print and play game! You use some cards to take some actions like lay track, purchase shares, etc. There are some junctions to shake things up a bit. The fun part? At the end of the game, you count all track from each railroad like usual, but you do so across all players who built track. Shares work the same way, meaning this could scale in all sorts of weird ways!

I’m highly considering running this on Backerkit as a small, simple campaign to generate some interest. I went ahead and made a landing page!

Card Rails Exchange

Okay, this is an auction game. It’s 90 cards and all auctions. There is no track to build, but if you like silly games with auctions and some fulfillment stuff, this could be a good one for you. I really wanted Card Rails Junction to be the second game in the series, but that ain’t happening. It will be this one.

This one will be a preorder and will launch by the end of the year. I’ll keep you in the loop!

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Are you still here? Thank you. Seriously. Talk to you soon.
Travis