The Misplay

We follow up our components exploration with some in depth discussion of the decisions around our tiles and board for Under One Sky. The questions we grapple with will have implications for our search for a manufacturer and influence the continued direction we ask the artist to go for us. Later, Jason tells some stories from his visit to GDC.

We just turned the page on two milestone opportunities in the development of Under One Sky. We found out if we made the cut or not for the Cardboard Edison finals and Jason ran a set of blind playtests. We took turns running each other through the feedback we received from each event and debriefed in real time about what the feedback means for our game going forward.

We took a field trip to local game café The Game Parlour to look at, handle, and study the components of a variety of games. We broke down boards, tiles, counters, and unique pieces in search of the materials and aesthetics that best serve Under One Sky. The Game Parlour was incredibly generous in giving us the time and space to work and record in one of their highly sought-after gaming rooms, and we’re deeply grateful for their hospitality.

We recount the steps we took to prepare our submission for the prestigious board game design competition Cardboard Edison. We dig into how we crafted the game’s written description, planned and filmed our introduction video, and refined the rulebook to present the strongest version possible. At the end of the episode, we reveal the official title of The Misplay’s debut board game.

We interview graphic designer Drew Corkill, whose passion and talent for designing board games shapes his thoughtful approach to the craft. He shares insight from his experience working at the intersection of board game production and graphic design, unpacking the practical and creative decisions that bring a game to life.

Season 3 of The Misplay starts now! Same game. More mistakes. For new listeners, we recap the first two seasons to get you caught up. Join us on the path to crowdfunding!

This is it—the end of Season 2. We look back on how we got here and share highlights from the year, including our recent two-player meetup. Are we ready to launch a crowdfunding campaign for our abstract game? Will there be a Season 3?

We ask ourselves every episode, “Where are we?”—and today we really mean it. We take stock of our abstract tile-placement game and ask the big question: Are we ready to move into Season 3 or head toward crowdfunding?

At Kublacon, we asked the ultimate question: Would you play the game again? Hear what playtesters told us, our responses to their feedback, and how their honest insights may shape the next version of the game.

We’re hitting the road—the road to Season 3! But before we get there, we’ve got some serious playtesting ahead to make sure the game is both fun and replayable. Next stops: Kublacon, Golden Gate Gamemaker events, and a Misplay board game community night.

We play a live match of Starfold that you can watch along with in real time. Follow the action to see who wins—and get a better feel for how the game works.https://tinyurl.com/mujmabd9

We’re getting close to locking in a theme, so this week we explore where and how it can weave into the game. Mark takes “The Night Sky” and runs with it—imagining two friends lying on the ground, gazing up at the stars.

We present to you "Starfold"—our abstract game with a theme! We talk about entering the BoardGameGeek Two-Player Design Contest and how playtester advice pushed us to build a proper Print-and-Play to meet the requirements.

We kick things off with a funny misplay in Harmonies and share news about our new sponsor, Spielmas. Then it’s time for a round of “Jason Can’t Possibly Disagree,” where we debate whether our abstract game Currents should have a theme—or stay theme-free.

We spent four consecutive nights playtesting online with Protospiel Online and Golden Gate Gamemakers (GGG). We gathered a ton of notes and are busy folding them into the next build of the game.

We're back in studio and give a more complete Gen Con debrief and share highlights from playtesting in the First Exposure Playtest Hall. We cover a BoardGameGeek contest we entered and our recent Unpub mentorship program. Plus, we look ahead to the upcoming Protospiel Online and a Golden Gate Gamemakers online meetup.https://playingcards.io/tvsqr6

Mark is joined by Mike C. of Brickly Games, live from Lucas Oil Stadium at Gen Con 2025. With Jason out this episode, the two dive into their Gen Con highlights and share insights from testing in the First Exposure Playtest Hall.

As we prep for the First Exposure Playtest Hall at Gen Con, we get real advice from designers at the East Bay Board Game Con. We sharpen our elevator pitches and learn what makes a great demo.

We pause our abstract board game design to play the real game: chasing likes, shares, and followers. We’re pulling back the curtain on our marketing—sharing stats, analytics, and what’s working (or not) as we try to build an audience before finishing the game.

We took our abstract game into the wild—to Golden Gate Gamemakers, to friends, to family—and came back with real feedback and big takeaways. Plus, we debut a new segment on the show called Not A Game.