Belle of the Ball and Koi Pond at Gen Con 2013

While I'm at home, my Twitter feed is presently 100% Gen Con all the time, but the best moments are when people say they're playing my games! This is the first year I've had a card game for sale and it's been quite lovely to see the response. Here are tweets from the first day of the con!

Played @DanielSolis 's #BelleoftheBall ...a ton of fun!!
— The Cardboard Jungle (@CBJPodcast) August 16, 2013

Open gaming - our #GenCon2013 home away from home. pic.twitter.com/YVCH6NwBj2
— Chris K. (@dicehateme) August 16, 2013

Announcing Pantspantspants Patchpaw! #BelleoftheBall #GenCon2013 pic.twitter.com/tjoZCapo1Y
— Chris K. (@dicehateme) August 16, 2013

Just won @DanielSolis' Belle of the Ball, coming to @kickstarter next week from @dicehateme. Really, really good! #GenCon
— Jason Kotarski (@jasonkotarski) August 16, 2013

A game that looks good but was too complicated to both learn and play during dinner. #GenCon @DanielSolis pic.twitter.com/S9nLDpcVzu
— John du Bois (@JohnduBois) August 15, 2013

@Wininoid We just left DriveThruCards. (BTW @DanielSolis Koi Pond looks gorgeous!)
— Cardboard Edison (@CardboardEdison) August 15, 2013

This is happening @DanielSolis pic.twitter.com/3m6wQtNuV2
— Kicktraq (@Kicktraq) August 15, 2013

Look what I just at #Gencon! @DanielSolis pic.twitter.com/ycDilJzfTE
— Ben Rosset (@BenRosset) August 15, 2013

Picked up koi pond by @DanielSolis really excited about this game. pic.twitter.com/5pI0g2zVds
— Adam Buckingham (@AdamBuckingham) August 15, 2013

Where to buy Koi Pond at Gen Con: Booth 1201

If you're going to Gen Con, you can find my card game KOI POND for sale at Booth 1201, where DriveThruRPG, White Wolf and Minion Games are sharing a space this year. Here's a map!


If you can make it there early, you can grab a free promo card made just for the occasion: FOUR WINDS. This is the first in a series of one-card promo expansions that didn't quite make the cut into the basic game.

I hear sometimes that Cats, Cranes and Turtles feel more valuable than koi, mainly because they're worth 1:1 for each koi, whereas building up your own koi collections require careful balance and planning, only to get 1 point for every two matched koi.

With FOUR WINDS, you get the full value of each of your koi, but only in one specific suit. Do you pursue the bonus, making your strategy obvious, or do you play it coy? Visit the booth at Gen Con to pick up your card and find out!

The No-No's of Game Design [Seminar]

The No-Nos of Game Design by Daniel A Solis

Thanks to Jason Pitre of Genesis of Legend Publishing, we have a recording of another GenCon 2011 seminar: The No-No's of Game Design. I had no idea what to expect with this panel, but it was a blast. A great smattering of little tips here and there for aspiring game designers. This panel includes Stan!, Jeff Neil Bellinger, Matt Forbeck and yours truly.

» Via Genesis of Legend Publishing

Patronage and Kickstarter: How to Get Paid Up Front [Seminar]

Patronage and Kickstarter: How to Get Paid Up Front by Daniel A Solis
Thanks to Kobold Quarterly and Neostrider, here's the recording of the Kickstarter and Patronage panel from GenCon 2011. Listen to the monsters of game-related Kickstarter projects answer audience questions about crowdfunding, public design, and the new trust-economy. The participants are Wolfgang Baur, Greg Stolze, Gary M. Sarli, and yours truly.

» Via Kobold Quarterly's Wolfgang Baur

Happy Birthday, Robot!'s Ennie Awards and Indie RPG Awards

Happy Birthday, Robot! was up for several awards at GenCon 2011.

First up, HBR didn't win any of the categories in which it was nominated – but an awesome thing happened instead. Every time HBR was nominated, the presenters would each make a complimentary comment about the game. Heck, even the winner of Best Game took the time in his speech to talk about how much he wanted HBR to win. I also got some personal compliments from the host, so that was even more awesome.

HBR had a very strong showing at the Indie RPG Awards, winning second-place in a number of categories. Here is the placement and judges' commentary from each category.

Indie Game of the Year: First Runner Up with 21 points
"Zagging when everything else zigs. I love that I'm seeing games aimed as intro games--and for youngins--that are less crunchy and more Narrativist. I've long wondered what the RPG world would look like if the jumping off point had been, say, fanfic rather than wargames."

Best Support: First Runner Up with 23 points
"I've been hearing people talking about this game since it came out."

Best Production: First Runner Up with 40 points
"Saul Bass-flavored goodness! Beautiful. The whole package is a glorious presentation for children and adults alike. A beautiful book - the art, layout, and instructional sequences are all top notch. This raises the bar for everyone else. Happy Birthday, Robot! has outstanding production values. So slickly done. A delightfully cheerful burst of colour and fun in a games marketplace saturated with the dull and the obvious. A beautiful, happy book."

So that's HBR's awards haul this year! Our happy robot was up against some big dogs like Pathfinder, Dresden Files, Freemarket, and Apocalypse World. I'm pleased as punch about how much of an impact the game's made so far. Well done, Robot!

Obsidian Portal's Expeditious Interview

Expeditious Interview - Daniel Solis from Obsidian Portal on Vimeo.

Right after a seminar, the dudes from Obsidian Portal did an expeditious video interview. Why did I choose to do the interview under harsh convention lighting instead of moving over to the giant bay window just a few feet away? Ah well. Watch as I decide who would win in a fight between Harry Potter and Optimus Prime.

Thank you for an undeservedly amazing GenCon.

The past four days are a blur of seminars run, games played, hands shaken, sagefights fought, autographs signed, drinks imbibed, strangers befriended and friends bonded. To everyone who I met and talked to, especially the crowd who gathered on Saturday night, it was an honor to be in your company.

Questions about Cover Design or the Thousand-Year Challenge?

I'm prepping notes for my seminars at GenCon. I'm speaking about cover design in RPGs on Saturday and about the Thousand-Year Game Design Challenge on Sunday. If you have any questions on either subject, I'd love to work them into my presentations.

Midnight SageFight at GenCon

A year ago, our founders spent entire hours developing the ancient art of SageFight. We continue that most noble of traditions at GenCon 2011. Each midnight of GenCon, it is time for SageFight at the Embassy Suites.

Bring your cameras! The first rule of SageFight: Tell everyone about SageFight.

Speaking at GenCon 2011

I'm happy to be an Industry Insider Guest of Honor at GenCon 2011. This means I'll speak on a variety of panels and seminars with topics ranging from cover design to crowdfunding to game design. Here's my schedule.

The No-No's of Game Design - SEM1128758
Matt Forbeck, Jonathan Tweet, Jeff Neil Bellinger, Stan!, Daniel Solis
Designing games is as much about what NOT to do, as it is what you should do. Our Industry Insider panelist Stan!, Jeff Neil Bellinger, Matt Forbeck, Daniel Solis and Jonathan Tweet will review different mistakes new (and experienced) game designers make.
Thur 12pm - 1 Hr - ICC 212

Patronage & Kickstarter: How to Get Paid Up Front - SEM1128827
Gary M. Sarli, Wolfgang Baur, Daniel Solis, Greg Stolze
Insights from Industry Insider Guests of Honor Wolfgang Baur, Gary M. Sarli, Daniel Solis and Greg Stolze on how they funded projects by convincing patrons to donate early in exchange for exclusive access, rewards, and even input into the project.
Fri 9am - 1 Hr - ICC 212

The Best Games EVER! - SEM1128737
Greg Stolze, Wolfgang Baur, Ryan Dancey, Stan!, Daniel Solis, Will Hindmarch, James Ernest, Jeff Neil Bellinger
The titles the same, the guests are different! This popular panel is back for another lighthearted discussion as our Industry Insider guests talk about their top best game products EVER ... and defend their choices. Guaranteed to be a spirited debate. Audience participation is welcome!
Fri 11am - 2 Hr - ICC 212

A Cover is a Promise: Designing a Cover that Works - SEM1128753
Daniel Solis
Art director & Industry Guest Daniel Solis offers practical tips for designing RPG book covers that fit your game & speak to customers. See plenty of examples from mainstream & indie RPG products. See what tricks you can pull from other media. Daniel is a creative director at Third Degree & adjunct professor of Print Media Design at OCU. He has designed covers & interior layouts for Mur Lafferty, John Wick, Greg Stolze, & Jared Sorensen.
Sat 11am - 1 Hr - Westin Council

The Thousand-Year Game Design Challenge - SEM1128728
Daniel Solis
Game designer and Industry Insider guest Daniel Solis is issuing a challenge to ALL game designers: Create a game that people will still play and enjoy a thousand years from now. In this seminar, Daniel will describe the origin of the challenge, what it means for game design and discuss some noteworthy entrants. Daniel will also spend time reviewing your prototypes and pitches.
Sun 10am - 1 Hr - ICC 212

Register for these events at GenConReg.com! See you there! I'll also be signing books at some point during the convention. More to come when that schedule is finalized.