I've been a bit busy since May, so I haven't had time to post. I have still been working on games, but the sudden turmoil of modern life has thrown a wrench into my plans to keep you updated.

New job

To start things off, in May I was able to move from a front-line position in the company to a scheduling one. While the pay per hour's a bit less than I was getting before, it's also a full-time position, meaning benefits! Unfortunately, it also means less free time to fully devote to game projects.

Starfest 2022

I was also able to go with Charles of The Fire Thieves Studio↗ to Starfest in Denver this year!

As is the time-honored tradition for someone who likes conventions but dislikes crowds, I mostly hung out in the gaming room.

I set up a few of my own games and invited people to play!

Despite the apparent hustle and bustle of the gaming room, my table was pretty quiet, so I found a different open spot.

After a couple games I forgot to take photos of and another shift, I remembered my phone has a camera!

Charles even joined me for a few games of Gordian Maps!

On Saturday, as we geared up to run and record Anyone's Game (link to the video below), I discovered that Warehouse 13 star Eddie McClintock was one of the guests! So I grabbed a ticket for an autograph and a selfie.

Later that day, it was literally and metaphorically showtime. Here's how Anyone's Game went:

As you can see, it was a blast! Everyone seemed very engaged, I'm proud of my hosting here, and I learned quite a bit about how to prepare and run these things for next time — and there will be a next time!

For example, I learned that drinks should not be placed on a table that you have to step around constantly. It's out of view behind the wheel on the other end, but early on I ran into the table (edited out by my good friend TJ Pownall↗), and the cup fell over. I didn't notice this until after the show and caffeinated strawberry lemonade had already soaked through a notebook and a folder.

I also learned that batteries just up and die, even when you're not using them. I was supposed to have a handheld mic here, which would have improved sound quality and consistency drastically, but I'd neglected to check all of my equipment beforehand. …I may have been running on insufficient sleep, hence the caffeinated lemonade.

And I learned in watching this back after the fact that 1080p is not a good resolution to record a whole room in. It'll have to be 2160p next time, so it doesn't look grainier than a wheat field when TJ zooms in.

At the end of the video, you can hear someone say they wanted to take a picture of the final board from the game, and, y'know what? That's a good idea:

No job

Five years.

That's the longest I'd worked for anyone, and I had every intention of continuing for the foreseeable future. I'd just changed over to a position I felt more at home in, and I guess in doing so I'd forfeited any seniority I might have had.

So now I'm back to job searching. I'm trying to keep it consistent, filing at least one application every day in order to prevent burnout. Especially important since last time I was unemployed and searching, I stayed that way for over a year.

TactiCon and B-Con

And B-Con↗ is another tabletop gaming convention, but with more of an emphasis on game designers, prototyping, and connecting with publishers.

Creating games is really what I want to do with my life, so if I can somehow make even a modest living at this, I'll be living the dream.

Here's hoping!