David Masnato 🔜 PAX West

@davidmasnato

🎲 Game Designer 🎨 Art/Graphic Design 💛 I try my best - He/Him

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David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· 1d

Woah! Big week for Pax Playground news. I’m super excited to share that it's been selected as one of the games at the PAX Unplugged Indie Game Night Market! This will be the first time any of my games are publicly available. I’m aiming to bring 50 copies for $35 each. One copy per person.

A digital rendering of the box for Pax Playground with the logos for the Indie Games Night Market and PAX Unplugged overlaid.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· 19d

Also you can't have it both ways, bud.

The channel icon for Tabletop Turtle. A cute illustration of a turtle with board game components on it's shell.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· 28d

I'm David! I'm a graphic designer, illustrator, community manager, and game designer. Most of my graphic design and illustration work in the tabletop world has been for my own projects, but I'd love to get serious about changing that! 💼: davidmasnato.com ✉️: hello@davidmasnato.com #PortfolioDay

The box cover for my game Pax Playground. The illustration shows a child in a yellow coat standing at the top of a slide. The title of the game is in big bold red letters below with my name nearby.

The cover for another game called Pax Penning. The words "Pax Penning, Game Design by Matilda Simonsson, Graphic Design by David Masnato" are surrounded by a detailed and colorful border.

A digital render of my game Tiers of Joy. Colorful tokens are spread across a playing area. Some of them are stacked to resemble miniature cakes.

Some cards from my game Oar Deal. Some cards are laid out in a playing area while another card is off to the side. The cards have a watery blue background with some iconography and numbers.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Jul 12

I shelved Tiers of Joy over a year ago because I felt like I hit a dead end on the design. Last night, inspiration struck out of nowhere and I think I maybe found a path to fix it? At the very least, this game is fun to work on again. Lil cakes are back on the menu!

A photo of the prototype of Tiers of Joy set up for a three player game. Multiple colorful tokens are laid out on a wooden table in a setup that resembles tiny layer cakes being assembled on plates.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Jul 5

It's 2026 and I'm in too many game design Discord servers.

A three panel edit of a sequence from Watchmen. Dr Manhattan sits alone on a planet making the same statement, but with a different year each time.

It’s 2020 and someone in a game design Discord is asking “What is a game?”

It’s 2023 and someone in a game design Discord is asking “What is a game?”

It’s 2026 and someone in a game design Discord is asking “What is a game?”

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Jun 12

Near final rulebook layout is complete! Printed to scale and ready for in-person unguided testing.

My hand holding up the printed and assembled prototype rulebook for Pax Playground. The text reads as follows:

PAX PLAYGROUND
Designed by David Masnato

2-4 Players
20 Mins
Ages 14+

RULEBOOK
Making friends is hard.

It’s especially hard when you’re the new kid in town and you’re not sure how to fit in. The neighborhood playground is bustling today. This is your big opportunity to prove yourself!

Can you navigate the politics of the playground while staying true to yourself?

It’s playtime!

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Jun 3

First draft of the rulebook for Pax Playground is complete! Here's a little teaser of the closing paragraph.

A screenshot of the closing paragraph in the Pax Playground rulebook. It reads:

I made new friends and I was true to myself. Does that mean I won?

Achieving both goals means you made new friends and you were true to yourself. I encourage you to consider what this means narratively instead of through a traditional win/loss lens, just like you would if you were a kid trying to make new friends at the playground.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· May 15

Clearly I missed the memo that we're all going to Japan this week!

A screenshot of three back to back posts from Bluesky members I follow. Each message is about traveling to Japan.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· May 6

This week has been all about locking in the art and look for Pax Playground. I think I have a box cover. Want to see it?

The working box cover for a board game called Pax Playground.

The text on the image reads "Pax Playground. Designed by David Masnato."

There's an illustration of a boy at the top of the slide. The style is sparse with minimal color.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· May 1

First round of card art for Pax Playground is done. I'll probably finesse the overall look a little more, but I'm pretty happy with this general direction!

A card from Pax Playground. The card has three different icons and an illustration of a child standing near a slide. The color palate is mostly monochromatic with yellow, grey, and white tones. The text on the card reads "Share: Place one toy from your backpack at this structure."

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Apr 29

I love being an artist. I love learning from primary sources. I love being inspired by friends and colleagues. I love every second of the creative process, and there's no world where I'd ever let a machine steal that joy and curiosity from me. (Shoutout to @gregisonthego.bsky.social for the rec!)

A photo of me holding a book in front of my face while sitting in my office. The book title is "The New Games Book". It's a white cover with big red text. A stylized illustration of a jumping child is next to the text. The room is dimly lit and cozy. You can see some shelves in the background with a few games on them.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Apr 24

Finally found a home for the bread lamp in my office and I've got to say, the vibes are off the charts.

A photo of a candle jar and a lamp made from a loaf of bread. The candle has a big label that says "Banana Pudding" on it. The lamp is turned on and has a soft warm glow coming from it.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Mar 27

Look at what I'm using for placeholder art in Pax Playground. It's color coded dots. There no figures. No action. No story. Guess how many people brought it up at Unpub Festival? None. The story of the game tells itself through the things you do. The things you do are informed by the onboarding.

A closeup of two cards from Pax Playground.

The cards have a simple color coded texture, minimal iconography, and language that explains what the cards do.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Mar 26

Me: There's no need to be making 3D renders of Pax Playground right now. You should be working on applying for jobs. Also me:

A 3D rendering of Pax Playground. A selection of colorful cards are laid out to create a map of a playground. Some actions cards are laid out around the map. Red, yellow, and blue cubes are placed on top of the map.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Mar 13

Daylight savings isn't the only time change this month! Pax Playground is on deck RIGHT NOW at #UnpubFestival

A photo of the prototype for Pax Playground. Colorful tokens are on cards loosely resembling a playground.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Feb 26

Sorry for posting about my own stuff so much lately. I always feel a little like I'm hogging the mic when I do. I'm just really excited about this one! The prototype is ready for Unpub! A twenty minute Pax experience that (almost) fits in your pocket? You betcha!

A photo of the prototype of Pax Playground. Cards are laid out to vaguely resemble the locations in a playground. Cubes in three colors are placed on some of the cards.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Feb 20

4. 🌗 Saros An 18 card "we cut, we choose" game for 2 players about the sun and moon deciding who gets to eclipse who.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Feb 20

3. 🛝 Pax Playground New kids at the playground try to make friends in a game that recontextualizes mechanisms and player dynamics from Pax games in a non-violent setting.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Feb 20

2. 🛶 Oar Deal A trick taking and shedding game about going on a canoeing excursion and trying to not fall in the river.

A digital rendering of a game of Oar Deal. Colorful cards with icons and numbers are laid out in stacks along a row while another card floats nearby.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Feb 20

1. ⛺️ Camp Charmwood Witches go on weeklong trip to summer camp to learn about magic and community. (Formerly known as Roux Mates and Spell Week)

A photo of Camp Charmwood being played. A variety of colorful tokens and cards surround a central board area that resembles the map of a summer camp.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Jan 29

First concert of 2026 in the books! Sudan Archives set the bar impossibly high. Absolutely unreal.

A photo of Sudan Archives performing life. She's standing on a stage playing a violin with various music equipment around her. The stage lighting is moody and red.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Dec 7

The deluxe edition of my favorite album of 2025 dropped on Friday! "That's Showbiz Baby!: The Encore" is the rare deluxe version where every new track feels as essential as the core album. An absolute must listen. Endless treats for fans of pop excellence.

The cover art for "That's Showbiz Baby!: The Encore" by Jade.

The image is a photo of Jade suspended by red string like a marionette puppet being controlled by a large hand. The title of the album is in red text around the border.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Nov 9

"LUX" by Rosalía has been on nonstop rotation for me over the last few days. Its ambition, scope, and execution is stunning. Pretty handedly the most beautiful album of 2025 and a must listen.

The album art for LUX by Rosalía. The art is a photo of Rosalía wearing a white outfit in front of a blue background. The word LUX is written over the photo.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Oct 7

I'm feeling so good about my lil trick taker/shedder that I've decided to pitch it at #PAXU! Oar Deal is a game about going on a canoeing trip and trying your best to not fall out of the canoe. It plays 3-5 players in about 25 mins with just 54 cards. DMs open to anyone interested!

A digital rendering of Oar Deal. Four colorful cards surround three piles arranged in a central area.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Oct 4

The Shut Up & Sit Down review of The Old Kings Crown is excellent. No surprises there. But can we talk about the cameo appearance of High Tide by @marcelineleiman.bsky.social hiding on the bookshelf? Review incoming?

A screenshot from the Shut Up & Sit Down review of The Old Kings Crown. Tom is seated at a table, mid explanation. Behind him is a bookshelf holding a few board games. One of them is High Tide.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Sep 14

Once sentence. Six words. Three proper nouns, each one a plot twist.

A screenshot of a photo and headline from Stereogum posted on September 13, 2025.

The headline reads "Clipse Played Vatican City On Disney+". The photo is of Clipse performing.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Aug 26

Sometimes a rulebook read through is all you need to know a game is going to be special. High Tide packs so much puzzle into a delightful and compact package. It's every bit as good as you've heard.

A photo of High Tide. Pink, cream, and blue hexagonal tokens are arranged and stacked on a wooden table. Each token has a screen printed seashell on it.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Jul 26

I love my current Kate Bush profile banner. It's been with me pretty much the entire time I put an ounce of effort into my Online Presence™. But I passed this sign on the highway yesterday and I think this might be the new winner. What do we think? (PS: I wasn't the one driving!)

A photo of an LED info sign on the highway. It reads "You're in for summertime sadness" in all caps. Some trees, highway walls, and sky surround the sign.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Jul 26

What a day. How about a timeline cleanse? According to the adoption paperwork from the shelter, my cat turned 20 today! He's almost definitely not that old but he's been in my life for 12 wild years. Happy Birthday, Baran!

A photo of my cat. He's an orange long hair tabby sitting on a colorful striped pillow. A window, some plants, and some furniture are arranged behind him.

David Masnato 🔜 PAX West@davidmasnato· Jun 27

I just got out of another wonderful playtest of #SpellWeek! There's so much I want to talk about, but for now I'll just reveal this fun little booklet that acts as your storyteller, game timer, onboarding, and upkeep tracker. It's just a ton of fun!