Mandela F-G

@mandelafg

Designs board games. Published: Glasgow (Lookout Spiele), Overstocked (Play for Keeps), The Shakespeare Game (Laurence King), The Jane Austen Game (LK), Sankoré (Osprey Games), Ayar (Osprey Games) He/Him

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Mandela F-G@mandelafg· 18h

A while ago @flopiano.bsky.social and I had a chat with @fredserval.bsky.social on the history (and mythology, and blurry lines between the two) informing the design of our game Ayar: Children of the Sun (link in the comments).

Old painting of a the first Inca, Manco Capac (Ayar Manco) after donning the fringe, looking to his father, Inti, the sun.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Jun 3

Recently had a nice chat with Deej from Mojo Nation. Link to interview in the comments.

Image of me, Mandela, smiling while holding a stack of my games; Sankore, Ayar, The Shakespeare Game, The Jane Austen Game, Glasgow, and Overstocked.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· May 28

One test on the train with Denholm and another on arrival with @flopiano.bsky.social and @thedarkimp.bsky.social joining. Early verdict seems to be that it's got legs, interesting stuff but far too chaotic.

Designer Denholm Spurr testing the game and pulling a silly face.

Bunch of wooden pieces on a simple map game.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· May 28

Made a new game 🎲✂️ yesterday in time for Expo. May have legs...time will tell. One challenge is that knowledge of the 12 cards helps a lot...and you don't see them all at the start. Will first time players find this too frustrating? Or embrace that first play chaos?

Generic looking board game with a map, cubes and cards.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· May 28

On my way to #UKGE. Some clothes, toiletries and the rest of the bag filled to the brim with prototypes. Feel free to say hello if you see me. Helping at Playtest UK Saturday morning then have my own slot there in the afternoon.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· May 8

For Green City, my next game with @flopiano.bsky.social, they've just released a trailer and it's delightful.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Apr 4

Playtested the newest design tonight with Jane. I'm not a fan of when it feels like a game is forcing close scores, but understand why they do. It was very satisfying and dramatic to finish 139-139. 🎲✂️

Colourful, large Euro-style board game with various wooden and plastic cubes around. Fields, alpacas, and cotton icons can be seen.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Mar 11

A night on the tiles. Getting the prototype ready 🎲✂️ on a new design in time for AireCon this weekend. This took quite a while so hopefully the design is perfect on its first outing.

Photo showing tiles (the board game component type) of various shapes and colours on a cutting mat.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Mar 9

I finally playtested the game and it was terrible. Irredeemably so. Time well spent. I regret nothing. 🎲✂️

Prototype card game being played. Several cards out on the table with a series of convoluted effects.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Feb 26

Yip. Went through a phase when other designers told me it was my 'thing' to have triangles in my games but really I was just trying not to waste all those bonus off-cuts.

Board game prototype. Picture of a llama with lots of little triangle components.

Prototype board game showing various geodes on hexes and lots of wee triangle tokens.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Feb 25

Also playing at 2p, there is a variant rule I recommend; when the Ayar reunite in the night phase, smooch your opponent.

Wooden Male and Female Inca pieces smooching.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Feb 25

After complaints from Jane that she never gets to play my published games, have played Ayar a couple of times recently. Have enjoyed revisiting it, and trying out a new strategy.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Jan 26

I'm very amused by the idea that this guy has rating bombed Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa as part of his anti-Pride agenda.

Excerpt of a BoardgameGeek's user ratings giving 1's to games with overt queer themes (The Queer Agenda, Love Letter Princess Princess, Cards Against Humanity: Pride Pack) and a 1.5 for Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Jan 22

Played Jane Austin, and the requested rematch. Had fun losing both times but I rarely play my own games. Always new stuff to try, new prototypes to test. I suspect I'm not alone among designers in struggling not to think about things you'd like to change in a design, even after its hit print. 🎲✂️

The Jane Austin Board game laid out on the table. Picture shows the colourful board with lots of cards and tokens.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Jan 20

Played 'Careers' for the first time the other night by James Cooke Brown and quite enjoyed it. Very nice mechanism that I'd like to see more is that you choose your victory condition at the start of the game and, satisfyingly, you win immediately upon reaching that secret objective. 🎲✂️

Some paper money, a rulebook, and a game board showing the game 'Careers' on the table with play about to start.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Oct 13

One of the joys of being a board game designer is tapping into the global network of designers and meeting all kinds of new and interesting people. Yesterday, I popped into Darmstadt, Germany and had a wonderful day playtesting. Tomorrow, Stuttgart to stay with a publisher friend.

People sitting around a table with many board games behind them. All clutching dice in their hands, several are laughing.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Oct 11

Facebook is showing me images from 6 years ago when I was messing 🎲✂️ around with this design. Exciting to see it come to wide release very soon and with, I have to concede, improved art & graphic design thanks to @ianotoole.bsky.social, and much better gameplay thanks to @flopiano.bsky.social.

A paper gameboard map drawn with Microsoft paint and a hodgepodge of different components scattered across it.

Cubes on a personal player board with a wealth of confusing, but very Euro, iconography. Quipu shown in the background.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Jul 18

Some last minute prototyping 🎲✂️ on my way to @manorcon.bsky.social. Will be my first time. Look forward to demoing Ayar, hopefully some playtesting, and lots of playing new games. Feel free to stop me if you fancy some playtesting.

Cards showing doughnuts laid out on a train tray table with scissors. Stickers have been cut and added to some cards.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Jun 2

Elation for some and consternation for others as another Ayar retires and is reunited with his partner. @ospreygames.bsky.social @flopiano.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social

Wooden game pieces on a game board. They are a male and female figure nestled together, both in traditional Inca attire.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Apr 30

And here's some of those pretty playing cards.

A standard set of playing cards showing lots of pretty insect illustrations. Common names for each are provided along with binomial names and some stats - size in mm, lifespan in days, and the no. of eggs.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Apr 30

Received 'Brilliant Bugs' insect cards from Quarto/Kaddo. I was a consultant entomologist for these. A fun wee job where I got to choose some cool insects for the game, did some fact checking, and text wrote for the accompanying booklet. It came out very nicely.

Playing card box titled 'Brilliant Bugs Playing Cards'

Back of box crediting illustrations to Kelsey Oseid and text to Mandela Fernandez-Grandon

Showing slide out of box and a small information booklet.

Details from within booklet crediting illustrator and author.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Apr 23

If you're interested in hearing some thoughts and tips 🎲✂️ from me and @thedarkimp.bsky.social about co-designing, please have a listen here as I was treated to be being a guest on her excellent podcast series: thegamedesignroundtable.com/episode/btc-...

Image showing Mandela and details of the episode as follows: Ellie Dix is joined by Mandela Grandon, designer of Glasgow, Overstocked, and The Shakespeare Game. They talk about the benefits and process of co-design, the difficulties in working with another person, and how to even get a co-designer. They also discuss the finer points, like how to address experience gaps, outline goals and partnership structure, and when it doesn’t work out.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Apr 18

Wonderful day spent playtesting and sketching out new design ideas with @thedarkimp.bsky.social in the delightful Wellcome reading rooms. 3 new games to prototype, 3 cleaned up for pitching/playtesting. 🎲✂️

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Mar 13

I'll be at AireCon tomorrow and through the weekend. Don't know who is all going but will be nice to see some folks. Will of course be carrying some prototypes 🎲✂️ (pictured) if anyone wants to test let me know. Always happy to playtest others' games. Maybe even play some 'real' games.

Photo of classic-looking mid-weight Euro game.

Small dice-based racing game. Clearly a prototype.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Mar 1

Steak and ale suet pudding with a spot of playtesting. I suggested pausing when food arrived but the request to play on feels like a good sign. Clear improvement on the game with a new mechanism which means the more conservative your play, the more your opponent is rewarded.

Half eaten meal in foreground, paper prototype of game with dice on table.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Feb 24

Day off work for a bit of fun travel and time for a wee playtest over a coffee break. Have had this wee racing game for a while. Think this was the worst play of it so far...but also feel it sparked some solid good ideas that could give it life. Look forward to changing and testing.

A few wooden people on cards with numbers in a circle and several small dice. Image of a Panda face on a token.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Jan 28

What a pleasant surprise and honour to see Sankoré nominated for a Cannes As D'Or. Seems we did well @flopiano.bsky.social @ospreygames.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social and SuperMeeple for the VF.

Images of nominees from FIJ As d'Or press release. Daybreak, Kutna Hora, and Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa are the 3 games shown.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Jan 19

For the first time in a long time, it's Gloomhaven day. Last session was 2022.

Sprawling dungeon crawl board game laid.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Jan 11

Just finished the first day of my new Saturday job on this bright and frosty day - teaching game design to young people. Fun and fulfilling. It's in Kew Gardens so additional bonus of this view from the classroom

Frozen lake and frost covered grounds in front of large glasshouse in Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Mandela F-G@mandelafg· Dec 17

Good bit of prototype making at the weekend. Most demanding prototype I've ever made. 🎲✂️