Jekyll2024-01-29T20:46:02+00:00https://blog.randylubin.com/feed.xmlRandy Lubin’s Personal BlogRandy Lubin's personal blog. Contains writing on travel, startups, technology, games, and more.2023 Recap2024-01-29T04:13:58+00:002024-01-29T04:13:58+00:00https://blog.randylubin.com/2023-Recap<p><img src="/images/Lubin-Family-2023.png" alt="Randy, Avital, and Curio sitting on a bench" /></p>
<p>Hey family and friends – here’s a recap of what we were up to in 2023
Family
We had lots of excellent family time this year and we’ve loved watching Curio grow from baby to toddler. It’s hard to believe that he’s almost two years old but we’re loving every step of the way. We took two trips to visit family on the east coast and we’ve loved seeing Curio develop relationships with his extended family.</p>
<p>In 2023 he started walking and talking; we love hearing what he has to say. He’s an incredibly social baby and says hello to every person and dog we pass on the street. Other hobbies include dancing, making “music” with our piano and guitars, and helping cook.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I also caught covid for the first time in the fall and it led to long covid. I’m about three months in and I’m continuing to improve, albeit slowly. Hopefully I’ll be back to 100% before too long.</p>
<p><img src="/images/Curio-Cooking-2023.png" alt="Curio dual-wielding knives as he helps us cook" /></p>
<h2 id="leveraged-play">Leveraged Play</h2>
<p>I had a big year at my studio <a href="https://leveragedplay.com/">Leveraged Play</a> – we released three major games, helped with others, and continued to grow the <a href="https://foresight.games/">Foresight Games community</a>.</p>
<h3 id="futurecast">Futurecast</h3>
<p><img src="https://leveragedplay.com/img/game-images/futurecast-resources.png" alt="FutureCast materials" /></p>
<p>In the spring, we launched <a href="https://foresight.unglobalpulse.net/futurecast/">Futurecast</a> which we codesigned with the United Nations. It’s an in-person workshop game where players explore opportunities and threats by collaboratively answering prompts and building on each other’s answers. The game was originally designed for exploring upcoming elections but you can easily adapt it to other contexts. FutureCast includes a toolkit for customizing the game to meet your own goals.</p>
<p>The game just won an IF Award from the Association for Professional Futurists under the Ingenuity category. We’re hoping to see more teams adopt and remix Futurecast to inform their decision making. You check out the <a href="https://foresight.unglobalpulse.net/futurecast/">FutureCast kit here</a>.</p>
<h3 id="moderator-mayhem">Moderator Mayhem</h3>
<p><img src="https://leveragedplay.com/img/game-images/moderator-mayhem-three-panel.webp" alt="Moderator Mayhem screen shot" /></p>
<p>In May we launched <a href="https://moderatormayhem.engine.is/">Moderator Mayhem</a>, a browser and mobile game where players explore the challenges of content moderation. It was commissioned by Engine to help technologists, policy makers, and journalists have nuanced conversations about related legislation. Go <a href="https://moderatormayhem.engine.is/">play it</a> or <a href="https://leveragedplay.com/games/info/moderator-mayhem-overview.html">read more about it</a>.</p>
<p>We’ve had over 30,000 players and the game received great buzz on social media and in the press. We also adapted the game for TrustCon, the main trust and safety conference, and added a high scores list.</p>
<h3 id="trust--safety-tycoon">Trust & Safety Tycoon</h3>
<p><img src="https://leveragedplay.com/img/game-images/trust-and-safety-tycoon-banner.webp" alt="Trust and Safety Tycoon Logo" /></p>
<p>In October we launched <a href="https://trustandsafety.fun/">Trust & Safety Tycoon</a>, another game on the same topic, which we created in association with the Atlantic Council and with support from the Hewlett Foundation. This game focuses on running and scaling the entire trust and safety organization at a fast growing social media company. It was also a hit with over 50,000 players and press coverage in the Washington Post and TechCrunch. Go <a href="https://trustandsafety.fun/">play it</a> or <a href="https://leveragedplay.com/games/info/trust-and-safety-tycoon-overview.html">read more about it</a>.</p>
<p>It’s the most complex game we’ve made so far, with mechanics for choosing site policies, investing in team capabilities, and managing a variety of key game states. It runs on a new game engine that we purpose built for this type of game and which we hope to open source in 2024.</p>
<h3 id="other-collaborations-and-activities">Other collaborations and activities</h3>
<p>We also advised a client on their adaptation of a cybersecurity game from in-person to digital and ended up running it over Discord. We created some Discord bot automations to make it easy to facilitate and I’m looking forward to making more games on Discord.</p>
<p>I also advised <a href="https://california100.org/">California 100</a> on their youth summit and helped them design a lightweight game in which participants negotiate policies that shape the future of California. The event was a success and I had a great time working with their team.</p>
<p>Mid-year I ran a few playtests of This Changes Everything, a quick game about exploring new innovations and emerging technologies. The game plays well and I just need to find the time to refine it and share it for public use.</p>
<h2 id="consumer-games">Consumer Games</h2>
<p><img src="/images/Working-the-Case-prototype-spreadout.png" alt="The Working the Case prototype spread out on a table" /></p>
<p>With all the focus on foresight games, I didn’t have too much time or energy for my consumer games. I spent the most time refining Working the Case, which now has a physical version. I brought it to Big Bad Con where I ran it six times and the players had a blast. I’m hoping to publish it in 2024, either through a publisher or self-published.</p>
<p>I’ve also continued cohosting the annual “Gaming Like It’s 192X” game jam. Check out the <a href="https://itch.io/jam/gaming-like-its-1927">2023 winners</a> or join the ongoing <a href="https://itch.io/jam/gaming-like-its-1928">2024 jam</a>.</p>
<h2 id="avital-experiences">Avital Experiences</h2>
<p>Avital had a big year in which she rebranded her company to Avital Food & Drink Experiences and launched a <a href="https://avitalexperiences.com/">new website</a>. Some highlights included:</p>
<ul>
<li>Growing her interactive meal product nationwide, launching in 12 cities</li>
<li>Running a charcuterie chalet competition at the Fancy Food Show in NYC</li>
<li>Hosting a water tasting event in Napa</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="hobbies">Hobbies</h2>
<p>I published a new short story through the Peaceful Futures collection: <a href="https://nextgenforesight.org/project/peaceful-futures/manifesto/memes-and-mayhem-in-new-maldives-city/">Memes and Mayhem in New Maldives City</a>. I’m happy with how it turned out but it was constrained by their word count limit. I might revise it at some point to be a bit longer.</p>
<p>I also outlined several stories in a shared near-future setting which I hope to publish in 2024 – I just need to make the time!</p>
<p>Beyond writing, I’ve continued playing piano, guitar, and ukulele, often with Curio as my audience. I’m excited to jam with him and Avital once he learns to play an instrument.</p>
<h2 id="catch-up-with-us">Catch up with us</h2>
<p>We haven’t been great about proactively scheduling calls but we always get excited when old friends reach out to chat. Shoot us an email and we’ll get something on the calendar!</p>Recently played: The Isabel and Villagesong2023-02-13T17:23:39+00:002023-02-13T17:23:39+00:00https://blog.randylubin.com/recently-played-the-isabel-and-villagesong<p>This weekend, I played two new storytelling games with Raph and Nick and had a great time! Both are card driven games that effectively use prompts to support a specific type of storytelling.</p>
<p><img src="/images/the-isabel.png" alt="The Isabel being played at the table" /></p>
<p>First up was <a href="https://bullypulpitgames.com/products/desperation">The Isabel</a>, a new game by Jason Morningstar, where we told the tale of a doomed cod fishing expedition. The game had a nice mechanic where we would draw an action and then decide which character carried it out, which worked well. The prompts were all evocative and it was fun to match them to characters.</p>
<p><img src="/images/villagesong.png" alt="Villagesong being played at the table" /></p>
<p>Second up was <a href="https://storybrewersroleplaying.com/villagesong/">Villagesong</a>, by Vee Hendro, in which we explored three villages and their leaders as they grappled with change and tensions. The setup and prompts guided us through a satisfying arc about the island coming together.</p>This weekend, I played two new storytelling games with Raph and Nick and had a great time! Both are card driven games that effectively use prompts to support a specific type of storytelling.Near future worldbuilding with Dungeon232023-01-23T16:20:29+00:002023-01-23T16:20:29+00:00https://blog.randylubin.com/near-future-worldbuilding-with-dungeon23<p>A bunch of indie RPG designers are doing a challenge called Dungeon23 where they create a new room of a megadungeon every day of 2023. Instead of creating a dungeon, I’m creating locations for a near-future science fiction setting in which I’m planning to write a handful of short stories.</p>
<p>So far I’ve been giving each location a description, an opportunity, a tension, and a character. I’ve already missed some days but I’m not going to be too strict about it. Even a little bit of flash fiction writing is a treat and I think this will be super helpful when it comes to writing the stories.</p>
<p>Here’s one of mine:</p>
<p><img src="/images/screenshot-2023-01-15-at-11-21-43-pm.png" alt="an example location: the Berkeley Autonomous Flotilla " /></p>A bunch of indie RPG designers are doing a challenge called Dungeon23 where they create a new room of a megadungeon every day of 2023. Instead of creating a dungeon, I’m creating locations for a near-future science fiction setting in which I’m planning to write a handful of short stories.2022 Recap2023-01-03T04:13:58+00:002023-01-03T04:13:58+00:00https://blog.randylubin.com/2022-recap<p><img src="/images/randy-avital-curio-22-09-16-0015-1.png" alt="" /></p>
<p>2022 was a huge year for us – all three of us! Here’s what we’ve been up to:</p>
<h2 id="family">Family</h2>
<p><img src="/images/img_6150.png" alt="Curio" /></p>
<p>Curio Rav Lubin was <a href="https://blog.randylubin.com/introducing-curio-rav-lubin">born</a> in March – he’s almost ten months old now – and we’ve loved growing with him over the past year. He’s incredibly happy most of the time and quick to smile and giggle. His face is deeply expressive, especially his eyebrows, and we love seeing a small window into his mind. In the last few weeks he’s gotten very quick at crawling and climbing (on us, on furniture, on toys). It’s wild to see friends’ kids who are only a year older and think about how much more will change in the very near future.</p>
<p>Parenting has been a blast – especially since I get to do it with Avital. We’re having nonstop fun and it just keeps getting better. One surprise for me, shortly after Curio was born, was that I kept bursting into improvised song about his day. I’m not particularly into musicals but making up songs was a way to connect with Curio and to embrace the omnipresent repetition of those early months. It turns out that I’m not alone in this and our friend Kathryn Hymes ended up writing an article for the Atlantic on the topic (featuring me and Curio!): <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/09/benefits-of-singing-to-babies/671324/">What Babies Hear When You Sing to Them</a>.</p>
<p><img src="/images/img_1190.png" alt="" /></p>
<p>We’ve had tons of great family time beyond Curio too, with my parents flying in once a month and Avital’s parents visiting at least once a week. It’s super fun to see them spending time with their grandchild!</p>
<p>We aren’t posting much about Curio on social media but you can follow our newsletter, <a href="https://tinyletter.com/thelubinletters">The Lubin Letters</a>, for updates.</p>
<h2 id="work">Work</h2>
<h3 id="leveraged-play">Leveraged Play</h3>
<p>I had a very busy year on the serious game front, mostly focused on “foresight games” that explore the future.</p>
<h4 id="startup-trail">Startup Trail</h4>
<p><img src="/images/startuptrail-1200x630.png" alt="startup trail logo" /></p>
<p>In April, we (Leveraged Play, Copia Institute, Engine) launched <a href="https://startuptrail.engine.is/">Startup Trail</a> (<a href="https://blog.randylubin.com/new-game-startup-trail">blog</a>) a browser based game that explores the intersection of startups and tech policy. Players face a series of dilemmas as they grow their company from founding to exit (or bankruptcy). The game was warmly received, with 10,000s of folks playing the game; we also got covered in <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/28/23045333/startup-trail-game-oregon">The Verge</a>. I’m thrilled with how the game turned out and we’ll be making more browser-based games in 2023.</p>
<h4 id="united-nations-election-game">United Nations Election Game</h4>
<p>I’ve also spent most of the year working with the United Nations (in collaboration with Mike Masnick) on a foresight game to explore threats and opportunities around elections. We ran pilot sessions in Southeast Asia in late spring and then created a generalized guide for how to adapt the game for other national contexts – the guide should launch early this year and I’ll post about it when it’s live. Working with the United Nations was a great opportunity – it’s important that my games are impactful (not just fun) and the UN is a strong vector for affecting positive change.</p>
<h4 id="minigames-talks-workshops-and-more">Minigames, Talks, Workshops, and More</h4>
<p>While I’ve worked on a few other bigger games over the course of the year, I can’t talk about them publicly yet. I can share two smaller games though: Coastalia Refugee Crisis and Hindsight 2030.</p>
<p><img src="/images/coastalia-slide.png" alt="a slide from Costalia Refugee Crisis showing the region" /></p>
<p>I created <a href="https://randylubin.itch.io/costalia-refugee-crisis">Coastalia Refugee Crisis</a> for a VZOR and SOIF’s series on Peaceful Futures. Players explored how institutions might respond to a fraught situation that threatens to descend into violent conflict. The short crisis game format has potential and I look forward to making more designs like it in 2023.</p>
<p><img src="/images/hindsight2030.png" alt="Hindsight 2030 logo" /></p>
<p>I also collaborated with The Copia Institute to launch a remixable version of <a href="https://randylubin.itch.io/hindsight-2030">Hindsight 2030</a>, our lightweight game that explore the future through a timeline of headlines (<a href="https://blog.randylubin.com/serious-ish-games-hindsight-2030">earlier post</a>). I love the idea of easily remixable foresight games and hope to release a few more this year.</p>
<h4 id="talks-and-more">Talks and more</h4>
<p>I gave a handful of talks and workshops throughout 2022 (e.g. for California 100 and SOIF) and I’ve enjoyed honing my “Why Foresight Games?” pitch and seeing what resonates with different audiences. I was also interviewed on the <a href="https://amble.studio/episode-11-foresight-games-with-randy-lubin/">Amble Podcast</a> where we had a lovely conversation about applications for foresight games.</p>
<h4 id="launching-the-foresight-games-community">Launching the Foresight Games Community</h4>
<p>In June I officially launched the <a href="https://foresight.games/">Foresight Games Community</a> with a Discord and mailing list (already up to ~150 people each). I’d been seeing different folks bridging foresight and games work around the world but there wasn’t a central place for sharing and discussing the (still emerging) field. Since the launch we’ve held 7 meetups where we’ve given lightning talks or played games. We’ll keep having monthly events this year – if you’re making games about the future or just curious, sign-up and join us!</p>
<h3 id="avital-tours--edible-architecture">Avital Tours / Edible Architecture</h3>
<p><img src="/images/charcuterie-chateau-callouts.webp" alt="A Charcuterie Chalet from Edible Architecture" /></p>
<p>Avital created a new brand this fall, <a href="https://ediblearchitecture.com/">Edible Architecture</a>, which sells the first commercially available Charcuterie Chalet Kit. I’ve enjoyed watching her prototype and launch this new business line and seeing her go from concept to reality in just a few, quick months – her kits have even gone viral on social media!</p>
<h2 id="consumer-games-and-story-synth">Consumer Games and Story Synth</h2>
<h3 id="working-the-case">Working the Case</h3>
<p><img src="https://diegeticgames.com/uploads/screen-shot-2022-07-19-at-6-05-09-pm.png" alt="the mystery board from working the case" /></p>
<p>Much of my game designer energy was focused on foresight games but I still found time to design and playtest consumer games. Most of time here was spent on <a href="https://diegeticgames.com/working-the-case/">Working the Case</a> – my 30-minute mystery game where you collectively create and solve a murder. I playtested the game 20 times, with several different playsets (e.g. space station, fantasy) and I am very happy with how it’s shaping up. This year I’ll look to publish it in digital form (new Story Synth format?) or as a physical card version.</p>
<p>The always incredible Jeff Stormer had me on his podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/337-working-the-case-with-randy-lubin/id1055535537?i=1000574944007">Party of One</a> where we played the game and told a twisted tale of murder on Vacation Station – give it a listen!</p>
<h4 id="behind-the-magic-released-in-germany">Behind the Magic released in Germany</h4>
<p><img src="/images/behind-the-magic-german-cover.png" alt="behind the magic cover, german edition" /></p>
<p>The folks at System Matters translated Behind the Magic, my fantasy mockumentary game, into German (my first international game translation) and I love their new illustrations. You can send your German-speaking gamer friends to their <a href="https://www.system-matters.de/shop/behind-the-magic/">online store</a> and it’s also being sold in German game shops.</p>
<h4 id="story-synth-microgrants-and-hexmaps">Story Synth: Microgrants and Hexmaps</h4>
<p><img src="https://diegeticgames.com/uploads/microgrant-gallery-min.png" alt="collage of story synth games" /></p>
<p>2022 was a huge year for Story Synth, my free web platform for storytelling games. Based on my rough analytics, more than 10,000 folks came to the site and over 100 new games were created.</p>
<p>I teamed up with Big Bad Con to run a <a href="https://www.bigbadcon.com/story-synth-microgrants/">microgrant program</a>, with financial support from the wonderful folks at <a href="https://www.grantfortheweb.org/">Grant for the Web</a>. We distributed $30,000 as 100 microgrants of $300 to designers of marginalized identities, many of whom were first time designers. I love helping this cohort make games and they inspired me to add many extra features to the Story Synth platform. You can check out some of their games in the <a href="https://storysynth.org/Microgrant-Gallery/">Microgrant Gallery</a>.</p>
<p>Early in the year, I launched a visual refresh for Story Synth, with significant help from <a href="http://www.raphdamico.com/">Raph D’Amico</a> and I think the new design is working well. Check it out yourself at <a href="https://storysynth.org">storysynth.org</a>.</p>
<p><img src="https://diegeticgames.com/uploads/screenshot-2022-12-31-at-8-46-13-am.png" alt="" /></p>
<p>Finally, on December 31st, I launched the new <a href="https://diegeticgames.com/blog/2022/12/31/story-synth-hexmap-format.html">Hexmap Format</a> (also with Raph’s advice – thanks Raph!) which makes it easy for designers to create maps of various sizes with plenty of room for customization. I’m excited to see what folks build with it!</p>
<p>Speaking of Raph, I also wrote a “twist” expansion called “The Glitch” for Raph’s game <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/raphdamico/the-zone-rpg/description">The Zone (Kickstarter)</a>, which will be released later this year.</p>
<h4 id="gaming-like-its-19267">Gaming Like It’s 1926/7</h4>
<p>Last year was the fourth year of our annual public domain game jam. Check out the winners on the <a href="https://itch.io/jam/gaming-like-its-1926">1926 page</a> or join us this month for the <a href="https://itch.io/jam/gaming-like-its-1927">1927 jam</a>. I really love this annual tradition.</p>
<h2 id="hobbies">Hobbies</h2>
<h3 id="music">Music</h3>
<p>I’ve been expanding my musical dabbling on two fronts. I’ve been playing a lot of ukulele for Curio and have been leaving the instrument upstairs where I can easily pick it up for a minute and strum – I highly recommend it for anyone who is curious. I’ve also been learning piano and just upgraded from my small 2-octave midi controller to a 61 key keyboard. I’m looking forward to learning basic jazz improvisation and am enjoying it a lot so far!</p>
<h3 id="writing">Writing</h3>
<p>I spent a bit of time outlining short stories but didn’t make much progress on actually writing. I’m hoping to change that this year and get a few stories out in the same shared setting. I’ll share more info soon and hope to do a bit more working in public on this front.</p>
<p>Also - my story Joan Henry vs the Algorithm was translated into Italian (my first fiction writing translation) and it’s included in the <a href="https://www.futurefiction.org/internetwork/">Internetwork anthology</a> as Joan Henry Contro l’Algoritmo.</p>
<h2 id="2023-and-catch-up">2023 and Catch-up!</h2>
<p>We just finished our first round of planning for 2023 and it’s going to be an excited and jam packed year.</p>
<p>Also - we haven’t been great about proactively scheduling calls but we always get excited when old friends reach out to chat. Shoot us an email and we’ll get something on the calendar!</p>Gaming Like It’s 19272023-01-02T21:44:20+00:002023-01-02T21:44:20+00:00https://blog.randylubin.com/gaming-like-it-s-1927<p><img src="/images/gaming-like-it-s-1927-logo.png" alt="" /></p>
<p>It’s a new year and that means a new round of works entering the public domain!</p>
<p>For the fifth year in a row, Mike Masnick, Leigh Beadon and I are teaming up to host a game jam to celebrate this new content. Come join us at: <a href="https://itch.io/jam/gaming-like-its-1927" title="Gaming Like It's 1927">Gaming Like It’s 1927</a>.</p>
<p>Works from 1927 entering the public domain include:</p>
<p>Written work by: Agatha Christie, Baroness Orczy, Hermann Hesse, Marcel Proust, Upton Sinclair, and Virginia Woolf</p>
<p>Art by: Ansel Adams, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, and Tamara de Lempicka</p>
<p>Films including The Jazz Singer, Metropolis, Napoléon, and Trolley Troubles</p>
<p>Music by Béla Bartók, Ira and George Gershwin, Igor Stravinsky, Irving Berlin, Louis Armstrong, Ruth Etting, and Sophie Tucker</p>Podcast Interview on Amble about Foresight Games2022-06-22T01:45:25+00:002022-06-22T01:45:25+00:00https://blog.randylubin.com/podcast-interview-on-amble-about-foresight-games<p>I was recently interviewed on the Amble Podcast about foresight games - <a href="https://amble.studio/episode-11-foresight-games-with-randy-lubin/">go listen</a> (or read the transcript)!</p>
<p>The Amble crew is wonderful and Hailey and Jason are amazing podcast hosts. The conversation covered a lot of ground, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Examples of foresight games</li>
<li>How to make the games approachable, safe, and productive for the players</li>
<li>How to include models in the games</li>
<li>How to design using a stagegate approach</li>
<li>…and much more!</li>
</ul>I was recently interviewed on the Amble Podcast about foresight games - go listen (or read the transcript)!New Game: Startup Trail2022-04-27T19:18:43+00:002022-04-27T19:18:43+00:00https://blog.randylubin.com/new-game-startup-trail<p>We just launched <a href="http://startuptrail.engine.is/">Startup Trail</a> a new browser-based game where you explore policy issues facing tech startups. Found your company and then navigate a series of thorny dilemmas as you grow.</p>
<p><img src="/images/startuptrail-1200x630.png" alt="" /></p>
<p>This game was developed as a collaboration between <a href="https://leveragedplay.com/">Leveraged Play</a>, <a href="https://copia.is/">Copia Institute</a>, and <a href="https://www.engine.is/">Engine</a>, as a playful way to explore the issues in Engine’s report <a href="https://www.engine.is/news/category/engine-releases-2022-startup-agenda">Startup Agenda</a>.</p>
<p>We had a blast making this game and we hope you enjoy playing it (and learning something, too).</p>
<p>If you’re interested in commissioning a similar-style game, definitely reach out: randy@leveragedplay.com</p>We just launched Startup Trail a new browser-based game where you explore policy issues facing tech startups. Found your company and then navigate a series of thorny dilemmas as you grow.Introducing: Curio Rav Lubin2022-04-05T00:45:20+00:002022-04-05T00:45:20+00:00https://blog.randylubin.com/introducing-curio-rav-lubin<p>We have a son!</p>
<p>Three weeks ago, Avital gave birth to our son Curio Rav Lubin. We’re doing amazing and loving our time together.</p>
<p><img src="/images/img_1474.png" alt="" /></p>
<h2 id="about-his-name">About his name</h2>
<p>His first name is Curio, inspired by our core value of “Persistent Curiosity.” His middle name, Rav, is Hebrew for abundance and guide/teacher and it’s also in honor of my uncle Robby.</p>
<h2 id="birth-story">Birth story</h2>
<p>Curio was born a month before his due date. Avital went in for a routine checkup when they diagnosed her with pre-eclampsia and they decided to induce labor that night. She gave birth the next day and both she and Curio are healthy and happy.</p>
<p>Curio ended up spending a week in the NICU until he gained enough weight, which he did quickly. He’s home now and it’s wonderful having him here!</p>
<h2 id="get-updates">Get updates</h2>
<p>We won’t be posting to social media much, but feel free to sign up to our newsletter for occasional updates: <a href="https://tinyletter.com/thelubinletters" title="https://tinyletter.com/thelubinletters">https://tinyletter.com/thelubinletters/</a></p>
<p><img src="/images/img_1403.png" alt="" /><img src="/images/img_1413.png" alt="" /></p>We have a son!1926 Game Jam Winners2022-03-09T20:00:33+00:002022-03-09T20:00:33+00:00https://blog.randylubin.com/1926-game-jam-winners<p><a href="https://itch.io/jam/gaming-like-its-1926">Gaming Like It’s 1926</a>, our annual public domain game jam, had a great turnout this year – we had 31 entries and there are some great games in the mix.</p>
<p>We’ve just announced the winners:</p>
<ul>
<li>Best Analog: <a href="https://orchardhouse.itch.io/nude-on-a-yellow-sofa">Nude on a Yellow Sofa</a> by Nora Katz</li>
<li>Best Digital: <a href="https://ladyorthetiger.itch.io/a-drunk-man-looks-at-the-thistle">A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle DECODED</a> by Anna Wu</li>
<li>Best Adaptation: <a href="https://yizazy.itch.io/the-wall-across-the-river">The Wall Across the River</a> by Seth Ellis</li>
<li>Best Remix: <a href="https://sciartica.itch.io/dreaming-the-cave">Dreaming the Cave</a> by David Harris</li>
<li>Best Deep Cut: <a href="https://bullypulpitgames.itch.io/the-obstruction-method">The Obstruction Method</a> by Jason Morningstar</li>
<li>Best Visuals: <a href="https://dirtbug.itch.io/mr-top-hat">Mr. Top Hat Doesn’t Give a Damn</a> by Josh of Dirtbug Games</li>
</ul>
<p>They are all worth checking out! You can read more about the winners in this <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2022/03/09/announcing-the-winners-of-the-4th-annual-public-domain-game-jam/">write-up on Techdirt</a>.</p>Gaming Like It’s 1926, our annual public domain game jam, had a great turnout this year – we had 31 entries and there are some great games in the mix.First round of Story Synth Microgrants disbursed – plenty more remaining!2022-03-07T00:27:37+00:002022-03-07T00:27:37+00:00https://blog.randylubin.com/first-round-of-story-synth-microgrants-disbursed-plenty-more-remaining<p>About a month ago, we launched the <a href="https://blog.randylubin.com/story-synth-grant-program">Story Synth Microgrant Program</a>, administered by Big Bad Con. This past week, we accepted the first round of applicants and issued 31 microgrants for $9,300 total. I loved seeing the pitches come in and am excited to help these designers make their games.</p>
<p>I’m holding office hours this Wednesday (March 9th) from 5-6pm PST and the grant administrators will be there too. You’re welcome to attend whether you’ve been awarded a grant, are thinking of applying, or are just curious. It will be in the <a href="https://discord.gg/GNaaRbz7KX">Story Synth Discord</a> – hope to see you there!</p>
<p>We’ll be accepting more applicants throughout the spring until all $30,000 is disbursed. If you’re interested, learn more and apply here: <a href="https://www.bigbadcon.com/story-synth-microgrants/" title="https://www.bigbadcon.com/story-synth-microgrants/">https://www.bigbadcon.com/story-synth-microgrants/</a></p>
<p><img src="/images/story-synth-and-big-bad-con-microgrant-banner.png" alt="" /></p>About a month ago, we launched the Story Synth Microgrant Program, administered by Big Bad Con. This past week, we accepted the first round of applicants and issued 31 microgrants for $9,300 total. I loved seeing the pitches come in and am excited to help these designers make their games.