Amabel Holland
@amabel.bsky.social
She/her. "Widely considered one of today’s most innovative game designers." - The New Yorker
Board games: https://hollandspiele.com
video essays: youtube.com/@hollandspiele
Patreon: patreon.com/amabelholland
sidekicking: youtube.com/@SBPlaysGames
Board games: https://hollandspiele.com
video essays: youtube.com/@hollandspiele
Patreon: patreon.com/amabelholland
sidekicking: youtube.com/@SBPlaysGames
Pinned
Amabel Holland
@amabel.bsky.social
· Dec 26
📌 I'm Amabel!
- I design & publish weird board games via Hollandspiele
- I research the uncredited game designers of the twentieth century
- I make video essays about board games
- I talk about transition, politics, trauma, and my hypersexuality
- I design & publish weird board games via Hollandspiele
- I research the uncredited game designers of the twentieth century
- I make video essays about board games
- I talk about transition, politics, trauma, and my hypersexuality
Reposted by Amabel Holland
Board Game Beat is officially launched & loaded with content...with more to come as I report on Spielwarenmesse!
If you're into independent board game journalism—articles, videos, interviews, news, reviews & more—please check it out and share.
www.wericmartin.com
#boardgame #spielwarenmesse
If you're into independent board game journalism—articles, videos, interviews, news, reviews & more—please check it out and share.
www.wericmartin.com
#boardgame #spielwarenmesse
Board Game Beat LLC | W. Eric Martin
Tabletop and board game journalism with deep-dive news, reviews, interviews, videos, and essays, plus rulebook writing and editing services.
www.wericmartin.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Board Game Beat is officially launched & loaded with content...with more to come as I report on Spielwarenmesse!
If you're into independent board game journalism—articles, videos, interviews, news, reviews & more—please check it out and share.
www.wericmartin.com
#boardgame #spielwarenmesse
If you're into independent board game journalism—articles, videos, interviews, news, reviews & more—please check it out and share.
www.wericmartin.com
#boardgame #spielwarenmesse
Reposted by Amabel Holland
Fabulous documentary about the history of toy and board game production!
I wanted to know who designed an old board game I loved. I found out he made over fifty games he was never credited for, in a career spanning more than three decades.
youtu.be/dTepZ7qM24Q
youtu.be/dTepZ7qM24Q
GRAVITY IS FREE: the games of René Soriano
YouTube video by Hollandspiele
youtu.be
January 26, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Fabulous documentary about the history of toy and board game production!
Got some new producers signing up after the video went out on Friday, and I now find myself with seventy-five (75!) patreon supporters. That's really humbling, and I'm deeply grateful - it's what allows me to fund research-intensive videos like "Gravity Is Free".
patreon.com/amabelholland
patreon.com/amabelholland
Get more from Amabel Holland on Patreon
video essays about the future & history of board games
patreon.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:33 PM
Got some new producers signing up after the video went out on Friday, and I now find myself with seventy-five (75!) patreon supporters. That's really humbling, and I'm deeply grateful - it's what allows me to fund research-intensive videos like "Gravity Is Free".
patreon.com/amabelholland
patreon.com/amabelholland
Reposted by Amabel Holland
SE MI folks: Mutual Aid & Resource Fair! Saturday Jan 31, 1-4 pm at the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn. DIY, Know-Your-Rights, and free resources like food, clothes, hygiene items, and more!
Attached flyer in English and Arabic
Attached flyer in English and Arabic
January 14, 2026 at 8:31 PM
SE MI folks: Mutual Aid & Resource Fair! Saturday Jan 31, 1-4 pm at the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn. DIY, Know-Your-Rights, and free resources like food, clothes, hygiene items, and more!
Attached flyer in English and Arabic
Attached flyer in English and Arabic
gal I used to date was being eaten alive by her job - damaging her mental & emotional health, stressed & hair-trigger angry all the time. She spent the whole of our relationship waffling on whether or not to quit & I encouraged her to do so, but she never did. 1/7
January 26, 2026 at 3:00 PM
gal I used to date was being eaten alive by her job - damaging her mental & emotional health, stressed & hair-trigger angry all the time. She spent the whole of our relationship waffling on whether or not to quit & I encouraged her to do so, but she never did. 1/7
Reposted by Amabel Holland
Reposted by Amabel Holland
Met a guy today who works as a digital sculptor for Funko Pops and his quota is 2.5 Pops per week. Gonna be thinking about that for a while.
January 26, 2026 at 12:28 AM
Met a guy today who works as a digital sculptor for Funko Pops and his quota is 2.5 Pops per week. Gonna be thinking about that for a while.
Reposted by Amabel Holland
is it too late to call Bryan Fuller's Hannibal "Eated Rivalry"
January 26, 2026 at 1:40 AM
is it too late to call Bryan Fuller's Hannibal "Eated Rivalry"
Reposted by Amabel Holland
critical support to r/dragonsfuckingcars
January 26, 2026 at 12:32 AM
critical support to r/dragonsfuckingcars
Reposted by Amabel Holland
We watched the Rene Soriano documentary this afternoon; great choice for being completely snowed in
Truly excellent work, @amabel.bsky.social
Truly excellent work, @amabel.bsky.social
January 25, 2026 at 10:56 PM
We watched the Rene Soriano documentary this afternoon; great choice for being completely snowed in
Truly excellent work, @amabel.bsky.social
Truly excellent work, @amabel.bsky.social
Reposted by Amabel Holland
This is wonderful. A recommended watch. PS: I definitely remember a version of those pop up spring toys that Rene invented.
I wanted to know who designed an old board game I loved. I found out he made over fifty games he was never credited for, in a career spanning more than three decades.
youtu.be/dTepZ7qM24Q
youtu.be/dTepZ7qM24Q
GRAVITY IS FREE: the games of René Soriano
YouTube video by Hollandspiele
youtu.be
January 25, 2026 at 9:48 PM
This is wonderful. A recommended watch. PS: I definitely remember a version of those pop up spring toys that Rene invented.
Reposted by Amabel Holland
Reposted by Amabel Holland
This was FANTASTIC. Thank you for choosing to become the world’s only non-Rene expert on Rene. You’re doing important work, and I’m joining your Patreon because of it.
January 25, 2026 at 6:57 PM
This was FANTASTIC. Thank you for choosing to become the world’s only non-Rene expert on Rene. You’re doing important work, and I’m joining your Patreon because of it.
Reposted by Amabel Holland
Finally got the chance to watch the rest of this. It was so cool you got to talk to René, and I appreciate you sharing the conversation. Thanks also for your insight for research. This is a fun and satisfying video, and I enjoyed it a lot.
January 25, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Finally got the chance to watch the rest of this. It was so cool you got to talk to René, and I appreciate you sharing the conversation. Thanks also for your insight for research. This is a fun and satisfying video, and I enjoyed it a lot.
Reposted by Amabel Holland
What a lovely video!
I wanted to know who designed an old board game I loved. I found out he made over fifty games he was never credited for, in a career spanning more than three decades.
youtu.be/dTepZ7qM24Q
youtu.be/dTepZ7qM24Q
GRAVITY IS FREE: the games of René Soriano
YouTube video by Hollandspiele
youtu.be
January 25, 2026 at 5:29 PM
What a lovely video!
Today's Stream: The End Is Nigh!
I don't know what it is, but it certainly sounds like a cheerful time!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v7_...
I don't know what it is, but it certainly sounds like a cheerful time!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v7_...
SB And Amabel Are Working On Some Nigh Moves
YouTube video by SB
www.youtube.com
January 25, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Today's Stream: The End Is Nigh!
I don't know what it is, but it certainly sounds like a cheerful time!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v7_...
I don't know what it is, but it certainly sounds like a cheerful time!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v7_...
me: do I need to download anything for the stream?
Samhain: Yes.
Samhain: Pornography!
me: huh. congratulations on your channel getting deleted then I guess?
Samhain (like Kermit announcing tonight's guest star): We're gonna goon! Yaaaaaay!
Samhain: Yes.
Samhain: Pornography!
me: huh. congratulations on your channel getting deleted then I guess?
Samhain (like Kermit announcing tonight's guest star): We're gonna goon! Yaaaaaay!
January 25, 2026 at 4:09 PM
me: do I need to download anything for the stream?
Samhain: Yes.
Samhain: Pornography!
me: huh. congratulations on your channel getting deleted then I guess?
Samhain (like Kermit announcing tonight's guest star): We're gonna goon! Yaaaaaay!
Samhain: Yes.
Samhain: Pornography!
me: huh. congratulations on your channel getting deleted then I guess?
Samhain (like Kermit announcing tonight's guest star): We're gonna goon! Yaaaaaay!
Reposted by Amabel Holland
(14/27) amusing, and the arguments are clear and queer. I would recommend this book to not just board game designers but anyone interested in creating art.
January 25, 2026 at 3:03 PM
(14/27) amusing, and the arguments are clear and queer. I would recommend this book to not just board game designers but anyone interested in creating art.
Reposted by Amabel Holland
(13/27) …hood, so to speak, so the nature of why things happen and how they interact is self-evident. The book is full of examinations of board games, as well as analysis of music, theatre, television, and especially film to help convey the thesis of modeling systems. Holland’s prose is light and…
January 25, 2026 at 3:03 PM
(13/27) …hood, so to speak, so the nature of why things happen and how they interact is self-evident. The book is full of examinations of board games, as well as analysis of music, theatre, television, and especially film to help convey the thesis of modeling systems. Holland’s prose is light and…
Reposted by Amabel Holland
(12/27) Cardboard Ghosts, Amabel Holland’s academic text of board games, has a compelling premise. Essentially, board games need to be fully understood before they can be properly engaged with, making them the ideal tool to model, analyze, and critique systems. There’s nothing hidden under the…
January 25, 2026 at 3:03 PM
(12/27) Cardboard Ghosts, Amabel Holland’s academic text of board games, has a compelling premise. Essentially, board games need to be fully understood before they can be properly engaged with, making them the ideal tool to model, analyze, and critique systems. There’s nothing hidden under the…
Reposted by Amabel Holland
(with the wisdom of Solomon) I agree with Samhain about the buttholes and with Amabel about the penises.
January 25, 2026 at 2:15 PM
(with the wisdom of Solomon) I agree with Samhain about the buttholes and with Amabel about the penises.
as a community, trans women need to stop tearing each other apart like this
because she did not even LISTEN to my song I improvised about buttholes
and also because last night she got mad at me during a conversation about whether onions and penises are similar or not for pointing out *CORRECTLY* that they're both wetter if you remove the skin
and also because last night she got mad at me during a conversation about whether onions and penises are similar or not for pointing out *CORRECTLY* that they're both wetter if you remove the skin
to be clear this is because I did not laugh at a song she improvised about buttholes
I apologize for my crimes
I apologize for my crimes
January 25, 2026 at 2:05 PM
as a community, trans women need to stop tearing each other apart like this
to be clear this is because I did not laugh at a song she improvised about buttholes
I apologize for my crimes
I apologize for my crimes
@amabel.bsky.social won't listen to me anymore just because my wisdom forces her to confront uncomfortable truths 😟
January 25, 2026 at 1:52 PM
to be clear this is because I did not laugh at a song she improvised about buttholes
I apologize for my crimes
I apologize for my crimes
I joke often that my career is comprised of "is *this* a game? is it?? play it. play it! I dare you!", but everything I've done, including City of Six Moons, is a game you can play
my current big project is literally something I am not really sure is a game though it has the shape of one
my current big project is literally something I am not really sure is a game though it has the shape of one
January 25, 2026 at 1:39 PM
I joke often that my career is comprised of "is *this* a game? is it?? play it. play it! I dare you!", but everything I've done, including City of Six Moons, is a game you can play
my current big project is literally something I am not really sure is a game though it has the shape of one
my current big project is literally something I am not really sure is a game though it has the shape of one
Reposted by Amabel Holland
I wanted to know who designed an old board game I loved. I found out he made over fifty games he was never credited for, in a career spanning more than three decades.
youtu.be/dTepZ7qM24Q
youtu.be/dTepZ7qM24Q
GRAVITY IS FREE: the games of René Soriano
YouTube video by Hollandspiele
youtu.be
January 23, 2026 at 6:51 PM
I wanted to know who designed an old board game I loved. I found out he made over fifty games he was never credited for, in a career spanning more than three decades.
youtu.be/dTepZ7qM24Q
youtu.be/dTepZ7qM24Q