Kevin Wilson
@kevinwilson42.bsky.social
Boardgame designer best known for Arkham Horror, Descent: Journeys in the Dark, A Gentle Rain, and the Kinfire series of games. Now Director of Game Design at Incredible Dream Studios. He/him.
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Kevin Wilson
@kevinwilson42.bsky.social
· Oct 18
For new followers, I'm Kevin Wilson and I've designed tabletop games for about 25 years now, though I'm mostly known for board games these days. Around here I largely talk about my games, food, and my recently-renewed cd collection. I try to encourage folks to be kinder to themselves and each other.
Had a pomegranate for the first time in ages, and I remember how much I like them and why I don't usually get them. Lots of work and they're basically like a red dye grenade. But hey, they can be disassembled underwater, which works well, since the seeds sink and the pulp floats.
November 26, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Had a pomegranate for the first time in ages, and I remember how much I like them and why I don't usually get them. Lots of work and they're basically like a red dye grenade. But hey, they can be disassembled underwater, which works well, since the seeds sink and the pulp floats.
Now Sid Sackson, there's a guy who could keep a notebook. His notes are so far beyond mine it's not even funny. Mine are more just about keeping my scattered ideas straight, he flat out journaled his boardgame life in meticulous detail.
November 23, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Now Sid Sackson, there's a guy who could keep a notebook. His notes are so far beyond mine it's not even funny. Mine are more just about keeping my scattered ideas straight, he flat out journaled his boardgame life in meticulous detail.
Pretty much every boardgame design I do starts out as hand drawn notes in a notebook, but there's usually a number of doodles, diagrams, and spreadsheets in there as well, and computer just doesn't work as well for that phase of design for me. But after all, boardgames aren't books - it's different.
I know a number of writers who draft in pen and I consider them like I would someone who insists on making bread by first planting the wheat
And if you're already quite mad, like Neal Stephenson, you might write upwards of 3500 pages with a fountain pen.
November 23, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Pretty much every boardgame design I do starts out as hand drawn notes in a notebook, but there's usually a number of doodles, diagrams, and spreadsheets in there as well, and computer just doesn't work as well for that phase of design for me. But after all, boardgames aren't books - it's different.
Been enjoying some pfefferneuse I got from Aldi's, and given that the Minnesota Heritage cookbook I picked up at the library sale has a recipe...I might give making my own a whirl. Just have to make sure I can get reasonable amounts of the spices rather than a 20 year supply.
November 22, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Been enjoying some pfefferneuse I got from Aldi's, and given that the Minnesota Heritage cookbook I picked up at the library sale has a recipe...I might give making my own a whirl. Just have to make sure I can get reasonable amounts of the spices rather than a 20 year supply.
So, I don't actually have a degree in game design. My degree is in Cognitive Science, which is the study of intelligence, and my emphasis was in artificial intelligence. It was an interdisciplinary degree at UC Berkeley that I got in the mid-1990s...
November 21, 2025 at 12:06 AM
So, I don't actually have a degree in game design. My degree is in Cognitive Science, which is the study of intelligence, and my emphasis was in artificial intelligence. It was an interdisciplinary degree at UC Berkeley that I got in the mid-1990s...
Just so foiks out there know, I do actually read revirews of my games, and if a review is just full of fabricated mechanics and has nothing to do with my game, I'm gonna call you out on it.
November 20, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Just so foiks out there know, I do actually read revirews of my games, and if a review is just full of fabricated mechanics and has nothing to do with my game, I'm gonna call you out on it.
Huh, I think I just came across the first AI-generated review of one of my games that I've seen. There's basically nothing correct in the review. Absolutely wild.
November 20, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Huh, I think I just came across the first AI-generated review of one of my games that I've seen. There's basically nothing correct in the review. Absolutely wild.
I started walking in parks for Pokemon Go. That extra little bit of digital candy helped me keep it up. Eventually, I started taking photos of mushrooms, landscapes, and the occasional deer I saw, and stopped playing Pokemon and just focused on walking to enjoy nature and take photos.
November 20, 2025 at 5:03 AM
I started walking in parks for Pokemon Go. That extra little bit of digital candy helped me keep it up. Eventually, I started taking photos of mushrooms, landscapes, and the occasional deer I saw, and stopped playing Pokemon and just focused on walking to enjoy nature and take photos.
It occurs to me that I've only ever been allowed to significantly guide a game line a few times - Arkham Horror 2e, Descent 1e, FFG Cosmic Encounter (up through expansion 3 or 4), and Kinfire. Honestly, looking at that list, I'm starting to think I might just be okay at game line product planning.
November 19, 2025 at 8:39 PM
It occurs to me that I've only ever been allowed to significantly guide a game line a few times - Arkham Horror 2e, Descent 1e, FFG Cosmic Encounter (up through expansion 3 or 4), and Kinfire. Honestly, looking at that list, I'm starting to think I might just be okay at game line product planning.
Reposted by Kevin Wilson
Rarely does a game manage to capture both my strategic & thematic heart. Kinfire Council does just that.
Check out my Review:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aekG...
@incredibledream.bsky.social
#boardgames
Check out my Review:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aekG...
@incredibledream.bsky.social
#boardgames
Kinfire Council Review | My Top 5 Pros and 2 Cons
YouTube video by Board Game Apprentice
www.youtube.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Rarely does a game manage to capture both my strategic & thematic heart. Kinfire Council does just that.
Check out my Review:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aekG...
@incredibledream.bsky.social
#boardgames
Check out my Review:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aekG...
@incredibledream.bsky.social
#boardgames
I talked to BoardGameWire a bit ago about my plans as I return to freelancing. You can expect me to be a bit of a slow burn for awhile, I suspect.
Veteran Arkham Horror and Descent: Journeys in the Dark designer Kevin Wilson spoke to BoardGameWire about how he plans to make a success of his return to freelancing after tariff-related downsizing at Kinfire series publisher Incredible Dream earlier this year:
boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...
boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...
November 19, 2025 at 8:32 PM
I talked to BoardGameWire a bit ago about my plans as I return to freelancing. You can expect me to be a bit of a slow burn for awhile, I suspect.
Somewhere between 6 and 8 deer on my walk this evening. I'll see if any of the photos are any good later. I think I'm gonna pop over to Half Price Books while they're open, though, and then maybe a quick stop by the grocery, since I'm now out of burritos given how long they've been out of stock.
November 18, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Somewhere between 6 and 8 deer on my walk this evening. I'll see if any of the photos are any good later. I think I'm gonna pop over to Half Price Books while they're open, though, and then maybe a quick stop by the grocery, since I'm now out of burritos given how long they've been out of stock.
For this year's Xmas giveaway game, I'm revisiting my 2017 Xmas game, Pneumatic Santa, about a steampunk Santa setting up a pneumatic gift delivery system. Found some nice Library of Congress photos to tinker with, and mocked up a little cover tonight.
November 18, 2025 at 9:09 AM
For this year's Xmas giveaway game, I'm revisiting my 2017 Xmas game, Pneumatic Santa, about a steampunk Santa setting up a pneumatic gift delivery system. Found some nice Library of Congress photos to tinker with, and mocked up a little cover tonight.
Yeah, I'm on the side of that meme that's been floating around. No, Mario, $70 for Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 isn't happening. I'll just wait and get it used at some point. And if I never see it for cheap, then oh well. They're good games, but they're like 15 years old. I'm not paying OVER the normal rate.
November 17, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Yeah, I'm on the side of that meme that's been floating around. No, Mario, $70 for Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 isn't happening. I'll just wait and get it used at some point. And if I never see it for cheap, then oh well. They're good games, but they're like 15 years old. I'm not paying OVER the normal rate.
Been focusing mostly on just personal ramblings this fall, as my creativity's been spotty at best since I was laid off. Just little fits and spurts of ideas, with limited longevity to them so far. Sometimes the juice is there, and sometimes you need some time to rest and recuperate.
November 17, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Been focusing mostly on just personal ramblings this fall, as my creativity's been spotty at best since I was laid off. Just little fits and spurts of ideas, with limited longevity to them so far. Sometimes the juice is there, and sometimes you need some time to rest and recuperate.
This morning I took a walk, had an egg mcmuffin, checked the grocery store to see if they've restocked anything (they haven't) and disassembled and put my jigsaw puzzle away in the closet til next time. I'll probably listen to a cd or two next and then see if I have any creative juice in me today.
November 15, 2025 at 6:14 PM
This morning I took a walk, had an egg mcmuffin, checked the grocery store to see if they've restocked anything (they haven't) and disassembled and put my jigsaw puzzle away in the closet til next time. I'll probably listen to a cd or two next and then see if I have any creative juice in me today.
Finished up my Sherlock Holmes jigsaw puzzle this afternoon. It was a nice satisfying puzzle, by and large, and had all its pieces, which was nice since I got it used. In a bit I'll take it apart and put it back in the box to reassemble again another day.
November 15, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Finished up my Sherlock Holmes jigsaw puzzle this afternoon. It was a nice satisfying puzzle, by and large, and had all its pieces, which was nice since I got it used. In a bit I'll take it apart and put it back in the box to reassemble again another day.
Heading to bed late after working on the Sherlock Holmes jigsaw puzzle I bought at the library sale. I also got 2 cook books (1 of which, the Minnesota Heritage cook book, looks really good!) and a random cd, which turned out to be fairly meh. Overall, I've gotten good value for my $8.
November 14, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Heading to bed late after working on the Sherlock Holmes jigsaw puzzle I bought at the library sale. I also got 2 cook books (1 of which, the Minnesota Heritage cook book, looks really good!) and a random cd, which turned out to be fairly meh. Overall, I've gotten good value for my $8.
Hmm, ah right, the local library has their used books/cds/dvds sale going on. I reckon I'll pop over there and have a look today to see what they've got. I'm not expecting much, but you never know.
November 13, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Hmm, ah right, the local library has their used books/cds/dvds sale going on. I reckon I'll pop over there and have a look today to see what they've got. I'm not expecting much, but you never know.
I did have a nice walk this evening. Folks were scarce, so the deer were abundant. I saw two herds of three each, and at one point a buck chased another buck out of the bushes a ways off while I was walking the little boardwalk. Eight in a single walk is a very respectable count for me.
November 12, 2025 at 11:54 PM
I did have a nice walk this evening. Folks were scarce, so the deer were abundant. I saw two herds of three each, and at one point a buck chased another buck out of the bushes a ways off while I was walking the little boardwalk. Eight in a single walk is a very respectable count for me.
As has become the norm post-covid, I went to the grocery store for 5 things and left with 2 - the rest they were out of my preferred brand. That's not to say I couldn't have made due with different brands, we aren't quite there yet, but the consistency of it these days weirds me out.
November 12, 2025 at 11:29 PM
As has become the norm post-covid, I went to the grocery store for 5 things and left with 2 - the rest they were out of my preferred brand. That's not to say I couldn't have made due with different brands, we aren't quite there yet, but the consistency of it these days weirds me out.
Mustering up juice for a walk and a grocery trip (just low on a few things, but they're often out of them, so better to start checking now in order to find them before I'm out.) Made another discount pork loin last night, and overall I'm becoming a fan. Pretty easy to fix and makes decent leftovers.
November 12, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Mustering up juice for a walk and a grocery trip (just low on a few things, but they're often out of them, so better to start checking now in order to find them before I'm out.) Made another discount pork loin last night, and overall I'm becoming a fan. Pretty easy to fix and makes decent leftovers.
This is a good night to drink some tea and read some Moomin and not look at any news, I think.
November 11, 2025 at 2:18 AM
This is a good night to drink some tea and read some Moomin and not look at any news, I think.
Instead of posting something absolutely pointless in frustration, here's a little doodle I've drawn for Bindlestiff. This critter is called a jellyfly, and they serve as some decoration on the game board. And like most decorations there, they also serve a game function, if the player discovers it.
November 10, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Instead of posting something absolutely pointless in frustration, here's a little doodle I've drawn for Bindlestiff. This critter is called a jellyfly, and they serve as some decoration on the game board. And like most decorations there, they also serve a game function, if the player discovers it.
I think for this year's Xmas game, I'm going to revisit one of my past efforts and see if I can't make it better. And for me, the Xmas game I always liked but which didn't quite come together was "Pneumatic Santa", which was based off of a 15-tile puzzle. Might try to self-illustrate it this time.
November 10, 2025 at 6:16 AM
I think for this year's Xmas game, I'm going to revisit one of my past efforts and see if I can't make it better. And for me, the Xmas game I always liked but which didn't quite come together was "Pneumatic Santa", which was based off of a 15-tile puzzle. Might try to self-illustrate it this time.