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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged

@fanfactories.bsky.social

560 followers 430 following 470 posts

Seattle board game designer/dev. Posts about game design, playtesting, art, and crowdfunding. Credits: Fantastic Factories. Flatout Games CoLab dev for Verdant, Knitting Circle, Point Galaxy, Propolis, Cascadia: Alpine Lakes. https://www.josephzchen.me/

www.josephzchen.me

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 8d

Presenting the new bag for Flip Stack Burger Shack! This version will be what's available at the Indie Games Night Market at PAX Unplugged.

White fabric drawstring bag that says Flip Stack Burger Shack on a plate with burger and fries

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 5h

Don't think I've anticipated a KS more than this one! Connor is a talented designer & artist. Games executed well where the art + design are by the same person are rare but guarantee a seamless & full experience. Both games are amazing. Highly recommend you check these out.

Connor Wake | Always Awake Games 🔜 PaxWest @connor.alwaysawake.games · 5h

Excited to announce that Club Spooky and That’s the Spirit are finally launching on Kickstarter next week, October 14th!

Assemble the coolest group of ghouls at Club Spooky and find the culprit of your accidental death in Thats the Spirit!

Preview page here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/alw...

A banner for the Ghost Party bundle ks with the launch date of October 14th. A copy of each game is standing upright with cards from the games splayed in front.

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Reposted by Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged

Randy Flynn 🔜 PAX Unplugged @rf-seattle.bsky.social · 1d

A new preview for Cascadia: Alpine Lakes! Check out Dwayne & Alicia's short rundown.

Dwayne breaks down the scoring perfectly. Alicia beautifully summarizes the game's complexity compared to Cascadia.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8dY...

@blackboardgaming.bsky.social @flatoutgames.bsky.social

Cascadia: Alpine Lakes Kickstarter Preview | It's Time To Revisit The Pacific Northwest

YouTube video by BlackBoardGaming

www.youtube.com

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 18h

Yes I'm familiar with the difference and have built prototypes of games using both sizes (not in the same prototype though, that would be weird).

Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 1d

When I paid creators for videos it was never paying for their audience but for the video itself. The referral links I provided confirmed that was the correct line of thought.

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 1d

Especially if you feature the videos on the campaign page. You're using it to populate your KS page. Even if people don't watch it, they know it's there.

The real thing with real rules value I believe is very important as well but hard to measure the impact.

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 1d

This echoes my experience as well. When I did my KS I gave all the content creators a referral URL to put in their video descriptions. I don't think any of them brought beyond single digits in backers.

But the content itself is valuable. To show how the game is played and provide legitimacy.

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 2d

Yup. Technically Zoey wears the pattern on her pajamas, but I wanted something I could wear outside so I got a hoodie version.

Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 2d

I put the game on a shelf with other games I've worked on. I also have framed art from the game with the card component. I don't know that I would call it a ritual though.

3 framed prints of colorful artwork of factories from Fantastic Factories.

A shelf with games on it: Verdant, Fantastic Factories, Knitting Circle, Cascadia Junior

Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 2d

All right, who wore it better? Me or this tent at the state fair?

Joseph wearing a purple hoodie with colorful shapes on it. Backdrop is a purple tent with similar looking colorful shapes.

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Reposted by Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged

Randy Flynn 🔜 PAX Unplugged @rf-seattle.bsky.social · 2d

The how-to-play video for Cascadia: Alpine Lakes from @kovray.bsky.social is live! Learn the game in about 10 minutes and see what's similar to Cascadia and what is different.

There's just over a week until the Kickstarter campaign starts on October 14.

@flatoutgames.bsky.social

Ilya and Tylor 🎥🏳️‍🌈🎲 @kovray.bsky.social · 2d

Cascadia: Alpine Lakes

youtu.be/M3Blt5ly4l4

A new standalone Cascadia game that takes to higher elevation! Learn to play this lovely game from @rf-seattle.bsky.social , @bethsobel.bsky.social and the lovely folks from @flatoutgames.bsky.social

Cascadia: Alpine Lakes | How to Play | Learn to Play in 10 Minutes!

YouTube video by kovray

youtu.be

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Reposted by Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged

Daniel Newman // New Mill Industries @dnlnwmn.bsky.social · 7d

Indie Games Night Market is officially on the PAX Unplugged schedule!

unplugged.paxsite.com/en-us/schedu...

Schedule Item

unplugged.paxsite.com

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 7d

Sweet! Love the colors. Also love how each folded paper airplane is a different design!

Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 8d

Thanks! But just so it's clear it doesn't come with an actual plate of fries and a burger 😜

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 8d

Presenting the new bag for Flip Stack Burger Shack! This version will be what's available at the Indie Games Night Market at PAX Unplugged.

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 9d

Can't wait to see it!!

Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 13d

There are two types of players...

Cards laid out neatly in sets with mini poker chips on them

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Reposted by Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged

Unpub @unpub.bsky.social · 14d

🫨 We announced it in our September newsletter:

Unpub Festival Badge sales and reserved tables will open on October 1st at 12pm ET!

More info:
https://www.unpub.org/upcoming-events/unpub-festival-2026

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 14d

Wow looks very well done!

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 15d

They need custom sleeves.

Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 15d

I actually don't mind. I find it a bit thereupetic since it's a largely mindless task while my day is filled with so many active thinking demands.

Also it's one of the few things you can do to progress your game in between playtests. Makes me feel like I'm still moving forward.

Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 15d

I've been cutting cards...

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Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 15d

I did development on Cascadia: Alpine Lakes through the Flatout Games CoLab! It holds a lot of the same DNA as the original Cascadia but the vertical element completely bends the way you think about placement and long term planning. Coming to Kickstarter soon!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/fla...

Coming soon: Cascadia: Alpine Lakes

A standalone puzzly tile-layering follow-up to the award-winning game Cascadia, with beautiful artwork from Beth Sobel!

www.kickstarter.com

Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 15d

Subtle things like the card cases have tiny little nubs on the corners and now the labels don't apply flat. 😑

Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged @fanfactories.bsky.social · 15d

Only 3 months between indie game markets & surprisingly a lot of the supplies I used are discontinued or out of stock. I've had to source new bags, new plastic boxes, and new printable labels.

Each one with its own quirks & challenges that make the process frustratingly less repeatable.

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Reposted by Joseph Z Chen 🔜 PAX Unplugged

Randy Flynn 🔜 PAX Unplugged @rf-seattle.bsky.social · 15d

The pre-launch page for Cascadia: Alpine Lakes is up! Click that button to be notified when it goes live.

@flatoutgames.bsky.social @fanfactories.bsky.social @boardgameghee.bsky.social @bethsobel.bsky.social @dylanmangini.bsky.social

Coming soon: Cascadia: Alpine Lakes

A standalone puzzly tile-layering follow-up to the award-winning game Cascadia, with beautiful artwork from Beth Sobel!

www.kickstarter.com

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