Haole Boy Games 🔜 SpielMas
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Haole Boy Games 🔜 SpielMas
@haoleboygames.com
260 followers 480 following 630 posts
Greg Pool: Tabletop game designer, #RecoveringGeologist, and campfire busker. Curator of @SpielMas.com ⛄️.

✍️ Playtesting: Kamoamoa, Soccer 54, Bats of Limekiln, Pōpoki.

Try look: HaoleBoyGames.com (HOW-lee)
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Two years ago I vacationed in New Zealand and was impressed with this section of a library in Wellington.
A section allowing people to check out boardgames: “The Library is trialing having a boardgame collection. The boardgames can be reserved, collected and returned to any branch. Any questions please see staff!”
November 28, 2025 at 3:23 PM
haoleboygames.com
I’ve wrapped up my college broadcast soccer season last week by then getting to attend the NWSL Championship in San Jose. Did I have a copy of #Soccer54 ⚽️ in my bag the whole time? Of course!
In the booth (right) for the California Collegiate Athletic Association men’s and women’s tournament. Tailgating in the traveling supporters section for both the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC. “Goyo” is short for Gregorio. Second women’s championship final in two weeks! Made at the supporters groups tailgate, we held up the signs “Trans People Belong” during the 20th minute.
November 23, 2025 at 4:39 PM
haoleboygames.com
3 out 4 astronomers recommend “slew.”
stellarvue.com Slew To move, manually or electronically, a telescope about its mount's axes of rotation at a relatively fast rate. Typically, a telescope is slewed to an object's general location, then fine adjustments are made to position the object within the telescope's field of view.
October 4, 2025 at 7:55 PM
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Button Shy has offered an 18-card cozy game challenge: buttonshygames.com/blogs/news-1...

My timing may work to further develop #BatsOfLimekiln 🦇 after @gamemarketwest.bsky.social on 9/21.

Here’s my 2022 🎲✂️ post, with video of the actual bats: www.haoleboygames.com/blog/the-bat...
The Bats of Limekiln card back with bat.
September 2, 2025 at 2:03 PM
haoleboygames.com
After a furious week of online playtesting, I have printed, sleeved, and made ready the current prototype of Foosball 74 for IRL playtesting.

🎲✂️ #Soccer54
View from the touch line of a set up of Foosball 74. View from the end line of a set up of Foosball 74.
August 30, 2025 at 5:35 PM
haoleboygames.com
After a recent online playtesting burst last week, I’m going into the Labor Day weekend with only 3/4 of my original advantage suits (🎩 @ericdittmore.bsky.social) But that made room to IRL playtest corner kicks, throw-ins, tackles, fouls, and the offside rule. 🎲✂️
13 CORNER KICK In your final third of the field both players will play two cards in sequence. The first card to play for possession, and then the second for shoot/save, if possible.
August 29, 2025 at 1:30 PM
haoleboygames.com
Two worlds collided on Sunday. The ⚽️ season opened for my local college team where I am a play-by-play announcer.

And it was @protospielo.bsky.social weekend, where I was still playtesting Foosball 74.

🎲✂️ #Soccer54
A Shoot 3 Strength Card from Soccer 74, now re-themed to Foosball 74 in the digital prototype I used during Protospiel Online. In the background is the soccer field where the Sea Otters 🦦 of Cal State Monterey Bay play their home games.
August 27, 2025 at 2:53 PM
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Agreed. I will still want to play the original Samurai over Hanami because the bakelite bits are so beautiful yet functional.
Image showing all three factions in Reiner Knizia’s Samurai: helmet, rice, and Buddha.
August 21, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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As a #RecoveringGeologist ⚒️ I find this result deeply satisfying.
How Americans respond when asked to pick rock, paper or scissors: Scissors 30% Paper 26% Rock 44%
August 17, 2025 at 8:08 PM
haoleboygames.com
Save the date! 🎲✂️

On Monday 8/25, Jason from @themisplay.com and I are going to host the first virtual playtesting event sponsored by Golden Gate Gamemakers.
Logo for the Golden Gate Gamemakers, representing board game designers from around the San Francisco Bay Area.
August 12, 2025 at 2:17 PM
haoleboygames.com
I printed a prototype that uses a custom deck from Soccer 74, the game based on the free print and play version called #Soccer54. I tested the PK shootout using the 32 shooting and saving cards. The digital version is ready to go for @protospielo.bsky.social starting on August 22. 🎲✂️
Cutting up poker-size cards made with Mulideck (Mac). A sleeved card representing the blue shooter with rank three and a spatial awareness advantage. A quick-think backing using an existing card deck’s back. Makes it look really shiny, and it makes the sleeved card feel firm. Finished game of a PK shootout where I lost 4-3.
August 10, 2025 at 10:46 PM
haoleboygames.com
I've been 🎲✂️ building up for the August @protospielo.bsky.social by creating a custom deck of cards based on #Soccer54 that now includes 74 cards, advantage suits, colors, and directions to move the ball after a battle for possession. This eliminates a ton of rules and speeds up play.
Setup on PlayingCardsIO of Soccer 74. The blue 12 with a spatial awareness advantage is in the center midfield representing the current location of the ball on the field.
August 8, 2025 at 4:33 PM
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Very harsh. 🤣
RESET We call it "a Jason" when you hit Reset instead of Deal.
August 8, 2025 at 1:44 PM
haoleboygames.com
Testing a trick-taking variant of #Soccer54 at the local pub with the designer of @zphotogame.bsky.social. 🎲✂️
Starting set-up of Soccer 54 on a playmat that looks like a grass field.
July 26, 2025 at 11:15 PM
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My favorite part? AI explaining to the Meatverse the value of shuffling.
Shuffle the Flip 7 cards Flip 7 comes with a deck of cards, and the first step is to shuffle them thoroughly. This ensures that everyone starts on an even playing field, with no one knowing what to expect.
July 26, 2025 at 2:04 PM
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dumb haole
Some park visitor tried to “shaka bra” in front of the stationary camera. Some park visitor tried to “shaka bra” in front of the stationary camera.
July 20, 2025 at 5:16 PM
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Here’s what you missed.
Eruption from a vent in the summit caldera of Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.
July 20, 2025 at 3:53 PM
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Happy International Chess Day (7/20)! ♟️ #boardgames
The Seventh Seal (1957) This allegorical film directed by Ingmar Bergman is set in medieval Sweden during the Black Death, where a knight returning from the Crusades plays chess with Death.
July 20, 2025 at 1:38 PM
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Iceland is going off. 🌋
Time to dust off this meme. #RecoveringGeologist
Distracted boyfriend meme. In this case the volcanologist (whistling boyfriend) is more interested in Iceland (cute woman walking away) than Hawaii (current girlfriend) who is visibly upset.
July 16, 2025 at 4:32 PM
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FYI That Oakland Soul jersey has “Diaz” and the no. 2 on the back. It was the jersey assigned to Alexandra Diaz, who played for the the semi-professional team in 2024. She also played ⚽️ for the NCAA D2 “Sea Otters” of Cal State Monterey Bay, where I am the TV broadcast announcer.
Front: Oakland Soul logo Back: Diaz number 2
July 12, 2025 at 5:19 PM
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Let’s go pitch a soccer game ⚽️ in Oakland CA! 🎲✂️

#Soccer54 #boardgames
A “Believe” hat from the Ted Lasso television series, and an Oakland Soul soccer jersey.
July 12, 2025 at 5:19 PM
haoleboygames.com
Heading up to playtest in my first IRL Protospiel event at a con.

It's being run by the Golden Gate Gamemakers at the East Bay Board Game Convention in Oakland CA.

Prior to this I've only been playtesting at @protospielo.bsky.social and in Santa Cruz at a monthly GGG meetup. 🎲✂️
East Bay Board Game Convention, July 11-13, 2025 in Oakland CA
July 11, 2025 at 5:16 PM
haoleboygames.com
I was today days old when I first learned that Molten Lava has its own Pantone color.

Actually, red is not that hot. < 800 C 💯

Orange? Hotter. 800-1,000 C

Yellow? 1,000-1,200 C. Now you're cooking!

#RecoveringGeologist
Color Name: PANTONE 18-1555 TCX - Molten Lava Hex Color Code: #B5332E RGB Color Code: RGB(181, 51, 46) CMYK Values*: 0.0%, 71.8%, 74.6%, 29.0%
July 11, 2025 at 2:55 PM
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I had two successful four-player tests of Palace: River and Stone (rules ⤵️), which exclusively uses the standard deck of cards designed by @bethsobel.bsky.social.

As a result, I’m in talks to include my variant and Beth’s deck in a new playtester’s wing of a local board game library! 🎲✂️
A pre-game board of four-person Palace: River and Stone on a table at People’s Coffee in Santa Cruz CA. The game library at People’s Coffee in Santa Cruz CA where monthly playtesting sessions occur courtesy of the Golden Gate Gamemakers and The Game Designers of Santa Cruz.
July 9, 2025 at 7:43 PM
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Old favorite? Samurai by Reiner Knizia (Rio Grande edition)

New to me: 52 Realms from @postmarkgames.bsky.social.

#boardgames
Nearly filled island with two influences remaining in Samurai. Completed game of 52 Realms using the Barbarian and the Tomb of the Ever-Wandering Soul. 88 points.
July 6, 2025 at 4:25 PM