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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!)

@marcelineleiman.bsky.social

3.6K followers 660 following 4.4K posts

🏳️‍⚧️ Published Game Designer, Developer, Educator. MFA graduate from NYU Game Center. https://www.marcelineleiman.com/ http://bio.link/marcelineleiman

www.marcelineleiman.com

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · Aug 5

Hello! Since I have a new job working as a Lead Designer at a new studio under Unstable Games—it’s time to make a new pinned post!

My name is Marceline, a full-time game designer and adjunct professor at NYU Game Center.

You may know my work from High Tide, Oceans, Trekking the World 2e, Organism!

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Reposted by Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!)

Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 1h

TONIGHT (and especially for followers outside of NYC who want to get involved):

Join @brennanleemulligan.bsky.social on a special phonebank at 6pm!

Sign up: volunteer.zohranfornyc.com/phonebank-fo...

A graphic with a photo of Brennan Lee Mulligan that says "Phone Bank with Zohran, Wednesday, October 8th at 6pm."

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 2h

If you’re already a robot battling fan—how did you first learn about it?

It’s so cool to suddenly be aware of all of the technicalities of the builds and tournament structure!

Are battling robots my new favorite hobby? 🤔

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 2h

This weekend we watched @nhrl.bsky.social games on YouTube for the first time and were blown away by this whole world of robot battling.

I first learned about it from @gil.hova.net who works for the org.

We enjoyed it so much, and we are planning to go see the games IRL!

Let’s go Jelly Baby!!!!

October's Final Rounds: Prime Time | NHRL 2025 Round 6, Oct 4th from 7pm ET

YouTube video by NHRL

www.youtube.com

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 2h

*DOESN’T always result in less burnout

Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 3h

Thanks for sharing this Matthew! I see a lot the issues of burnout I’ve dealt with myself reflected in this video, and it really means a lot for you to come out and talk about it!

Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 3h

Our brains aren’t meant to think constantly about one thing. We need space in our day to not think about the work—which in turn makes for better work!

The more space you can afford yourself to not work constantly on a thing, the better and more sustainable the work will turn out.

Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 3h

Turns out, I simply wasn’t diagnosed with generalized anxiety yet. Now I can’t help but see design dreams as a symptom on my path to burnout.

Now when I’m stuck on a project, instead of hammering away for days on end, I’ll shelve it.

Often my best ideas for improvement come months later.

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 3h

That’s why it’s so important to “touch grass” and prioritize experiences outside of games. We need to build relationships with the world to naturally pull us out of the path of burnout.

I used to think having “design dreams” was a good thing. Turns out, not so much.

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 3h

Even the intention to do less does always result in less burnout.

It’s not remedied by anything specific other than stepping away from the work.

My experience has shown that either significantly cutting back on work hours or cutting the work fully off has been the best medicine for my burnout.

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 3h

The less aware of your energy, the more susceptible you are to burnout.

People who tend to burnout the most often are the “hard workers”—the ones that seem to have more time in the day than the rest of us.

Because in the mind of one burning out, they’re never doing enough.

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 3h

For myself, I absolutely relate to these feelings—but had experienced the most burnout prior to entering the industry, as a university student.

I heard a valuable metaphor during that time, that 1 hour of work requires 2 hours of rest.

During burnout, the rest required increases exponentially.

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 3h

Huge kudos to @matthewdunstan.bsky.social for being vulnerable and talking about these issues.

Burnout is often one of those things people tell you to just ”push through” to the other side of—but that’s never the answer.

Matthew Dunstan @matthewdunstan.bsky.social · 10h

Today's video was a hard one for me to make - I wanted to talk about my experiences going through burnout in the last year or so as a game designer, and aspects of the wider tabletop industry that contribute to that.

youtu.be/D2rC_8F10R8

🎲✂️

The reality of being a full time game designer

YouTube video by Matthew Dunstan

youtu.be

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Reposted by Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!)

Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 1d

This presentation by Jonas Tyroller absolutely applies to boardgame pitching as well. 🎲✂️

Mechanisms aren’t what sell games.

Focusing solely on “hooks” can distract you from what’s most important: making an appealing game that’s scoped appropriately (for its size/weight/gameplay, what have you)

What Sells on Steam: You Don't Need a Hook

YouTube video by Jonas Tyroller

youtu.be

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Reposted by Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!)

🥧 suzanne 🥧 @425suzanne.bsky.social · 22h

For what my opinion is worth - MOST content creators cannot bring in a meaningful volume of backers so I'm shifting away from viewing them as buzz build. Where I'm seeing value in content is in playthroughs. Have them ready when you launch. If they air earlier, have lead capture ready.

Crownfell preorder: Nov 18 @weheart.games · 2d

Advice request:

Is it better to have review coverage in advance of a crowd funding campaign, to build buzz, or better to have that review coverage happen during the campaign so people can back it right away when they see it? 🎲✂️

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 22h

I’d so appreciate that! Definitely will need testers for it soon

Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 1d

Appropriately, cleanly, APPROVEDLY fun*

Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 1d

Like I think most people will find the older edition far more appealing and friendly to play.

The new one feels like a new take on CAH.

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 1d

So far I’ve been really into the direction CMYK has been going in.

But I *really* don’t like this new art for Monikers. It feels sterile, with so much of the life of the previous edition lost.

New 2025 edition of CMYK’s Monikers cover art

A pattern of cards from the new 2025 edition of CMYK’s Monikers

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 1d

It’s sort of like the rouge-like/lite debate.

We’re talking about the same thing, but we’ve created specific terms so we can talk more specifically about the specific thing.

Not that it’s really needed when you reach a certain level of competency in the thing.

Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 1d

I certainly discovered it in the overwhelming fear of joblessness

During which I wound up coming back around to “let’s not make a game”, which resulted in something with gameishness.

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 1d

I think it’s a smart strategy to try and separate it from “hook”—because there’s so many different approaches and history with that word, that the best strategy is to try and create a taxonomical difference to begin the conversation with.

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 1d

Can confirm: as previous attendee of said academic program, I’m now finally convinced games simply cannot be made

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 1d

Totally, and that’s what I’m trying to say about promised experience—using a framework that speaks to the current modality.

Our insular hobby designer’s idea of a hook is out of date, and needs updating.

Let’s focus more on “what’s happening” and less on “how you do it.”

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 1d

So when you’re planning for your pitch, think not just in terms of your fun, mechanical hooks—make sure everything is working towards fulfilling the appeal of your game’s promised experience.

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Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 1d

This theme is fine but lacks general appeal, because it’s an experience that has been promised before.

So I reversed the narrative.

Now it’s about descending a mountain, being chased by an avalanche! 🏔️

Immediately there’s an obvious different in the quality of drama and interest in that idea.

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