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thegameaisle.bsky.social
The Game Aisle
@thegameaisle.bsky.social
80 followers 81 following 80 posts
Board game inventor, designer, and former reviewer. She/Her
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thegameaisle.bsky.social
Important read — and I added my thoughts on implicit bias within the industry at the end.
elizhargrave.bsky.social Elizabeth Hargrave @elizhargrave.bsky.social · Sep 4
Update to this chart that I share a lot. Not breaking news: Game design teams are still OVERWHELMINGLY all men. About 7% of the top 500 games have a woman or non-binary person credited as a designer. A 🧵of related charts: (1/6)
🎲✂️
Gender of Game Designers: Board Game Geek Top 500, January 2025 A pie chart: 92% of the pie is Designed only by men. They made 461 of the top 500 games. 6% of the pie is Designed by a mixed-gender group. They made 28 of the top 500 games. 1% of the pie is Designed only by women or non-binary people. They made 5 of the top 500 games. Data are for January 1, 2025, using the names in the Designer field on BGG. Not shown are 6 games in the top 500 that have uncredited designers.
September 5, 2025 at 4:15 AM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
A solid explanation of the chaos being caused by the current administration. youtu.be/5BRLn2Ii4Rc?...
Board Games are in Trouble, and it's NOT Why You Think | Extra Credits
YouTube video by Extra Credits
youtu.be
August 10, 2025 at 7:43 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Who was at Gen Con? What was the best family friendly (8+ or 10+) game you saw? Sad folks who didn’t get to go really want to know.
a cartoon character with the words more more tell me more
ALT: a cartoon character with the words more more tell me more
media.tenor.com
August 6, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Reposted by The Game Aisle
chicago.suntimes.com
A Vernon Hills company challenged President Donald Trump’s tariffs in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday in a long shot bid to press the justices to quickly decide whether they are legal.
Vernon Hills toy company challenges Trump’s tariffs before Supreme Court
The company argues the president illegally imposed tariffs under an emergency powers law rather than getting approval from Congress.
buff.ly
June 17, 2025 at 8:04 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
So many good reasons to keep tous & games tariff-free. www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Wk...
A Video to President Trump. TOY TOP 10: Reasons to #KeepToysTariffFree
YouTube video by Seize the Play
www.youtube.com
June 5, 2025 at 8:42 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Nope. Not a « deal ». He’s walking back a self-inflicted mess for 90 days, which doesn’t help with uncertainty and future planning. This is hurting US businesses and consumers.
indivisible.org Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · May 14
Trump’s “trade deal” with China is bullsh*t.
The Borowitz Report on Bluesky: “Trump says the U.S. has made a trade deal with China, while China says nothing. This has a "I had a girlfriend at camp" ring to it” Boring Weirdo on Bluesky: “Trump: "We're levying tariffs against you." China: "Go for it." Trump: "I'm serious." China: "So are we. Go nuts." Trump: "Ok fine, we'll relax the tariffs." China: "Works for us." Trump: "ART OF THE DEAL!!!!!"” Joshua Holland on Bluesky: “It's wild that ostensibly neutral outlets would call a brief suspension of some tariffs during ongoing negotiations a "trade deal." It just objectively isn't that. If there's an explanation for it other than Trump and the WH press shop claiming they struck a deal, I don't know what it would be.” Molly Ploofkins on Bluesky: “Trump drops tariffs on goods from China to 30% for 90 days. That was his big China deal. It's still 30% higher than it was before this drama started, and more than enough to cause great pain for small business and consumers.”
May 14, 2025 at 1:18 AM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Another reason @npr.org is so vital to our country —Educational episodes like this one from @planetmoney.bsky.social about country of origin. It is BONKERS and so interesting! 5⭐️ 10/10 worth a listen: What "Made in China" actually means one.npr.org/i/1249592921...
🔊 Listen Now: What "Made in China" actually means
Planet Money on NPR One | 27:00
one.npr.org
May 9, 2025 at 6:40 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
It’s going to be so bad for “Santa’s” across the US — and this is REALLY scary for the toy and game industry as a whole.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/b...
Retailers Fear Toy Shortages at Christmas as Tariffs Freeze Supply Chain
Toy makers and stores are freezing holiday orders, predicting shortages and higher prices. Some are consulting bankruptcy lawyers, fearing their firms won’t survive.
www.nytimes.com
April 30, 2025 at 1:58 AM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
I love this article from my child’s issue of @theweekjuniorus.bsky.social senior citizen trading cards sounds so wholesome #tradingcards
Picture from The Week Junior “Grandpa's on a trading card” Some kids collect Pokémon cards or baseball cards, but in Kawara, Japan, children are obsessed with trading cards that depict senior citizens. Created by a local official, the collection features 28 ojisan, or older men, from the town. Each man, including former fire chief Mr. Honda, age 74, and noodle master Mr. Takeshita, age 81, has special abilities in the game. One fan favorite is Mr. Fuji, a 68-year-old community volunteer, who said, "I never imagined 'd become a trading card, let alone have fans."
April 26, 2025 at 7:51 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
TAKE ACTION: Earth Day! 🌎 🌱☀️
The Trump administration is trying to alter the Endangered Species Act’s so the definition of “harm” to excludes habitat damage. Take two seconds to add your public comment! www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively referred to as the Services or we) are proposing to rescind the regulatory definition of "harm" ...
www.federalregister.gov
April 22, 2025 at 7:31 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Welp… this downright sucks. This reference is to toy companies, but game companies are lumped in and the ones who aren’t are still in the same situation. It is dire. And we Americans are the ones who are going to suffer. Contact your representatives. #savechristmas #tariffs
Graphic from the Toy Association entitled “Christmas 2025 at Risk.” This graphic shows the impact of 145% tariffs currently levied on Chinese imports in the toy and game industry. In bar graphs it shows that 81% of small toy companies and 87% of midsize towing companies are delaying orders, 64% of small companies and 80% of midsize companies are canceling orders, and 46% of small companies and 45% of midsize toy companies think they may go out of business within weeks or months.
April 21, 2025 at 10:06 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Started doing the @nytimes.com flashback puzzle and oh my goodness my friend Leslie’s name is the second question!! How cool is that?? 🤩🤩🤩 www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Flashback: Your Weekly History Quiz, April 12, 2025
Can you sort 8 historical events?
www.nytimes.com
April 12, 2025 at 7:19 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Love this!! 😍😍😍
benny275.bsky.social Benny Sperling - Roll and Write Revolution @benny275.bsky.social · Apr 9
@thegameaisle.bsky.social pigs on trampoline is still a hit at our house!
April 12, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Reposted by The Game Aisle
polygon.com
Tabletop industry in full panic as Trump tariffs are poised to erase decades of growth
Tabletop teams near panic as Trump tariffs could kill decades of growth
‘Devastating consequences’ on the way, says trade group
www.polygon.com
April 3, 2025 at 10:30 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
This is a welcome surprise. I really didn’t want to have to relive this via the trial.
March 3, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Reposted by The Game Aisle
semicoop.bsky.social
Finally - now we don't have to lay awake at night anymore! 😉
A four-panel comic featuring Rachel and Heinze in bed at night. Two cats are also on the bed, and a red digital clock shows the time changing. Panel 1: Rachel whispers, "Pssst. I can’t sleep." Heinze sleepily responds, "Hmm, why?" The clock reads 00:04. Panel 2: Rachel, looking concerned, says, "My head is pondering the big questions." Heinze, still groggy, asks, "What? Like what’s the meaning of life?" The clock now reads 00:05. Panel 3: Rachel, eyes wide, says, "No. At what point is a game called a card game and when does it switch to a board game?" Heinze is caught off guard and responds, "Oh, uhm…" Panel 4: The clock now reads 02:57. Rachel is staring at the ceiling, still wide awake, while Heinze is sound asleep, snoring. One cat is curled up next to Rachel, while the other sleeps snoring in the middle of the bed.
February 27, 2025 at 9:18 AM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
This is your reminder to check in on one friend each day. Maybe today it’s the one who always seems fine but you haven’t heard from in a bit. Just text them hi and ask them how they’re doing.
February 26, 2025 at 9:01 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Want to know about Tariffs ans toys? Here’s a good post: globaltoynews.com/2025/02/06/j...
Jay Foreman’s Blog: The Tariff Question
BY JAY FOREMAN, CEO, Basic Fun Tariffs hitting exports from China: what is Basic Fun going to do? Certainly, we will wait and see how this plays out over the next few weeks. We hear goods departing…
globaltoynews.com
February 14, 2025 at 1:48 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Serious question: when do we get the dumpster fire emoji? I feel like it’s long overdue at this point.
February 10, 2025 at 4:11 AM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Best story I’ve read all week: #boardgames
Peggy Brown - Out of Thin Air
Five years ago, I shared a story in the Bloom Report about somebody who contacted me out of the blue to share that a game I designed a lonnng, long time ago has held an important place in his heart ov...
peopleofplay.com
February 10, 2025 at 3:36 AM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Do you play connections and need some more #wordgames to distract from (waves arms wildly around in all directions)? I just found this one: playstacked.web.app
Stacked | Daily Word Game
Play Stacked, the daily word game! Uncover hidden connections to reveal the 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5-word groups.
playstacked.web.app
February 5, 2025 at 9:47 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
I’ll add a baby Zebra.
A mom zebra and baby zebra standing next to each other eating some sort of dried grass. Take at a zoo.
January 25, 2025 at 1:55 AM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Back when I did brainstorming professionally, we talked about how to get past obvious ideas. If 1 was no change and 10 was bonkers, crazy, drastic, not-rooted-in-reality-type change, we’d aim for generating ideas that were closer to 10 than 1 and then slowly reel them in.
January 24, 2025 at 3:43 AM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Pulled out this gem last night! Haven’t played in YEARS. The kiddo had a love/hate relationship with it — as one does with the puzzliness of NMBR9 #tabletopgames
NMBR9 box showing colorful grid-based shapes. Says “ take it to the next level” Z man games Shows number shapes that are all based on a grid so they are different shapes and colors Shows grid shaped number tiles piled on top of each other with cards showing these colorful number shapes on them
January 20, 2025 at 3:42 PM
thegameaisle.bsky.social
Who remembers this game? I cannot even recall the last time I played but we played last night and there was a lot of yelling. 😆
Rulebook with the title “most wanted” and a game board showing two outlaws with most wanted written above them. Plus some playing cards showing three kings in different colors without suits. Plus a woman gunslinger mover on the board and small money bag tokens in the background.
January 19, 2025 at 4:08 PM