I design catalogue-ready family and gateway games using a UX product process to move from concept to publisher-ready titles quickly and intentionally.
• Fast to teach
• High in player interaction
• Built for repeat play
• Validated in public environments
My approach is informed by competitive play and rapid public iteration, first publicly demonstrated with Great Uncle Mort is Dead at Protospiel North 2025.
Currently playtesting several original titles, and seeking publishing opportunities.
Current catalogue
UX-driven tabletop design for fast, commercially viable family & gateway games.
Focused on fast-teach, high-interaction family and gateway line-ready titles (15–45 minutes, 2–6+ players) designed for strong table presence and repeat play.
All titles are available for publisher review unless noted.
Great Uncle Mort is Dead
A semi-cooperative game of competitive greed.
High-interaction anchor title for negotiation and auction lines.
2 – 6
45m
8+
Teach: 5 minutes
Weight: Light-Medium
Table footprint: Standard
Category: Take that, Real time, Auction
Status: Available for publisher review (Sell sheet | Video)
Play: If you love games like I’m the Boss & High Society
99 Balloons
A fast-paced card game where predicting the second most common colour pays off.
Scales to large groups with ultra-fast onboarding.
2 – 10
20m
6+
Teach: 2 minute
Weight: Light
Table footprint: Small
Category: Set collection, Prediction
Status: Available for publisher review (Sell sheet | Video)
Extras: Rules & score sheet, Solo play & calculator app
Play: If you love games like Uno or 6nimmt!
Within Reach
A shared-path strategy game of timing and control.
Gateway strategy with strong visual table presence.
2 – 4
45m
8+
Teach: 5 minutes
Weight: Light-Medium
Table footprint: Standard
Category: Action selection, Map addition, Race for limited rewards
Status: Available for publisher review (Sell sheet)
Play: If you love games like Wingspan or Carcassonne
45 Seconds
A frantic team party game where nothing can be repeated.
Loud and fast party game for people that love words (everybody).
4 – 10
15m
6+
Teach: 1 minute
Weight: Light
Table footprint: Standard
Category: Team, Real-time, Word game
Status: Available for publisher review
Play: If you love games like Taboo or Scattegories
Cats Rule
A fast, furious game of picking sides and perfect timing.
Lightweight competitive filler with immediate table energy.
3 – 6
15m
6+
Teach: 1 minute
Weight: Light
Table footprint: Small
Category: Bidding, Race, Track movement
Status: Playtesting
Play: If you love games like Snakes & Ladders
Organized play & live testing
This process produces measurable reductions in teach time, faster first turns, and higher replay demand.
Live event operation
99 Balloons was featured at BreakoutCon 2026, alongside a Championship-style Saboteur tournament.
These sessions tested onboarding speed, table flow, replayability, and repeat demand in a high-throughput public environment.
Designed for fast teach and quick reset, each round provides immediate feedback on clarity, pacing, and player engagement under real convention conditions.
The rules were updated and gameplay enhanced based on the BreakoutCon game play.
Pilot production
A limited print run of 99 Balloons has been produced for live event use, prizing and public play.
This batch is used to validate handling, durability, table presence, and learn-to-play behaviour in a real setting.
The goal is production validation: Ensuring the game performs at scale before entering a publishing pipeline.
Interested in a copy? Reach out.
Structured playtesting
Each title is played and iterated with new and returning players.
- Mort is Dead: 35+ public playtests | Current ruleset v8.11
- 99 Balloons: 50+ public playtests | Current ruleset v3.5
- Cats Rule: 20+ public playtests | Current ruleset v3.6
- Within Reach: 35+ public playtests | Current ruleset v2.10
- 45 Seconds: 10+ public playtests | Current ruleset v1.7
Sessions focus on:
- Blind onboarding
- Replay rate
- Decision time
- Rules retention
Continuous iteration
All designs are tested in public environments, Protospiel, Snakes & Lattes design nights, and live events, where players learn directly from the components and begin play without designer guidance.
Feedback is implemented between sessions, creating short iteration cycles and measurable improvement in teach time, flow, and engagement.
UX applied to board game design
UX methods applied to physical games to improve commercial performance, reduce friction and increase player engagement.
This allows new titles to be developed faster, tested earlier, and aligned to specific catalogue needs.
For publishers
In search of:
- 2 – 6 player interaction-first designs
- Family & gateway catalogue lines
- Strong table presence & replayability
Let’s connect at an event or you can email me.
Events I’ll be attending
Designers night
Date: June 8, 2026
Location: Snakes & Lattes College, Toronto
OtonaCon
Date: June 13 – 14, 2026
Location: Healthy Planet Arena Banquet Hall, Peterborough
Spiel Essen
Date: Oct 22-25, 2026
Location: Spiele Messe Essen, Essen, Germany
Want to meet another time?
Let’s talk board game design
Occasional updates on new titles, live testing results, and catalogue availability.