With five games left to provide feedback on for Cardboard Edison, I've reviewed every video and rulebook for my allotted entries. These are my final observations:
Aaron Kempkes
@aaronkempkes.bsky.social
🎲⚙️ I'm a game designer from Nebraska in United States! Ion & BFIG 🥇, CE & Granollers 🥈, 21x Finalist- 3x Ion, BFIG; 2x Premio Archimede, Boulogne, Fastaval, LUCI, BGDL; 1x Cardboard Edison, SAGA, TGC, HABA; 13x Semi-Finalist- Hippodice, 4x Granollers
I'm wrapping up the review of the first third of my assigned entries for the Cardboard Edison award and the creativity is awesome! I really do think that there are many more ways to make engaging, unique board games, even if they share characteristics of others.
Calling all gamers! I'll be showcasing Gumball World at @bostonfig.bsky.social on Dec 15th. Fill some gumball machines, match patterns and use put quarters into your machine to activate awesome abilities! #letsgo #bostonfig
It was announced that my game Gumball World is a finalist for @bostonfig.bsky.social for 2025! But not only did I make it in the finals, so did my friend Mark from my playtest group! Nebraska game designers will be representing in Boston in two weeks and that’s pretty damn cool 😎
A very late update about Archimede from September: 13th out of 30 finalists and 246 total games. I’m always driven to do better but I’m proud I hung with the group and had a respectable score. It was an amazing experience!
I'm a finalist for Premio Archimede as one of the final thirty for my game Stacking Frogs! The ceremony will be broadcast live on Twitch at 2:30PM CEST/7:30AM CDT at www.twitch.tv/iogiocotv if you want to watch it!
Twitch
Twitch is the world
twitch.tv
This is a playthrough video for Rome & Write, a game releasing via Roll and Write Revolution on Kickstarter on 9/3. I run through the rules and a quick game, trying not to make the Emperor angry and make the cheapest blueprint. Many thanks to Benny Sperling! youtu.be/pU3aAl11-TU
Rome and Write Playthrough (Roll and Write Revolution Kickstarter- 9/2025!)
YouTube video by Aaron Kempkes
youtu.be
Hey everyone, I'm teaming up with Benny Sperling from Roll and Write Revolution for Rome and Write, a game where you are city planners in Ancient Rome trying to stay within the budget and unrealistic expectations of the emperor. Launching September 1 for only $5 as a PNP. bit.ly/3GJUvUz
Coming soon: Rome and Write
Build your Roman city as efficiently as possible to benefit your future citizens!
bit.ly
It's been officially announced that three of my games are semi-finalists (top 60/246) for Premio Archimede 2025 in Venice! I'm so honored to have been chosen among games from designers who are past winners, fellow Ion Award finalists, published designers and newcomers alike.
I discovered back in March I was a semi-finalist (top 30 of 126 entries) for the Boulogne Billancourt International Design Contest. I discovered this morning that I didn't advance to the finals. Although I was really hoping for another chance to present in Paris, I wish the finalists good luck.
I got the nomination certificate and now I wait until the award ceremony in a little over 2 hours!
I’m nominated for Best Board Game at Fastaval! Thank you to everyone who has welcomed me with open arms & provided kindness, guidance &great conversation throughout the last few days. Congratulations to my fellow nominees & to the designers who didn’t get nominated.
It’s oddly comforting to have this taste of Scandinavia again 🙂 on my way to Aalborg to settle in for Fastaval. Hoping Caps can do well but there’s some great competition!
Congratulations to the Ion Award finalists! I did not advance this year.
I just found out I’m a semi-finalist for the Ciutat de Granollers International Design Contest with Hectic Harvest, which I co-designed with my sister Amber Kempkes! Our game is one of 20 games picked out of 122 entries. The other four I entered were in Tier A and just missed the cut.
Website official! Woooo! Congrats to all of the winners and thank you to everyone who played our games during @bostonfig.bsky.social!
I didn’t ever think I’d be posting that I won an award at BostonFIG. But it happened! I won Best Family Game and was nominated as one of the three nominees in two other categories: Best Game In Progress and Best In Show! Thanks for a welcoming and amazing Fest @bostonfig.bsky.social!
Calling all gamers! ️ I'll be showcasing Thar It Rolls at @bostonfig.bsky.social on Dec 15th. Come test it out and join the barrel rolling shenanigans! bostonfig.com
It has been said the sky is bluer here so I'm heading over to check it out :)
I can't wait to present Thar It Rolls as a finalist for BostonFIG's Tabletop Showcase! My prototype is ready, my sign is ready and I look forward to visiting Boston for the first time and meeting all of the awesome local designers and gamers.
Boston Festival of Indie Games event is coming up! Date 📅: December 15, 2024 Location 🏙️: Cyclorama in Boston, MA USA More about Boston FIG at: www.eventsforgamers.com/event/boston... @bostonfig.bsky.social #BostonFIG #GameDev
Can't wait to present Caps at Fastaval in April! It will my first time attending Fastaval as a finalist and I look forward to visiting Denmark again.
The list of the 28 new scenarios for #Fastaval25 is online - longer previews will arrive later. Describtions are in English on the homepage. www.fastaval.dk/en/premierer...