Keith DeViere Donaldson
@kddgames.bsky.social
Board game designer from Boston, Massachusetts
Trying to get this Reconstruction game out of my head. The game follows the arc Du Bois described "The slave went free; stood for a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery" I want players to talk about what remains of the institutions built after playing.
My Click Clack Bats prototype is ready for the @unpub.org @rosegauntlet.bsky.social speed pitch at Gen Con tomorrow … the glue is dry with time to spare. 🙂
Designing the foam insert for COINTELPRO: The Assassination of Fred Hampton. Debating if I should use the 12 extra mini cards for the rules and player references or squeeze in a rulebook.
Time for a free sample of our weekly board game design newsletter! We spoke with @elizhargrave.bsky.social about designing Wingspan Pocket! Plus tons of links to news & resources: us6.campaign-archive.com?u=fb6f8b674f... If you like what you see, you can sign up here: cardboardedison.com/newsletter
There are 60 cards in COINTELPRO. They'll feature 30 FBI quotes like "The Negro youth and moderates must be made to understand that if they succumb to revolutionary teaching, they will be dead revolutionaries" and Golden Age B&W comic-inspired illustrations of Fred Hampton and the BPP by Jane Kenn.
I just ordered 500 Steel 9mm Luger Once Fired Casings for use as pawns in the 50 copies of COINTELPRO: The Assaination of Fred Hampton, I'll have for sale at the @sdhistcon.bsky.social Summit 2026 Night Market. They've been wet washed and dry tumbled. Don't worry about explosive residue. Trust me!
I came to Walmart for one thing. I’m leaving with milk, sugar, coconut and shrimp too. 🙂
@jane__artss and I are making progress on the box art for Black Ruth of Dogtown. What do you think of this?
Dawn is approaching! The colony is scattered across the valley - seven fast clicks, a long pause, two slow - Half the table believes you flew to the heart, some think the key. Players work together between waypoints and rounds to improve the click language to get more bats back to the Cave in time.
Click Clack Bat Overview
YouTube video by Keith Donaldson
youtu.be
Dice have no memory. I wanted to change that so I put them in a queue. If the roll is successful the die is placed. If it fails the die goes to the end of the queue. The probability of placement is dependent on queue position and success rate. Memory dice! 😉
Work on Black Ruth of Dogtown continues! Jane Kenn @jane__artss is creating evocative cover art. Also, many people have asked for sigil stones instead of cards ... I've got some ideas for that! A small handmade run should be available by the end of the year.
COINTELPRO: The Assassination of Fred Hampton has been selected for the SDHistCon Summit 2026 Night Market! It is an asymmetric 2-player abstract that connects players to the US government using law enforcement and intel tools not to protect citizens but to manage and suppress political dissent.
Here is my entry for the 2026 Deck Hand Games Design Contest, Relic Hunter. It's a one-player, pulp-adventure, side-scrolling game that uses a standard deck of playing cards. Inspired by the classic arcade game, Pitfall, the episodic solo board game, Final Girl, and the Indiana Jones film series.
Relic Hunter Overview
YouTube video by Keith Donaldson
youtu.be
PLAYTESTERS WANTED: “Man with an Axe” is a solo poker journaling RPG inspired by the minimalist fiction of Raymond Carver. The journaling is driven by a 5 card stud variation that uses a stripper deck.
It's Unpub at Origins Game Fair! Come find us in Hall C, booth 2132, to playtest some games. We'll be here until 11:30pm! Browse available games: https://f.mtr.cool/hiuibtzwkb #origins
I'm working my way towards playtesting with @breakmygame.com. The goal for today was to make an isometric screentop.gg version of my game, Mansard's Roof. The game involves stacking discs and counting stacks, which doesn't work with the typical top-down view.
BGG 2026 Children's Game Print & Play Game Design Contest Winner: - Best Children's Game - Best Rulebook Print and play available on itch.io
I'm paying the price. I busted my hump for a solid 24 hours taking part in Pam Walls' 24 Hour Mystery Box Board Game Jam. But I'm very happy with the results. This historical fold-or-call route builder is off to a good start. Check it out! - Video Overview - Rulebook - Screentop Implementation
Vote for my 2-player trick-taker, where your lead decides what your opponent plays and how won cards score on Game Crafter.
Passive Agressive Overview
YouTube video by Keith Donaldson
youtu.be
Playing Pocket Wars from @terriblegames.bsky.social my “Curio” is a frying pan. If I roll Brainstorm the person I'm pointing at sautés two dice and rolls for damage, potentially taking two damage.
Play my entry for the 2026 Bad Comet Design Contest, Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels screentop.gg/@kdonaldson/... Core Mechanisms: Press Your Luck, Set Collection, Selective Drafting
Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels | kdonaldson | Screentop.gg
Play Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels by kdonaldson on Screentop.
screentop.gg
On the table today at PAX East Unpub is Boogie Monsters Picky Nose. You win by collecting eight Snot Globs before the other team.
You win by placing five bears on your Honey Line in ascending order. First to 5 wins. You can only place one bear per turn, and it must be the next number in your sequence. If you have bears 1 and 2 on your board, you need a 3. Nothing else works. You can’t skip ahead, you can’t place out of order.
Nailed it! I’m not sure how no one knew it was Skrillex.
