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The year prior to this was a big one for the game. I got a ton of people to try the digital version and entered January with fresh ideas and changes. For weeks I worked on a new digital update for people to try. For that I needed to rewrite the rulebook. That took some more weeks. Then I had to record a video. That also took some weeks. Then I made a big art piece to add some oomph to the announcement. When all that was done I was already almost halfway into the year. Do you know what happened when I released it? Nothing! Almost NOBODY played it. And believe me I tried. This was mostly due to the fickle cruelty of online visibility.
A crucial factor was that what used to be my biggest online platform started to crumble. Twitter. A husk of a man bought the whole site and ran it into the ground. I jumped ship onto Bluesky and had to start over with zero followers. Around the same time Google flicked a switch somewhere. As a result the newsletter I got so many testers from the last time also landed in spam boxes this time. If you are an artist or maker you may have some idea how bad this feels. To spend so much time on something so personal and to have almost no response when you show it to the world, Its tears a hole into one’s spirit.
Somewhat beaten I then shopped the physical version around to locals. Two friends from my old town came through and with their multiple session playthough pulled me out of the pit. Just what I needed. People playing my game. Having fun. Seeing things I planned come out and even better: Things I had not planned for to appear. There was much right with the game but also it was not…great? I always feel people are too nice or maybe too inarticulate to really point out what is missing. Maybe there was something about the dice but I had no idea how to change it.
Months passed, other projects came in between, and the year’s end already came into sight. I can never help asking myself ‘what do you have to show?’ and it wasn’t much on Teknors front. People ask: How’s your game doing?’ and it would evoke an internal sigh. “ehhhh it’s going”.
My game was a sculpt I had no idea how to improve on and the clay was drying up.
Then the Spellenspektakel happened which was _exactly_ what the game needed. It’s my country’s largest gaming convention and I had a humble table for two days. I must have had ten different sessions that weekend. Some with people who saw the game on the con’s site and were curious. A morale boost. I could go into what each session showed me but the big takeaway was that the game’s clay unstuck again. My goodness there are still so many things to change. And I know how to change them!
With that energy I am working on a new update and oh my will it be different. This time I don’t have 0 followers on my Bluesky. I have near three tousand. Maybe some of them would like to try. To celebrate this new found energy I made another drawing and YOU are the first to see it. It’s going in the game.
And with that we close the year. Progress was made. I hope to see you on the other side.