10 things I learned in 2023
Brick and mortar, pigs and dice, 10 things I learned, and Inis
Welcome to Exeunt Omnes, the official newsletter for loyal fans and sworn enemies of Exeunt Press, creator of games such as Exclusion Zone Botanist and Eleventh Beast. You can find digital games at games.exeunt.press and physical products at shop.exeunt.press.
TL;DR Summary
🧱 Brick and mortar
🐖 Put some pig in your TTRPG
🚀 10 things I learned in 2023
🎲 Recently played: Inis
🧱 Brick and mortar
After meeting at the Save Against Fear convention, FARBO Co in Lancaster, PA now carries Eleventh Beast, Exclusion Zone Botanist, and You are a Muffin!
I will always be excited to see Exeunt Press games in actual physical stores! While I appreciate how online sales make the games available to more people, there is just something magical about walking in and seeing Eleventh Beast on the shelf! Especially when it’s sitting next to other great games I appreciate and admire!
If you are in the South Central PA area, stop by the FARBO “General Nerdery” store!
Visit: FARBO Co
🐖 Put some pig in your TTRPG
As the year ended, it was Dice Week at Skeleton Code Machine! We explored five different traditional dice games, and came up with some ideas on how to use them in your next TTRPG design:
I had a lot of fun learning about the games and thinking of how they could be used. Hopefully some of the ideas will spark your creativity in the new year!
Read: Dice Week at Skeleton Code Machine
Skeleton Code Machine is a weekly publication that explores tabletop game mechanisms in board games and roleplaying games. It’s been called a “Seemingly endless source of gaming ponderings” and a “Goldmine.” Check it out at www.skeletoncodemachine.com.
🚀 10 things I learned in 2023
As I mentioned before the holiday, 2023 was a really good year for Exeunt Press!
I’ve had some time to think about what I’ve learned. Particularly considering if there are things I wish I knew earlier, or that could be helpful to others making games.
Here’s my list in no particular order:
Make a plan for wholesale pricing: You never know when you might have an opportunity to get your game into a retail outlet, so be ready. Many times items are discounted 50% for wholesale. For example, it might cost $5 to produce a zine and then you sell it for $15 when going direct. If you sell to a retailer, they might pay $7.50 per item, but your cost is still $5 per item. Figuring out pricing can be hard when you are first starting out.
Enable Pirate Ship Simple Export: Pirate Ship allows you to purchase shipping labels at a discounted rate. It’s really helpful. I recently found out they have a Simple Export Rate that can greatly reduce costs for shipping overseas. This might finally allow me to provide a reasonable international shipping option in 2024.
Get involved at conventions: Previously I thought of conventions purely as a way to sell games. You pay money for a booth, and hope to earn more than that during the event. While that’s partially true, there’s so much more to it! Getting to talk to people in person is priceless. Being at the Save Against Fear convention led to Exeunt Press games getting into multiple retailers, and getting sold at the Plus One booth at PAX Unplugged!
Consider a project management tool: Part way through 2023 I started using Asana, and it helped structure my work. I’ve since moved to Linear, and am really happy with it. It’s not for everyone, but I’ve found developing games as actual projects to be really helpful.
You gain efficiency by doing stuff: The first time I went to a convention I had to figure out everything: How do I get banners? What table cover do I need? How do I accept credit cards? The list was almost endless! The second time I go to a convention, all that stuff will be figured out. It’s hours and hours of work that doesn’t have to be repeated.
Link your online store platform to Pirate Ship: Only recently did I find out I don’t need to copy and paste addresses back and forth between my online shop website and Pirate Ship! Check for integrations and use them!
Consider Stripe for invoices: I had been using PayPal, but my online store uses Stripe. In an effort to reduce the number of different platforms required to operate Exeunt Press, invoicing now goes via Stripe. They look nice, fees are about the same, and they support ACH bank transfers.
Use public domain art: When you are first starting to make games, you might have little to no budget for art. While original art is invaluable for games, it’s not always a realistic option. Public domain art can help fill that gap. I shared some public domain art resources at SCM earlier this year.
Learn how to use CMYK colors: I think I’ve finally figured out the difference between CMYK, RGB, standard black, and rich black. If you plan to print your games, this is worth learning. I covered some of this in the 10 Affinity Publisher tips post at SCM, and released a CMYK color palette.
Social media still matters: There was much social media platform drama in 2023. Discussions and threads are now splintered across Twitter, Discord, Threads, Instagram, Bluesky, Mastodon, and others. And yet social media is still what drives a lot of traffic. I don’t have a clear answer, but I do know that it is folly to ignore the socials.
I’m sure there are many more things I’ve learned this year, but these are the ones that came to mind first. For some learnings related to Skeleton Code Machine, check out the 2023 Annual Review.
If you have any tips going into 2024, share them in the comments below!
Shop: Exeunt Press Shop
🎲 Recently played: Inis
First, I hit my 125-play board game goal in 2023! I only count in-person plays (BGA is excluded), so I had to pack in quite a few games in the last week of the year. Some of my most played games were: Ramen! Ramen!, Kiri-ai: The Duel, Sakura Arms, and Trash Pandas.
One of the last games I played in 2023 was Inis (Martinez, 2016).
It’s a really interesting card-based area control game where winning battles might also reduce your chance of victory. It has quick actions and a modular map that expands over the course of the game. Really great stuff, and one of my “Top 5 new to me in 2023” games.
Play: Inis
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- E.P. 💀