Mandela F-G
@mandelafg.bsky.social
Designs board games.
Published: Glasgow (Lookout Spiele), Overstocked (Play for Keeps), The Shakespeare Game (Laurence King), The Jane Austen Game (LK), Sankoré (Osprey Games)
Upcoming: Ayar (Osprey Games) 2025
He/Him
Published: Glasgow (Lookout Spiele), Overstocked (Play for Keeps), The Shakespeare Game (Laurence King), The Jane Austen Game (LK), Sankoré (Osprey Games)
Upcoming: Ayar (Osprey Games) 2025
He/Him
One of the joys of being a board game designer is tapping into the global network of designers and meeting all kinds of new and interesting people.
Yesterday, I popped into Darmstadt, Germany and had a wonderful day playtesting. Tomorrow, Stuttgart to stay with a publisher friend.
Yesterday, I popped into Darmstadt, Germany and had a wonderful day playtesting. Tomorrow, Stuttgart to stay with a publisher friend.
October 13, 2025 at 11:15 AM
One of the joys of being a board game designer is tapping into the global network of designers and meeting all kinds of new and interesting people.
Yesterday, I popped into Darmstadt, Germany and had a wonderful day playtesting. Tomorrow, Stuttgart to stay with a publisher friend.
Yesterday, I popped into Darmstadt, Germany and had a wonderful day playtesting. Tomorrow, Stuttgart to stay with a publisher friend.
Facebook is showing me images from 6 years ago when I was messing 🎲✂️ around with this design.
Exciting to see it come to wide release very soon and with, I have to concede, improved art & graphic design thanks to @ianotoole.bsky.social, and much better gameplay thanks to @flopiano.bsky.social.
Exciting to see it come to wide release very soon and with, I have to concede, improved art & graphic design thanks to @ianotoole.bsky.social, and much better gameplay thanks to @flopiano.bsky.social.
October 11, 2025 at 6:42 AM
Facebook is showing me images from 6 years ago when I was messing 🎲✂️ around with this design.
Exciting to see it come to wide release very soon and with, I have to concede, improved art & graphic design thanks to @ianotoole.bsky.social, and much better gameplay thanks to @flopiano.bsky.social.
Exciting to see it come to wide release very soon and with, I have to concede, improved art & graphic design thanks to @ianotoole.bsky.social, and much better gameplay thanks to @flopiano.bsky.social.
Some last minute prototyping 🎲✂️ on my way to @manorcon.bsky.social. Will be my first time. Look forward to demoing Ayar, hopefully some playtesting, and lots of playing new games.
Feel free to stop me if you fancy some playtesting.
Feel free to stop me if you fancy some playtesting.
July 18, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Some last minute prototyping 🎲✂️ on my way to @manorcon.bsky.social. Will be my first time. Look forward to demoing Ayar, hopefully some playtesting, and lots of playing new games.
Feel free to stop me if you fancy some playtesting.
Feel free to stop me if you fancy some playtesting.
Elation for some and consternation for others as another Ayar retires and is reunited with his partner.
@ospreygames.bsky.social @flopiano.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social
@ospreygames.bsky.social @flopiano.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social
June 2, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Elation for some and consternation for others as another Ayar retires and is reunited with his partner.
@ospreygames.bsky.social @flopiano.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social
@ospreygames.bsky.social @flopiano.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social
And here's some of those pretty playing cards.
April 30, 2025 at 7:51 PM
And here's some of those pretty playing cards.
Received 'Brilliant Bugs' insect cards from Quarto/Kaddo. I was a consultant entomologist for these. A fun wee job where I got to choose some cool insects for the game, did some fact checking, and text wrote for the accompanying booklet. It came out very nicely.
April 30, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Received 'Brilliant Bugs' insect cards from Quarto/Kaddo. I was a consultant entomologist for these. A fun wee job where I got to choose some cool insects for the game, did some fact checking, and text wrote for the accompanying booklet. It came out very nicely.
If you're interested in hearing some thoughts and tips 🎲✂️ from me and @thedarkimp.bsky.social about co-designing, please have a listen here as I was treated to be being a guest on her excellent podcast series:
thegamedesignroundtable.com/episode/btc-...
thegamedesignroundtable.com/episode/btc-...
April 23, 2025 at 6:54 PM
If you're interested in hearing some thoughts and tips 🎲✂️ from me and @thedarkimp.bsky.social about co-designing, please have a listen here as I was treated to be being a guest on her excellent podcast series:
thegamedesignroundtable.com/episode/btc-...
thegamedesignroundtable.com/episode/btc-...
Wonderful day spent playtesting and sketching out new design ideas with @thedarkimp.bsky.social in the delightful Wellcome reading rooms.
3 new games to prototype, 3 cleaned up for pitching/playtesting. 🎲✂️
3 new games to prototype, 3 cleaned up for pitching/playtesting. 🎲✂️
April 18, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Wonderful day spent playtesting and sketching out new design ideas with @thedarkimp.bsky.social in the delightful Wellcome reading rooms.
3 new games to prototype, 3 cleaned up for pitching/playtesting. 🎲✂️
3 new games to prototype, 3 cleaned up for pitching/playtesting. 🎲✂️
I'll be at AireCon tomorrow and through the weekend. Don't know who is all going but will be nice to see some folks.
Will of course be carrying some prototypes 🎲✂️ (pictured) if anyone wants to test let me know. Always happy to playtest others' games.
Maybe even play some 'real' games.
Will of course be carrying some prototypes 🎲✂️ (pictured) if anyone wants to test let me know. Always happy to playtest others' games.
Maybe even play some 'real' games.
March 13, 2025 at 11:08 AM
I'll be at AireCon tomorrow and through the weekend. Don't know who is all going but will be nice to see some folks.
Will of course be carrying some prototypes 🎲✂️ (pictured) if anyone wants to test let me know. Always happy to playtest others' games.
Maybe even play some 'real' games.
Will of course be carrying some prototypes 🎲✂️ (pictured) if anyone wants to test let me know. Always happy to playtest others' games.
Maybe even play some 'real' games.
Steak and ale suet pudding with a spot of playtesting. I suggested pausing when food arrived but the request to play on feels like a good sign.
Clear improvement on the game with a new mechanism which means the more conservative your play, the more your opponent is rewarded.
Clear improvement on the game with a new mechanism which means the more conservative your play, the more your opponent is rewarded.
March 1, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Steak and ale suet pudding with a spot of playtesting. I suggested pausing when food arrived but the request to play on feels like a good sign.
Clear improvement on the game with a new mechanism which means the more conservative your play, the more your opponent is rewarded.
Clear improvement on the game with a new mechanism which means the more conservative your play, the more your opponent is rewarded.
Day off work for a bit of fun travel and time for a wee playtest over a coffee break.
Have had this wee racing game for a while. Think this was the worst play of it so far...but also feel it sparked some solid good ideas that could give it life. Look forward to changing and testing.
Have had this wee racing game for a while. Think this was the worst play of it so far...but also feel it sparked some solid good ideas that could give it life. Look forward to changing and testing.
February 24, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Day off work for a bit of fun travel and time for a wee playtest over a coffee break.
Have had this wee racing game for a while. Think this was the worst play of it so far...but also feel it sparked some solid good ideas that could give it life. Look forward to changing and testing.
Have had this wee racing game for a while. Think this was the worst play of it so far...but also feel it sparked some solid good ideas that could give it life. Look forward to changing and testing.
What a pleasant surprise and honour to see Sankoré nominated for a Cannes As D'Or.
Seems we did well @flopiano.bsky.social @ospreygames.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social and SuperMeeple for the VF.
Seems we did well @flopiano.bsky.social @ospreygames.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social and SuperMeeple for the VF.
January 28, 2025 at 10:25 PM
What a pleasant surprise and honour to see Sankoré nominated for a Cannes As D'Or.
Seems we did well @flopiano.bsky.social @ospreygames.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social and SuperMeeple for the VF.
Seems we did well @flopiano.bsky.social @ospreygames.bsky.social @ianotoole.bsky.social and SuperMeeple for the VF.
For the first time in a long time, it's Gloomhaven day. Last session was 2022.
January 19, 2025 at 5:06 PM
For the first time in a long time, it's Gloomhaven day. Last session was 2022.
Just finished the first day of my new Saturday job on this bright and frosty day - teaching game design to young people. Fun and fulfilling. It's in Kew Gardens so additional bonus of this view from the classroom
January 11, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Just finished the first day of my new Saturday job on this bright and frosty day - teaching game design to young people. Fun and fulfilling. It's in Kew Gardens so additional bonus of this view from the classroom
Good bit of prototype making at the weekend. Most demanding prototype I've ever made.
🎲✂️
🎲✂️
December 17, 2024 at 8:37 PM
Good bit of prototype making at the weekend. Most demanding prototype I've ever made.
🎲✂️
🎲✂️
Really appreciate this wee pouch in backpack straps for smuggling prototypes.
October 19, 2024 at 11:29 AM
Really appreciate this wee pouch in backpack straps for smuggling prototypes.
Ooh. Looks like the cover to my next game with Fabio has been released. This one is coming from @ospreygames.bsky.social in 2025.
September 27, 2024 at 8:57 PM
Ooh. Looks like the cover to my next game with Fabio has been released. This one is coming from @ospreygames.bsky.social in 2025.
For anyone curious to know a bit more about our game Sankoré and the process behind its creation, the design diary is now up on BGG (link in comments).
January 23, 2024 at 1:12 PM
For anyone curious to know a bit more about our game Sankoré and the process behind its creation, the design diary is now up on BGG (link in comments).
Had a new game idea. Sure it will work exactly as expected.
October 18, 2023 at 4:58 PM
Had a new game idea. Sure it will work exactly as expected.
Played some very good games at SPIEL but particular stand-outs for me this year were the crunchy and combo-tastic Windmill Valley (next year release for Board&Dice from Dani Garcia) and the raucous and delightful Prey Another Day from Brett Gilbert and @matthewdunstan.bsky.social.
October 10, 2023 at 9:05 PM
Played some very good games at SPIEL but particular stand-outs for me this year were the crunchy and combo-tastic Windmill Valley (next year release for Board&Dice from Dani Garcia) and the raucous and delightful Prey Another Day from Brett Gilbert and @matthewdunstan.bsky.social.
Had a great time demoing Sankoré in Essen. Sign-ups filled fast and unfortunate we couldn't have more slots but was great to get to show it to at least some folks and see people really getting into it.
Thanks all that stopped by.
Thanks all that stopped by.
October 10, 2023 at 8:48 PM
Had a great time demoing Sankoré in Essen. Sign-ups filled fast and unfortunate we couldn't have more slots but was great to get to show it to at least some folks and see people really getting into it.
Thanks all that stopped by.
Thanks all that stopped by.