Cards for Holmgang and Draw, stranger! arrived from China. Boxes and stands from Germany. So now I have six copies of both games and have started playtesting.
I ran the first playtests with my kids and their friends. Playing draw stranger with full colour plastic cards is super nice. Putting the Holmgang components in a box feels like it’s a real game now.
With prototypes of this quality, I can do blind testing and test for learnability. How does the visual design convey the rules? Can someone else pick up the box and set of cards and figure out how to play? I also get to practice pitching and teaching the game. Which helps me spot where the games can be improved. I got great feedback from the people at FolkLab in Hallunda on lots of little details that I can work on.
I have sent copies of both games to a friend for blind tests and will look for more opportunities over the coming weeks. Next month is time for Spiel in Essen, the largest boardgame event in the world. I will go there with my oldest to have fun. I have also booked a pitch meeting with a publisher.
Neither Holmgang nor Draw stranger made the cut for Fastaval 2026 which means I will not have that as a development milestone. They are still great games though. So I will find an audience elsewhere. LinCon 2026 is a likely target.