Announcing Ironwood -- Community Newsletter Issue 25


Hey Reader!

Emily Vincent here.

Our Protospiel Community is incredibly inspiring and we love to celebrate each others' wins! Today is one of those stories, of playtesting that led to dreams coming true.

Ironwood

In 2022, at the summer Protospiel Online, Maël Brunet and Julien Chaput playtested their game "Black Flag." A few months later, after pitching it all around, they received 3 offers to sign the game! Mindclash Games was more than they could dream of and after one year of very dedicated development, the game is ready! Ironwood was announced at PAX Unplugged this past December and will be available this year.

Ironwood is a rules-light, highly asymmetric, card-driven tactical game for 1 to 2 players. Play as one of two factions vying for the land of Ironwood: the stalwart and hard-working Ironclad, settlers of the iron mountains; and the ferocious Woodwalkers, swift and deadly shadows of the forests. Both factions struggle for the ultimate control over the land for its greatest treasure: the Larimor Crystals, a mysterious substance holding immense energy within.

The two factions are completely asymmetric in their play styles, decks, victory conditions - even in which parts of the map they can access. As the Commander of the Ironclad, your primary goal is to lay down the foundations of and then build your forges in the outer mountains. As the Chieftain of the Woodwalkers, your mission is to locate and secure your people's ancient totems in the outer forests.

Ironwood also features a low-upkeep solo mode against the Ironclad or the Woodwalkers, designed by David Turczi. Although both solo opponents work on the same main principles, each of them bears its faction’s unique aspects and features.

Julien and Maël wanted to share this story because it showcases that "playtesting is everything" and that "dreams can come ture."

To hear more about Ironwood, check out the Mindclash or BGG pages. Or subscribe to the Mindclash Games Newsletter below!

That's it for today!

~Emily

P.S. If you have something you'd like to see featured in our Community Newsletter, you have 3 options -- either submit an official feature request, reply to this message, or, if you're a current attendee or alumni, post in the #🙌share-your-wins channel in the Protospiel Online Discord server to let us know the details. We'd love to celebrate you!

Hi! We're your Protospiel Online Content Team

We love helping our community of game designers and playtesters find encouragement and connection through our virtual conventions and the supporting content like our Twitch streams, YouTube channel, and Community Newsletter. It lights us up to see all the amazing milestones Protospiel community members are reaching with their game designs.

Read more from Hi! We're your Protospiel Online Content Team
Protospiel Online community newsletter issue 34. Indie games night market. featuring three PO designers

Hey Reader! David Kessler here. Indie Games Night Market at PAX Unplugged The Indie Games Night Market is coming to PAX Unplugged on Dec 7th, 2024, and three vendor tables will have games by Protospiel Community members! In the same vein as the Tokyo Game Market, the Indie Games Night Market serves as an in-person marketplace for small batch, unique games that would otherwise have no channel for purchase. The featured games have not been signed by publishers and have no intention to go on a...

August Opportunities: Panda, Unpub, PAX Rising

Hey Reader! Emily Vincent here. I know many of us are looking for help in getting our games out there, whether it's connecting to a publisher or self-publishing. There are a couple of cool opportunities in the next month that might help you on these journeys, so today I'm sharing these opportunities in case you missed them! Panda Next Big Game Giveaway (Gen Con) Panda is looking to manufacture the Next Big Game. This is a contest that's specific for folks who are attending Gen Con, since the...

Protospiel online community newsletter issue 32. scattered nexus and sinoda. and free discord channels

Hey Reader! David Kessler here. July is an exciting month for games tested at Protospiel Online. Two games from the early days--we're talking 2020--have found a place in the world this month. Scattered Nexus was tested at PO in October 2020, and again in May 2023. Sinoda was brought to PO in July 2020, and later in January 2022. Congratulations to the creators of these games! The 2024 Edition of Scattered Nexus is live on Kickstarter Scattered Nexus is an ongoing passion project that will...