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

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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!

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