Hey Reader!

AnnaMaria Phelps here.

Are you ready to satisfy your sweet tooth? This month, Protospiel Online member Nicole Fende launched Cupcake Craving on Kickstarter! The game was playtested by PO members last fall, and Nicole says it was an overwhelmingly positive experience. “Playtesters offered valuable feedback in making the game interesting both for adults and kids. Their help was instrumental in moving the project forward.”

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In Cupcake Craving, two players face off in a strategic race to the kitchen to bake the perfect cupcake. Starting at opposite ends of the table, they collect ingredients—flour, eggs, and sugar—while placing tiles to create their path or sabotage their opponent’s baking trail. Each turn, draw two cards and decide how to use them: build your trail, move forward, block your rival, or hold on to valuable resources. Additionally, cupcake trolls will occasionally demand ingredients as a toll for the right to pass. It's fast, funny, and cleverly packaged in a mint tin!
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This game is part of Micro May on Kickstarter, a curated event promoting games that fit in your pocket. Nicole highly recommends the event. “The community around Micro May is incredibly supportive and helpful. I would encourage anyone with a game that fits in a small package to consider being part of Micro May in 2026.”

Cupcake Craving is an example that shows game design inspiration can come from anywhere! “The catalyst for this project was a fellow designer challenging me at a Protospiel to create a game inspired by unusual resin components. I found these adorable cupcake figurines, and an idea was born. Six resin cupcake components are included with Cupcake Craving.”

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Nicole has also looked forward to manufacturing during the current trade uncertainty. “People may like to hear it will be printed and kitted in the US. The only thing coming from overseas are the cupcake figurines, and I already have those.”

Be sure to check out the delicious Kickstarter, and give Nicole a virtual high-five of congratulations the next time you ‘see’ her in the Discord server!
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Sabrina Cuylba's Diatoms is a Mensa Select 2025 winner! The Robo Rescue: Origins Kickstarter from Tamas Leidal and the rest of the team at Everland Studio is 1600% funded! This prelude to their upcoming Robo Rescue campaign offers single player decks in preparation for the larger game. Dylan Coyle's Capybara Crush is collecting signups on their Kickstarter prelaunch page. Vibes from Xoe Allred & Lunarpunk Games saw the release of a lovely review from Space Biff this week.

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📣Announcements Announcements Annooouuuncements!

• We'll run our giveaway livestream for Protospiel Online May 2025 attendees on Twitch, June 1, at 3pm EDT.
• Our new Minigame Monday Twitch streams run every Monday at 1 PM EDT. Watch live or catch the YouTube replay to see which prototypes are featured in each week's puzzle!

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• Applications for the Indie Games Night Market at PAXU 2025 are open through Aug 1, 2025.
• The Game Crafter Design Contest - GeoFacts Challenge: Submissions open until June 9th.
• 2025 IGDN Diversity Sponsorship: applications open through July 11th. Visit IGDN's Diversity Sponsorship page for information on the scholarship and to donate.
• Lunarpunk Games Midnight Market submissions open.

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That's it for this week!
~AnnaMaria

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

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