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The Misplay

by Mark Katz and Jason Parmele

Season 3

Kickstarter Deep Dive with Ben Bertoli

We sat down with Ben Bertoli of Radish Games for a crash course in Kickstarter, prelaunch marketing, and—much to Mark’s dismay—shipping. We also talked launch timing and the revised Kickstarter timeline for Under One Sky.

Taking Class with Joe Slack

We had author, board game designer, and board game design teacher, Joe Slack join us on the show. We got to learn about Joe's board game design story, ask questions about game design theory, and ask all the last minute questions we have about launching our kickstarter campaign. it was like getting a high quality preview class of the online board game design course that Joe teaches on his website.

Feedback and Fine Tuning

We discuss the feedback from the First Exposure Playtest Hall and events we ran at Gen Con this year. We share notes from blind playtests, quotes from our wonderful players, and plot out our next steps for Under One Sky. With our Kickstarter launch coming up we also go over our plans for the local events we will be organizing to promote the game's launch on kickstarter.

Gen Con 2026

We sat down on the 50 yard line again of Lucas Oil Stadium to reflect on Gen Con 2026. We recapped the different types of events we ran over the weekend in the First Exposure Playtest Hall, the event halls, and event the hotel lobby. We also told stories about the new friends and familiar faces we got to see and spend time with over the course of the weekend.

Notify On Launch

We preview The Misplay's trip to Gen Con 2026—including the itinerary of the formal events we'll be running during the weekend. We also talk about our marketing strategies, metrics, and goals. At the end of the show we spotlight fellow game designer Mike C's game “Avarice”. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/themisplay/under-one-sky

Bay Area Protospiel 2026

Jason took The Misplay on the road to the 2026 Bay Area Protospiel and he came back with a bounty of feedback for Under One Sky, live audio from his introduction to board game design workshop, and good vibes. We assess the feedback and celebrate Jason's growth as a game designer.

Enthusiastic Art with Zeta Gaston

We happily welcome our illustrator, Zeta Gaston, to the podcast to share the story of how she became the artist behind Under One Sky. We talk about the creative journey, the revisions, the tools, and the process that brought the artwork to life.

Side Quest

Jason and Mark took a pause from all the business and logistics talk surrounding Under One Sky. They sat down together to develop an old game concept. They outline the reason for beginning development of another game and learn about 18-card card games. They touch on what's coming up next for Under One Sky.

The Road to Gen Con 2026

Jason and Mark go through the logistics and planning leading into Jason's weekend at KublaCon and the 3rd annual Misplay trip to GenCon. They give in depth updates about Under One Sky's, art, manufacturer, logistics, and next steps.Jason gives a special thanks to Game Crafter for a donation towards the summer board game design program Jason will be teaching this summer.

Pivot to Pitching Publishers

Jason and Mark discuss the possibility of pitching Under One Sky to publishers. Mark shares an outline for how to go from concept to submitting to publishers. Jason explains the reasons why The Misplay never considered looking for a publisher. He also shares a little glimpse into the plan for the summer after a sit down with Randy O' Connor before KublaCon later this month.

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