TGWAG

Years ago, before I started Eurydice Games I took part in NaGa DeMon a few times.

That’s National Game Design Month.

In November.

Zombology was born that way.

In the last couple of years I’ve really struggled with game design.

COVID hasn’t helped.

But a full-time job, young family and running a company in my spare time doesn’t leave much time.

I’m going to do it again this November.

Focus.

I'll be running a little competition.

The Game Within a Game - TGWAG.

Giving out pointless internet points.

To people who help me.

By playtesting. Or proof-reading. Or providing ideas.

I’ll keep a weekly leaderboard.

There’ll be a prize for the winner.

It kicks off tomorrow.

I started a Roll & Write in January

Follow along on the blog to join in…

Deliveries

This week we're expecting stuff.

A lot of stuff.

We've already got 3/5 print runs (Xeno Wars, the freebies, and FlickFleet).

And the main acrylic order.

And the first wooden bits order.

We assemble the games at home - proper indie!

This week we're expecting the playmats.

And the rest of the acrylic.

And the fourth print run - both Boxes of Flicks.

And the all the cardboard boxes.

Which leaves just the packaging, Scenario booklets, the Big Boxes and the FlickFleet wooden bits.

Almost done.

We'll be able to ship a bunch of simpler orders once this week's orders arrive.

Maturity

Daughter the Second is five.

She can read to herself at bedtime. Do maths. Even speak a little German.

She’s maturing rapidly.

We got our logo re-done a couple of years ago

Eurydice Games is five too.

It’s a very immature business.

We’ve got as far as we have due to being very tight.

I do the books. In Google Sheets. It’s free. 

I also do the marketing, advertising, business planning, website. All badly. But for free. Or near enough.

I do lots of work. Lots of unnecessary work. Lots of bad work. Because I can kludge it for free.

It works. Kinda.

We’ve survived five years. Grown rapidly.

It’s now time to start thinking about our maturity. 

Spending a little money to do a better job. Or an easier job. Or pay a professional to do it.

I’m spending a lot of time on this at the moment.

Investigating an accounting package.

Approaching professionals to redo our website. Properly.

Speaking to professionals about advertising.

Hopefully it’ll free up some of my time for game design.

Plates

Lots of spinning plates at the moment.

Paul's trying to make room for all the deliveries. And cutting FlickFleets and Expansion 1s.

I'm trying to finish last year's books.

And work out the new costs for all the things we've ordered.

And get the fulfilment spreadsheet ready for Paul.

And place the last few orders.

We're meeting on Tuesday so Paul can take the Xeno Wars printing and wooden bits down to York.

These shouldn't be in Newcastle!

It's all coming together.

It's a very busy time!

Loss

Our fifth financial year finished on Friday.

Most businesses don’t get to five. Almost 60% fail.

Reiver Games failed.

Eurydice is still going. And going strong.

Each of our five years has been a growth year.

Sales have increased by 49 times in five years.

And by almost four times in the last four.

We’d been profitable every year too.

Just.

Until this year.

We made a small loss.

Less than the write off cost of the laser-cutter.

But still.

I'm proud that after the failure of Reiver Games I've learned how to run a business better. 

Paul and I are doing well.

And next year is looking good too.

Fingers crossed…