Welcome to the Indie Tabletop Newsletter, hear from independent tabletop games designers about their current and upcoming projects. Take a look at the games we’ve already self-published and our upcoming Kickstarters, maybe even get yourself a free print n play game. Learn more about this newsletter here.
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Think you’re fast? Are you faster than the rest of these racers? Be prepared to go all out! In drag racing speed is only half the battle. The other half is knowledge of how to keep your car on the straight and narrow as well as monitoring those gauges to make sure you’re not about to launch a piston to the moon!
Place dice carefully to manage the steering, speed, and gauges. But be wary that you’ll only get to place 2 dice a turn, the others are passed to your neighbor, but luckily they’ll pass you some as well. As the turn winds down, those last 2 dice you’ll receive probably won’t be very helpful so make sure the first 2 are the ones that you really need to count.
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Each round the players will have to match or increase their speed all the way to a maximum of 12 by the end of the race. Hopefully you’ll keep your pedal down so you can go faster! Use tweaks when you need to fix a die and maybe this time you’ll avoid barreling into the wall.
Speed along through 8 rounds as you set your dice, the clock slowly ticks up. You can slow it some by exceeding your last speed setting, monitoring the Temperature and Oil Pressure gauges, and also by keeping your car from steering too far off the center line.
Your opponents while also racing are going to be passing you dice as you’ll pass to them. Figure out which dice to pass so you can get dice back you need. Do you take the pair to keep your steering straight? Do you go for speed? Do you settle for Temp early? Or do you drop a die on steering and one on engine and hope the next pass gets you what you need?
With a game that plays any number of players, many things can happen. Be ready with reaction time a drag racers would envy making smart passes to move along the plays.
Need more speed? Go Faster! has four modes with plenty of challenge and even a solo mode where players roll only 2 dice at a time and assign them, roll 2 and place those, then roll 2 more to place.
Get your dice and be ready to race!
So how are you doing old friend? Stressed about the holidays you say? Yeah, me too. I haven’t even started making candy or cookies yet. And barely started with the gifts! Also we’re heading out a couple of weekends to show Perilous Pond and Bushido Duels at a couple of stores.
Oh yes I agree, it is a bit of a luxury problem. It’s lots of fun but the short time gets shorter…You said the cookies were all done, how are you doing with gifts, is that under control? Oh no, that does sound stressful. If you’re looking for games you can always check our website or why not the Atikin Games Indie Tabletop Festive Shop. Lots of small companies with unique games there!
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All in all it’s been a good year even if it’s been a bit stressful. We’ve attended quite a few conventions and have had so much fun playing games with so many people. Hopefully next year will be just as fun!
That said I’m really looking forward to relaxing during the holidays, eating good food, reading a book and spending time with my family. Take care of yourself, don’t worry too much and try to have a great end of year! Looking forward to speaking to you again after new-years!
This year saw us shift from board games to tabletop roleplay games (TTRPG’s), a move that was daunting but proved to be so worth it. After 5 years it felt a little like starting again, but as we should have known, the TTRPG scene is just as welcoming and open as the board game scene.
As we worked towards our crowdfunding campaign for Why We Fight, we found ourselves lifted up and supported by our peers. Somehow, despite being in what should be a competitive industry, we’ve managed to grow this community of truly wonderful people who want nothing more than to see each other succeed. There is no room for gatekeeping here!
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In the middle of our campaign, we moved from London to Scotland, and hit the ground running as we finished up the game, made new local connections, and worked with guest writers for our stretch goals.
It’s now the final month of 2025, we are settled into our new home, and about to ship out our orders! Behind the scenes we’ve also been working on two other games, one of which has been bringing us a lot of creative joy. After the stress and pressure surrounding a crowdfunding campaign, it’s lovely to be getting back into the creative side of things. We will probably be quite quiet until January from here on as we complete shipping, but keep your eyes out in January 2026 for updates on what’s next for team Stop, Drop & Roll!
If you’ve had the chance to play it already, we’d love to hear what you think! A quick rating or review on BoardGameGeek really helps others discover the game and decide if it’s for them. It makes a big difference for small indie teams like ours — and we truly appreciate every bit of support.
We’re also starting work on a digital version of Mimir’s Challenge to make it more accessible to players outside of Norway and Spiel Essen. Physical distribution can be tricky (and expensive) for small publishers, so we’re hoping this digital option will help more people experience the game no matter where they are.
As the days get shorter here in Norway, we’re starting to look forward to the festive season — and maybe sneaking in a few cozy game nights ourselves. Thanks again for being part of this journey with us!
Reaching this point has been a long journey, filled with creative challenges, problem-solving, and a huge amount of passion. Knowing that the game will soon be in your hands is both surreal and deeply rewarding. We created Fight For Inheritance with the hope that it will bring laughter, friendly rivalry, and memorable moments to households everywhere, and we cannot wait to hear your experiences once you start playing.
We also want to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude. Your support, patience, and enthusiasm have been invaluable throughout this entire process. Whether you backed the project, shared it with friends, or simply followed along with our updates, you have played a crucial role in making this game a reality.
Thank you for being part of this journey. The best part is just about to begin.
If you are looking for the perfect gaming gift this year, please check out the shop on this very website, it’s full of games and gaming accessories most of which are handmade by me.
The Board Game Survival Kit and my mint tin games: Mini Memory Mischief, Feline Felonies and Canine Capers all make wonderful stocking fillers. If you’re not sure of your recipient’s favourite colour, or whether they’re more of a cat or dog person there’s a gift card option so they can choose their own.
Indie Festive Shop – Don’t forget you can also find plenty of fantastic indie games from contributors to this newsletter in the Indie Festive Shop, link near the top of this page.
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Malus Hortus – Malus Hortus should be on a ship very soon, and with me in the New Year, I cannot wait to be sending Malus Hortus out to my backers. There will be 169 boxes full of copies of the game to shift on delivery day, thankfully I’ll have some help but it’s bound to be a good workout!
You know what that means? This coming month is your last chance to get Malus Hortus at the pre-order price of £38, follow the link below to pre-order it on GameFound.
Over the past several weeks, our team has been completing final asset approvals for Breakers, including the last round of artwork from illustrator Justin Gerard. The latest monster illustrations have elevated the game’s visual identity beyond our original expectations. The thematic style, level of detail, and dynamic personality of each creature now reflect the tone we set out to create: a tense and rewarding monster-hunting experience with visual impact at every reveal.
With art now finalized, our next step is preparing production templates to meet the precise specifications required by our manufacturing partner. These templates include card layouts, packaging layers, punchboards, and custom components such as metal tokens. Once submitted, the project will advance into material proofing, color calibration, and structural testing. This stage ensures that every component, from card durability to box finish, delivers the intended quality.
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We are approaching the finish line of pre-production, and we remain committed to transparent communication as we move through each manufacturing checkpoint. Our focus is to deliver a polished, durable, and visually exceptional product that represents the values of Lightning Lake Games: thoughtful design, easy to table, and strong player experience.
Thank you for your continued support and confidence in Breakers. We look forward to sharing the next key updates as we move toward production. Late pledges are still open!
In other news, we are still anxiously awaiting our next junior playtester at the Sullivan house, and expect their birth any day now! Fortunately, since the printer already has the files and will be working on printing for a few months, we will have some extra time to wait and enjoy some newborn snuggles. Happy holidays to everyone, and I hope you all enjoy good times with loved ones as well!
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