We've got a good looking game on our hands! It's so amazing to have this "real" game in our hands after nearly two years of playing on homemade boards. Support our upcoming kickstarter to get an even better looking copy for yourself! 🎉 #boardgamedesign #bgg #prototyping #indiegamedev #mentalhealth #cooperativegames

Well, long story short, @tinyrobotlovedoctors is great! Like, it's a great game. But despite that greatness, we're getting ready for a massive #faceplant. See, we started this thing with the promise that we were going to have a crowdfunding "guru" join the team and help us out, showing us the way to attaining a six-figure raise on our first go around. There was a big ol' shiny pot of gold at the other end of this rainbow. Wellll that turned out to not be the case–to put it lightly. Basically we got #ghosted But hey! Let's forget that! Lesson learned. Then we spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to adapt our plan, involving a whole lot of learning on the fly. A lot of things changed, responsibilities shifted, difficult realizations were communicated, it was a stressful time. We learned that there exists a plethora of industry partners out there that can take some burden off our shoulders, free advice for those looking, and goodwill from fans of the #gamingindustry. It's a great scene to be a part of, or to be joining if we get our act together. And I'm proud of Marco, my wife, and even myself for once, for all that has been learned, fought for, and decided upon, in making this weird, probably inconsequential dream come true. So, we're sticking to our goal. #Kickstarterlaunch July 20th or bust. We don't have big name reviewers, we don't have a cool, professional video animated by a guy who directed Sesame Street, we haven't been plotting a coordinated launch date for a year and a half, but we're going for it! @tinyrobotlovedoctors Back our Kickstarter. It'll make you feel good, and it probably won't actually cost you any money because the odds are against our success. Seriously though. We're taking this as a #learningexperience and an accountability exercise. When we say stuff, we follow through. It's a lesson many say they want to learn, but the only way to do so is to put your boots on and march. #letsdothisthing

OUR KICKSTARTER PRE-LAUNCH PAGE IS LIVE!!! We at 8 WAYS GAMES have been super busy the last few weeks, finalizing production design, play-testing, and prepping our VERY FIRST KICKSTARTER! Our pre-launch page is LIVE now, and you can find it by simply going to www.tinyrobotlovedoctors.com or scanning the QR code in the carousel. Learn more about the game, the creators, launch date, perks and more. SIGN UP TODAY AND STAY UPDATED! ******** ALSO! 8WAYS' GAME CREATOR @taveylean will be at @originsgamefair this weekend, playtesting the game! Want to playtest with Tavey? There are only a few slots left! Lastly, this platform will have a TAVEY TAKEOVER all weekend as Tavey posts live from @originsgamefair! We're so excited to be at this stage and want you all to share in the fun gameplay and positive messaging of TINY ROBOT LOVE DOCTORS - Sign up at our pre-launch page today! #newgames #boardgamesofinstagram #boardgamesgeek #kickstarterboardgames #boardgamesarefun #goodvibesonly✌ #peaceandlove✌

It's love week, and once again, I'm swapping places with Marco to tell a thematic, autobiographical tale. Why? Well, partly because I've loved, lost, learned, and grown, having now a wife and a beautiful daughter, and each day my heart grows stronger, yet more vulnerable in that marvelous paradox of the human condition. But mostly because Marco's love life has been largely a hot mess up 'til now. Yes! Marco laughed hysterically at this intro, so this is the one we're going with. I was not a great boyfriend to Hanna, I must admit. One of those things that I always had anxiety about in a new relationship was the word "love." Who says it, when they say it, how it comes out... It's a major turning point in a relationship, I hope we can all agree. Hanna, who had decided I was going to father her children shortly after meeting me, let the "I love you" fly pretty early on. And to my credit, I didn't run for the hills. But I also didn't respond with an "I love you" of my own right away. In fact, I didn't reciprocate until... and this is pretty bad... but I'm pretty sure it was well after we'd discovered she was pregnant. For the rest of Tavey's story: https://tinyurl.com/yv9kub3h

This week, Tavey and I will be trading places, and I have the surprising responsibility of introducing the concept of LOVE for this week's theme. Unfortunately for me, I'm still trying to figure out just what this whole romantic love thing is all about. Fortunately for me, however, the Ancient Greeks had many additional concepts for love that weren't just limited to EROS, or romantic love. Many of these have been far less confusing for me personally than the aforementioned. These words include, but are not limited to: Eros: romantic or passionate love Philia: affectionate love (This is where the word Philosophy (Philo-Sophia, i.e. Love of Wisdom) Agape: selfless, universal love Storge: familiar love Ludus: playful love Pragma: enduring love Philautia: self-love So this week, let's celebrate the many and various forms of love, and not limit ourselves to mere Hollywood romance! ~Marco #loveistheway #loveisthewayforward #formsoflove #loveyourself💜 #loveistheanswer❤️

Today's #robotwisdom #smartbot #wrath #williamblakepoetry #williamblake

Today's DOCBOT BOOTCAMP shows how monster tokens infect players during gameplay. RAGE in particular has an insidious effect. #newgames #cardgamesofinstagram #kickstartergames #infections

Rage and anger, left unchecked, can perpetuate many harmful behaviors such as physical outbursts and unchecked aggression, substance abuse, or in my own personal history, playing chicken on a bicycle with luxury cars who's owners could have very easily afforded to pay for my untimely death... - Marco ***** For the rest of Marco's harrowing personal experience, head over to our Facebookpage: tinyurl.com/y3sk6aee #staychill #roadrageproblems #roadrager #fightrage #staychill

RAGE WEEK HERE AT TRLD! READ ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM... A lot of people I know quit social media recently. Actually, as part of our research into SM platforms, we found that twitter usage is down, which is not surprising since it has a reputation as a place people go to to piss one another off. In a world of ragebait headlines, of tweets and memes that oversimplify complex situations, a world where anonymous and powerless voices in the ether shout at each other in capslock in a desperate bid to feel smart, vindicated, righteous for a few minutes at least... we find ourselves introducing this weeks' theme: RAGE. Where does it come from? What does it look like? Where is it going? And to our dear readers: What brings out the rage in you? - Tavey (@taveylean) #rage #rageroom #outrageandoptimism #angerisanenergy #themeoftheweek #cardgamesofinstagram #cardgamesarefun #whyrage #whyubullyme #dontblame #revengeisadishbestservedcold @marco_brun_del_re @fourthcastle

#robotlove #robotlover #loverobot #bondings #bondingsesh #supportothers #supportivefriends

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." ~Lao Zi 老子 This week we've highlighted our robot hero, ChillMech, who I think well expresses the ancient teaching of Taoism through the words of its historical originator, Laozi (or Lao Tzu). The Immortal Arts Association, (www.immortalarts.org and www.facebook.com/ImmortalArtsQigong/) founded by longtime Taoist practitioner Jesse Lee Parker, continues this tradition by offering instruction in the Immortal Arts Qigong system, from basic introduction all the way up to teacher training, online and in-person. Jesse's system is based on the classical methods and practices of the Mountain Taoist hermits and monks, known as "Nei Dan Shu" (內丹术) or The Art of Inner Alchemy. Taoism and kung fu were really my initial entry points to living in China. I first found Jesse while looking for programs in mainland China that had elements of both traditional martial arts and classical meditation practices, and decided to sign up for the 2-week retreat that he had organized to take place on the famed Wudang Mountain in Hubei province. I was seriously burned out as a musician, having just graduated from the Berklee College of Music, and I was looking for a way to better handle my burnout, depression, and general lack of confidence as a young adult. It marked the beginning of my journey into traditional meditation practices and would become a cherished memory of my young adult life. In my 12 years of living in China, there would never be a time again when my experience towards this complex country would be so innocent and filled with fascination and awe. If you are looking for a way to boost mental awareness, increase calm, strengthen your breathwork, find your "center" or more, the old Taoist ways may be right for you. Check out immortalarts.org to learn more about the system, and they even offer scholarships for some of their upcoming programs for those who require financial assistance.

#robotorigins #deescalate #norage #fightingallmonsters #chillgoals #chillingadventure #intelligenceissexy

#robotwisdom #inspirobot #inspirobotquotes #inspirobotmemes #chillingout #stillnessisthekey #stillnessspeaks

More sneak peeks about gameplay, focusing on one of CHILLMECH's special abilities! #chillgame #chillgamer #chillchill #chillart #reflectionstories #reflectyourpassion

On paper, it was a smart plan, Wake up early, get on one of the first flights to Shanghai, hit the ground running as soon as I get there. However, there was one thing that I did not account for: THE RAIN I was informed upon arrival that my 8 am flight would in fact not be departing and that I could rebook myself on the 1:30 pm flight. My Chinese colleagues, who took the opportunity to get a full night's rest and chose a later flight that morning, would arrive in Shanghai before I could even leave. But for me, it was about to get so much worse. Let's examine: 1:30 pm: "Dear passengers, your flight will be delayed to 2:30 pm." 2:30 pm: Commence twiddling of thumbs. 3:30 pm: "Dear passengers, your flight will be delayed to 4:30 pm." 4:30 pm: Twiddling intensifies. 5:30 pm: The crowd of people waiting to get on what was an 8 am flight begin to coalesce into the precursor of a slightly disgruntled group with mobbish characteristics. The airline company literally hands out the equivalent of 50 US dollars in cash to keep everyone calm. 6:30 pm: The crowd is looking rather mob-like at this point. Intercom rings: "Dear passengers..." 7:30 pm: The airline hands out another 30 US dollars, CASH, to delay the inevitable "straw of immutable discontent" slowly descending upon a camel-esque mob of local Chinese travelers. Intercom rings... 8:30 pm: At this point, I've engaged a sort of "cosmic chill" and I'm just strapped in for the ride. Also, I have made a new friend. His name is Aram. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and works in biomedical science. 9:30 pm: "Passengers, please prepare for boarding." 10:30 pm: All passengers are boarded and they've served the meal while we wait for clearance to prepare for takeoff. Everyone breathes a long, and well-earned, sigh of relief. 11:00 pm: EVERYBODY OFF THE PLANE 11:01 pm: The concept of "why?" has ceased to exist within our own little bubble of space and time. 12:30 am: Boarding annnnnnnnd LIFT OFF! 2:00 am approximate: I finally arrive in Shanghai, and could proudly say that I rather calmly weathered a 16+ hour ordeal, I had a new friend and a great new story to tell, plus I was about 80 bucks richer.

Not gonna lie, as a first time game publisher I've been doing my fair share of freaking out recently. Fortunately, the first step to dealing with my concerns is always the same. Q: The game isn't finished! The rules need an overhaul! What if people don't like it? A: Chill out. The game is great. We can playtest more, but it's fine. Just chill. Q: A board game? About tiny robots and love? Everyone thinks you're insane. What are you thinking? A; Just chill, my dude. No game is for everyone, but everyone has loved this game. Just chill. Q: You're investing time, money, goodwill, your reputation, all into a cardboard game about cartoon robots. You have a family to think about. Shouldn't you do a more traditional line of work? A: Chill. We've gone over this, it's better to try and fail than give up before you even start. You know this. Just chill. Life can throw things at you. Or, more often, you may choose to create some imaginary thing and throw it at yourself. In all cases, it's important to face such things with a sense of equanimity. Or, to translate for those of you reaching for your thesaurus right now: Find your chill, my dudes. The first thing to do is chill. So... to those of you who have read to the end of this. How do you chill? #newgames #boardgamesofinstagram #boardgamer #chillvibes #chillin

#robotlove #lovefacts #hugsmakeeverythingbetter #freehugs