The past few weeks haven’t been the most productive for me hobby-wise. A couple of setbacks threw me off, and honestly, I just haven’t been in the right mindset to sit down and get much done. But that doesn’t mean I’ve been completely idle! While my painting and model-building have taken a backseat, I’ve been keeping busy in another way—writing.
Writing has been a great way to take my mind off things, and I’ve actually made a ton of progress on multiple projects. In fact, this might have been one of my most productive months in terms of game design! I’ve been refining rules, fleshing out expansions, and even tackling some of the bigger ideas that have been sitting on my to-do list for far too long.
Pod Racing Rules – Full Speed Ahead!
One of the biggest things I’ve been working on is my pod racing game, and I’m really excited about how it’s coming together! This one has been rattling around in my head for a while, and it’s finally starting to take shape in a way that I’m happy with.
At the moment, I’ve been playtesting with simple card stand-ins for racers, just to get a feel for the movement, speed, and mechanics. It’s working well, but I know it’s going to be so much better once I get around to building proper models. I’ve been eyeing up some of my old Hot Wheels cars—some of the really odd-looking ones that I could never quite bring myself to use in The Last Drifters. They’ll be perfect for futuristic racing once I modify them. I’ll probably 3D-print some thrusters, engines, and extra parts to give them that proper high-speed sci-fi vibe.
The game itself is designed to be fast-paced and fun, allowing players to just grab some racers and jump straight into a wild, high-speed race. But for those who want a bit more depth, there’s also a campaign system with sponsors, upgrades, and a progression system. You can earn credits, tweak your racer, and even invest in some less-than-legal modifications if you fancy bending the rules! The illegal upgrades add a really fun twist for those who enjoy a bit of risk in their races.
I can already see this game being a real blast once everything is finished. Now I just need to get those racers built…
Stars & Lasers – Star Wars Armada Add-on
Another thing I’ve been working on is my Star Wars Armada add-on for Stars & Lasers. This is a simple add-on like my Star Trek expansion, but this time it focuses on some of the iconic ships from the Star Wars universe.
I’ve been tweaking the rules to try and capture the Star Wars feel, making sure battles have that same cinematic, large-scale fleet engagement vibe. The challenge is balancing the different ship types while keeping the game easy to pick up and play. If you’ve played Stars & Lasers before, this should feel like a natural extension—just with X-wings, Star Destroyers, and all the fun stuff we love from Star Wars.
Zombie Rules – The Campaign Challenge
Yep, I’m still working my way through my zombie survival game. The core mechanics are done, and the game itself plays really well. But the big challenge right now is getting the campaign system to fit together properly.
I want the campaign to feel like a true survival experience, where players have to make tough choices to keep their group alive. It’s not just about blasting zombies—it’s about finding supplies, making hard decisions, and dealing with whatever the world throws at you. Players will need to complete different scenarios based on what their group needs—whether it’s food, weapons, medicine, or securing a better hideout.
There are so many possibilities, but I’m struggling to get it all to flow in a way that feels natural and engaging. Right now, I’ve got a lot of ideas floating around, but I haven’t quite nailed down how it all fits together. Hopefully, I’ll crack it soon because I really want to see this game finished!
Hostile Actions – Mechs & More!
The first supplement for Hostile Actions is coming along nicely, and I’m adding some really exciting new elements to the game. The big headline? Big. Mechs.
Yes, giant stomping war machines will be hitting the battlefield soon, bringing with them new weapons, new tactics, and a whole new layer of destruction. I’ve been playtesting different ideas to make sure they feel powerful but balanced, and so far, they’re shaping up nicely.
But that’s not all—I’m also working on new troops, vehicles, and weapons to expand the existing armies. And if that wasn’t enough, I’m even toying with the idea of alien troops! These might end up in a separate supplement, but the idea of throwing some strange, non-human factions into the mix is definitely tempting…
Ironclads of Ferrosia – Taking to the Skies!
Last but certainly not least, I’ve started working on the first expansion for Ironclads of Ferrosia. This one is going to shake things up in a big way by introducing… Flying Ships!
Yep, we’re going full sci-fi steampunk madness with this expansion. These won’t just be more fighters or bombers—these are large flying warships, adding a whole new tactical dimension to the game.
Designing these ships has been a bit of a challenge, though. I want them to feel unique and bring something fresh to the game without making existing fleets feel obsolete. So, I’m still in the process of finalizing the designs—but once they’re ready, they’ll open up some seriously cool new possibilities for the game.
Final Thoughts
So, while I haven’t done much hands-on hobby work lately, I’ve definitely been making progress behind the scenes. Writing has been my main focus, and I’m really happy with how these projects are coming together. Hopefully, I’ll get back into building and painting soon, especially now that I’ve got so many exciting things in the works!
If you’ve made it this far—thanks for reading! Let me know what you’ve been working on lately, and as always, happy gaming!
Very exciting reading what you’re up to, the Zombie game sounds really interesting and really looking forward to the pod racing campaign system.
Hi Jack,
The zombie game has been stuck at this stage now for almost a year, one off games are playable and are fun, but I think I am getting closer to fitting the campaign side together.
The racing game went together really easily, the sponsors in the campaign system work really well, I am just in the playtesting stage.
I have two people playtesting these… well when they get their games room done!
So probably still a few months off before I could release this.
Mac