Although it's only November, I already know that no more board games of mine will be released this year, so I can take a moment to reflect. This year has been incredibly fantastic—I've had a total of four board games released, plus a theatrical board game of ours was also introduced to audiences.

Of course, everything that came out this year is actually the result of the past 1-2 years' work—that’s just how game design is. It takes a good deal of time to get from concept to store shelves.

The Kiwi is a re-release of my 2017 game, essentially re-illustrated, so I didn’t have much to do with it this time. It was more than ready in 2023, but due to a publisher’s decision, it was only released this year. Zsolna and The Secret Recipe Book came together fairly quickly after an August 2023 inquiry, launching in the fall, so spring 2024 isn’t too bad a timeline—although we hoped to be even faster. The idea for Pilvax came to me in early 2023, initially as an independent release, but a publisher eventually took it on and re-themed it. As for Kibeszlő, I was approached in December 2023, but the real work started this January. It’s a small-scale, domestic release, which allowed it to hit shelves by fall.

Of course, there's a sense of joy and maybe even a little pride, but it’s also important to see the challenges in this. While your game is being released, you’re already deep into something entirely different. In recent weeks and months, my creative energy has been fully invested in my two releases planned for 2025, even though the current launches demand attention for marketing. The truth is, I could use some management support, but I’m incredibly far from that point. Even with around 50,000 games sold, I’m nowhere near being able to consider game design as a full-time career.

There were two things this year that I experienced as very, very positive. First, I had games released by two publishers I hadn’t worked with before. Second, the theatrical board game, which might just be opening a new, exciting chapter in my life. We’ve played the game as part of the show several times since its premiere, and I was even invited as a consultant for another production. (Of course, independent theater is in an incredibly challenging situation in Hungary today, filled with uncertainties—Will there be a premiere? Will we perform it again? Will anyone even get paid?)

Here's a brief overview of the four games:

📓 Zsolna and The Secret Recipe Book – A cooperative family game suitable for kindergarten-aged children and up.

🥝 Kiwi – A memory-boosting game for young school-age children, with variations challenging even for adults.

☕️ Pilvax – An abstract game inspired by famous poets, designed for older players and perhaps best suited for adults.

🗣️ Kibeszélő – A lighthearted game for addressing tough topics, perfect for home or even therapeutic conversations.

So it's pure joy and happiness that 2024 could once again be so focused on game design—here’s hoping 2025 won’t let us down either!