Playtest May 14

I took GridCore to its first PLAYTEST night, run by the amazing folks at Potions & Pixels. When & where: May 14, 6‑10 PM, Divine Barrel Brewing, Charlotte — free entry and open tables.

I walked in worried I’d sit alone. Instead, organizer Michael seated me with five seasoned testers: Charlie!, Ben, Kyle, Anthony, and (I think) Denny. They played the whole prototype, asked sharp questions, and chatted about the values. I left buzzing with ideas.

What I’m grateful for

• Their time, their care, curiosity and interest - and that they gave thoughtful, unhurried feedback.

• Their debate on which scenarios best fit each value was gold.

Top fixes they sparked

• Shorter total play time → birthed new Gameplay cards.

• Scenario cards need one clear value match → set up a stricter writing process.

• Got stuck in a portal loop → tweaked the board layout.

• Less blind randomness, bigger coins, start in the center.

• “Nothing happened this round” feels bad → edu cards introduced if you miss a picker.

Huge thanks to the PLAYTEST crew. Your insight moves GridCore one square closer to being a “real” game.

Gamechangers!