Taylor Hayward collaboration - part II

Jul 8

1 min read

Updated: Jul 12

During a playtest with Taylor Hayward and the Game Designers of NC - Charlotte chapter group, Taylor mentioned he would buy GridCore (see https://www.playgridcore.com/post/playtest-may-19-2026-killing-my-darlings). That gave me the needed confidence to take more of the game away.

Over subsequent work sessions, Taylor encouraged me to find the smallest playable version - the part that brings the table alive, and trust that more could always be added later. So I started removing. Mechanics, steps, components. The game kept getting smaller. And somewhere in that process, GridCore started feeling more like itself.

Thank you Taylor!

2 Comments

yoyohumpday

4 hours ago

really really nice topic the freak circus

Jordamartin

Oct 10

I like how this collaboration highlights the value of simplifying a creative project until its strongest idea stands out. Taylor Hayward’s advice on finding the smallest playable version of GridCore shows why thoughtful editing matters across creative fields, including Movie Fashion, where removing distractions can help a design tell a clearer story.