Skeleton Code Machine

Skeleton Code Machine

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What would I want in an area control game?
Someone asked me, "What would you want to see in an area control game?" It's a really interesting question and one that required a lot of thought…
Is Hellboy: The Dice Game solvable?
Exploring how Hellboy: The Dice Game uses push-your-luck mechanisms and custom dice pools. If we calculated all the probabilities, how would that impact…
Manoeuvre-based combat in 2D6 Dungeon
Exploring how 2D6 Dungeon uses a D66 roll and Shift Points to create an interesting solo dungeon crawl combat experience. And how rolling to hit target…
Precognition and hacking turn order in HacKClaD
Exploring how HacKClaD makes drafting turn order slots one of the toughest choices in the game. Charge up your witch power and battle the Clad in this…

April 2026

Tumulus 06. "Hammer a nail in the coffin." ⚰️
The latest issue of Tumulus is shipping now, packed with game design inspiration and exercises. Vampires, player death, Markov chains, haunted houses…
An area control game where you can't battle your opponent?
Exploring how a single restriction transforms Moytura from a routine area control game into something much more interesting. Fighting Fomorians and…
How SpyNet solves the clogged market problem
Exploring how SpyNet by Richard Garfield uses cards and a mechanism reminiscent of a Dutch auction to keep the market moving in this spy-themed drafting…
Neighborhood Robots: Turning a card game into a solo journaling TTRPG
Exploring how Neighborhood Robots from the Giot Anthology modifies a solitaire card game to turn it into a solo journaling roleplaying game. Build mechs…
Dice combat in Hercules and the 12 Labors
Exploring how Hercules and the 12 Labors uses many of the elements of dungeon crawls to create a thematic combat experience. Can a dungeon crawl be a…

March 2026

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