What’s Next for Sylvan Tactics?

There’s a lot to keep track of lately with Sylvan Tactics. If you’ve been following us, you might be wondering how close are we to release? Well, unfortunately that’s quite a ways off yet, but there’s still a lot to look forward to in the coming months.

Here’s a look at what we’re focused on next:

🧪 More Playtesting at Protospiel Online and Gen Con
We’ll be playtesting the game at Protospiel Online in May and at the First Exposure Playtest Hall at Gen Con in August. We loved participating in Protospiel Kansas City, and we can’t wait to see the cool stuff people have been working on for the virtual event. And of course GenCon will be the main event of the Summer. These events are critical for refining game balance and clarity, and we’re excited to hear what players think of the latest changes.

♟️ Tabletop Simulator Version Coming Soon
We’ve had a privately playable version of the game on Tabletopia for a while now, but we’re aiming to finish a Tabletop Simulator version by the end of May. This will also only be available to private playtesters (join our Discord to find out how to get involved with a playtest), but it will give us even more flexibility for testing mechanics, showcasing updates, and bringing the game to digital game nights. The free public versions probably won’t be available until closer to our eventual crowdfunding campaign.

🖼️ Halfway to a Full Deck of Art by September
Our incredible artist, Kalinina, has been cranking out 10 new illustrations each month. By September 2025, we’re on track to have 50% of the final card art completed. This will be a huge visual milestone that makes everything feel more real.

💻 Standalone Digital Alpha by October
Development is underway for a standalone digital version of Sylvan Tactics, and we’re targeting a playable alpha build by October. This early version will include core mechanics, animations, and hopefully a polished enough interface to get people excited for what’s to come. This will be a major pillar of our marketing push leading up to the crowdfunding campaign next year. We aim to make this the best way to experience the game other than in person with a friend. And it will be completely free!

All of these milestones help us test, polish, and promote Sylvan Tactics as we build towards launch. We have a long road ahead of us, but we are making significant progress every month. Lots to look forward to in 2025!

Sylvan Tactics Goes Digital: Building a Forest of Possibilities

Since day one, Sylvan Tactics has been about doing more with less. A single chess board. A handful of familiar pieces. One custom deck of cards. From those simple ingredients, we've been crafting a deep and strategic woodland battle.

Now we're excited to announce that a fully custom, standalone digital version of Sylvan Tactics is in development for PC, with plans to launch on Steam. This version will take the core concepts of the game and enhance them with all the power and polish a digital platform can offer. It's still the same idea at heart, but this time the rules can come to life around you.

What Makes the Digital Version Different?

In the physical version, players track things like Sigil usage, move and attack limits, and card costs by hand. In the digital version, the system handles all of that automatically, letting players focus entirely on tactics and strategy without any mental overhead.

Some of the new features include:

  • On-board overlays for Strength values, ability previews, valid moves, and attack ranges

  • Icons showing which pieces have moved, invoked, or are wounded

  • Cards in your hand automatically gray out if you don't have enough Sigils to play them

  • Hovering over a piece reveals its art, stats, and ability text

  • Auto-refreshing of Sigils and units at the start of each turn

  • Streamlined deployment of Pawns and the Queen as hand cards based on current game state

  • Auto-invoking Sigils when playing cards, making moves, or declaring attacks

All the strategic decisions remain intact. The digital version simply makes them easier to see, manage, and act on.

Designed to Teach and Invite

We know most people haven’t played Sylvan Tactics yet. That’s why we’re building the digital version to be an approachable and intuitive entry point. With clear prompts, smart visual feedback, and elegant automation, it lowers the learning curve and keeps games moving at a satisfying pace.

And we’re not stopping there.

An early screenshot of the Tabletopia version of Sylvan Tactics.

We also plan to release versions of the game on Tabletopia and Tabletop Simulator. These platforms are great for remote playtesting and community games, but they come with limitations. They can’t support the same level of automation or customization as a fully coded experience. The Steam version, on the other hand, lets us bring the game’s design philosophy to life in full detail.

A Free Gateway to the Sylvan World

To encourage more people to discover the world of Sylvan Tactics, we’re making the base digital version completely free to play. That means all 86 core cards will be available at no cost on every platform we release on.

Why free? Because every digital version of Sylvan Tactics is ultimately designed to funnel players into the world of the game, building community and interest ahead of our upcoming Kickstarter for the physical version.

That physical version is our passion and our primary focus. It’s the version that can sit on your shelf, be played across a chessboard with a friend, and become a part of your regular game night lineup. The digital versions are a bridge to help more players reach that experience.

Room to Grow

If the digital version finds a wide audience, we’re open to exploring future paid expansions, including new cards, factions, or game modes that continue to build on the foundation we’ve created. But the core experience will always be free and focused on welcoming players into the Sylvan Tactics community.

We can't wait to share more. Follow along for updates, previews, and development news on Instagram, Bluesky, or join our Discord:

Instagram
Bluesky
Discord

Come explore the forest. Whether on your table or your screen, Sylvan Tactics is just getting started.

Choosing the Right Components: Trackers for Sylvan Tactics

In every game of Sylvan Tactics, tracking your King’s and Queen’s health needs to be quick, clear and in keeping with our goal of low-waste design. As we weigh component costs, environmental impact, and ease of use under new tariff pressures, here are the main options.

PEN & PAPER

Many of the earliest war games like Squad Leader relied on nothing more than pencil and scrap paper to record hit points. That hands-on simplicity carries forward into modern wargaming, but at what cost to flow of play?

  • Pros

    • Zero manufacturing footprint since players supply their own materials.

    • Complete flexibility to design whatever layout you prefer.

  • Cons

    • Manual erasing and rewriting can slow down fast-paced turns.

    • Risk of smudges or faded notes making values hard to read.

  • Sustainability in Sylvan Tactics

    • Best case for green credentials, but could make the game feel “incomplete”.

DICE

Later board games and collectible card games adopted D6s or D20s for both resolving actions and tracking life totals. Dice offer instant visual feedback yet carry both cost and environmental weight.

  • Pros

    • Players likely already own extra dice, so they wouldn’t necessarily need to be included in the box.

    • Instant, at-a-glance indication of remaining health.

    • Reuses a component that fits many different games.

  • Cons

    • Adding 6 plastic dice (2 for each King and 1 for each Queen) increases box weight and shipping cost.

    • Loose dice can get bumped or roll off the table.

    • Plastic production works against our low-waste ambitions.

  • Sustainability in Sylvan Tactics

    • A solid middle ground if players are encouraged to “bring your own.” Including dice in the core set would push us away from our eco-friendly goals.

DIALS

Dials would be the most “customizable” option that could be aesthetically matched with the art of the game, but they also would incur the highest production costs.

  • Pros

    • Easiest to read at a glance.

    • Great for a cohesive theme when customized for the game’s aesthetics.

    • Tactile “click” feedback makes each point gained or lost feel meaningful.

  • Cons

    • Precision die-cutting or plastic molding drives up manufacturing and tooling costs.

    • Small wheels can jam, break or wear out.

    • Often made from mixed plastics, which are hard to recycle.

  • Sustainability in Sylvan Tactics

    • Visually appealing, but too resource-intensive for our print-run targets and tariff constraints.

Tracks

Many modern games feature health or score tracks printed directly on the board or player mats. Markers slide along grooves, keeping everything in one place.

  • Pros

    • Can save space if you game already has a board or mat component.

    • Low per-unit cost when bundled with a larger board.

  • Cons

    • Requires a larger or thicker board, which increases shipping weight.

    • Still needs a marker or cube. Another tiny component to manufacture.

  • Sustainability in Sylvan Tactics

    • Board-integrated tracking conflicts with our minimal-component ethos unless we can repurpose existing cards somehow.

Cards

Recent titles such as Regime and Star Realms use their cards for dual purposes: rotating or sliding cards themselves to mark health or status. This elegant solution aligns with our sustainability vision.

  • Pros

    • No extra box weight: uses the same cardstock as the core 100-card deck.

    • Keeps component count low and production simple.

  • Cons

    • May require clear layout design to keep tracking intuitive.

    • Needs careful prototyping to ensure visibility and durability.

  • Sustainability in Sylvan Tactics

    • Definitely seems like this would be a viable option for sustainability, but it remains to be seen if this would actually be a useability improvement over just standard pen and paper.

What This Means for Sylvan Tactics

Under new tariff pressures, every ounce of plastic and cardboard adds cost. We’re leaning toward a system that either lets you use materials you already have (pencils, dice or cubes) or embeds tracking right into your cards. Offering a custom tracker as a Kickstarter upgrade remains an option, but we want the core set to stay lean and green.

Now it’s your turn: which health-tracking style would you choose for Sylvan Tactics? Do you love using D6s you already own, writing hit points by hand, or sliding a game piece along printed cards? Leave a comment below and help us decide the final design for our crowdfunding campaign!

Follow Sylvan Tactics for news, playtest invites, and behind-the-scenes updates:

Designing Around Tariffs: How Minimalist Games Offer a Surprising Advantage

The board game industry was recently hit with a bit of a curveball: a new round of U.S. tariffs has made it significantly more expensive to manufacture and import games from abroad. Particularly those with lots of custom components, plastic miniatures, and large, weighty boxes. For many small publishers, this creates a sudden and unexpected cost hurdle that could delay launches or eat into already thin margins.

But here’s the interesting part: some games, especially those designed with sustainability and minimalism in mind, may weather this storm better than others, and we think Sylvan Tactics might be one of them.

Our demo station from the recent EICC Gaming Convention in Davenport, Iowa.

Why the Tariffs Matter

The new tariffs mainly affect games produced in China and other overseas markets, adding financial pressure on top of already high shipping costs. And let’s face it, most modern board games are not lightweight. Between custom dice, plastic figures, unique tokens, oversized boards, and flashy packaging, a typical game can easily become both physically heavy and financially costly.

This makes early design decisions more important than ever.

Small Box, Big Advantage

When we started developing Sylvan Tactics, we weren't thinking about tariffs. Our focus was on sustainability, affordability, and accessibility. As we explained in our earlier post on sustainability in board gaming, we wanted to build a game that reused components players already owned. Specifically, we designed around a standard chess board and chess pieces.

By limiting our component requirements, we ended up with a game that:

  • Ships in a much smaller box, with just 100 cards and a rulebook.

  • Does not require plastic miniatures or custom dice.

  • Avoids expensive molds and specialized manufacturing processes.

  • Weighs much less than most modern board games.

This approach makes Sylvan Tactics cheaper to produce, easier to ship, and less impacted by import tariffs. While we did not plan for this benefit, it shows how intentional design choices can offer real-world advantages.

How Other Designers Can Adapt

If you are a board game designer or indie publisher facing higher production costs, now might be a good time to consider which components are truly essential. Ask yourself, what can I simplify without losing the heart of the game? Or, better yet, what common materials can I build around?

Here are a few strategies that can help reduce costs, lower environmental impact, and avoid tariff complications:

  • Use existing components. Design games that rely on common items many players already own, such as chess boards, dominoes, standard playing cards, or dice.

  • Minimize your footprint. Keep your component count low. Cards are compact, inexpensive to print, and can be manufactured locally in many regions.

  • Focus on replayability. Create depth through strategic options and variable setups rather than through expensive, one-time-use components.

  • Think modular. Consider designing a base game that can be expanded over time without needing to ship a whole new box for each update.

Constraints Encourage Creativity

We’ve shared before how embracing limitations led to better design outcomes in Sylvan Tactics. Working within a tight framework helped us stay focused, iterate faster, and find creative solutions. The same design constraints that supported our sustainability goals are now helping us navigate unexpected economic shifts like these new tariffs.

While these import fees have created new challenges for the tabletop industry, they may also inspire more designers to explore leaner, smarter, and more sustainable approaches. That shift could benefit players, publishers, and the planet all at once.

Follow Along and Join the Conversation

If you're interested in sustainable game design, indie publishing, or just want to stay in the loop as Sylvan Tactics approaches a crowdfunding launch, we’d love to have you follow us and join the community:

And you can always find the latest info on the Sylvan Tactics page of our website.

Playtesting with Big Changes: Faster Turns, Better Flow, and Smarter Resources

A few weeks ago, we shared the rules for Sylvan Tactics publicly for the first time. And almost immediately after, we put those rules to the test with real players in a remote playtest hosted by the wonderful folks over at the Distraction Makers podcast Discord. The results? Encouraging, insightful, and just a little bit humbling.

We have been big fans of the Distraction Makers podcast during the development of Sylvan Tactics. They cover a wide range of game design topics and often use Magic the Gathering and other card-battlers as examples.

The Problem: Decision-Making Bottlenecks

The biggest piece of feedback we heard from that session and podcast host, Forrest Imel, was that turns felt… slow. Not in the sense of complex or drawn-out rules, but in terms of decision-making friction. New players did not have the game knowledge to evaluate which cards in their opening hand would be the best choice to discard when creating a Sigil. Then they had to inspect every card in the draft row to decide if they should pick one to draw or just draw a random card from the draw deck.

In theory, these mechanics created interesting tension. In practice, they stalled momentum. The result? Too many turns where players were staring at the board, parsing options, and not doing much. And that runs directly counter to what we want: action-packed turns full of movement, tactical card plays, and big, satisfying swings.

The Solution: A Single, Elegant Change

We realized something kind of magical: we could solve both the hand-size issue and the draft row redundancy with a single change. Make Sigils their own unique cards.

By separating Sigils from the rest of the deck, players no longer had to discard cards from their hand to build their resource base. That meant more cards to choose from each turn and fewer hard choices that happen before the fun starts. Plus, since you weren’t burning through your deck just to play Sigils, we could remove the draft row entirely without fear of players being starved for options.

The New Sigils

With just a few days to spare before Protospiel Kansas City, we redesigned our prototype decks to include six dedicated Sigil cards per player. Each turn, you flip one of your dormant Sigils to its active side, representing the growth of your resource pool. No more sacrificing cards. No more draft row clutter. Just smooth, forward momentum.

To make room and keep the print run under 108 cards, we trimmed a few redundant cards and rebalanced the deck accordingly.

The Game Crafter graciously provided a plethora of playtesting game pieces for attendees of Protospiel Kansas City.

Testing the New Build at Protospiel KC

Protospiel Kansas City was an incredible experience. I made the solo trek from Eastern Iowa with my newly revised prototype and found myself surrounded by some of the most welcoming and insightful designers I've ever met.

Within the first few test games, it was clear: the Sigil change was a massive success. Players felt empowered, turns moved faster, and the game’s rhythm felt more fluid and exciting. In fact, it was almost too good. We had to cap the starting and max hand size to six to keep players from being overloaded with options.

New Feedback and New Experiments

Here’s what stood out from all the games we played that weekend:

1. The Art and Theme Are Resonating.
Seeing people light up when they saw the anthropomorphic woodland animal art was incredibly rewarding. We’ve gotten great responses online, but nothing beats hearing someone say, “Oh my gosh, this raccoon is amazing,” in person.

2. Sometimes You Still Get Dead Cards.
And sometimes that’s okay. Not every card in your hand is always helpful. Some of that is due to how you play and position your units. But to give players more agency, we’re introducing a new mechanic: once per turn, you can invoke your King to discard two cards and draw one from the deck. It’s a calculated gamble, and we love that. Combine it with the Queen’s ability (sacrifice 1 Health to draw a card), and players now have multiple ways to manage their hand strategically.

3. High-Cost Cards Can Feel Like a Trap.
Some of our coolest Mercenaries cost all six Sigils to play. While they’re powerful, players often felt hesitant to commit all their resources in one go. So we’re experimenting with a new keyword: Apex Predator. Mercenaries with this keyword can be played for 2 fewer Sigils if you’re willing to sacrifice a Pawn and take 2 morale damage to your King. Since morale damage can’t kill you, this offers a potential comeback mechanic and makes it more satisfying to deploy those big threats when you’re behind.

4. Some Cards Just Weren’t Fun.
We ended up changing a few different cards to improve overall enjoyment of the game. For example, Hard Freeze was originally designed to prevent your opponent from invoking any cards for a turn. Cool on paper, but not fun to be on the receiving end. We’ve since reworked it to prevent your opponent from invoking just their Mercenaries. They can still invoke Sigils to play cards from their hand, keeping the game engaging while retaining the spirit of disruption.

Looking Ahead

Every iteration of Sylvan Tactics brings us closer to our vision: a game that rewards clever play, offers deep tactical choices, and delights players with its art and atmosphere. We’re getting there. And events like Protospiel KC are a huge part of that journey.

Our next in-person playtesting event is coming up this weekend at the EICC Gaming Convention in Davenport, Iowa. I plan to be there demoing Sylvan Tactics all day on Saturday in their board gaming room. Stop by and try the new mechanics!

If you want to view the latest version of the rules with all the changes described above, you can find those here.

We’re planning to keep pushing and refining ahead of an eventual crowdfunding campaign. If you want to follow along (or try the game yourself), be sure to join us on Bluesky, Instagram, or our Discord.

Thanks to everyone who’s played, tested, or offered feedback so far. You’re helping us make something truly special.

Come Playtest Sylvan Tactics at Protospiel Kansas City!

We’re excited to announce that Sylvan Tactics will be making an appearance at Protospiel Kansas City on April 4th and 5th!

This is your chance to jump into the tactical woodland battlefield and get an early look at some big changes we’ve been working. Be one of the first to test these new mechanics that have been made thanks to some great feedback from recent online playtests. If you’ve been following our design journey, you know we’ve never been afraid to experiment.

Nearly 200 paper playtesting card inserts removed in preparation for Protospiel Kansas City. They have all been updated and replaced with revised rules, stats, and mechanics.

If you’re in the area and want to help shape the future of Sylvan Tactics, we’d love to have you stop by our table and join a session. Feedback from playtesters like you is how this game keeps evolving into something special.

Online badge registration is closed, but you can still purchase badges at the door. More info about the event can be found here: Protospiel Kansas City

Please note that we will not be there on Sunday April 6th due to previous commitments. Hopefully you can make it on Friday or Saturday though!

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How We Know Sylvan Tactics is Resonating: Key Metrics You Should Use Too

When designing a game, one critical question keeps coming up: "Is our game idea resonating with players?" We've found some reliable ways to objectively measure resonance even at an early stage of development. Here are three methods we've used—and why you might want to consider them too.

1. Instagram Ads

Social media advertising can be daunting, but Instagram has given us clear and helpful metrics. Currently, we're averaging around $0.40 per new follower and $0.25 per profile visit. According to industry averages, these figures are excellent—most similar campaigns tend to hover between $0.50 to $2.00 per follower. These promising numbers suggest that our anthropomorphic woodland art and the unique concept of blending chess mechanics with strategic card play are connecting strongly with our audience.

Of course, ad quality matters greatly. Crisp, attractive visuals and clear messaging are key. But even accounting for ad quality, these low-cost, high-engagement metrics are a good sign that Sylvan Tactics' aesthetic and gameplay pitch are hitting the mark with board game enthusiasts.

2. Reddit Posts

Sometimes the simplest outreach can yield surprising insights. We recently made a straightforward post on the /r/boardgamedesign subreddit seeking feedback on our card designs—and the response blew us away. It rapidly became one of the top three posts in the subreddit for the entire year, nearly reaching the second spot overall.

While hitting the top three isn't necessary to demonstrate success (and achieving high Reddit visibility doesn't guarantee success), it can be very insightful to use similar posts as a benchmark. By examining the number of upvotes and the nature of comments other comparable games have received, you can better gauge potential reception for your own release. Our post’s high ranking indicated that our game concept and art resonated deeply with the community, even among many other impressive projects.

The feedback itself was overwhelmingly positive, with comments such as:

  • "Amazing! Very red wall and Bloomburrow-y in the best ways."

  • "The art is phenomenal!… The board design looks really nice too. I’d love to follow the Kickstarter when it’s live."

  • "These look great! I love this theme so much! Where can I find out more?"

This enthusiastic reaction from a knowledgeable community validated that our core idea—bringing new life to classic chess through tactical cards—was not only interesting but genuinely exciting to potential players.

3. Post-Playtest Surveys

Playtest surveys offer invaluable qualitative feedback, even if they can sometimes lack objectivity, particularly when testing with friends and family. However, what matters most in these early surveys isn't necessarily strict objectivity but rather the overall direction of the feedback.

Thus far, responses have been highly encouraging. Players consistently highlight enjoyment and strategic depth, and most suggestions are minor tweaks or balance adjustments rather than fundamental criticisms. Perhaps even more tellingly, multiple playtesters have proactively asked for another play session or requested to introduce Sylvan Tactics to their friends. This eagerness to revisit the game signals strong initial resonance.

Metrics for the Future

At this stage, Instagram engagement, Reddit response, and playtest feedback have been our most useful metrics. As development progresses, we'll begin to incorporate additional objective measures, such as community growth rates, conversion rates from ads to Kickstarter sign-ups, and deeper analysis of repeat play frequency.

For now, these early metrics are invaluable indicators that we're moving in the right direction. If you're developing a game yourself, consider tracking similar data points. They'll give you early insights into what's working, what's connecting, and where to focus your efforts next.

Ready to join us on our journey? Follow Sylvan Tactics on Bluesky, Instagram, and Discord to stay updated on our Kickstarter launch and future design insights!




Sylvan Tactics: Official Rules Reveal and Card Gallery Preview

It’s time! Over the past few months, we’ve shared behind-the-scenes looks at how we combined classic chess mechanics with a card-battling twist, teased our approach to sustainability, and showcased some of our prototype artwork. Now, at last, we’re thrilled to share the full rules of Sylvan Tactics with you. This post will give a quick overview of the gameplay experience and then direct you to our newly released rules document and a fresh gallery of card previews.

A Quick Introduction to the Rules

Sylvan Tactics uses a standard chess board and pieces, but every piece is represented by a card that bestows additional stats and abilities. You’ll still see Knights moving in L-shapes, Bishops sweeping diagonally, and Rooks charging in straight lines, but each piece has a distinct power set defined by the card you assign to it.

Resource Management with Sigils

In addition to moving and attacking with your units, you’ll manage resources called Sigils to power up your card-driven abilities. Sigils work almost like a “mana” system in other card games, except they come straight from your hand - any card can become a Sigil. Use them carefully, because the number of actions and plays you can make each turn depends on how many Sigils you can pay.

Units and Combat

  • Pawns: The backbone of your army. Pawns can advance steadily, just like chess, and even promote to powerful Mercenary units if they reach the far side of the board.

  • Mercenaries: These are your specialized pieces (Rook, Bishop, Knight) with unique cards that govern their stats and skills.

  • Queen & King: Each retains their iconic chess movement, but their health system adds a new layer of strategy. Especially the King, whose defeat means you lose the game.

Combat is straightforward but tactical: if your attacker’s Strength is at least as high as the defender’s, the defender is defeated. Otherwise, the defender becomes “wounded,” which sets them up for a finishing blow in the next attack.

Card-Battling Meets Board Control

While positioning on the board is crucial (just like in chess), you also have to consider card synergy, Sigil costs, and surprise plays. Will you spend Sigils on big, game-changing Mercenaries, or swarm with cheaper Pawns? Should you gamble on drawing a powerful card from the deck, or pick a known (but possibly less exciting) option from the face-up draft row? The interplay of these decisions keeps the tension high and the outcome uncertain in the best possible way.

Explore the Full Rules Document

Ready to dig in? We’ve made our full rules accessible in an online document that we’re also opening to community comments. We’d love to hear your feedback:

Sylvan Tactics Rules

Whether you’re curious about the finer points of placing your units, the exact mechanics behind Mercenary partnerships, or how morale damage works, this document covers it all. It’s a living rulebook, so if something isn’t crystal-clear, feel free to leave a comment. We’re excited to continue refining Sylvan Tactics with the help of our early followers and playtesters.

Browse Our New Card Preview Gallery

We’ve also put together a new online gallery of all the card designs we’ve shared on social media so far. This is your chance to get a closer look at the anthropomorphic woodland creatures and the game-changing abilities they possess:

Sylvan Tactics Card Previews

Expect even more reveals in the weeks ahead, including more card art and abilities every week. We hope these previews spark your imagination for the strategic possibilities at play and give you additional context to help understand the rules document.

What’s Next?

1. Crowdfunding Launch
It’s going to be a while before we are ready, but the end goal here will be to get you a finished copy of the game. Follow us on our journey!

2. Playtest Opportunities
We’ll be hosting online and in-person playtests. Follow us on social media or join our Discord so you don’t miss your chance to try Sylvan Tactics before it launches.

3. Community Feedback
The Sylvan Tactics community has been instrumental in shaping the game so far. If you have questions, comments, or brilliant ideas, share them in the rules document comments, on Discord, or via social media.

Join the Conversation

We can’t wait to see your armies take shape on the board as you experiment with different strategies, combos, and card synergies. Thank you for coming along on this journey with us. Dive into the new rulebook and card gallery, and let us know what you think!

Physical vs. Digital Playtesting: Our Experience with Sylvan Tactics on Tabletopia

We've been hard at work refining Sylvan Tactics over the past few months. One of our most recent developments has been creating a digital version of the game on Tabletopia for virtual playtesting. This has been an eye-opening experience that has fundamentally changed our development process, and today I want to share some insights about the differences between physical and digital playtesting.

Why We Chose Tabletopia

After exploring several virtual tabletop platforms, we settled on Tabletopia for a few key reasons:

  • Completely free for our needs

    • Already includes chess boards and chess pieces as standard components

    • No need for a paid game setup or custom 3D component designs at this stage

  • Accessibility for playtesters

    • Works directly in a browser with a simple URL link

    • Playtesters don't need to create accounts—they can simply enter a guest username when joining a game room

  • Functionality that fits our game

    • The interface is intuitive enough for our playtesters to learn quickly

    • Custom zones and component snapping features support our unique mechanics like the Sigil system

While platforms like Tabletop Simulator offer more extensive scripting capabilities, we found that Tabletopia's simpler approach was actually better suited for Sylvan Tactics. The game's hybrid nature—combining chess pieces with card mechanics—fits neatly within Tabletopia's component system without requiring complex automation.

The current iteration of Sylvan Tactics in digital form.

Physical vs. Digital: The Unexpected Tradeoffs

What We Gained from Digital Testing

After a couple of weeks of virtual playtesting, we've noticed several significant advantages:

  • Geographic flexibility

    • We've run tests with players who are separated by large distances who would never have been able to join a physical session

    • This has diversified our feedback and helped identify blind spots in our design

  • Iteration speed

    • Card updates that previously required printing, cutting, and sleeving can now be implemented in minutes

    • We can test small changes immediately rather than batching them for the next physical prototype

  • Scheduling convenience

    • Virtual sessions are easier to set up and require less commitment from playtesters

    • We can run more frequent, shorter sessions that focus on specific mechanics

  • Systematic feedback

    • Screen recording during sessions helps us revisit exactly what happened during crucial moments

    • Playtesters can easily take screenshots to highlight issues or interesting situations

What We Miss from Physical Testing

Despite these advantages, digital playtesting doesn't completely replace the physical experience:

  • Tactile feedback is missing

    • The satisfying feel of moving a chess piece to capture an opponent's unit

    • The physical act of rotating cards to invoke them

  • Social dynamics are different

    • Table talk is more constrained in a digital environment

    • Body language and emotional reactions are harder to read

  • Interface limitations

    • Some actions that are intuitive in physical play require additional clicks or menus

    • Players sometimes struggle with the physics system when performing simple actions like stacking cards

Making Digital Playtesting Work: Our Tabletopia Setup

To overcome some of the limitations of digital playtesting, we've developed several techniques specific to Tabletopia:

Magnetic Maps: The Secret Weapon

The component snapping and rotating features with Magnetic Maps have been essential. While technically you could play the entire game without them, relying on physics and mouse controls would make the experience frustratingly fiddly.

This was especially important for our “invoke” mechanic. In the physical game, you turn cards sideways to indicate being invoked. Without a Magnetic Map, players would need to use the right-click menu and select the 90-degree rotate option—a tedious process for an action performed multiple times per turn.

Our solution was to create invoking zones for each card slot, positioned just above the card and marked with a rotated card outline. When players drag a card into these zones, it automatically rotates sideways. We've also set magnetic zones to automatically flip cards face up or down for our Sigil creation mechanic and draft row. All of this is done with image files and requires no coding at all.

Here’s what a Magnetic Map file looks like.

Tabletopia Tips from Our Experience

If you're considering using Tabletopia for your own game, here are some practical tips we've learned:

  • For free game setups, use multiple smaller game boards

    • Image resolution limitations make larger boards difficult to read

    • We initially made this mistake, and while our board is functional, it doesn't look great

    • We plan to split it into sections for better visual clarity in future iterations

  • Create custom reference cards for digital-specific controls

    • We added cards explaining how to perform common actions

    • This significantly reduced the learning curve for new playtesters

  • Use color-coding for magnetic zones when possible

    • Subtle visual cues help players understand where components should go

    • This reduces the need for lengthy explanations about the interface

  • Set up your pieces to minimize scrolling

    • Arrange your game board and player areas to fit comfortably on a standard screen

    • Excessive scrolling creates friction that doesn't exist in physical play

Tabletopia Limitations We've Encountered

No platform is perfect, and we've hit a few frustrating limitations with Tabletopia:

  • Updating card backs is tedious

    • While you can create an entire deck with the same card back initially, updating that back later requires changing each card individually

    • With our ~100 card deck, this was extremely time-consuming

  • Limited component placement tools in the editor

    • There's no grid snapping or alignment tools

    • Our workaround was to make a temporary magnetic map just to place components in the editor, lock them, and then remove the map

  • Physics glitches can disrupt play

    • Occasionally cards or pieces will behave unexpectedly

    • We've had to design our magnetic maps to minimize these issues

The Hybrid Approach: Getting the Best of Both Worlds

Rather than choosing between physical and digital playtesting, we've found that a hybrid approach offers the greatest benefits:

  • Start physical, move digital

    • Initial concept testing works best in person where you can be certain that the core mechanics are viable in a physical setting

    • Once the core system is stable, move to digital to refine balance and test edge cases

  • Use digital for quantity, physical for quality

    • Digital tests can give you more data points across more players

    • Physical tests provide deeper insights into player engagement and emotional response

  • Alternate between environments

    • Digital testing might reveal an issue that's best addressed with hands-on physical testing

    • Physical observations can inform how you structure your digital implementation

Join Our Playtesting Community

We're continuing to refine Sylvan Tactics through both physical and digital playtesting, and we'd love for you to be part of that process. If you're interested in participating in our Tabletopia sessions, join our Discord server where we announce upcoming playtesting opportunities.

The game has evolved significantly thanks to player feedback, and every test brings us closer to the perfect balance of depth and accessibility we're aiming for.

Have you participated in digital playtesting for other games? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments, or join the conversation on Bluesky or Instagram!

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A New Pace for Sylvan Tactics: Why We Lowered the King's Health

One of the biggest challenges in designing a tactical board game is balancing depth with pacing. A game that offers strategic decision-making but takes too long to reach a conclusion can lose its sense of urgency, leading to drawn-out, repetitive late-game turns.

We recently encountered this issue in Sylvan Tactics. Originally, the King had 20 health, a number inspired by Magic: The Gathering’s standard life total. The idea was to give players room to maneuver, recover from setbacks, and engage in a battle of endurance. However, after extensive playtesting, we realized that this system was creating unintended problems. Games were dragging on, sometimes reaching three-hour playtimes, and late-game turns started feeling repetitive.

So, we made a bold change. We reduced the King’s health from 20 to 12.

This single tweak has had a dramatic impact on pacing, tension, and the overall feel of the game. Let’s explore why.

The Problem: A Game That Stretched Too Long

At first, we thought the primary culprit of long games was the number of choices available per turn. Sylvan Tactics allows for deep strategic planning, and we knew we had to streamline the decision-making process to keep things moving. Our solution? We introduced a 6-Sigil cap—a hard limit on the number of Sigils a player could have at any time. This ensured that turns didn’t snowball into analysis paralysis with too many options.

The 6-Sigil cap worked. Turns became snappier. Players took actions more quickly, and downtime was reduced.

But something unexpected happened. Even though individual turns felt faster, games still took too long to finish.

Why?

Because Sylvan Tactics lacked a natural power progression curve.

A Lesson from Magic: The Gathering

When comparing Sylvan Tactics to other strategic card games, one glaring difference stood out: the way resources scale over time.

In Magic: The Gathering, you can continue playing lands indefinitely. This means that as the game progresses, players naturally start playing bigger and more impactful spells. Even though the first few turns involve small, incremental plays, the game always builds towards an explosive climax.

But with Sylvan Tactics we capped Sigils at 6.

This meant that players peaked early in terms of their available actions. After reaching 6 Sigils, there were no new resource surges or massive plays—just consistent, even-paced turns until the game ended. The tension plateaued. The final turns lacked the kind of high-stakes drama that makes for an exciting conclusion.

We realized we needed to shorten the arc of the game so that players weren’t spending a prolonged period "maxed out" at full power.

Our original 20 health for the King was inspired directly by Magic: The Gathering. It was a good starting point, but we quickly discovered it wasn’t right for Sylvan Tactics.

The Solution: Lowering the King's Health to 12

The most direct way to speed up the late game was to make the King easier to kill. Reducing its health from 20 to 12 made every point of damage feel more meaningful and brought the game’s conclusion into sharper focus.

With this change, players no longer spend an excessive number of turns attacking a King that feels like a damage sponge. Instead, victory feels within reach much earlier, leading to a more natural build-up and climax.

More importantly, the pacing of the game now mirrors its strategic progression. The first few turns are about establishing a position, the mid-game is about controlling the board, and the late game is about executing finishing moves. Instead of lingering in a stagnant final phase, the game builds towards an inevitable and exciting conclusion. Play times are now down to around 1 hour and sometimes as quick as 45 minutes.

Other Game Design Lessons from This Change

Lowering the King’s health had ripple effects across multiple design aspects:

  • Combat feels deadlier. Every attack against the King carries more weight, increasing tension.

  • Players make more aggressive plays. Knowing the game is shorter, players are more likely to take risks.

  • Unit synergy matters more. With fewer turns available, setting up strong board control early is even more important.

  • Endgame is no longer a slog. The final turns are now more varied and impactful, rather than repetitive.

Ultimately, Sylvan Tactics now feels punchier, tighter, and more engaging from start to finish.

Game Balance Is an Ongoing Process

This experience reinforced an important lesson: game balance isn’t just about numbers—it’s about the emotional pacing of play.

By reducing the King’s health, we didn’t just make the game shorter—we reshaped the flow of the entire experience. Every decision now matters more, and the game delivers a sharper, more dramatic arc that keeps players engaged.

If you're a game designer, here’s our takeaway: don’t be afraid to revisit core assumptions about your game. Small tweaks—like adjusting a health value—can have outsized effects on everything from pacing to player psychology.

We’ll continue refining Sylvan Tactics based on feedback and testing, and we’d love to hear from you. Have you encountered similar balance challenges in your own designs? What changes have helped improve pacing in your games?

Let us know in the comments or join the conversation on Bluesky and Instagram!

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