I've tried to find info on this to no avail. Here's everything I could gather so far:

It's a tiny (roughly 4x6 inch) painting mounted onto what might be silk parchment that has symbols like geometric squares, swirls, and bells that can only be seen when you hold it at an angle.

I was told that the black words mean something like "tiger head flower" or something akin to that.

I could not find any info on the chop seal, or which artist it comes from.

I've written to Harvard, Princeton, Japanese art museums, etc, and they just keep telling me that I need to find a Japanese antiquarian expert to get any information on it.

Any info is much appreciated!

Hi folks!

I figured this was too niche/complex/"fiddly" of a game to garner enough interest for a Kickstarter project or whatnot, so I just made it available as a one-off for whoever is into stuff like this.

I'll try to keep it brief: You're piloting a spy plane behind enemy lines, guiding allies on the ground to find intel and rescue lost agents (with an evil assassin hot on your trail).

You can find an overview video, unboxing, design diary, etc here at the Game Crafter. You can also check out either the physical version or just the PNP files. The PDF rulebook is free, so you can get an idea of how it might feel.

I'm guessing this would appeal more to the hex and counter crowd of wargamers than most, but I'm not totally sure who will dig it, if anyone. I made the kind of game I would like to play, so hopefully someone else enjoys it, too!

Ask any questions about it if you like. There's no AI involved at any point. I do all the artwork and design myself. I even took the pics that you see, at a pond and creek in state game lands of Bradford County, Pennsylvania (beautiful nature up there).

SPY PLANE was also playtested and refined quite a bit. I thought of adding in an A10 Warthog somewhere in the game, as my brother worked on them back in the day. But in the end, I tried to keep an already loaded game as simple as I could.

Anyways, thanks for reading this far. Take care, and keep the solo board game recommendations coming! I love to see posts of cool games that I haven't heard of yet. 🎲

🥠 I got a bunch of extra fortune cookies with my Chinese food last week, so I handed them out to people while running errands. Most of them were fun. ("You'll reunite with a long lost friend," etc).

I gave this one to my local USPS Clerk, and it got thrown back at me with a groan and an incredulous look. I'm already a prankster, so he thought I was messing with him. But I was just as stunned as him. We had a good laugh.

I always expected these to be hopeful in some way.

I was wrong.

Hi Everyone!

I make these little puzzle books called "QUEST-O-GRAPHS Pencil Board Games." I once wished there were more genres of puzzle books available at bookstores and whatnot, so I created one that's meant to feel like it has board game mechanics built in. All you need is a pencil!

I usually self-publish through Kickstarter, and the goal is to maybe get these little books into retail stores someday. We'll see. 🤞

Anyways, if you want to try it out, you can download the 1-page rules and a free map, just to see if you like this sort of thing: QUEST-O-GRAPHS Rules & Level 1.

If you want to check out more info, here's the latest Kickstarter page: QUEST-O-GRAPHS Vol. 2: Trouble at the Tower! You can get the newest book there if you'd like, or order the previous one (which is a bit larger). You can also just get the PDF files to print the pages out for yourself.

Thanks for checking it out!

Have a great day. Take care.

-T. Howser

P.S. - Thanks again to the awesome mods of this subreddit!

He was on the football team, loved rock & roll, and often got in trouble with the nuns for pulling pranks.

He wasn't perfect, but I sure miss him a lot sometimes. He always had a joke.

Many years ago, due to the effects of a progressive illness, he was ultimately confined to a wheelchair. One day I randomly asked him, “Looking back, of all the things you’ve done, what are you the most proud of in your life?”

He thought about it deeply for a moment or two. Then he looked up at me, and with clear conviction and an infectious smile, simply said, “You.”

Love ya’, Dad. Thanks for everything.

These are all either solo only, or at least have an included single-player mode.

When I started, I was originally looking for (ideally) very small, inexpensive games that can play rather quick, don't have a huge setup time or learning curve, and provide a puzzly experience with a satisfying setting and theme. Multiplayers with solo modes were a bonus, because to me, they kinda feel like 2 games for the price of 1.

I was introduced to these via Reddit recommendations, YouTube reviews, Insta posts, BGG, etc. What a kind and helpful online community! Thanks, everyone! I've played and enjoyed all of them. Well, most of them lol. It's been a lot of fun so far.

Here's the list in no particular order (with respective BGG links):

* The Last Lighthouse

* Cascadia

* Tenby

* Tin Realm

* Embers

* Sprawlopolis

* Super Slopes

* Circle the Wagons (Essential Collection)

* Trailblazers (Travel Edition)

* Small Fjords

* Ancient Realm

* ROVE

* Aqua ROVE

* Snowfall Over Mountains

* The Lucky Seven

* Ultra Tiny Epic Galaxies

* War of 1812 Solitaire

* A Dragon's Gift

* Hyperstar Run

* The Royal Limited

* The Walking Dead: Surrounded

* Gate

My top 3 favorites right now are probably The Last Lighthouse, Tin Realm, and Small Fjord****s.

Many years ago, while aimlessly wandering the alleys of the world as a virtual tourist, I rounded an otherwise unremarkable streetcorner only to stumble upon a sweet, candid, quintessential NYC moment. Complete with sunset, tall buildings, and even a mint green moped tucked in the foreground. Really looked like the kind of shot that should be framed somewhere.

Over the years, Google updated its Street View images, & I subsequently forgot the location. Dammit.

In a turn of serendipity, I recently found that spot again. It had been sitting alone in the digital ether, frozen in time for over a decade, waiting patiently to be rediscovered. And it carried with it the same evocative stirrings that I had remembered. And then a thought came upon me.

"I'm curious to know whether or not this couple is even aware that their brief display of candid yet tender affection is forever immortalized in a hidden layer of the internet."

I don't think I'll ever know the answer to that question. But I figured I'd share it with you.

Here's how to find it in Google Maps:

🟢 Navigate to 40.739063,-73.991438

🟢 Go to "Street View."

🟢 Spin around until you see two green mailboxes side by side. Btw, these are called "relay boxes" because they house the day's mail for each block of a letter carrier's contiguous walking route. I know because this was once my job!

🟢 Click on the date (currently Apr 2026), and change it to Aug 2011.

🟢 There ya' go.

Life can be surprisingly beautiful sometimes. Often in ways we don't expect. So keep moving forward. And take care of yourself always.

-T