Podcasts, jenga and the act of creation

So, there's this podcast I found, called tiny table podcasts- a small group of people who play games together. They were looking for game recommendations, so I was like, hey, what the hell, I'll show them Wizards and see what they think! 

The thing is, in life, I've always found it's easier to set my expectations low. So often with real issues in my life, there's so many problems and so few solutions. One has to live with disappointment, and it makes good things pleasant surprises.

Wizards is a passion project of mine, but I've spent my life on passion projects, and they all pretty much just stay with me and die when they slip out of my memory.  My life's work is a jenga tower, really.

I only joined itchio to work on a game jam. I never finished the game in time. But I had an account, and it seemed a waste to just not use it.

I never thought anyone would see Wizards. Maybe my family, and it would stop there. 

But this is a site for games. So I cleaned it up, converted it to a pdf, and uploaded it here. I thought maybe a few people might look at it. Probably call it silly, or tell me some way in which it was broken that I never noticed.

I've never actually played Wizards, you see. To play it, you would need dominoes. And game pieces. And, importantly, people to play it with.

This is a game that existed as a concept more than a reality.

And now we're at the point of this whole talk. 

My game, Wizards, is shortlisted in a list of three as tiny table's next game to play.

I've been working on this for so long, sure none but I would ever care for it. But everyone here has been so... nice. I put it here, and people actually downloaded it. People are looking at it. There are human beings I've never met and never will who have seen my work. 

And maybe it's going to be on a podcast. Maybe one day I'll be able to hear people actually playing my game. As if it's something to be played, and not something imaginary.

Nothing's happened yet, but something about this just makes my work feel so much more real. 

They said they really really loved it.

Isn't that something?
Anyway, I'm not sure what my point was here, other than that reaching out can go well, and it's great to share things.

Wizards is always going to be free. I can't imagine charging money for my games, but still, I want to let you all know that. Thanks for being curious, and giving my work a chance.