It’s nearly Christmas; there’s Pigeons in Wisconsin, Grim Reapers in Telford, and Google Knows Our Indie Card Games Exist! ✨

DECEMBER 2025

An End-of-Year Lift for Team Toad

Finally, something has told the universe that Terror Toad is back in business.

It’s been a rocky few months - balancing a complete renewal of the business with some tough personal hurdles. Honestly, it’s felt like an endless game of whack-a-mole. Every time one problem disappeared, another popped up. But slowly, surely, the moles are thinning out. Fingers crossed.

Chris and I have worked hard to get here, and it finally feels like our luck might be turning.

Terror Toad's Christmas Gifts 2025

Rebuilding Online & SEO Wins: finding our Indie Card Games!

When we had a change of business structure and personnel, I had to learn how to use Wix. I soon discovered that our website had been set up in the beginning so poorly that Google barely knew we existed. Our products were buried, our visibility was low, and somehow, we were overpaying for the privilege.

Since then, we’ve been learning the mysterious ways of SEO, keywords, and all things Google. It’s starting to pay off - so if you’re reading this after searching for board games, indie card games, or GRIM INC, welcome! It’s lovely to e-meet you.

Wins & Gratitude

We’re thrilled to share a few recent highlights:

• 🎁 GRIM INC heads to Telford!

  A big box of GRIM INC (our ever-so-silly death plotting party game) has arrived in Ork Forge in Telford - an absolute delight to work with. We can’t wait to see where that partnership goes.

  
  

• ✈️ Imposter Pigeons take flight!

  A 2-hour detour later, we shipped a whole batch of sneaky social deduction games across the Atlantic. Wisconsin loves Pigeons - and Imposter Pigeon is spreading its wings in the USA (with a few cheeky GRIM INCs tucked in too).

  
  

• 🎄 Paraffle’s 2025 Christmas Gift Guide

  We were so chuffed to have Terror Toad featured in Paraffle’s 2025 Scottish Christmas Gift Guide. What a lovely write-up - and what a brilliant showcase of independent Scottish businesses. Please go have a browse; it’s full of perfect stocking fillers and festive gems.

  
  

Looking Ahead & The Road to UKGE 2026

If there’s one thing this year taught us, it’s that we’re all tougher than we think. Even when you’re hassled, overstretched, or carrying more than people realise, you just keep going. That’s its own kind of win.

It feels so good to have a functioning, growing small business. And yep - we’re already booked for our favourite convention: UKGE 2026!

But what are we working on next? You’ll have to wait and see…

Toadleoo (for noo!)

As Christmas approaches, it would be remiss of me not to mention that:

🎲 GRIM INC,

🃏 GRIM’s Weird Expansion Deck,

🐦 Imposter Pigeon,

and our Toad Bundle

…are all available now!

If you’re hunting for a quirky, independent card game this Christmas - or just want to support a small creative business - we’d love for you to check them out.

Here’s to the moles staying down and the Toads hopping high in 2026. 💚

A very Happy New Year when it comes!

Katie

Team Toad x

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🎲 How to Design a Tabletop Game in 2026: Beginner Board Game Design Tips from Terror Toad

A Beginner’s Guide from Terror Toad - creators of unique board games and funny card games in the UK

So, you’ve got an idea for a board game. Maybe it popped into your head during a long train ride or boring meeting. Perhaps you’ve observed a ridiculous behaviour from a friend that just has to be immortalised. Or maybe just two ideas collide, and this just feels… playable? However it landed, you should write it down, keep it safe, and pull it out one rainy day. Bring tea and snacks, and get to work. Sorry – get to play.

We’re Terror Toad: an independent tabletop design duo based in Scotland. We released 2 games in our first iteration, had a big old think, a re-register with HMRC, and are coming back with more projects ready to go. We’ve changed the way we work. A lot. And we’ve had a lot to navigate and learn along the way - from early prototyping to figuring out how to self-publish a board game properly in the UK. So, here’s our beginner-friendly guide to designing your first tabletop game.

simple supplies for design: cards, card sleeves, dice and stationary

✏️ Step One: Prototype Fast (and Cheap)

If you’re wondering how to make a board game prototype without spending a fortune, good news: you don’t need fancy software or a print shop to get started.

You might have an idea of theme, or maybe you have a notion of how the gameplay should work (call them mechanics). That’s a great start! Take these elements and jot them all down. Expand on this by considering what you want your game to feel like as an experience; are we competitively collecting cards? Are we bluffing and feeling sneaky? Are we working together urgently with focus or panic? Gaining an insight into the mood, vibe, and atmosphere is one of the most underrated board game design tips.

Take as many of these basic ideas as you can and begin to piece them together. Don’t worry if you’re missing a theme, some mechanics, and are still left with loads of gaps and questions. That’s all completely normal. Begin a test round as soon as possible and edit as you go, trying ideas, adding and removing rules – you’ll have a basic sense of the game in no time.

If you find yourself getting a bit lost or distracted: always return to your core starting point. If you set out to make a game about matching cards, or about escaping a prison, or memorising colours – make sure whatever expansions on your idea come back to its roots. It’s nice to have a mission statement of sorts to keep you grounded.

🃏 Use Standard Playing Cards + Card Sleeves

Need cards? Grab a regular deck of cards and some transparent sleeves. Write on scraps of paper or post-it notes and slip them in - boom, you’ve got custom cards without needing to cut or print anything. Easy to tweak. Easy to reuse. No scissors required. (This is also how many funny card games start their life.)

🎨 Try Canva

We love Canva for designing basic cards, boards, and player aids. It’s free, intuitive, and perfect for print-and-play files (if you can find online folks to test your game – a simplistic document that won’t use too much ink is the way to go!). Keep your designs minimal while you test mechanics, and bring in your artist later to make it unique.

The style of your game doesn’t have to be set from the off. We make our own artwork, deciding on the final look of the product at the end of the testing process. Some basic colour choices and nice fonts can go a long way in the meantime.

🍵 Don’t Forget Snacks

This one’s not optional. Snacks, tea, and the occasional energy drink are critical when inspiration hits at midnight and you just have to finish this turn sequence. Game design is powered by biscuits.

💬 Step Two: Talk to People (Even if it’s Scary)

Testing your game with other humans - and hearing what they really think - is what turns a fun idea into a playable experience. If you're planning to self-publish later on, early playtest feedback is pure gold.

Begin with your family and friends, search for local board game clubs, board game cafes, or specialist board game event folks such as our friends at Dungeons and Flagons in Manchester. Need a wider reach? There's always online spaces...

standard playing cards and card sleeves are an easy way to produce playable prototypes

🎲 Reddit & Facebook: Chaos with Feedback

Reddit forums are messy but full of advice, opinions, and brutal honesty. Ask a question, share a draft of a print & play, or see what others are working on. Just bring a thick skin (and don’t feed the trolls).

Facebook groups can be fabulous for keen play testers, but again, persevere for the best advice. We like Board Game Design Lab for general questions and opinion-seeking.

💌 Join Discord Servers

There are loads of game design communities on Discord where creators run virtual playtests and swap feedback. Try Virtual Playtesting or Break My Game. The more feedback and games you jump on yourself, the more folk will want to reciprocate.

🧠 Step Three: Find Your Creative Zone

Designing games is work, but it should feel like play. Sometimes your brain needs quiet. Other times, it needs input.

🎵 Lofi Girl on YouTube

Can’t focus? Lofi Girl provides chill beats, no lyrics, and no distractions. Ideal for writing rules, balancing stats, or brainstorming expansions.

🌿 Go Outside (or Somewhere Different)

Your next idea might not come from another board game. Go to a museum. Take a nature walk. Read something obscure in a library. Feed your brain compost and see what grows.

🧰 Bonus Tools That Make Life Easier

• List-making: keep track of what components you’re using as you go, and what changes you’re making

• Lovely stationery: colourful pens/post-its or stickers can make a blank page more visually interesting, and a starting point less daunting

• Questions: is the game fun? And is it broken? Ask all the questions about the playing experience to find all the gaps and cement them

  
  

🐸 Final Thoughts from Terror Toad

Game design is messy, weird, and incredibly fun. You don’t need to know everything to get started - you just need to start. Scribble ideas, build weird prototypes, playtest with your pals (or strangers), and stay curious.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be playable.

We’re still learning every day - and if you’re reading this, you probably are too. Keep going. Make that game. You never know where it might take you.

Team Toad is definitely tea-powered

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🕹️ Read more blogs: here’s our Tabletop Scotland Recap!

🛒 Looking for unique board games or funny card games created by indie designers? You can shop board games in the UK directly from us at Terror Toad. Buy games here!

🎲 Board Games in 2026: Terror Toad's Take on Trends, Predictions, and What’s Next for Tabletop Fans

OCTOBER 2025

Looking Ahead: The Future of Board Games

The board-gaming world never stands still. So far, 2025 has brought a wave of small-box releases, solo modes, and clever crossovers - and as we reach the final months of the year, 2026 looks set to push things even further. Whether you’re a casual gamer, collector, or designer keeping an eye on what publishers want next, here’s what’s shaping up for the year ahead.

compact card game setup with less than 55 cards

1. The Rise of the Micro-Game

Publishers are on the hunt for the next Flip 7 - compact card-based titles that deliver real depth with 55 cards or fewer. These micro-games are easy to teach, fast to play, and perfect for game nights or travel.

Expect to see more designs focused on:

• Elegant simplicity – rules you can teach in five minutes.

• High replay value – multi-use cards, variable setups.

• Affordable pricing – quick, accessible fun that doesn’t break the bank.

  
  

Low production costs and broad appeal make this the hottest design space for 2026.

2. Sustainability Becomes Standard

Eco-friendly materials and minimal packaging are becoming the norm. Publishers are adopting recycled boards, soy-based inks, and plastic-free inserts. Players are paying closer attention to where their games come from, and sustainability badges will be a familiar sight in 2026.

3. Digital and Hybrid Play

After years of experimentation, digital integration is finally finding its groove. Expect app-assisted scoring, narrative soundtracks, and atmospheric tools that enhance rather than replace the tabletop experience.

AI-driven solo opponents and augmented-reality touches will also appear more often - giving players smarter, richer ways to play on their own.

4. Nostalgia and Retro Revivals

Everything old is new again. Expect deluxe reprints, re-imagined classics, and art styles inspired by the golden age of 1980s and 1990s design. Collectors should watch for limited editions that blend retro charm with modern streamlining.

everyone loves classic game pieces

5. Community-Driven Creativity — and a Tougher Crowdfunding Landscape

Crowdfunding remains a vital engine for innovation, but the space is more competitive than ever. Projects that might once have been guaranteed successes on Kickstarter now have to fight for attention - and pledges. With the cost-of-living crisis still shaping spending habits, backers are becoming more selective.

Meanwhile, Gamefound has emerged as a dedicated hub for tabletop creators and fans - a platform built for board games that’s attracting both established publishers and indie newcomers. Gamers know it’s the place to discover upcoming releases.

Here in the UK, Crowdfunder is also making waves, especially with support from Creative Scotland, which offers matched pledges for creative projects. It’s great news for designers, but it highlights how fragmented and competitive the crowdfunding scene has become.

The takeaway? In 2026, only the most distinctive, community-focused projects will thrive. Creativity and connection are the real currencies of success.

6. Faster, Friendlier Game Nights

Attention spans are shorter, schedules busier, and players love games that get straight to the fun. Expect to see more titles that play in 30 minutes or less, with “teach-as-you-go” rulebooks and cooperative modes that pull everyone into the action.

Final Thoughts: 2026 Looks Fun Already

From the rise of 55-card micro-games to greener boxes and smarter crowdfunding, 2026 promises to be another brilliant year for board-game fans. We can't wait to see what the new year will bring!

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