GG Diary, Entry 1 of 5: An Introduction to Glasshouse Games and Our Approach to Game Design
Before we begin, here’s a bit of context. We decided to interview ourselves, to ask questions that, when answered, would give you insight into us as creators, game designers, and a company. Hopefully, after reading the entries of the GG Diary Series, you’ll have a better sense of who we are, why we care so much about game design, and why we’re grateful to have you along for the ride.
So, let’s dive in.
Hi! We’re Sean, Mike, and Logan, and together we’re Glasshouse Games. Before we ever imagined designing games professionally, we were players through and through. TTRPGs, TCGs, board games, Chess, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo - we loved it all. What tied everything together was the simple joy of play, gathering with friends, imagining bold new worlds, and getting totally absorbed in the experience.
It was that love of honest play, and our backgrounds as (first and foremost) gamers ourselves, that became the roots, and ultimately the values of Glasshouse Games as they pertain to game design:
1. Put the player first in experience and enjoyment.
2. Create beautiful, immersive worlds.
3. Craft games with care—tight mechanics and quality materials.
Let’s start with the first one: putting the player first. While it may sound vague, here’s what it means to us: we design games from the perspective of the best possible player experience. Ideally, this means making games that are actually fun. That might seem obvious, games should be fun, but anyone who’s spent time in the board game world knows that’s not always the case. Some games either lack an enjoyable theme or intuitive mechanics, and our goal is to ensure that we create games rich in both.
We believe we’re in the midst of a board game renaissance. Hundreds of incredible games are launching every year, and as part of that, if we can make games that put the player experience first, games that we want to play, hopefully, that means you’ll want to play them too.
But “player-first” goes beyond the game itself. It extends to how we operate as a company. A great game can be soured by a company’s poor practices: pay-to-win models, overcharging for expansions, or exploiting hype at the expense of the player. We want no part of that. Glasshouse Games is committed to doing right by our community. That means delivering high value at a fair price and building trust that we’re always designing with players in mind, not profit margins.
Next: beautiful, immersive worlds. We don’t just want players to like our games, we want them to want to dive in. Aesthetics and story are central to that. We pour time and love into crafting rich lore and memorable characters, not just because it enhances gameplay, but because storytelling is one of the most joyful parts of game creation. Ideally, we set the stage, raise the stakes, and then let you run wild with it.
When it comes to art, we made an early and unwavering decision: no AI art. We work exclusively with human artists, talented professionals who help bring our worlds to life with imagination and soul. Not only does it create a better end product, but it’s also a way to support fellow creatives and uphold the integrity of our work. There is a human touch and care in every illustration, and that matters deeply to us.
Lastly, there’s quality - mechanics and materials. It’s sad to see games that are under-tested, over-hyped, and rushed to market. We refuse to follow that path. We take the time to test, refine, and polish our games so that they are tight, balanced, and intuitive to play. No over-complicated rules. No sloppy components or flimsy cards. We believe great design is in the details, and we sweat every one.
At the end of the day, the games we create reflect the kind of company we want to be. We believe the best way to show what we stand for is through action, and we hope you’ll see that in our very first game: Whisker Wars, launching on Kickstarter May 13th. We’ve poured our hearts into this game. And we’ll do the same with each project that follows.
Thanks for being here and for taking the time to read a little more about us, our games, and our mission. Stay tuned for the entries to follow, illuminating our creative process, more on Whisker Wars, on fostering our community, and details about the upcoming Kickstarter.
All the best,
Sean Fosse
GG Diary, Entry 2 of 5: A Glimpse at Our Creative Process
At Glasshouse, launching our first tabletop game has been anything but a straight shot. In this behind-the-scenes look, we dive into the unexpected twists, tough design calls, and creative breakthroughs that shaped Whisker Wars—our debut title and passion project set to hit Kickstarter in May 2025.
When Sean first pitched the original idea for Whisker Wars back in late 2023, it felt so airtight and ready to rock that we could practically see the finish line in the distance. We were convinced we’d be ready to launch on Kickstarter by March 2024. But oh man—were we wrong! And that’s not a bad thing. It’s great to feel confident when you know in your gut you’ve got a good idea. But the road from initial concept to full-blown launch? It’s long, winding, and way more complex than it looks. We’ve been humbled (and grown!) every step of the way.
By the time we began making early design decisions and playtesting Whisker Wars with close friends and family, we had about a year and a half of tabletop design experience under our belts. While none of those earlier “Glasshouse Vault” games have been published yet, they taught us invaluable lessons—especially around early design “trimming,” honing the core gameplay loop, and building a theme that fully supports the mechanics.
A big focus early on was the idea of “killing your darlings,” a writing idiom Sean (as a talented writer himself) brought into our process. We had to let go of some really cool ideas—like dice rolling, a second deck of instant actions, and asymmetrical faction abilities—because they didn’t serve the core experience. Trimming the excess let us focus on the heart of the game: a shared deck (ensuring equal randomness for all players), a countdown-based resolution system where each Warrior card has its own speed (creating dynamic battles at any player count), and meticulous balancing between Warriors based on their speeds.
Once we locked in that core, we dove headfirst into playtesting—and this is hands-down my favorite part of the process. I keep detailed notes from every session, tracking everything from questions about card wording to unexpected interactions that might cause confusion or imbalance. At Glasshouse, we’re laser-focused on clean, intuitive gameplay. Nothing throws us off more than a published game with a broken ruling, unresolved interaction, or clearly unbalanced abilities. Because of that, we knew we needed a lot more playtesting—across all player types and experience levels—before going public. That’s why we pushed our original launch date from March 2024 to Q1 of 2025, giving ourselves the time we need to do it right.
As much as airtight mechanics matter (and honestly, I think it’s the most important part of any game), theme is crucial too. Sean (yes, he’s getting a lot of love in this post—and deservedly so!) really helped drive that point home for me. He originally coined the name Whisker Wars as a fun working title, and from there we knew we were headed into animal-themed territory. As the team’s pun and portmanteau master, Sean came up with a cast of hilarious yet memorable Warriors: Sledgehog, Porcupikeman, Mousenary, Bearzerker, and Baaallista—just to name a few. That creative spark helped us shape the world: a medieval fantasy realm filled with serious-as-can-be anthropomorphic critters, despite their funny names.
Everything really clicked when we had the incredible opportunity to pitch Whisker Wars in front of a small audience and a panel of industry professionals at Unpub Prime in March 2024. The feedback and support we received that day were absolutely affirming. Since then, we’ve had more moments like that at conventions and playtesting events—and I can honestly say, the warmth and camaraderie of the tabletop community is what keeps us going.
As I write this, we’re still in pre-launch, but we’re thrilled to have a locked-in Kickstarter launch date of May 13th, 2025! Every day, we continue fine-tuning the game, testing, rebalancing, and polishing. There are challenges constantly, but we’re a small, passionate trio here at Glasshouse, and we won’t stop working our butts off until Whisker Wars is in the hands of players across the country—and hopefully, one day, around the world.
Happy Gaming!
Michael Maldonado
GG Diary, Entry 3 of 5: How does our game stand out among the rest?
This is a topic I’m especially excited to talk about. As the self-certified Glasshouse Game Mechanic, I take pride in obsessing over every tiny detail in Whisker Wars—whether it’s clarifying a rule, balancing abilities, or polishing the core loop of the game. Because of that, I see every element through a design lens, making this topic feel incredibly personal to me.
To start with a bit of honesty—the core game loop of Whisker Wars isn’t some completely new, never-before-seen system. We’ve drawn inspiration from some of the best card battlers out there. But what makes Whisker Wars stand out is how we’ve put our own spin on things—especially in how we focus on simplicity without sacrificing depth.
At Glasshouse, we love a good Magic: The Gathering Commander night. But when creating Whisker Wars, we aimed to offer that same sense of strategic satisfaction in a more approachable, digestible package—something welcoming for players who might be new to the genre. One standout mechanic we’re proud of is our Countdown Resolution System, inspired by D&D’s initiative system. Instead of traditional turn-taking, each Warrior in Whisker Wars has their own speed stat, determining the order of action. This means every battle feels unique, dynamic, and intuitive—players simply look for the next highest number and follow the action. It also means the game has an internal engine that drives itself - great for keeping the game flowing!
Newcomers and seasoned card battler fans alike usually have two big reactions after a couple of rounds in playtests:
“Whoa, that was way easier to learn than I expected!”
“Whoaaa, there’s actually some serious strategy here if I play my cards right!”
That’s the sweet spot we aim for with all our games at Glasshouse—creating experiences that are fun and accessible, while still offering real depth for those who seek it. We see our games as a kind of gateway—scaffolding that helps newer players feel welcome without overwhelming them with complex rules or marathon-length playtimes. But make no mistake: just because our games are approachable doesn’t mean they’re shallow. Sean, Logan, and I are lifelong gamers, and we need that brain-scratching satisfaction you get from high-level play. We’d never put out a game that doesn’t scratch that itch!
Naturally competitive myself, I can’t help but sneak that level of play into our designs—but it’s important that our games never feel purely competitive. After all our play testing, one of the most encouraging things we’ve heard, time and time again, is this:
“I usually don’t enjoy card battlers because they can feel mean and I’m not very good at them. But this? I'd totally play with my partner. The theme is adorable, and it just feels lighter than most games in this genre.”
Speaking of theme—that’s another part of this journey that really surprised me. I’ll admit, early on, theme didn’t seem all that important to me. I’ve always believed strong mechanics were the heart of any great game. But I quickly learned that for most people, the first thing they notice isn’t the mechanics—it’s the art. And we had an absolute blast coming up with Warriors that matched both in theme, name, ability, and art!
So we leaned into a theme that’s familiar, beloved, and totally up our alley: fantasy, medieval, anthropomorphic animal warriors. It’s not a brand-new concept, sure—but the life we’ve breathed into the world of Whisker Wars is where the magic really happens. Thanks to the incredible work of our artist, Vittoria Pompolani (@Bonedust), the cast of critters is colorful, chaotic, and full of charm. Sean has run point on helping shape this wild world, which gave him the foundation to build the rich, whimsical lore of Supetra—the realm our players will come to know and love.
Now, one last thing that really sets Whisker Wars apart from many other card battlers on the market: it’s not a TCG (Trading Card Game). That was a deliberate choice. While TCGs make perfect sense from a business standpoint, we felt they often get in the way of our goal to keep things simple and inclusive. We wanted our players to have everything they need right out of the box—no deckbuilding stress or chasing rare cards.
At $30 MSRP, the core game has everything you need to jump into Whisker Wars. We’ve developed expansions to add even more variety and deeper card synergies, but they’re totally optional. Whether or not someone has expansions doesn’t impact their chances of winning. With a shared deck, everyone at the table draws from the same pool—so it’s always a fair fight. Of course, as the game mechanic (and a fan of spicy combos), I think playing with expansions is where things really take off. They mix seamlessly with the core set, no need to swap cards in or out. And yes, you’ll still have the same chances at drawing a Mousenary for the perfect charge, we kept the ratio consistent, even with the added cards,— it’s just some may just look a little cooler now!
As you can probably tell, I could go on and on about Whisker Wars and everything we’ve done to make it unique, joyful, and ultimately stand out in a world full of amazing board games. As of writing this, we’re just under two weeks away from our May 13th Kickstarter launch, and we’re beyond excited. Our hope is that this campaign becomes the launchpad that lets us continue doing what we love—creating games that bring people together, spark imagination, and turn every game night into a memorable adventure.
With gratitude,
Michael Maldonado
(Self-made Game Mechanic)
GG Diary, Entry 4 of 5: Building a Connection with the Community
Hello again!
In this entry, I want to focus on how we at Glasshouse Games strive to give back to—and stay engaged with—the incredible community that has helped lift us up over the past couple of years.
But before diving into that, I want to take a moment to reflect on the warmth and welcome we’ve felt from this community ever since we officially formed our LLC in late 2023. Our first convention together as a trio was PAX Unplugged 2023, and that weekend set the tone for everything that followed. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, how you identify, or what kind of games you love—there will always be a table for you in this hobby. That kind of inclusivity and openness is something special.
What truly amazed us as newcomers—armed only with a love for gaming—was how generous fellow designers and publishers were when we started asking questions. We were met not with gatekeeping, but with genuine advice, encouragement, and transparency. It felt like people were handing us the keys to success, and all we had to do was listen and learn. And we did. We're still doing it. And we’ll keep doing it.
Now, as we gain a bit more experience ourselves, it’s our turn to pass it on.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to shout out some of the groups of people who’ve helped us along the way. Without naming individuals, we’re endlessly thankful to the following for their guidance and support:
The Unpublished Games Network (Unpub):
For their tireless coordination of playtesting events at nearly every major convention in the U.S.—this is where Glasshouse Games and Whisker Wars were born! A huge thank you to Unpub Prime, an annual tabletop convention in Maryland, where we showcased the earliest prototype of Whisker Wars and gained feedback that changed the game forever. Also, a special shoutout to the Tabletop Mentorship Program that Unpub runs. If you're a new designer or publisher, connect with them—they’ll pair you with an industry pro who can help guide you. Who knows? One day you might even see us on the other end, mentoring the next generation!
Game Maker’s Guild Boston (GMG_Boston):
Logan, our Boston-based third, has been lucky enough to attend GMG events that were instrumental to our early design decisions. Their feedback helped shape Whisker Wars in ways we’re still grateful for.
The Gumbo Collective:
This Brooklyn-based group of designers and tabletop thinkers hosts regular playtesting events and casual hangouts that have become a staple of our development process. We’re honored to be part of it.
The Games Team at Kickstarter:
We simply don’t have the words to fully express how incredible this team has been. Their support and insight have been essential as we gear up for our crowdfunding journey. They're true champions of indie game creators, and we’re so thankful to be working with them.
LaunchBoom:
An exceptional marketing group whose game division continues to grow every year. Their team is passionate, collaborative, and refreshingly transparent when it comes to helping creators boost their chances of success. We’ve truly learned so much from them.
And to many, many more:
There are too many to list here, but please know—if you’ve ever offered us advice, shared a resource, playtested a game, or just cheered us on, we see you and we’re so thankful.
With Whisker Wars, we’ve set out to achieve a lot, but two goals stand above the rest (for me at least!):
First: We wanted to create a game that’s easily approachable—something you can learn quickly and enjoy right away. Over the past year and a half, we’ve worked hard to strike the right balance between simplicity and depth. That balance has allowed us to host monthly playtests and designer events at local game stores and cafés in both Brooklyn and Boston. These casual gatherings are where first-time gamers can jump in with no pressure, and they’ve become one of our favorite ways to connect with the community.
Second: We’ve started dreaming about a competitive scene for Whisker Wars. While we didn’t originally envision it, I can’t help but picture it now. As a lifelong competitive gamer (you can thank my older brothers), I’d love to see Whisker Wars evolve into a game with a vibrant, tournament-ready meta—especially if we’re fortunate enough to release more Core Sets and expansions. One of my personal dreams is to design a deckbuilding/competitive element that could someday be played at LGS tournaments across the country. That kind of future is just another way we hope to give back and stay connected to this incredible community.
Lastly, I want to highlight something near and dear to our hearts: hosting events.
One of our core pillars as a company is community—because without it, we wouldn’t be here. That’s why we’re so committed to organizing local gaming events in our home cities. As we move through 2025, our biggest goal is to host showcases for other unpublished games created by the amazing designers we’ve met along the way. Their passion reminds us of why we started, and we want to do everything we can to help them reach their dreams, too.
Be sure to follow us on socials as we announce more events in the coming months!
At the time of writing, we’re just six days away from launch, and the nerves and excitement are real. But getting to reflect on all of this—on the people, the process, the love for the craft—has been the perfect reminder of why we do this in the first place.
Thank you all for being a part of this journey.
Gratefully,
Michael Maldonado
(Just another gamer in the community)
GG Diary, Entry 5 of 5: Excited to FINALLY bring you Whisker Wars!
Sean here. I’m back!
And as I write this, we’re launching our Kickstarter tomorrow! We couldn’t be more excited. It’s been a long, long road, and we’re ready. So, in this final GG Dairy entry, I’m going to quickly walk through all the awesome things that are going to happen during the campaign, and what backers can expect by getting involved.
So, let’s start with the meat and potatoes—the cold, hard facts about the campaign, its pledge tiers, and add-ons.
Where: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/glasshousegames/whisker...
When: Tuesday, May 13th - Friday, June 13th, 2025
Goal: $10,000
PLEDGE TIERS:
$30.00 - Whisker Wars Core Set: Everything you need to get you started (+ all unlocked stretch goals).
$60.00 - Whisker Wars Royalty Edition: Upgraded wooden components, dual-layer player boards, dual-sided game board, larger box to hold all expansions (+ all unlocked stretch goals).
$90.00 - The Hero’s Vault: This includes Whisker Wars Royalty Edition, both expansions called Frozen Oaths and Undercity Uprising, and of course… all unlocked stretch goals.
$110.00 - The Legend of Supetra: Everything in The Hero’s Vault, plus a neoprene playmat, and the Dark Wilds Mini Expansion.
ADD-ONS:
$30.00 - Whisker Wars Core Set: In case you want an extra as a gift.
$20.00 - Neoprene Whisker Wars Battlefield Playmat
$16.00 - Frozen Oaths Expansion: 5 new and unique Warriors, 2 new and unique Backups, 30 cards, a new thematic player board, and a new thematic moral tracker token.
$16.00 - Undercity Uprising Expansion: 5 new and unique Warriors, 2 new and unique Backups, 30 cards, a new thematic player board, and a new thematic moral tracker token.
$7.00 - Dark Wilds Mini Expansion: 3 unique warriors, 10 cards.
STRETCH GOALS:
Now, for strength goals, people have been very curious about our stretch goals, what they will be, how much, etc. For fun, we are currently keeping them a secret so that we can unveil them during the campaign. Here’s what I can show you:
Stretch Goals:
Not in any particular order.
-- Component upgrades!
-- Kickstarter celebration art!
-- Lots of alternate art for Warriors, including art chosen by the Kickstarter community!
-- New components!
-- Maybe a full Whisker Wars art and lore book! (Fingers crossed!)
-- And Logan promised if we hit $1,000,000, we’d manufacture PLUSHY TOYS for the Mousenary and Bearzerker! Unlikely, but not impossible. Ha! That’d be hilarious.
Also, as a friendly reminder, stretch goals apply to ALL pledge tiers. So even if you only get the Core Game, you’ll still get to experience all the bonus goodies the community unlocks! We don’t want anyone to miss out on cool stuff just because of a price point. : )
To wrap things up, HERE’S WHAT I’M MOST EXCITED ABOUT…
Throughout the campaign, we will host several community events and live streams to get people involved and bring the Glasshouse Games fans/players closer together. These events include an interactive Whisker Wars Choose-Your-Own-Adventure, tier list debates, live Q&As, and even a special D&D Crossover Event with fellow indie publisher NatTwo Press, and their 5e module, Rainsporest. All the details will be posted in our Kickstarter updates and on our Discord, so keep an eye out!
The last thing I want to say is… THANK YOU!
As I said at the start, this has been a LONG ROAD, and with the Kickstarter launch right around the corner, I want to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you to all the people that supported us from the beginning, thank you everyone who came out to play tests and game nights, thank you friends and family who sacrificed their time and schedules for us, and the biggest thank you of all to ALL YOU AMAZING FANS (everyone from the day-oners, to the first timers)... you’re the reason we do this – You’re the reason we’ll be able to continue making awesome games. Thank you for all the support. We never take it for granted. So, let’s KICK this off with a bang!
See you on the other side,
Sean Fosse