Matt Leacock
@mattleacock.bsky.social
Game Designer known for cooperative games including Pandemic, Forbidden Island, and Daybreak
I'm heading to PAXU for the first time and will be their Keynote / Storytime Speaker!
I hear many good things about the show. Looking forward to seeing folks there and spending some time in Philly.
I hear many good things about the show. Looking forward to seeing folks there and spending some time in Philly.
Ready to meet the mastermind of modern cooperative board gaming? 🧠✨
Kick off the show with our 2026 #PAXUnplugged Storytime Speaker: Matt Leacock. Hear firsthand stories from the creative mind behind Pandemic, Forbidden Island, and more!
Learn more ➡️ PAXun26.com/Storytime
@mattleacock.bsky.social
Kick off the show with our 2026 #PAXUnplugged Storytime Speaker: Matt Leacock. Hear firsthand stories from the creative mind behind Pandemic, Forbidden Island, and more!
Learn more ➡️ PAXun26.com/Storytime
@mattleacock.bsky.social
September 17, 2026 at 10:46 PM
I'm heading to PAXU for the first time and will be their Keynote / Storytime Speaker!
I hear many good things about the show. Looking forward to seeing folks there and spending some time in Philly.
I hear many good things about the show. Looking forward to seeing folks there and spending some time in Philly.
I sat down with Le Point de Polgara earlier this year to discuss five games that made a large impression on me.
When I started, I didn't expect 10-Four Good Buddy to make the list. @polgara.bsky.social
When I started, I didn't expect 10-Four Good Buddy to make the list. @polgara.bsky.social
September 16, 2026 at 4:26 PM
I sat down with Le Point de Polgara earlier this year to discuss five games that made a large impression on me.
When I started, I didn't expect 10-Four Good Buddy to make the list. @polgara.bsky.social
When I started, I didn't expect 10-Four Good Buddy to make the list. @polgara.bsky.social
Reposted by Matt Leacock
Today TTGDA released what we believe is our most important effort so far - our Licensing Contract Rubric. This is an objective scoring metric that can be used to partially evaluate the quality of a contract.
We applied it to a huge swath of the industry, and this chart shows how they scored. 🧵
🎲✂️
We applied it to a huge swath of the industry, and this chart shows how they scored. 🧵
🎲✂️
August 11, 2026 at 7:32 PM
Today TTGDA released what we believe is our most important effort so far - our Licensing Contract Rubric. This is an objective scoring metric that can be used to partially evaluate the quality of a contract.
We applied it to a huge swath of the industry, and this chart shows how they scored. 🧵
🎲✂️
We applied it to a huge swath of the industry, and this chart shows how they scored. 🧵
🎲✂️
Reposted by Matt Leacock
Tonight on GameNight! Nikki, Rusty, Dave & Lincoln teach & play "The Four Doors" designed by @mattleacock.bsky.social, @mattriddlegames.bsky.social & Ben Pinchback and from @happycampergames.bsky.social. Thanks to @gamegenic.com for sponsoring this episode! —Lincoln www.youtube.com/watch?v=Troy...
The Four Doors - GameNight! Se14 Ep11 - How to Play & Playthrough
Thanks so much to Gamegenic - https://gamegenic.com - for the accessories and sponsoring this episode!
Tonight on GameNight! Nikki, Rusty, Dave & Lincoln teach & play "The Four Doors" designed by…
www.youtube.com
July 30, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Tonight on GameNight! Nikki, Rusty, Dave & Lincoln teach & play "The Four Doors" designed by @mattleacock.bsky.social, @mattriddlegames.bsky.social & Ben Pinchback and from @happycampergames.bsky.social. Thanks to @gamegenic.com for sponsoring this episode! —Lincoln www.youtube.com/watch?v=Troy...
Reposted by Matt Leacock
Our Tabletop Spotlight series continues with more incredible guests! Check out the NEW lineup including the one and only "evil bowtie man," Dr. Reiner Knizia, along with many other notable creatives from across the tabletop gaming industry!
Sunday
11:00 AM CST
www.youtube.com/@OurFamilyPl...
Sunday
11:00 AM CST
www.youtube.com/@OurFamilyPl...
July 27, 2026 at 10:50 PM
Our Tabletop Spotlight series continues with more incredible guests! Check out the NEW lineup including the one and only "evil bowtie man," Dr. Reiner Knizia, along with many other notable creatives from across the tabletop gaming industry!
Sunday
11:00 AM CST
www.youtube.com/@OurFamilyPl...
Sunday
11:00 AM CST
www.youtube.com/@OurFamilyPl...
Newsletter is out! This month: breaking news about Flickering Stars, upcoming appearances, life imitating art, and more.
Flickering Stars Update
Coming at you in 2027!
mattleacock.substack.com
July 15, 2026 at 6:38 PM
Newsletter is out! This month: breaking news about Flickering Stars, upcoming appearances, life imitating art, and more.
I'm currently doing an AMA if anyone has a question or wants to hang out:
Matt Leacock in Leacock’s Lab
This is the Ask Me Anything thread that I'll be using on 15 July 2026 at 10:00 AM PDT // 1:00 PM EDT!
substack.com
July 15, 2026 at 5:05 PM
I'm currently doing an AMA if anyone has a question or wants to hang out:
Excellent visualizations by ProPublica making the case that CCS is a dead-end solution.
You may want to remove that card from your Daybreak set. daybreakgame.org/card/1121
You may want to remove that card from your Daybreak set. daybreakgame.org/card/1121
June 27, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Excellent visualizations by ProPublica making the case that CCS is a dead-end solution.
You may want to remove that card from your Daybreak set. daybreakgame.org/card/1121
You may want to remove that card from your Daybreak set. daybreakgame.org/card/1121
Reposted by Matt Leacock
Gosh, I love this poem. I keep returning to one of my favorite Chesterton quotes. "If something is worth doing, it's worth doing badly."
Please Use AI, via open.substack.com/pub/shawnsmu...
Please Use AI, via open.substack.com/pub/shawnsmu...
Please Use AI
Be sure to use AI when making
open.substack.com
June 10, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Gosh, I love this poem. I keep returning to one of my favorite Chesterton quotes. "If something is worth doing, it's worth doing badly."
Please Use AI, via open.substack.com/pub/shawnsmu...
Please Use AI, via open.substack.com/pub/shawnsmu...
The Eighth Annual Uganda Village Boardgame Convention Crowdfunder is Now Live!
The event is incredible, their needs are modest, and the money goes far! And Donna and I will match the next £1,000 that are donated to their crowdfunder.
The event is incredible, their needs are modest, and the money goes far! And Donna and I will match the next £1,000 that are donated to their crowdfunder.
Uganda Village Boardgame Convention 2026
This project brings a range of boardgames to rural children in Uganda for four days, helping develop planning, creative skills and much more
www.crowdfunder.co.uk
June 9, 2026 at 5:50 PM
The Eighth Annual Uganda Village Boardgame Convention Crowdfunder is Now Live!
The event is incredible, their needs are modest, and the money goes far! And Donna and I will match the next £1,000 that are donated to their crowdfunder.
The event is incredible, their needs are modest, and the money goes far! And Donna and I will match the next £1,000 that are donated to their crowdfunder.
Reposted by Matt Leacock
I’m a climate scientist. Let me fix this headline.
“Nearly a century ago, scientists showed that burning fossil fuels warms the planet.
Today, we know human emissions account for over 100% of the warming.
Yet dark money and disinformation still work to keep Americans addicted to fossil fuels.”
“Nearly a century ago, scientists showed that burning fossil fuels warms the planet.
Today, we know human emissions account for over 100% of the warming.
Yet dark money and disinformation still work to keep Americans addicted to fossil fuels.”
Scientists have reached a consensus that human behavior is a big driver of climate change—but Americans aren't buying it.
Most Americans Aren't Convinced Humans Are Causing Climate Change, New Data Shows
Scientists have reached a consensus that human behavior is a big driver of climate change—but Americans aren't buying it.
www.forbes.com
May 30, 2026 at 2:04 PM
I’m a climate scientist. Let me fix this headline.
“Nearly a century ago, scientists showed that burning fossil fuels warms the planet.
Today, we know human emissions account for over 100% of the warming.
Yet dark money and disinformation still work to keep Americans addicted to fossil fuels.”
“Nearly a century ago, scientists showed that burning fossil fuels warms the planet.
Today, we know human emissions account for over 100% of the warming.
Yet dark money and disinformation still work to keep Americans addicted to fossil fuels.”
My May Newsletter is out. Giant Pandemics, upcoming releases, and more!
Leacock’s Lab: Giant Pandemics and More
Plus: Updates on Forbidden Legacy and Flickering Stars, Remembering Ken Tidwell
mattleacock.substack.com
May 27, 2026 at 3:53 PM
My May Newsletter is out. Giant Pandemics, upcoming releases, and more!
The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship won Cooperative Game of the Year, Thematic Game of the Year, and Medium Game of the Year at the Golden Geek Awards!
Congrats to the whole team at @zmangamesofficial.bsky.social.
Congrats to the whole team at @zmangamesofficial.bsky.social.
Co-op titles Fate of the Fellowship, Vantage dominate 20th Golden Geek Awards, Hot Streak scores pair of wins:
boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...
boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...
May 12, 2026 at 5:36 PM
The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship won Cooperative Game of the Year, Thematic Game of the Year, and Medium Game of the Year at the Golden Geek Awards!
Congrats to the whole team at @zmangamesofficial.bsky.social.
Congrats to the whole team at @zmangamesofficial.bsky.social.
Reposted by Matt Leacock
Excited to welcome our special guests for Game Market West Spring 2026, a tabletop game market where independent designers showcase/sell their newest games:
@mattleacock.bsky.social
@dodecadonuts.bsky.social
@themisplay.com
SumLilThings
#boardgamesky #ttrpg #cute
@mattleacock.bsky.social
@dodecadonuts.bsky.social
@themisplay.com
SumLilThings
#boardgamesky #ttrpg #cute
March 18, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Excited to welcome our special guests for Game Market West Spring 2026, a tabletop game market where independent designers showcase/sell their newest games:
@mattleacock.bsky.social
@dodecadonuts.bsky.social
@themisplay.com
SumLilThings
#boardgamesky #ttrpg #cute
@mattleacock.bsky.social
@dodecadonuts.bsky.social
@themisplay.com
SumLilThings
#boardgamesky #ttrpg #cute
Reposted by Matt Leacock
Animal Rescue Team (the first game in our SU&SD Presents line) has been nominated for an Origins Award in the Coop/Solo category! Thank you to the panel!
March 9, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Animal Rescue Team (the first game in our SU&SD Presents line) has been nominated for an Origins Award in the Coop/Solo category! Thank you to the panel!
My March update is up: Forbidden Legacy announced, Fate of the Fellowship availability info, The Four Doors design diary, Flickering Stars update, and more!
Leacock’s Lab: Forbidden Legacy Announced!
Plus: Fate of the Fellowship Availability Update, The Four Doors Design Diary, and more
mattleacock.substack.com
March 4, 2026 at 4:59 PM
My March update is up: Forbidden Legacy announced, Fate of the Fellowship availability info, The Four Doors design diary, Flickering Stars update, and more!
Matt Riddle and I have posted our Design Diary documenting the strange and circuitous history of The Four Doors.
Development was a gauntlet: five different themes, four different publishers, four contributing designers.
Includes: Goonies! Disease! Flooding! Vermin! and Meddling Locals!
Development was a gauntlet: five different themes, four different publishers, four contributing designers.
Includes: Goonies! Disease! Flooding! Vermin! and Meddling Locals!
The Four Doors – Design Diary — Matt Leacock Games
Matt Leacock: The design of The Four Doors followed a long, meandering route. It was the result of four different designers working alongside four different publishers to produce no fewer than five...
www.leacock.com
February 25, 2026 at 6:18 PM
Matt Riddle and I have posted our Design Diary documenting the strange and circuitous history of The Four Doors.
Development was a gauntlet: five different themes, four different publishers, four contributing designers.
Includes: Goonies! Disease! Flooding! Vermin! and Meddling Locals!
Development was a gauntlet: five different themes, four different publishers, four contributing designers.
Includes: Goonies! Disease! Flooding! Vermin! and Meddling Locals!
Grab your jetpack, Forbidden Legacy will premiere at Gen Con this year!
Designed with Rob Daviau. This one unfolds over seven chapters.
www.wericmartin.com/forbidden-le...
Designed with Rob Daviau. This one unfolds over seven chapters.
www.wericmartin.com/forbidden-le...
Forbidden Legacy to Debut at Gen Con 2026
Matt Leacock and Rob Daviau join forces once again
www.wericmartin.com
February 16, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Grab your jetpack, Forbidden Legacy will premiere at Gen Con this year!
Designed with Rob Daviau. This one unfolds over seven chapters.
www.wericmartin.com/forbidden-le...
Designed with Rob Daviau. This one unfolds over seven chapters.
www.wericmartin.com/forbidden-le...
Reposted by Matt Leacock
Please take the time to read what the children detained in Dilley wrote me in their own words: www.propublica.org/article/ice-... 10/
“I Have Been Here Too Long”: Read Letters from the Children Detained at ICE’s Dilley Facility
Hundreds of children are currently being held with their parents at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas. In letters and drawings, eight kids convey the pain of feeling trapped with no end...
www.propublica.org
February 9, 2026 at 11:21 AM
Please take the time to read what the children detained in Dilley wrote me in their own words: www.propublica.org/article/ice-... 10/
Reposted by Matt Leacock
Rhado calls The Four Doors "A miracle of design." @mattleacock.bsky.social
December 8, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Rhado calls The Four Doors "A miracle of design." @mattleacock.bsky.social
Latest newsletter is out! If you're interested in updates on my games, please take a second to subscribe.
Leacock’s Lab: Animal Rescue Team Now Available, Trip Report, and More
Plus: Spiel Essen and DAU Report, Animal Rescue Team Design Journal, Daybreak Returns to Public Radio, and more
mattleacock.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Latest newsletter is out! If you're interested in updates on my games, please take a second to subscribe.
Reposted by Matt Leacock
Reposted by Matt Leacock
when I worked on This Guilty Land, and immersed myself in antebellum primary documents, the thing that really struck me is how incrementalism today is just the same shit it was then, responding to the same kind of bad faith arguments by evil fuckers, & treating real change as impossible & infantile.
September 29, 2025 at 6:49 PM
when I worked on This Guilty Land, and immersed myself in antebellum primary documents, the thing that really struck me is how incrementalism today is just the same shit it was then, responding to the same kind of bad faith arguments by evil fuckers, & treating real change as impossible & infantile.
Outside/In from New Hampshire Public Radio aired a wonderful episode about Daybreak yesterday.
Not going to spoil whether they won or not!
Not going to spoil whether they won or not!
How to solve the climate crisis in 60-90 minutes — Outside/In
Can a board game about the climate crisis really make for a good Friday night with your friends?
outsideinradio.org
September 25, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Outside/In from New Hampshire Public Radio aired a wonderful episode about Daybreak yesterday.
Not going to spoil whether they won or not!
Not going to spoil whether they won or not!
We were happy to join the first Sun Day day of action at San Jose City Hall today. Hope and expect this day to become bigger and bigger each year.
Beautiful day to celebrate @sundayofaction.bsky.social outside City Hall w/ generous folks at First Unitarian Church of San Jose, council member David Cohen, @mothersoutfrontsv.bsky.social, @350sv.bsky.social, @planetacterra.bsky.social, @indivisible.org Silicon Valley, & so many more #solar #energy
September 22, 2025 at 12:18 AM
We were happy to join the first Sun Day day of action at San Jose City Hall today. Hope and expect this day to become bigger and bigger each year.