“It’s theft”: Root artist Kyle Ferrin on the “slop” of AI art, and why publishers using it are “devaluing all of board games as an industry”
Plus: Board gaming’s biggest job site is an almost 20,000-strong Facebook group – and is planning its first ever live event next year
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The rise of AI art in the board game industry seems to be drawing ever closer to a reckoning, as growing numbers of designers and publishers lean in to the technology despite the protests of many artists and illustrators in the industry, who say the algorithms can only exist thanks to their stolen work. The latest established publisher to experiment with AI generated images is Wise Wizard Games, who explained at length to BoardGameWire why they believe their method of using tools like Dall-E or Midjourney to support their lead artist’s work is ethical.
As a counterpoint to that, celebrated Root and Arcs artist Kyle Ferrin spoke at length to BoardGameWire about his anger at the rise of AI art within the tabletop space, and how the “slop” it creates is devaluing board games as an industry.
This week’s newsletter also features the news that the world’s biggest board game job site - a 20,000-strong Facebook group - is heading into the physical realm next year with an in-person job fair, plus all the week’s other board game industry news, designer resources and job openings.
Thanks for reading, enjoy this week’s newsletter!
Mike Didymus-True - Editor
“It’s theft”: Root artist Kyle Ferrin on the “slop” of AI art, and why publishers using it are “devaluing all of board games as an industry”
AI art's ongoing spread into the board game industry over the last two years has been met by dismay, anger and fear by artists and illustrators working in the space. Many are concerned not only that the technology is built on artwork that has been stolen from them, but that their very livelihoods are at stake if publishers choose to make use of fast and cheap AI-generated images instead of hiring human artists.
BoardGameWire approached a host of tabletop game artists for their views on the technology in the wake of Wise Wizard Games becoming the latest well-known board game publisher to begin using AI generated images in its projects. One of the most powerful and heartfelt replies came from Kyle Ferrin, whose singular work across games such as Root, Arcs and Oath has become one of the most recognisable styles in board game art.
In this extensive response, Ferrin expresses his disgust at AI art’s lack of ethics, its creative limitations, and why publishers turning to it for their games are devaluing not just their own creations, but the board game industry as a whole.
Star Realms maker Wise Wizard Games defends using AI art in new projects, board game artists call out ethics of decision
As discussed above, Star Realms maker Wise Wizard Games has become the latest well-known board game publisher to begin using AI generated images in its projects, despite widespread criticism from artists that the technology is built upon stolen work. Wise Wizard’s use of AI generation in the artwork for its new trading card game, Draconis 8, is the latest instance of the controversial technology creeping into larger-scale tabletop publishing houses, following high-profile early adopters including Terraforming Mars maker Stronghold Games and Nemesis publisher Awaken Realms.
Wise Wizard CEO Rob Dougherty and Draconis 8 lead artist Antonis Papantoniou responded in length to questions put to them on the subject by BoardGameWire, attempting to draw a distinction between a “non artist” producing AI art via prompts, and their own method, in which a professional artist feeds their own hand-drawn prompts into programs such as Dall-E or Midjourney, and paints over parts of what it generates.
Board gaming’s biggest job site is an almost 20,000-strong Facebook group – and is planning its first ever live event next year
A pair of board game professionals are in talks to take their hugely successful online industry jobs space on the road next year, after seeing the group surge to almost 20,000 members. Jessica Fisher, a global Lorcana social media coordinator at Ravensburger, and Ross Thompson, director of marketing at Asmodee’s Atomic Mass Games, launched the Tabletop Game Jobs Facebook group seven years ago after being stunned that a dedicated jobs board did not already exist for the burgeoning board game industry.
Thompson explained to BoardGameWire how the page’s rampant growth means it is now ready to expand outside of the digital space as a live jobs fair in 2025.
Life in Reterra becomes first board game to win Forest Stewardship Council sustainability award
Life in Reterra, Hasbro's opening gambit for a push into the light-gateway hobby game segment, has become the first board game to win a sustainability leadership award from the Forest Stewardship Council. The Eric Lang and Ken Gruhl design, which sees players try to rebuild communities in a post-apocalyptic environment in which nature has reclaimed urban areas, was praised by the FSC for its “strong sustainability themes and artwork that are relatable and resonate with both parents and children”.
Gnome Hollow, LEGO’s Monkey Palace designers launch publishing studio, seal Asmodee USA distribution deal
The designers behind LEGO’s first tilt at board games in over a decade have teamed with the creator of Gnome Hollow to launch new tabletop publisher Uncommons Publishing. The company, also known as UP Games, has inked an exclusive distribution deal with Asmodee USA for its debut title Floristry, a two-player tile laying game which makes use of an app to run several rounds of timed Dutch auctions.
UP was founded by Monkey Palace co-creators David Gordon and Tam Myaing, Gnome Hollow designer Ammon Anderson, and Greg May, the creator of Manhattan’s first board game cafe, Uncommons.
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Other news:
Discord community management platform Levellr raises $1.75m of funding, plans Reddit integration
Germany’s Spiel des Jahres committee hosted a gaming event for the president of the German parliament and about 60 Bundestag members, giving them a chance to try out this year’s SdJ winner Sky Team and several other nominees. Ironically, despite working together in the co-op board game, Germany’s coalition government collapsed earlier today.
A very in-depth Ludovox report exploring whether heavy games in the French market are being pushed to the side, in favour of lighter family options and TCGs
The number of tabletop games borrowed from German public libraries doubled between 2020 and 2023, to more than five million loans per year, the country’s game designer’s association SAZ reports.
Design Zone
Erica and Sen from the Ludology Podcast chat to Theresa Duringer about her role as a tabletop game app developer at Temple Gates Games, discussing how to make an app translation of a tabletop hit
Game designer Pam Walls speaks with Print and Play Hideaway Facebook group organiser Martin Gonzalvez about how PnP can help stretch game design muscles
Protospiel Kansas City 2025 is set to take place between April 4 and 6 next year in Lee’s Summit, Missouri
What If? explores how to balance work, family and creative passions in game design
The Meeple Syrup show discusses mathematical problems in game design with Sabrina Culyba and Anne Meyer
Designer Oussama Khelifati on the origins of Duck & Cover – and the power of a fun theme - Mojo Nation
Matt Leacock and Matteo Menapace present this incredibly in-depth design diary on their Kennerspiel des Jahres-winning board game Daybreak - BoardGameGeek
Seppy Yoon from Fight in a Box discusses the skills needed for efficient fulfillment in this extensive livestream
Designer Diary: Tack by Amelie Le - BoardGameGeek
The latest Cardboard Philosophy podcast discusses the difference between ‘theme’ and ‘setting’
The Decision Space podcast looks at the gameplay of 2015 design Burgle Bros
The Unboxed game industry podcast talks to Ravensburger’s head of new games marketing Lysa Penrose about whether there is a ‘cosy games’ bubble, and ask if it’s about to pop?
Joe Slack from The Board Game Design Course on how to make a captivating Kickstarter video for your board game
The latest Game Design Unboxed podcast speaks with Kirsten Lunde about her journey from inspiration to publication for her game Ovation
This week’s My Favourite Games podcast features Bryan Brammer from Tangerine Games discussing Anno 1800, the art of game design, the publishing journey and pitching strategies
Board game design podcast The Tabletop Takeaway takes a look at semi-cooperative games
Job Watch
US - North American Event Organiser, Games Workshop
UK - Inventory Coordinator, Asmodee
UK - Brand Assurance Specialist, Asmodee
UK - Graphic Designer, Steamforged Games
Denmark - Game Producer, MOOD Publishing
Cyprus - Rulebook Editors, PIKA Games
All these jobs are from the very excellent Tabletop Game Jobs Facebook Group - head there to take a look at all the latest listings
What’s On The Table?
Tonight I’ll be cracking out the last of my four Spiel Essen purchases (we don’t accept free games from publishers, in order to remain independent), Uwe Rosenberg’s Black Forest, at my regular Thursday night board game club at the Ludoquist in Croydon, south London. I’ve never played Glass Road, which I hear it heavily resembles, but I’m keen to hear from people who have. Please do get in touch with any games that have intrigued or surprised you, especially esoteric ones which might have fallen off the radar.
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