David Malki !

Bolted Production Update & Playtests

From a recent playtest!

Some quick updates on my Wondermark card game Bolted!

I’m working on getting this game finished and off to print, but there are still a few things to iron out.

Specifically: One big change that I’ve introduced is an extra mechanic that allows for additional strategic choice in the game.  If you don’t want to play a card onto your creature, you can instead “scrap” that card for a variety of different effects.

This opens up a new dimension of strategy and also allows for the creation of combos that can be really fun to pull off! I think it’s a great new wrinkle for the game.

It’s all pretty straightforward.

Join Virtual Playtesting With Me

I’m now doing more playtesting to confirm:

  • That the secondary effect options are interesting without being too overwhelming.
  • That the effects I’ve designed are fun, and affect the game flow positively.
  • That what you can do is clearly explained to players.

To get in more reps with the updated rules, I’m hosting more virtual playtesting this week:

Feel free to grab a slot at: picktime.com/wondermark

If you’ve played before, I’d love to have you back! If you’ve never played, I’d love to have you too!

Unsupervised Playtesting

Pretty soon, I’m going to be sending out the rulebook to folks to confirm it’s clear and understandable. Please feel free to sign up here if you want to be on that specific review list!

(If you’ve signed up for this earlier, I’ve still got your info and will be in touch soon enough.) 

Other Updates

  • I THOUGHT I was basically done with the art for this game, but then I unfortunately stumbled across thousands of additional vintage images. (As documented here.) This might necessitate some new additions.
  • I’m going into much more detail on the finer points of game updates and design over on my Discord. Feel free to pop in there to ask any questions or get into the nitty-gritty with me!
  • If you happen to be in Seattle, I’m also doing in-person playtesting most Wednesdays at the Playtest Northwest meetups. Drop me a line on Discord if you want to connect in-person at one of those.
  • I’m pretty excited about this game, friends!!
The end-game state of the creature first shown at the top of this update

[Comment on this post on Discord]

Wondermark on Discord & Instagram

I have a Discord server for Wondermark (and the other things I get up to)!

[ Wondermark on Discord ]

This has existed for a while, but it’s been pretty quiet for most of its existence.

Now, though, I’ve set up some new channels and am spending more time in there!

I’m excited to do more casual chatting and sharing with fellow lovers of the curious and creative. Participating more in smaller communities is feeling increasingly important to me.

Recently I’ve been answering questions about my card game Bolted as well as admiring a lovely photo someone posted of a pregnant hedgehog.

Come share pictures of good animals and tell me about what you’re enjoying reading, making, doing these days! Those recommendations are always welcome.

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I’ve also started re-running the entire Wondermark archive on Instagram:

[ Wondermark on Instagram ]

It’s a bit of a strange feeling, posting 22-year-old work to an audience that may be seeing it for the first time.

I’ve chopped up the old comics in such a way that they are nearly impossible to read on a desktop browser, but swipe very satisfyingly on phones, which is how the vast majority of people use IG, I figure.

Hooray, now you have some links to click on! Or tap, if you are on your phone. Either interface option works; that is the promise of technology!

Saturday, May 17: Juneau!

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I’ll be in Juneau, Alaska this weekend at the 2025 Alaska Robotics Minicon, along with a bunch of other great folks!

The event is Saturday, May 17 at the APK Libraries, Archives, and Museum building.

I’ve written about my travels to Juneau before! Here are three fun posts from previous trips:

• The Story of How Juneau Ate My Boots

I’m not entirely sure where I got these boots. I’ve had them for at least a decade. They just appeared in my closet one day — I honestly don’t know where they came from...

• 11 portraits of me from Alaska

Celebrated likeness-capturer Scott Campbell had the idea for a group of artists to break into groups and draw portraits of each other...

• The Pleasures of Camping Out

The telegraph, the telephone, the locomotive and the steamship, the modern printing press, and thousands of minor devices which add immensely to the sum total of his pleasures, are all willing servants if properly used; but once in control, they become the hardest taskmasters...