It’s All About Making Social Glue in the Best Indie Games

Most mornings before school started, my friends and I would sit together in the cafeteria to hang out. Some days we’d play chess. Some days we’d pkay D&D. But sometimes, we’d play a little board game I’d thrown together over the weekend—weird little games, hand drawn on cardboard, full of inside jokes and odd stories that made us laugh. Those games were more than just fun, they were what bound us together as friends.

Those games created social glue, and I fell in love with the alchemy involved in mixing mechanics and stories that created that glue.

Now, decades later — after a career in graphic design and product development—I find myself returning to the creating small, portable indie games that can be popped out of a backpack or purse and played with little notice. I love creating designs that are clear and easy on the surface, with straightforward goals—but beneath the surface, there’s always something more going on.

To me, the best indie games aren’t just about mechanics.

The best indie games tell stories.

Whether players are interacting with the characters in the game or becoming one of them, my goal is to draw the player into a world that feels alive. Out experiences with RPGs and video games has shown us all the power of immersion — not just in how a game plays, but in the stories hidden within it.

Every game I create — whether a quick board game or a sprawling series — isn’t just a game. It could be a window into a dark room with a hidden past. A clue to a mystery of ancient origin.  An artifact from a world lost in time,  waiting to be uncovered by players willing to look deeper.

And what excites me most about making games is the effect when the glue works — seeing other players who love pulling at the edges of a game, looking for deeper meaning, searching for the hidden connections, and enjoying the experience. Just like those mornings in the cafeteria, I want people to come together, play, and discuss what they find beneath the surface.

More than anything, I want my games to make people step into someone else’s life for a moment — to imagine what they would do when faced with their struggles, their victories, and their choices. Then tell other folks what they found.

I think of Average Joe Hero as my little indie game glue factory — a way to bring the experience I had at that cafeteria table to the world.

I hope you’ll join me.