The Rollercoaster

Today, Galactic Cruise is in spot #100 on the BGG ranking of games. Yesterday, it was at #101, the day before that at #100, and then the day before that #101. It seems that we and Arkham Horror: The Card Game (Revised Core Set) are constantly jockeying for the spot. It's been a real rollercoaster! And while obviously I want Galactic Cruise to be as highly ranked as possible (as one of the designers and he publisher of the game), the fact that it has received this magnitude of love from fans is really quite overwhelming.

I remember when I was first getting into the hobby back in 2020. It was right in the middle of the pandemic, during those long days of quarantine, that T.K. King texted me and first suggested that we try to design board games. For context, in case you've never heard the story (which we seem to tell on every podcast we're featured on), T.K. and I grew up together and are lifelong best friends. Over the years, we've tried our hands at just about every single creative, entrepreneurial effort: filmmaking, cooking, writing, you name it. Along the way, there had been some game design in the past. We were both introduced to Catan in college, and discovered Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne shortly thereafter. Still, it didn't take long for us to see how vast the world of hobby gaming truly was! We both joined a handful of board gaming Facebook groups, got introduced to Watch It Played and The Dice Tower, and, of course, discovered BoardGameGeek.

I remember studying BGG feverishly, trying to learn everything I could about this new-to-me hobby, and I recall being blown away by the sheer number of games out there in the world. Luckily, there was a nice, tidy list of games, ranked from "best" on down. And so I started at the top (which I believe was Gloomhaven at the time) and worked my way down, clicking around and checking out what the top-of-the-crop games were. (I wouldn't recommend this to someone getting into the hobby, by the way, but then again, I survived!)

There was always something really sacred about the top 100 to me. Much like the top 250 films on IMDB, there is a badge of honor that comes with being among that number. It was always my hope that, one day, I'd be a part of a game that would reach that height. I had no idea it would be my first release! The love the game has gotten has blown me away. People from all over the world have come by our booth at conventions just to tell us how much they love GC. The comments and ratings, and the game's popularity on BoardGameArena, continue to astound me.

It probably sounds like I'm humble bragging (and maybe I am a bit), but this, too, feels much like a rollercoaster (in the thrilling sort of way and less in the up-and-down sort of way). It's a dream come true to have this game of ours rise to where it is now.

At the end of the day, does it matter if we retain (or rise above) the #100 spot? No. Of course not. As it stands, this game has already changed my life. A high rank is just confetti. But it is confetti that is indicative of something long lasting. So many games come and go every year, some of them absolutely amazing, but the staying power of a board game is, for better or for worse, fairly fleeting. Somehow, Galactic Cruise, regardless of its rank, has maintained a level of relevance, and for that, I'm extremely grateful.

Well, I say "regardless of its rank," but then I think back to 2020 when I was getting into games. With the seemingly endless games out there, where did I begin my deep dive into what's what? The top games list here on BGG. So—maybe that does have something to do with it.

It's been an incredible blessing to see Galactic Cruise continue to "lift off" (pun intended, of course). And even as we shift focus toward Excursions and the projects beyond, I hope I never forget the amazing rollercoaster that Galactic Cruise has been. It's been such a fun ride.