Party Snail Games

Party Snail Games Slow down & have some fun!
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28/08/2026

After all that sunshine, looks like the rain is coming in... What's your plans for the weekend?

After plenty of summer adventures think the Party Snail team are mainly staying local and pottering about.

Hope you have a lovely one, and that you get quality time and top laughs with people you care about. And that if you're camping your tent holds up well! 😁

14/08/2026

The next step after testing a game out as a team is sending out prototypes to our trusty group of game-testers who promise to play and give very honest feedback. It's a vital part of the process and we're so grateful for the time people give.

The prep involves lots of cutting up paper and stuffing envelopes. I did quite a bit of it from a camping field (no photos as I was focusing on things not blowing away - and also of course at this stage this is top secret business 🥸)

Drop us a line if you'd like to get involved as a tester.

07/08/2026

Summer is for....

Iced coffees and colourful food! And also, getting together as a team to test out new game ideas and come up with game name ideas (all welcome, no matter how ridiculous, just "write it down" 😂). This is a very lovely part of the process, so fun for everyone to step away from our desks and remember why we do this, to connect, laugh and get to know each other a little better 💛

I recently turned 40 🥳 and my friend Paul made this rather awesome customised KARTY SNAIL tee for our go-karting trip wh...
16/07/2026

I recently turned 40 🥳 and my friend Paul made this rather awesome customised KARTY SNAIL tee for our go-karting trip which I wanted to share with you. I've decided to overlook the flagrant copyright infringement 🤣 and give him some big ups instead...

I know I'm lucky to do what I do. It is a lot of fun but it's also really hard work and sometimes feels like a much harder path than having a steady income and a conventional job.

Paul is a good friend of mine and has played a HUGE part in giving loads of encouragement and support all along the way. I've needed (and need!) loads of both. And he's even lent his considerable skills to us - he designed the Ninja Hamster Apocalypse Disco cover! I reckon he smashed it... 🥷🐹💥🪩

I feel like we all need cheerleaders, supporters and encouragers to keep us going in life. And while they sit in the background and give unseen and unknown help over a drink or walk, those people are absolutely priceless. They make life worth living! And they inspire me to make sure I'm doing likewise for others too. Find some of those people for yourself and treasure them. And try and find other people who you can do the same for in return!

It's not an exaggeration to say Party Snail would not be what it is without him and, in fact, there's a decent chance we may not even still be here! So today I'm shining the light on Paul, and saying a big THANK YOU to him. Here's to the unseen heroes 🐌💚


🪩 A bit of behind the scenes at PSG HQ! 🐌Testing out ideas often involves “frankenstein-ing” a game together using gener...
26/06/2026

🪩 A bit of behind the scenes at PSG HQ! 🐌

Testing out ideas often involves “frankenstein-ing” a game together using generic physical components from other games.

The idea in the second photos requires 10 different colour number cards (!) so we had to use Uno, Uno Flip and Ligretto. Using ‘proper’ cards works a lot better than home made ones as they move and slide better.

When Jungle Hustle was at the final stages of being tested we used repurposed packs of playing cards (before all the wonderful animal designs existed). We had to buy 20 packs or cards in order to make that work! ♠️♥️♣️♦️

On other days testing looks like quick plays of different ideas with a pint in the sunshine :-) Cheers and happy Friday! 🍺☀️

Father’s Day is this Sunday - I know this can be a difficult day for lots of people, for lots of different reasons - sen...
17/06/2026

Father’s Day is this Sunday - I know this can be a difficult day for lots of people, for lots of different reasons - sending lots of love your way if that’s you.

I’ve been thinking about how we can imagine days like this as parents.

A lovely slow morning with my feet up. A bit of rest. Everyone in a good mood. No one arguing. Lots of connection. A quiet beer in front of the football without interruption. Imagine 😂

Sometimes we do get bits of that, but in reality life often has other plans.

Spilled drinks, screen time desperation, arguments to referee, someone who doesn’t want to join in, life admin that still needs doing, disappointment at my reaction to something or other innocuous. A child suddenly upset about socks, snacks, seats, rules etc etc

That's parenting! It’s beautiful and funny and exhausting and relentless and a lot more...

There's so much imagined perfection around parenting, expectations built off airbrushed accounts, some sort of weird thought that we somehow should be getting everything right. It honestly makes me sick 😂😂 throw all that away!

And let's choose to live in the real - the spilled drink version! We can mop it up, keep the game going, accept our frustration or disappointment at whatever our reaction is, accept our kids for who they are in all their brilliance and bizarre-ness, and not let it ruin the moment.

So if you’re doing Father’s Day this weekend whether as a dad, a partner, a child, a parent, or anyone trying to make the day feel nice, give yourself a break from all the expectations.

Bang a game on the table. Accept the flaws and creases and arguments and frustrations. Enjoy a bit of rest, a few kind words, some laughter, some connection. Be kind to yourself. And make the most of the moments. Because that's what it's all about ❤️

It’s been two weeks since we were in the Birmingham NEC exhibiting at UK Games Expo for the first time, surrounded by a ...
12/06/2026

It’s been two weeks since we were in the Birmingham NEC exhibiting at UK Games Expo for the first time, surrounded by a SEA of board game enthusiasts of all ages, inviting people into the Party Snail Games corner to play a game or two with us.

Not gonna lie, it was a non-stop, sometimes overwhelming and totally exhausting few days! A lot of time, thought, logistics, muscles and sweat went into the preparation and set up, and then for an introvert (Katrina speaking here!) the thought of engaging with hundreds of people over the weekend was a little daunting. I am not great at ‘sales’ or small talk.

But, enter the magic of games, and the reason we do what we do. They are a bridge. A ball of colourful play-dough or a dancing hamster offers an easy way-in to an interaction, a smile and then an invitation to take a moment at the table.

It could be 2 minutes or 20, for a family, a group of friends or a few individuals pulled together to be present with each other and play. I got to be part of that, again and again, co-creating mini communities with a common aim and usually a lot of laughter. Didn’t matter where we were from or how else we spend our time. For a moment we all belong at the table and can forget the rest of the world (or the rest of the incredibly busy halls!).

And that, for me, made all the time and effort and energy totally worth it. What a privilege!

It was a joy to create a colourful little space that reflects our games, that felt a bit like a home to invite people into. And it was really fun doing the whole thing together with Dave. I don’t think we’ve ever spent that much time together in our lives but it worked.

He’s written his own thoughts on L1nkdIn about whether it was “worth it” - from a small indie business perspective (spoiler - yes!). Yes we sold games AND we got to share what’s most important to us - slowing down, connecting, and having fun 🐌🐌



08/06/2026

We're still gathering our thoughts (and energies!) after our first time exhibiting at but a definite highlight was getting to meet, greet and play games with some of the people who've been cheering us on from afar, and testing and reviewing games for us over the past few years.

It's always nice to go from Instagram to real life! Thanks for taking the time to stop by, and hurrah for new pals made too 🫶 What a beautiful generous enthusiastic community to be part of. Didn't manage to take photos of everyone, our hands were often full of hamsters/clay-dough! 😁

Pictured here:

stuff.boardgames








Big love, party snails 🐌🐌

28/05/2026

Day 0 of - mainly involving loading and unloading a van, disassembling and reassembling shelves, opening and collapsing A LOT of boxes, sweating, eating nice pastries, and singing along to 90s bangers on the motorway as we drove from Brighton to Birmingham!

We'll be very ready for a 🍺 tonight! 😅

It's fun getting to see more behind the scenes of a huge event like this, and we're looking forward to it being full of fun folk tomorrow.

We're right by the Visitor Services in Hall 3 (3-B33)

See you soon! Dave and Katrina 🐌🪩🐌

Hoorah! This year we've graduated from Dave roaming around with a backpack - to Katrina, Dave (and friends!) hosting ou...
22/05/2026

Hoorah! This year we've graduated from Dave roaming around with a backpack - to Katrina, Dave (and friends!) hosting our very own stand: 3-B33.

The Party Snail and Ninja Hamsters are getting ready to give you a warm welcome and to help you Slow Down And Have Some Fun 🐌🪩

We're excited to see your Clay It Again sculptures and What the Scribble masterpieces, and to get a bit of chaos going with Ninja Hamster Apocalypse Disco and Jungle Hustle!

See you next week!

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