Vladislav Tsaran — Board Game Designer
Some games are designed over a weekend. Neutronium: Parallel Wars was designed over a lifetime. I'm Vladislav Tsaran — the solo creator behind a 4X space strategy board game that started as a sketch on graph paper in Kazakhstan in 1998 and is now preparing to launch on Kickstarter in 2026.
Twenty-five years. More than 100 playtests. Four alien races. Fourteen parallel universes. Forty-seven mechanics that teach themselves through play. This is the result of a stubborn refusal to ship a game before it was truly ready.
The Designer's Philosophy
My core belief as a designer: a game should earn complexity, not demand it upfront. Players shouldn't have to master a rulebook before the game becomes enjoyable. The learning should be part of the experience — gradual, natural, and rewarding.
This philosophy drove every decision across 25 years of iteration. It's why Neutronium: Parallel Wars uses a "Recovered Memories" tutorial system that introduces all 47 mechanics one by one across 13 parallel universes, rather than front-loading rules. Your first game takes 30-60 minutes and covers the basics. Your fourteenth game reveals mechanics that make everything click in a new way.
"I wanted to make a game where your first game is simple and exciting, and your hundredth game is still teaching you something new. I didn't realise it would take 25 years to figure out how to do that."
The 25-Year Journey
The original concept emerged in 1998 in Kazakhstan — a space strategy game where worthless currency could become meaningful, where progress persisted across sessions, where the universe itself would expand as players' understanding grew.
The core ideas survived, but the game was completely rebuilt multiple times. The hex tile system, the four asymmetric races, the Neutronium currency, the radioactive deposit mechanic, the Paradox X artifacts — each element was tested, discarded, refined, and eventually locked. Nothing made it into the final game that didn't earn its place through play.
By 2020, the design had stabilised. The 47 mechanics were in place. The balance — verified through playtests with children aged 7+ through experienced strategy gamers — was holding. In early 2025, a single Reddit post about the game's 25-year development reached 384,000 people, with a 98.2% upvote rate. The community response made the path to Kickstarter clear.
About the Game
Neutronium: Parallel Wars is a 4X space strategy board game for 2-6 players, playable in 30-60 minutes, designed for ages 7 and up. It features four asymmetric alien races — Terano, Mi-TO, Iit, and Asters — each with unique bonuses and strategic identities. The board is built from 18 hexagonal tiles arranged differently each game, ensuring no two sessions play the same way.
The game is launching on Kickstarter in Q3-Q4 2026. It is currently 85-90% complete, with final component specifications locked and manufacturing quotes in hand.
Read more about the game's design and mechanics on the 47 Mechanics page or explore the full 25-year story.
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The Team Behind Neutronium
A distributed team of 5 specialists across Netherlands, Armenia, Czech Republic and Denmark — building a board game 25 years in the making.
25 years building Neutronium from a hand-drawn board in Kazakhstan to a 47-mechanic 4X universe. Initiated the viral r/boardgames post with 421K views.
PhD Architecture. 20+ years in visual identity and art direction. Former Art Team Lead at Playrix. Translating 25 years of hex research into a coherent visual system.
MA Decorative Art. Grand Prix winner at the Yerevan International Comics Festival. Member of the Artists Union. Designing 47 unique symbols — one per mechanic.
Architecture student. Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, 3D printing. Turning digital hex tile designs into physical prototypes you can actually hold and play.
Spatial Design student at Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam. Building the visual worlds behind each of the 13 parallel universes through environment art and storyboards.
Board game publisher from Denmark. Industry advisor and co-financing partner for the Kickstarter campaign launch.
Follow the Journey to Kickstarter
Join the waitlist for early access and 20% off the Kickstarter launch price. Launching Q3-Q4 2026.
Join the Waitlist