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 14 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.

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.

Connect

The best ways to reach me and follow the game's development: