Hey there,
This week, I want to share something that feels more personal than anything we’ve made for Photo Tour so far.
Photo Tour: Alaska & Yukon isn’t just another add-on. Fifteen years ago, when I was working as a professional nature photographer, I found myself constantly drawn to the far north — Norway, northern Russia, places where the landscape strips down to essentials. There’s something about that northern atmosphere, that sense of being at the edge of the world, that stuck with me.
Alaska and the Yukon have that same feeling. When we started designing this expansion, I knew we had to capture that remoteness, that sense of being somewhere truly wild.
Today, I get to show you how we’re doing it — and share some images I haven’t posted anywhere else. Consider this a behind-the-scenes look just for Inside the Box readers.
Building the Game Board Extension
First, we needed a new game board — actually, a board extension since it’s not full-size.
I started with a rough sketch from our game designers. They’re great at mechanics, terrible at art. I needed to show the layout concept to Dmitry, our artist who created the beautiful main board for the core game. So I sent him their functional draft along with visual references — Google Earth links of actual Alaska and Yukon locations, elevation maps, reference photos.
The brief was simple: create an atmospheric geographic map using the same style as the core game board.
Dmitry delivered exactly what we needed. His artwork captures the terrain without getting in the way of gameplay. Mountains look like mountains. Rivers flow logically. Empty spaces feel intentionally remote.
Our graphic design team then added the interface layer. Movement paths, location markers, wild zones, player reference icons. They know how to integrate game information without cluttering the visual.
The process worked because everyone understood their role. Designers handle mechanics. Dmitry handles atmosphere. Interface team handles clarity. My job is making sure it all serves the player experience.
We’re still adjusting small details — icon sizes, color contrast, text placement. But the foundation is solid. This board extension does what it needs to do: makes you want to explore while understanding the journey won’t be easy.
The Magic of Transparent Cards and Dice
The transparent card system came from our game designers. They suggested using layered cards like in Canvas, but with a dice-driven mechanism. You roll custom dice to collect icons, then use those icons to buy transparent cards — animals, backgrounds, foregrounds — and layer them to create unique wild photos.
As my job isn’t to test every mechanic, but to ensure the whole project vision stays clear, I immediately started thinking about the visual aspect. These transparent cards needed to feel like actual photography, not just clever mechanisms. Here’s how we’re building toward that vision, and what players can create.
Each combination tells a different story, scores differently, and feels like something you actually composed.
The artwork is the focus here, with minimal interface elements. But transparency creates design challenges. Where do you place icons so they’re visible when cards overlap? How do you maintain readability across different combinations?
Here’s our design evolution — from early concepts to what we think is the best solution. We’re still tweaking, but we’re close to final.
The dice story shows how collaboration works best. I asked for generic dice with icons. The designers came back with something much stronger — a photography concept using old-school camera symbols. Mountains for “landscape mode,” flowers for “macro mode.”
Here’s the 3D render of the wildlife die. My rough request, their smart execution.
This is what happens when you work with people who understand your vision and make it better.
Why This One Feels Different
Photo Tour proved itself with 2,100+ backers. Now these expansions take it somewhere new.
We made a deliberate choice here. The core game works perfectly as a gateway — you can teach it to anyone, play it with family, enjoy it as a relaxing experience. But we wanted to give players who crave more options something deeper to explore.
The beauty is in the choice. You can chase expeditions for focused, strategic gameplay. You can venture north to Alaska/Yukon for creative, dice-driven moments. Or you can stick with the proven core experience. All three approaches work. All three can win. We tested extensively to make sure of that.
This feels like our strongest work yet. The early response confirms it — I’m getting emails almost daily from people saying “I never knew this game existed, but now I’m really interested.”
This campaign matters for us in a way that’s hard to explain without sounding dramatic. We’re still a small indie publisher, moving from campaign to campaign, with just enough profit to keep the lights on and pay our collaborators fairly. No safety net, no big marketing budget — just the belief that good work finds its audience.
These two expansions — Alaska & Yukon and Expeditions — represent everything we’ve learned so far. If you think your friends might enjoy what we’re building, sharing genuinely helps. Word of mouth is how small publishers grow from “barely sustainable” to “able to take creative risks.” That’s the dream — enough momentum to keep making games we’re proud of.
👉 Get your free promo cards here
Almost There
We’re about three-four weeks from launch. The final art is coming in. The components are getting their last reviews. Every day, it gets a little closer to the table.
Thank you for being part of this journey — and for letting me share both the craft and the stakes behind what we’re building.
Take care,
— Eugene
Founder, Timashov Publishing
timashov.games
