one above nexus

nexus · for board game designers

We are the booster for your prototype.

3D printing, graphics, a sparring partner for your mechanics, printing, and a digital prototype in the browser — from one workshop, by two people who design games themselves. You bring the idea, we put it on the table.

Write to us

One message is enough. We'll get back to you.

A Hegemon prototype set up on a wooden table: a spread of cards, a power track and 3D-printed boxes.

Sound familiar?

Six places where prototypes get stuck.

We have an answer for each of them — and usually the tool for it is already on our table.

  • A 3D printer printing a large, finely detailed black panel.

    No idea about CAD and 3D printing?

    We design card holders, boxes, trackers and figures for your game and print them in our workshop — on FDM and resin printers.

  • The Hegemon logo: a fist holding a glowing sceptre in front of a spiral galaxy, below it the lettering “Hegemon – Galactic Dominance” in gold, set in a round frame.

    No feel for graphic design?

    We lay out cards, tokens and board so that people at the table understand them at a glance. Readable first, pretty second.

  • Turn startsDraw a cardChoose actionBuildTradeAttack10+ resources?noyesnext turnTurn ends+1 VP & extra cardFound it:Whoever leads draws more —and runs away from everyone.

    Looking for someone to take your mechanics apart?

    We play through your rules, find the spots where they jam and look for solutions with you — honest, but on your side.

  • A thick stack of Hegemon cards in a printed card box, next to it the empty discard tray.

    Want cards and boards printed — but where?

    We tell you where small print runs make sense and prepare your files so that the very first print is right.

  • Puzity in the browser: a city map of tiles, next to it the score and the values for power, water and happiness.

    Develop your prototype digitally, in short rounds?

    We make it playable in the browser with you. Because we work a lot with AI, a rule change is built in within minutes instead of crafted over weeks.

  • An overview of the Hegemon components as a publisher gets to see them: game box, insert and power track.

    Stand out at the publisher like no one else?

    With a prototype an editor understands in three minutes and can try right away: a clear rules overview, tidy components, a playable link.

Recognise yourself?

Tell us where your prototype stands right now — we'll tell you how we can help.

Write to us

Why it matters

One rule change: weeks — or minutes.

The lever is the first iteration phase. We know because we have walked both paths ourselves.

A playtest of Hegemon on the table, with a spread of cards, tracks and printed boxes.
Analogue · weeks per roundHegemonWe developed Hegemon at the table. Every rule change meant: re-typeset the cards, print, cut, reprint parts, set up the next playtest. One round took weeks.
Puzity in the browser, every tile showing its values.
Digital · minutes to hoursPuzityWe built Puzity digitally first. An idea in the evening, built into the browser version, tried at once — one round took minutes to hours. Now Puzity is on its way to the table.

We pass that head start on to you.

The workshop

Five printers, a plotter, two people.

Our workshop has three FDM printers for boxes, trackers and large parts, two SLA printers for fine figures and a plotter for cards and tokens. The parts in these photos were made there.

  • The bed of a 3D printer with a freshly printed black frame of many compartments.
  • A finished, intricately detailed printed panel on the print bed.
  • A printed panel with inlaid light guides glowing green.

Who we are

  • Jan Schumann

    Game design · graphics · prototype building

    Jan designs games, lays out their components and builds the prototypes — from the first draft on screen to the printed part on the table.

  • Matthias Drescher

    Platform · digital prototype

    Matthias builds the one above arena and brings prototypes into the browser — so your playtest group can play without anyone crafting.

How it works

Three steps to the same table.

  1. Write to us

    Tell us in a few sentences what your game is and where it's stuck. A link to rules or photos helps, but isn't a must.

  2. We talk about your game

    We get back to you, listen and tell you honestly what we would do — and what you can manage without us.

  3. We get going

    In short rounds: you see work in progress early and decide at every step. What it costs, we settle in a conversation beforehand.

Playable online

Your prototype, playable in the browser.

What we build digitally runs in the one above arena, our platform for board games in the browser. Your playtest group joins from home — and a publisher tries your game without opening a box.

Visit the arena
The one above arena in the browser: a table of "City, Country, River", own tables on the left, players and clock on the right.

Contact

Tell us about your prototype.

Write to us how we can help and leave your contact details — we'll get back to you.

Prefer plain e-mail? contact@one-above.games

We need your name, e-mail, message and consent; the phone number is optional.

Tell us about your game and where it's stuck. A link to rules or photos helps.

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Write to us