by Albert Reyes Aymerich

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the tree tops glisten
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the Snow

Yes, I know it's not Christmas yet, but this song is closely related to an upcoming game on my mind. Let me introduce myself: I'm Albert Reyes, the game designer of 1975 White Christmas, and I'm glad to show you how this board game came to life.

Avoiding Risks

Let's be honest: Every game designer has small goals and dreams when creating board games...as well as others that are big and unreachable — though we'll always deny having those

Sometime in the first quarter of 2020, I was about to fulfill the most basic and exciting of those goals: publishing my first game, A.D.E.L.E. I always say I was lucky with that project — diving into game design on intuition, unaware of the realities of the Spanish publishing world, and how hard it was back then for a local publisher to take a chance on a new designer with a complex and costly first game.

For my second game, I wanted to avoid risks. I looked carefully at which Spanish publishers supported local designs and which of those matched the style I was most interested in creating. Looping Games quickly came to mind — a line of small-box Eurogames centered on 20th-century historical events? Count me in! I had just found my second goal as a designer: publish a game in the 1900 Series. I was already familiar with the line since five titles had been released by then, and they were well received.

Cover of 1911 Amundsen vs Scott, the game that launched the 1900 series
The problem? Making a prototype tailored for this collection would limit my options if Looping rejected it. In hindsight, asking them first whether they were interested in the idea would have been more strategic, but, rookie mistake, I jumped right in without telling anyone and simply asked myself...

Okay, I'm Making a 19xx...But About What?

Choosing a theme wasn't easy, even with such a defined collection. So much happened in the 20th century — and unfortunately many of those events weren't exactly family-friendly. Since the collection targets a broad audience, I needed a theme that fit within that tone.

For the record, of the two main schools of design — mechanisms-first or theme-first — I've always belonged to the latter. I need a theme that grabs me enough to dedicate months or years of my life to it, without later regretting the time spent, so I spent several afternoons researching possible topics.

I also had a design quirk in mind: I wanted the game to be competitive and support up to four players, which ruled out co-operative themes or two-sided conflicts...until I found the conflict that drew me in. Aircraft carriers, helicopters landing on rooftops, the largest helicopter evacuation in history — I had to make a game about Operation Frequent Wind.

Sure, it was a war-related theme, but if there's one redeeming moment in any war, it's when it ends. The evacuation of Saigon not only marked the symbolic end of a brutal war, but was also a stunning technical and human feat — evacuating thousands in less than 24 hours with no armed conflict.

Historic photo taken during Operation Frequent Wind, exhibited at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City
Should I Worry about Blank-Page Syndrome?

Let's be real — on the stress scale between "I expected to sell 50 million copies and sold only 40 copies total" and "The game is so broken it makes Munchkin look balanced", starting a new project lands somewhere closer to the Steve Jackson end of the spectrum than Klaus Teuber's.

Once I had the theme, I set basic requirements for the prototype:

• Aircraft carriers (board?)
• Helicopters (cards?)
• Rooftops (cards?)
• People to evacuate (easy — meeples!)

After discarding a dice mechanism, I went with hand management and card drafting — simple, flexible, and perfectly sized for the 19xx box.

Now came the hard part — mediating between theme and mechanisms so they didn't just coexist, but clicked. I felt as if I were the father of two feuding siblings: logic (mechanisms) and creativity (theme).

And there I was, trying to pretend I had the perfect solution to keep both happy.

Early prototypes: helicopter tokens, radar tokens, and special helicopter tokens
I've Been Working on a Prototype Inspired by the 19xx Line...

As months of testing went by, the prototype took shape. In 2021, I submitted it to the second Sabadell Jocs prototype contest, which was held online due to the Covid pandemic, and became a finalist, which gave me a huge boost of confidence.

Coincidentally, during the event, a young designer named Ferran Renalias — then working with Looping Games on 1998 ISS — tried my game on Tabletop Simulator. He liked it so much he reached out to Looping to suggest they take a look at "1975 Saigon". Talk about luck!

With Ferran playing matchmaker, I contacted Looping myself. On June 9, 2021, I wrote: "Hi, I’ve been working on a prototype inspired by the 19xx line..." To my amazement, they replied the same day. One of the things I'm most grateful to Looping for is their kindness and accessibility. All that was left was for them to play it — and hopefully sign it. I was one step closer!

Personal aircraft carrier board with a tech tree
One Hit (Wonder?)

At the start of this diary, I talked about dreams. Now, let's talk about fear. My biggest fear when I started was never getting published. That one, I had overcome — but the next fear? Becoming a one-hit wonder. A lucky break. A fluke.

The wait was long. Very long. And I didn't work on any new games in the meantime — partly due to comfort, partly due to lack of motivation or confidence. I was betting everything on one game. If Looping rejected it, who else would want such a specific title?

Eventually, I made peace with my fate. After all, if you fall, it's because you were walking. That sounds sad and self-deprecating — but maybe it's better to find peace with yourself than live with regret. Sure, publishing two games isn't that much better than just one — but at least it dodges the "one-hit wonder" label. Barely.

Overview of the prototype set-up in 2021
The Diagnosis

Waiting for a publisher's response is like waiting for a medical diagnosis. When your five-minute appointment turns into a silent examination, you start to worry.

It's the same when a publisher says, "We want to test it thoroughly." At first, it feels flattering. Then it becomes nerve-wracking.

Late in 2022, I received a call from an unknown number, one I almost ignored, thinking it was spam. In a way, it was — but of the best kind: I had won Best New Designer at the DAU Festival in Barcelona for A.D.E.L.E.

And just days later, still in disbelief, I received the long-awaited message from Looping: "Hi Albert, Good news! We'd like to publish your game in the 1900 series — it fits perfectly."

That week was magical: receiving an award in a packed theater, signing a contract with Looping at DAU... I even had to delete the epitaph I'd written for myself on BGG.

Pedro Soto (Looping), Albert Reyes, and Perepau Llistosella (Looping) after signing the contract during the 2022 DAU Festival
2023: Ho Chi Minh

After so much good news, that Christmas was particularly joyful, but there was no time to rest — the project needed to move forward.

Looping's development process had two main phases. Initially, Perepau Llistosella, veteran designer and editor, polished the game's rough edges — especially the aircraft carrier board. Originally, it featured a tech tree in which rescued civilians unlocked bonuses, but certain combinations could block progression. Perepau redesigned it to use meeple placement in flexible zones, improving flow and avoiding frustrating dead ends.

New aircraft carrier board developed by Perepau Llistosella
In May 2023, I had the chance to visit Vietnam — not strictly for research, but I did explore the DMZ, the War Museum, and the old embassy district. It made me feel a little less like an impostor.

The author on the Hien Luong Bridge, at the DMZ, located on the 17th parallel
That Young Designer Named Ferran Renalias

Eventually, Perepau left Looping for new projects and was replaced by none other than Ferran Renalias. Yes, the same person who had recommended my game years earlier.

Ferran picked up the project and transformed it: replacing the carrier board with modular upgradable cards, turning the initiative track into a card system for greater replayability, streamlining rules, fine-tuning numbers, and even designing a solo mode. And of course, he renamed the game to 1975 White Christmas, in reference to the song that signaled the start of the evacuation.

He consulted me on every change, always collaborative — to the point where I felt like the editor and he was the designer. I nearly offered him a contract myself!

New iteration by Ferran Renalias with upgradeable aircraft carrier cards
2025: Essen

And finally, we arrive at the year of release. With the game finished, all that remained was to dress it in its finest. Just as mechanisms and theme must harmonize, so too must gameplay and visuals.

Ferran handled the former. For the latter, Pedro Soto — Looping's editor, graphic designer, and illustrator — was the perfect choice. With his experience, everything came together smoothly.

The final stretch is always the most joyful: watching your game grow up fast — graphic design here, new illustrations there, shiny components everywhere...and the much-anticipated cover.

Here's my final piece of advice: If on October 23rd you wake up to every German radio station saying: "The temperature in Essen is 105 degrees Fahrenheit and rising" — followed by the song "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" — drop everything non-essential and head straight to the Looping Games booth, the only Landing Zone where you can rescue your copy of the game.

Good luck!

Part of the final art implemented on TTS