Thank you!

Greetings in 2021,

Timbrook Toys is officially taking a break. I won’t wax too poetic about the reason for this decision because there are a lot of folks who have been hit much harder by Covid-19 than us. Molly and I are happy and healthy, but our priorities are shifting and we have new goals for the new year.

I won’t miss standing at a drill press for hours on end, but it’s still a bit sad to step back from a project that created so much joy and fun for people. Molly and I originally developed Hedge Lord as an art project to share with a small group of friends. We couldn’t have imagined it would gain such a large following, turn into my full-time job, or lead to opening an actual handmade toy shop! Unfortunately, we also couldn’t have imagined a global pandemic would indefinitely make running a hands-on retail space a thing of the past.

That said, I’m incredibly proud of what we were able to accomplish in the three years since inventing Hedge Lord. We made plenty of news, delivered hundreds of handmade games all over the country, participated in maker events and gaming cons, and met lots of new friends along the way.

If you’re reading this you are probably one of those friends. Timbrook Toys would not exist without the thousands of folks who have shared our game and our story over the years. We’re deeply grateful for that support.

I’m not certain what’s next for Hedge Lord or when we will make the board game by hand again. It might be years from now. Or a week. Or never.

What I do know is that the game is very, VERY fun. It was fun to play when it was just painted beads on graph paper, and it’s fun to play now on a lovingly crafted wooden board. Whether it’s using the crude paper prototype or the $100 art piece, when people play Hedge Lord they jump out of their seats, scream bloody murder at each other, and can’t wait to play again.

Those are the signs of a successful game, and the reasons why I’m confident Hedge Lord can have a new life whenever and however we decide to produce it again. Although I’m not sure what the next steps look like, or when we’ll take them, I do know that we want you there to follow along. We’re taking a break from making games by hand, but not from the community we found.

So let’s stay in touch. Email us if you have questions, advice, or just want to share that great pic or video of your family screaming “I am the Hedge Lord!” And keep your eyes on our Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and newsletter for any future announcements.

Talk to you soon.

Dustin Timbrook