The idea
Hi, I'm Caleb Justice. I made the first version of Element 8 when I was a kid — using blue poster board and dice I "borrowed" from other games. I wish I could remember exactly when, but apparently I wasn't too concerned with dating things back then. What I do remember is that the idea came to me while I was playing with my brothers. I threw together that first version, we played it, and I was sold.
What started as a simple, fun project turned into a background passion — something I'd pick back up now and then over the years, with occasional leaps of progress.
It wasn't until people outside my immediate family started playing — and asking for their own copies — that I realized Element 8 might be more than a hobby. From that moment to where we are now, has been a journey. years of refining, re-refining, and fine-tuning until it felt balanced. My perfectionist streak definitely had to be reined in at times.
1st prototype
2nd prototype
The Mechanics
To Break away from the endless loop mechanic, where everyone starts in the same place and simply circles the board, I built four starting corners, gave players the freedom to choose their direction every turn and incorporated warp mechanics to further disrupt movement predictability.
The other Next hurtle was to give each Character a power that was unlike the others. While simultaneously tying it back to their force of nature and keeping it balanced with the others. This took years of refined and beta testing until the eight of them felt like they belonged together. I believe this is what brings these characters to life and instils an attachment and investment into your character.
Deciding to do this myself
From there, the challenge was figuring out how to self-publish so I could maintain creative control over the vision I had for Element 8. This turned out to be a much bigger project than I ever anticipated. Fortunately, I've been lucky to have incredible people offer their expertise and guidance along the way. Without them, Element 8 wouldn't be what it is today.
Progress was slow but steady until mid-2021, when people started asking if the game would be ready by Christmas. That question gave me the push I needed to finish the first few copies just days before the holiday.
3rd prototype
First official Board Sold AKA Gen 1
The first sales
Through word of mouth, local game nights, and the support of excited early fans, we sold nearly all of our first production run within the year. That response is what fueled us to start on the next one — and gave us the confidence to keep going.
Second Generation
Refining into Gen 2
Over the course of 2023, we carefully enhanced the game by addressing and implementing feedback without disrupting what people had already come to love. We are extremely proud of this second generation and excited to share it with everyone!
The workshop
My wife, Carmen, and I run this out of a small workshop in our apartment, where we handcraft and paint every character and token ourselves. We've partnered with a local print shop that shares our excitement for Element 8 to help produce the printed materials.
Right now, that means we can only finish about one game a day — but we have real plans for what comes next.
Thank You
We're endlessly grateful to everyone who's helped us get here, and to everyone who's supported us by picking up a copy of Element 8. Your belief in this game means the world to us.
If you're new here — welcome. We'd love for you to be part of what's next.