Our quiet path
into the world of games.
gentlepath1.site began in 2018 as a small circle of designers who believed board games could teach empathy, strategy and patience better than most classrooms.
Our Story
Founded by Elena Voss and Marcus Hale in a sunlit studio in Portland, the school started with eight students and one table. We grew slowly, choosing depth over reach.
Today more than 4,200 alumni design games played in schools, therapy rooms, and living rooms across 47 countries.
KEY MOMENTS
- 2018 First cohort
- 2020 World’s first online board-game masterclass
- 2022 Opened the physical campus in Portland
- 2024 1,000 games published by alumni
Our minimal values
We teach with restraint. Every decision is measured.
Every rule we write is understandable by a twelve-year-old.
We never rush a design. Some prototypes are refined for three years.
We protect the time of our students the way we protect table space.
Meet the people behind the table
A small team of designers, educators and writers who love long conversations over meeples.