Tributes pour in for Barcelona, Arborea designer Dani Garcia after diagnosis with motor neuron disease ALS

Tributes have flooded in for Spanish board game designer Dani Garcia after he announced he had been diagnosed with progressive, degenerative disease ALS – commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Garcia is a rising star in the industry following the success of his designs Arborea, Barcelona and Windmill Valley over the last two years.

The Barcelona-based designer said in a statement on Twitter, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has shown concern about my health.

“After a long diagnostic process, I have been diagnosed with ALS, and we are still coming to terms with the news.

“Now that everything is clear, I want to focus on what fulfills me most: creating games and spending time with my family. I deeply appreciate your support and understanding.”

Dani Garcia’s 2024 design Barcelona — Photo Credit: Board & Dice

ALS is a rare neurodegenerative disorder, which progressively affects the brain’s ability to control muscles. Notable people to have had the disease include physicist Stephen Hawking and American baseball player Lou Gehrig.

Garcia’s announcement led to an outpouring of support for Garcia from publishers, fellow designers and fans of his creations alike.

David Esbrí, editor at Devir – the publisher of Garcia’s 2024 release Daitoshi – told BoardGameWire, “Dani is a brilliant mind in the world of board games, and his talent continues to be an insurmountable force.

“We must leave him and his family navigate this deeply personal process in their own terms. We must respect their need for space and privacy, offering our unwavering support from a distance. His contributions are a gift to us all.

“We must appreciate the body of works that he has given us and continues to deliver to us as a community. It is an extraordinary privilege both from a personal and a professional stance to have the chance to continue working with him and see his designs grow from the front row.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Alley Cat Games co-director Caezar Al-Jassar, whose company published Garcia’s debut game and breakout hit Arborea in 2023. He said, “We at Alley Cat Games are all incredibly saddened to hear of Dani’s recent diagnosis. Our thoughts go out to him, his wife and his family.

“We hope that Dani and his family find whatever they need to get through this difficult time period. We will continue to work closely with Dani, as before, to ensure that his name and legacy rightly endures.

“Dani is one of the most talented designers we’ve worked with, inspiring attention to detail and passion for the craft. Most importantly, as a human being, Dani is a wonderful and warm-hearted individual who I consider a true friend and I look forward to continuing working with him.

Windmill Valley, designed by Dani Garcia — Photo Credit: Board&Dice

“We have a number of games and concepts in the works together so I look forward to showcasing them in the near future alongside him.”

The White Castle designers Sheila Santos and Israel Cendrero, who run Spanish board game design studio Llama Dice, said, “We’re not defining Dani, because everybody knows him and his work, but just to mention that he helped everyone in Spain to put us on the heavy map of board games.

“Also, apart from a friend, he had been a crucial part of the White Castle development which his inputs and thoughts made the game better.

“Every designer in Spain is in doubt with him in one way or another. We just want him to be happy and to cope with the disease as better as it can be.”

Other board game industry publishers and professionals including Ludonova, Maldito Games, Salt & Pepper Games and Combo Games took to Twitter to offer their support and thoughts for Garcia and his family.

Garcia’s 2025 releases are set to include Coming of Age and Windmill Valley expansion Blooming Sails, while an expansion for Arborea named Corruption is slated for later this year or early 2026.

The designer also has at least five other games in development under placeholder titles, all currently listed as for potential release in 2026, according to his BoardGameGeek page.

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