A look back at Stalefish Labs' first card game, the indie toy industry of the early 2000s, and what it meant to make Tall Tales.
6 articles in this series
May 1, 2026 · by Michael Morrison
Article 1 of 6 in Tall Tales Retrospective
How a failed 2002 Starbucks pitch shaped the design of Tall Tales, a card game built around small tables, simple rules, and quiet evenings with my brother.
May 5, 2026 · by Michael Morrison
Article 2 of 6 in Tall Tales Retrospective
Tall Tales debuted at Toy Fair 2003 during a record blizzard. Fox 5 News dubbed it 'the cell phone of games.' Then two scouts from Pixar mentioned a movie about cars.
May 14, 2026 · by Michael Morrison
Article 3 of 6 in Tall Tales Retrospective
The two letters I mailed to my brother in early 2002 are the closest thing to a design diary Tall Tales has — capturing the moment the game's mechanics actually clicked.
June 30, 2026 · by Michael Morrison
Article 4 of 6 in Tall Tales Retrospective
Tower Records, KB Toys, Blockbuster, Borders, Zany Brainy, Hollywood Video — a tour of the retailers I pitched Tall Tales to across 113 letters in 2002–2003, almost all of which no longer exist.
July 2, 2026 · by Michael Morrison
Article 5 of 6 in Tall Tales Retrospective
Cracker Barrel's buyer sat down with me in 2002 to look at a card game. I designed an exclusive Down Home Edition for them — table toppers, custom card content, the works. Then the deal went quiet.
July 7, 2026 · by Michael Morrison
Article 6 of 6 in Tall Tales Retrospective
Three Tall Tales expansion decks were designed in 2002–2003 but never published — Discovery, Hollywood, and Down Home. Twenty-three years later, every card from those unreleased decks is online to browse and draw, alongside the original Pocket Edition that did ship.