About

Sunny Parasite Games is an indie game studio founded by Michael Wayland out of Bentonville, Arkansas. I created this company as a way for me to share my love for tabletop games. I’ve long been a fan of board games and card games — I like the pacing of them. In this sped-up world we live in, it’s nice to sit with a group of friends or family and take your time to think through strategy, learn a new game, or share a new experience you’ve recently found.

My family has been game players longer than I’ve been alive. Thanksgivings were always a large affair with extended families; often 10–16 or more people would celebrate at my parents’ house together. Besides the turkey, ham, and fixins, there was one other tradition we’ve held for as long as I remember: we played games. For the longest time it was basic family games — cards, dominoes (42 was big) — then one year someone brought Settlers of Catan and the rest was history. Catan was a big hit and still makes a yearly appearance, but it was the gateway game that led to many others: Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, Sentinels of the Multiverse, 7 Wonders, Lords of Waterdeep, and more. Kids, adults, uncles, aunts, cousins, parents — all playing games across multiple tables has become one of our strongest traditions.

With Sunny Parasite Games I hope to help others enjoy time with their friends and family and start their own traditions. With this in mind, most of the games I design will be intro games: games you can easily introduce to your friends, parents, extended family, and strangers without fear of 50-page manuals and a board with 30 moving parts. Don’t get me wrong — I love those big, deep games — but they can be intimidating for the new player, and not everyone is able or willing to sink hours into learning a game they may only get to try once or twice a year.

Today that mission extends beyond the tabletop: alongside our card and board games, we’re building digital games like Jerry Mander that bring the same easy-to-learn, quick-to-play spirit to your phone.

Guiding Principles

Because of my love for this hobby and my desire to bring it to as many people as possible, these are the policies I follow. I believe ethical companies that treat their customers like family and friends will outlast those that treat them as one-off transactions. I want to earn my customers’ trust — and keep it.

Create engaging, beautiful, quality products that can be enjoyed for years.
Stand behind every game: if I haven’t delivered what I promised, you can return your game for a full refund within one month of receiving it.
Complete all promises on time — and if I’m going to fall short, communicate it. No disappearing, no going silent.
Make each game unique, fun, and engaging.
No game ships without extensive playtesting by friends, family, and strangers alike.
Iterate as many times as it takes to “find the fun” and ensure balanced play.
Themes and game worlds that intrigue and captivate.
Professional graphic design and artwork.
High-quality components and manufacturing.
Games aimed primarily at 2–6 players, playable start to finish in under 90 minutes.
Easy to learn, quick to set up, and teachable to first-timers.
Clear, concise, engaging instruction manuals — part of the experience, not an afterthought.
Replayable games that continue to be fun.