0:00

This episode is sponsored by crowdfunding nerds,

0:02

also known as Next Level Web. This

0:04

group of crowdfunding specialists has worked on

0:06

over 100 projects and helped raise nearly

0:08

$15 million. But the truly amazing part

0:10

is that most of those campaigns were

0:12

from first-time creators. They charge flat fees

0:14

and offer simple monthly pay-as-you-go plans. And

0:16

the record for funding projects on day

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one is over 90%. I've personally been

0:21

working with them for years, and they

0:23

have been instrumental in helping me raise

0:25

hundreds of thousands of dollars for my

0:27

own campaigns. Andrew and his team are

0:29

honest, hardworking, and reliable, and they have

0:31

been absolutely phenomenal to work with. So

0:33

if your game is awesome, but your

0:35

email list is pitiful, visit crowdfundingnerds.com and

0:37

fill out a contact form today. What's

0:49

up my friends, Gabe here? And I just

0:51

want to tell you about my new

0:53

book that recently came out called Find

0:55

the Fun. This is the culmination of,

0:57

I don't know, 15 plus years of

0:59

game designing experience and publishing experience now,

1:01

and also just distilling down 300 plus

1:03

episodes of the Boer Game Design Lab

1:05

podcast and putting it all into one

1:07

book. The book that I wish I

1:09

had when I first got started designing

1:11

games. And we dive into obviously fun

1:13

and talking about how to Find the

1:16

fun and all the fun and all

1:18

the things. things that go along with that.

1:20

Lots of different principles and little kind of

1:22

formulas, trying to, you know, some metaphors, trying

1:24

to help that all make sense. Also talk

1:26

a lot about product design and what it

1:28

looks like to create not only a game

1:30

but a product that people will want to

1:32

buy, that you can pitch to publishers, that

1:34

you can put on crowdfunding and make money,

1:37

talk a lot about play testing, talk a

1:39

lot about prototyping, just everything that goes into

1:41

the game design and creation process from idea

1:43

all the way to being able to being

1:45

to being able to get it. Now I

1:47

don't talk about business or starting an LLC

1:49

or crowdfunding and that kind of thing, but everything

1:51

else as far as creating the game and bringing

1:54

it to life, putting it on people's tables so

1:56

that they can enjoy it. And so I just

1:58

want to tell you about it. can find

2:00

it on Amazon right now if you want

2:02

to learn more. I'm also going to put

2:05

the first few chapters of the book. At

2:07

the end of this, I hired a professional

2:09

voiceover guide to do the audio book version.

2:11

And so I'm going to put the first

2:14

few chapters here, and so you can check

2:16

those out, listen to them, and just see

2:18

if it's something that you're interested in. But

2:20

yeah, Find the Fun. Really proud of this

2:22

one. Wanted to let you know about it.

2:25

And if you think it's something that you

2:27

would get a lot of value out of,

2:29

please check it out. Thanks for being part

2:31

of the Board Game Design Lab community.

2:34

And have Community, and Have. Read

2:36

by Adam Nirono. Section 1.

2:38

Getting Started I'm so glad you've

2:41

decided to travel down the

2:43

game design path. It takes a

2:45

ton of effort, but with a

2:47

little creativity a healthy dose of

2:50

problem solving and some good old-fashioned

2:52

hard work, I know you can

2:54

bring your games to life. And my

2:57

goal is to be a helpful guide

2:59

in your journey. Now this book

3:01

isn't meant to be an exhaustive

3:03

resource. It's more of a curation

3:05

of my best advice taken from

3:07

designing games for 15 plus years

3:09

and interviewing more than 300 of

3:11

the best designers in the world

3:13

through the Board Game Design Lab

3:16

podcast. This is the book I wish someone

3:18

had handed me years ago when I

3:20

was just getting started. And I hope

3:22

I can help you not waste time on

3:24

as many dumpster fire games as I did.

3:27

You're still going to create some

3:29

truly awful games. That's just part

3:31

of it. But the information in these pages,

3:33

should help you level up your

3:35

design skills at a much faster

3:37

rate than I was able to.

3:40

This introduction will lay the foundation

3:42

for the core concepts you need to

3:44

understand, and the rest of

3:46

the book will reinforce the concepts

3:48

from various angles. So let's

3:51

get into it. What is a board

3:53

game? Really. The traditional definition

3:55

of board game is pretty

3:58

self-explanatory. A game that involves... moving

4:00

pieces on a board. In recent

4:02

years, the term has evolved to become

4:04

a catch-all, and even games that don't

4:06

include a board now fall under the

4:09

board game umbrella. However, for

4:11

the purposes of this book, that's not

4:13

really what I'm talking about. Boards,

4:15

cards, dice, etc. are just

4:17

components. Mere ingredients

4:20

that can be turned into something much

4:22

greater than the sum of its parts.

4:24

In the same way you wouldn't say eggs,

4:26

sugar and butter and butter are a

4:29

cake. You wouldn't say cardboard dice

4:31

and meals are a board game. What

4:33

matters is how you put them

4:35

together to create an experience for

4:37

the players. To put it simply a

4:39

board game is a fun engine. Players

4:42

put time into it and get fun out

4:44

of it. So as a designer, your main

4:46

job is to maximize the

4:48

time-to-fund ratio. Now, that's obviously

4:51

easier said than done, but hopefully

4:53

this book will help you start

4:55

figuring out what it takes to

4:57

create a fun engine. that players

4:59

enjoy and that you can turn

5:01

into a marketable product. But

5:03

anytime you see the word game in this

5:06

book, just know that what I'm really

5:08

saying is fun engine. For years I

5:10

designed games that worked but

5:13

weren't particularly fun. However, once

5:15

I started to understand games as

5:17

fun engines, my designs got

5:19

a ton more enjoyable to play.

5:21

So even if that's the only concept

5:24

you take away from this book, I

5:26

think it'll level up your design

5:28

skills by leaps and bounds. What

5:30

makes a game fun? When you're

5:32

starting out, you should aim to make

5:35

a game that works. The game should have

5:37

a clear beginning, middle and end.

5:39

The players should be able to

5:41

understand how to win. And the

5:43

players' decisions should move the

5:45

game forward and ultimately to

5:47

a defined finish. Now a lot of

5:50

new designers do all of that

5:52

and think they're done. However a

5:54

game that works is not necessarily

5:56

a proper fun engine. To make

5:58

a game that's fun, You need to

6:01

understand two main factors. Choices and

6:03

tension. A game can have amazing

6:05

art, unbelievable miniatures, linen finish cards,

6:07

and the most well-written rulebook you've

6:09

ever laid eyes on. But if

6:11

it doesn't have meaningful choices and

6:13

the right amount of tension, it's

6:16

not going to be particularly fun.

6:18

In the next chapter, I'll dive

6:20

much deeper into choices and tension.

6:22

I'll unpack concepts like the choice

6:24

trident. and the Goldilocks decision space.

6:26

And I'll get into various ways

6:28

you can find the fun in

6:31

your game. I'm mentioning this stuff

6:33

briefly in the introduction since fun

6:35

is probably the most important concept

6:37

I'll discuss, hence the title of

6:39

the book, and I want you

6:41

to go ahead and put it

6:44

at the top of your mind.

6:46

What makes you a game designer?

6:48

I've talked to so many new

6:50

designers who don't yet consider themselves

6:52

to actually be game designers to

6:54

actually be game designers. Typically, they

6:56

think that to become a legitimate,

6:59

card-caring member of the club, they

7:01

need to get a game published.

7:03

But trust me, that is definitely

7:05

not the case. A game designer

7:07

is simply anyone who designs games.

7:09

Don't overcomplicated, and don't feel less

7:11

than just because you don't have

7:14

a game on a store shelf.

7:16

I've played prototypes that were amazing,

7:18

but never got picked up by

7:20

a publisher. I've played published games

7:22

that weren't worth the cardboard they

7:24

were printed on. There are so

7:26

many factors at play, and a

7:29

lot of them are arbitrary. So

7:31

don't get caught up on having

7:33

to be published or any other

7:35

random qualifier. The being comes from

7:37

the doing. Or put more simply,

7:39

you are what you do. A

7:41

writer is someone who writes. A

7:44

painter is someone who designs games.

7:46

So the real question isn't, are

7:48

you a game designer? The real

7:50

question is how good can you

7:52

be? And my goal throughout the

7:54

rest of this book is to

7:57

help you become as good as

7:59

possible. It takes a tremendous amount

8:01

of work to become good at

8:03

any creative endeavor. But I believe

8:05

you haven't in you to bring

8:07

some amazing games to life. Don't

8:09

prove me wrong. What does a

8:12

win look like? Before we go

8:14

any further, it's important to take

8:16

some time to define what you

8:18

really want. When it comes to

8:20

game design, what does a win

8:22

look like? Do you want to

8:24

design games as just a hobby,

8:27

but you don't really care if

8:29

you ever get anything published? Do

8:31

you want to design games that

8:33

eventually show up on store shelves,

8:35

but it's just a side hustle?

8:37

Do you want to pursue game

8:39

design as a profession, either part-time

8:42

or full-time? There's no wrong answer,

8:44

but each path has different requirements

8:46

and calls for a different level

8:48

of sacrifice. I encourage you to

8:50

be honest with yourself about what

8:52

you really want. and to think

8:54

through how much you're willing to

8:57

commit to that path. We often

8:59

wonder why we feel like we're

9:01

losing when the real problem is

9:03

that we haven't defined what winning

9:05

is. So what do you want?

9:07

Write it down. What are you

9:10

going to have to give up?

9:12

Write those down, too. Then, get

9:14

to work. Why designing games is

9:16

important? Several years ago. One of

9:18

the most important people in my

9:20

life found out he had cancer.

9:22

His name was Randy, and he

9:25

was an incredible mentor and an

9:27

excellent friend. And during his battle

9:29

with cancer, he discovered a little

9:31

game called Ticket to Ride. One

9:33

day I went over to his

9:35

house, and he asked if I

9:37

had ever heard of the game.

9:40

I laughed and told him once

9:42

or twice, then we sat down

9:44

and played it. Randy played ticket

9:46

to Ride hundreds of times over

9:48

the next couple of years. He'd

9:50

come home from chemo and played.

9:52

Friends and family would come over

9:55

to visit and he'd introduce them.

9:57

to it. He played it literally

9:59

until he couldn't hold his head

10:01

up anymore. And just before they

10:03

lowered his casket into the ground,

10:05

his daughter placed a small red

10:07

plastic train on it. Tickets a

10:10

ride brought my friend a tremendous

10:12

amount of joy during his toughest

10:14

times and darkest days. And a

10:16

while back when I met Alan

10:18

Moon, the designer of the game,

10:20

I was able to thank him

10:23

for creating something that made my

10:25

friend's final days just a bit

10:27

more bearable. I don't know

10:29

about you, but I want to

10:31

create things that bring people joy

10:33

like that. And this is a

10:36

prime example of how much games

10:38

matter. I know it can sometimes

10:40

feel like game design is a

10:42

waste of time. There are so

10:44

many problems in the world, and

10:46

we're just cutting out tokens and

10:49

trying to figure out if a

10:51

card should do two damage or

10:53

three. I mean, really? But please

10:55

understand. It's so much deeper than

10:57

that. Board games are different from

10:59

other forms of entertainment because they're

11:02

about a lot more than just

11:04

sitting and absorbing content. Instead, games

11:06

give players an active role in

11:08

determining how the experience is going

11:10

to play out. They give people

11:12

the opportunity to not only enjoy

11:15

a story, but also have an

11:17

impact on how that story gets

11:19

told. That means game designers are

11:21

storytellers to the highest degree. Because

11:23

what we're really creating is opportunities

11:25

for others to tell great stories.

11:28

We bring people together around a

11:30

table to experience something that will

11:32

hopefully build relationships and create lasting

11:34

memories. So whenever you find yourself

11:36

asking, does this even matter? The

11:38

answer is yes. All artistic expressions

11:41

come with their fair share of

11:43

tough days, and designing board games

11:45

is no different. But in those

11:47

moments just remind yourself that games

11:49

matter and they have the ability

11:51

to improve people's lives and Just

11:54

remember the impact a game had

11:56

on my friend Randy how

12:00

to get ahead of 99% of

12:02

other designers. Most game designers and

12:04

creative people in general never make

12:06

it out of the land of

12:08

mediocrity and never realize their true

12:11

potential for one simple reason. They

12:13

give up. Typically this is because

12:15

they know how their game should

12:17

play in their head, but they

12:19

can't turn that into reality on

12:21

a table. And that's because people

12:23

develop taste before skill. In other

12:25

words, they know what's good long

12:28

before they can actually create something

12:30

good. Then, because of the very

12:32

large and obvious gap between where

12:34

they are and where they want

12:36

to be, they quit and move

12:38

on to the next shiny object

12:40

without ever realizing how much of

12:43

an amazing designer they had it

12:45

in them to be. This gets

12:47

even worse when they start comparing

12:49

their prototypes to other designers published

12:51

games. But if there's any absolute

12:53

truth I've ever learned, it's this.

12:55

Comparison is the thief of joy.

12:58

The world has no shortage of

13:00

opportunities to compare yourself to others

13:02

and feel like you're less than

13:04

or behind. But for one thing,

13:06

you don't know the whole story.

13:08

You don't have any idea what

13:10

someone went through or didn't have

13:12

to go through to bring that

13:15

game to life. And for another

13:17

thing, it doesn't even matter anyway.

13:19

The race is long and in

13:21

the end, it's only against yourself.

13:23

So don't measure yourself against other

13:25

designers. Measure against a previous version

13:27

of yourself. Are you a better

13:30

designer than you were a year

13:32

ago? Are you learning a new

13:34

skill today that's going to make

13:36

you better tomorrow? If not, why

13:38

not? What can you do to

13:40

get better? If so, keep going.

13:42

Keep finding ways to improve and

13:44

push yourself forward. But the main

13:47

thing is to just keep designing.

13:49

Those three simple words are the

13:51

key to you becoming the designer

13:53

you have the potential to be

13:55

There's simply no substitute for reps

13:57

if you want to get better,

13:59

you have to put your reps

14:02

in. To put it in fitness

14:04

terms, if you want to develop

14:06

a stronger lower body, you should

14:08

do more squats. Thinking about squats

14:10

won't make you stronger. Reading about

14:12

squats won't make you stronger. Posting

14:14

online about squats won't make you

14:17

stronger. You have to do the

14:19

actual work, and it's the same

14:21

with game design. So many designers

14:23

never really get out of the

14:25

planning stage. They have ideas. but

14:27

they never create a prototype. They

14:29

never run a single play test.

14:31

Unfortunately, it's super easy for planning

14:34

to become procrastination. It seems like

14:36

you're making progress as you research

14:38

various topics and scribble down notes

14:40

about dice-driven combat and possible worker

14:42

placement locations. While this feels like

14:44

movement, it's really like being stuck

14:46

in the mud. Your tires might

14:49

be spinning 100 miles an hour,

14:51

but you aren't going anywhere. So

14:53

how do you make sure you

14:55

don't end up there like so

14:57

many other designers? You make a

14:59

prototype, you play test, and you

15:01

repeat. It's just that simple, and

15:03

it's just that hard. If you

15:06

aren't doing those two things, you

15:08

aren't actually going anywhere, and your

15:10

game will never be more than

15:12

an idea bouncing around in your

15:14

head. In later chapters, I'll share

15:16

my best advice on prototyping and

15:18

play testing. But if you don't

15:21

turn that information into action, this

15:23

is all a waste of time.

15:25

Two of the best things you

15:27

can learn are to make ugly

15:29

prototypes and to play test terrible

15:31

versions of your games. The better

15:33

you get at these two things,

15:36

the better designer you'll become. And

15:38

you'll find yourself much further down

15:40

the design road than all of

15:42

the designers who stay stuck in

15:44

the mud. As James Clear says,

15:46

Rome wasn't built in a day,

15:48

but they were laying bricks every

15:50

hour. You have enough time. Over

15:53

the years I've had conversations with

15:55

thousands of game designers and the

15:58

number one struggle they bring up

16:00

over and over again is never

16:02

having enough design time. And I

16:04

get it, life is busy. Everyone

16:06

has more to do than they

16:08

have time to do it in.

16:11

Family, friends, work, sleep, traffic, cat

16:13

videos, there's no shortage of things

16:15

to occupy your time. However, something

16:17

that radically changed my life was

16:19

the realization that I always have

16:21

just enough time for the things

16:23

I make time for. It's not

16:26

about having time, it's about making

16:28

time. So I started putting game

16:30

design into my weekly schedule, and

16:32

then I protected that time. On

16:34

certain days, at certain hours, I

16:36

scheduled specific activities that were going

16:39

to move my games forward. I

16:41

also took this approach with the

16:43

Board Game Design Lab podcast, which

16:45

is how I released an episode

16:47

300-plus weeks in a row. And

16:49

after the schedule was made, I

16:51

died on those hills. My friends

16:54

and family knew not to bother

16:56

me on those days and times.

16:58

Unless someone was bleeding from the

17:00

head, I wasn't going to budge

17:02

from my workspace. Another pivotal moment

17:04

was when I stopped saying, I

17:07

don't have time, and started saying,

17:09

it's not a priority. It's amazing

17:11

how much of a difference that

17:13

small semantic tweak makes. Instead of

17:15

saying, I need to play test,

17:17

but I don't have time, it

17:19

became I need to play test,

17:22

but it's not a priority. That

17:24

phrase was just an incredible gut

17:26

punch, and it helped me refocus.

17:28

It also placed the weight squarely

17:30

on my shoulders, which is where

17:32

it belonged. I don't have enough

17:35

time, put the blame on external

17:37

factors. It was the universe's fault.

17:39

But it's not a priority, was

17:41

on me. This also helped me

17:43

get clear on what my priorities

17:45

really were. There were moments when

17:48

I would say something wasn't a

17:50

priority, and I would realize that

17:52

it really wasn't. The value of

17:54

that kind of thing cannot be

17:56

overstated. But my main point... is

17:58

that you have enough time. It's

18:00

just a matter of what you're

18:03

currently prior to. The average person

18:05

spends four to six hours a

18:07

day consuming online content, social media,

18:09

Netflix, YouTube, etc. So if you

18:11

happen to be an average person,

18:13

that's about five hours per day,

18:16

you could probably repurpose. Manage your

18:18

energy more than your time. Even

18:20

if you're the best time manager

18:22

in the world, if you show

18:24

up to your design space physically,

18:26

mentally, emotionally, or spiritually exhausted, you're

18:28

probably not going to get much

18:31

done. For your creativity to be

18:33

at its best, you have to

18:35

have energy for it to pull

18:37

from. This means it's better to

18:39

have a little time and a

18:41

lot of energy than a lot

18:44

of time but little energy. An

18:46

energetic 20 minutes is much more

18:48

productive than a laxadaisical two hours.

18:50

So managing your energy through getting

18:52

enough sleep, eating healthy foods, controlling

18:54

stress, exercising regularly, etc. etc. will

18:56

make the biggest impact in your

18:59

game design journey. A life in

19:01

shambles can be useful if you're

19:03

writing music, but it's not particularly

19:05

helpful when you're designing a worker

19:07

placement game. And yes, this is

19:09

common sense, but unfortunately, living it

19:12

out isn't particularly common. On a

19:14

near-weekly basis, game designers tell me

19:16

they struggle to find or make

19:18

time for game design. However, the

19:20

truth is, they're not properly taking

19:22

care of themselves. which leads to

19:25

low energy levels overall and tends

19:27

to manifest as lowest common denominator

19:29

living, which usually consists of scrolling

19:31

their phones for hours on in.

19:33

And if these designers, myself included,

19:35

were more intentional with their energy,

19:37

limited time would be much less

19:40

of a factor. The most creative

19:42

and productive days I've ever had

19:44

as a designer weren't the days

19:46

that I had the most time.

19:48

They were the days that I

19:50

felt like I had been shot

19:53

out of a cannon because I

19:55

was optimizing my energy. It's called

19:57

flow state, not flow. flow to

19:59

state. Getting into a design flow

20:01

is active and requires constant adjustments

20:03

and pivots in what you're doing

20:05

and thinking, which requires energy. You're

20:08

not just floating along randomly bumping

20:10

into good ideas, and when you're

20:12

tired or hangary or stressed or

20:14

worse, flow becomes float, and you

20:16

end up more likely to waste

20:18

a bunch of time scrolling through

20:21

social media than actually being productive.

20:23

So yes. Be intentional with your

20:25

schedule and make time for game

20:27

design as best you can. But

20:29

be even more intentional with your

20:31

energy. There are few things that

20:34

have made a bigger impact on

20:36

my own ability to bring games

20:38

to life and to market, and

20:40

I have a feeling you might

20:42

experience similar results. Habits, not goals.

20:44

Several years ago I spent some

20:46

time trying to figure out what

20:49

I wanted to accomplish as a

20:51

game designer. What did I want

20:53

my life to look like? What

20:55

types of games did I want

20:57

to make? What kind of community

20:59

did I want to build? What

21:02

skills did I need to learn?

21:04

etc. I figured that if I

21:06

could get a decent idea of

21:08

where I wanted to go, I

21:10

would work my way backwards to

21:12

effectively reverse engineer the path I

21:14

wanted to take. I knew I

21:17

wanted to go pro in the

21:19

gaming industry, and I wanted most

21:21

or all of my income to

21:23

be generated through things related to

21:25

designing and publishing games. So I

21:27

put together a plan that would

21:30

hopefully make that happen. However, that

21:32

plan didn't include any goals. Now

21:34

I'm not saying there's anything wrong

21:36

with setting goals, and if that

21:38

works well for you, then please

21:40

don't let me stop you. But

21:42

one of the main things I

21:45

learned from playing sports for most

21:47

of my life is that building

21:49

habits is far more important than

21:51

setting and chasing goals. So I

21:53

didn't set a goal to get

21:55

a game on a store shelf

21:58

or run a successful crowdfunding campaign.

22:00

Instead, I thought through the habits

22:02

I needed to develop that would

22:04

make success inevitable. Designing games and

22:06

bringing them to market would just

22:08

be a side effect generated by

22:11

the habits I would cultivate daily.

22:13

These habits included things like working

22:15

on something design-related every day, running

22:17

a weekly play test, interviewing at

22:19

least five people per month to

22:21

learn more about specific topics, etc.

22:23

And because of the habits I

22:26

built over the course of several

22:28

years, I eventually made games my

22:30

full-time job. However, that actually felt

22:32

less like an accomplishment and more

22:34

like a regular Tuesday. It was

22:36

just a natural byproduct of how

22:39

I was approaching each day, week,

22:41

and month of my life. And

22:43

I didn't know exactly when it

22:45

would happen, but I knew I

22:47

was on a trajectory to get

22:49

there eventually. Now, your mileage may

22:51

vary with this type of approach,

22:54

and I know lots of people

22:56

who prefer the highs and lows

22:58

of chasing goals. But personally, I

23:00

continue to enjoy the steady grind

23:02

of habit formation and optimization and

23:04

find it to be far more

23:07

helpful to get where I want

23:09

to go. So what habits do

23:11

you need to start or stop?

23:13

What habits would help you get

23:15

where you want to go in

23:17

your own design journey? What habits

23:20

would make success inevitable? Now what?

23:22

All right. I realize this opening

23:24

chapter is a bit existential and

23:26

more about setting yourself up for

23:28

creative success than about game design

23:30

specifically. However, I wanted to start

23:32

things off with the general core

23:35

concepts I think you need to

23:37

understand if you really want to

23:39

design great games people love. But

23:41

now let's start diving a bit

23:43

deeper into various aspects of bringing

23:45

a game to life. What's your

23:48

best advice for how a designer

23:50

can make a fun game? Game

23:52

design is not a science. There's

23:54

no fixed methodology or a tick

23:56

list that will lead to great

23:58

designs. Game design is an art,

24:00

and each artist has their own

24:03

style. Reiner Kenizia Section 2 Designing

24:05

a Game Chapter 2 Where to

24:07

Start The first stage of game

24:09

design can be the most exciting

24:11

but also the most challenging. Usually

24:13

something will spark an idea and

24:16

make you think that would be

24:18

a cool game. But then what?

24:20

Turning an idea into a playable

24:22

experience can seem like a monumental

24:24

task. And it's often so overwhelming

24:26

to think about that many people

24:28

just leave the idea in their

24:31

heads. So this section aims to

24:33

guide you through the initial steps

24:35

of the game design process, providing

24:37

a solid foundation for your creative

24:39

journey. Where to start? The best

24:41

thing you can do is simply

24:44

start getting ideas out of your

24:46

head. Write down everything that comes

24:48

to mind. Write down the bad

24:50

ideas that you'll erase later. Right

24:52

down placeholder ideas to bridge the

24:54

gap from one thought to another.

24:57

Don't hold anything back, and don't

24:59

worry so much about organization or

25:01

critiquing your ideas. There will be

25:03

plenty of time for that later.

25:05

Just get as many thoughts out

25:07

as possible. Once they're out, you

25:09

can start figuring out everything else.

25:12

And remember that most great writers

25:14

are actually great rewriters, and in

25:16

the same way, most great game

25:18

designers are actually great redesigners. To

25:20

help get you started, here are

25:22

some things to think about, write

25:25

down, and or do as you

25:27

flesh out the design. Number 1.

25:29

Identify your vision and goals. The

25:31

first step in designing a game

25:33

is to clarify your vision. What

25:35

kind of experience do you want

25:37

to create? What emotions or themes

25:40

are you aiming to evoke? Are

25:42

you designing the game for fun

25:44

to share with friends or do

25:46

you have aspirations for commercial success?

25:48

Your goals will influence many decisions

25:50

down the line. Establishing your game's

25:53

purpose helps guide your design. and

25:55

keep your project focused. Also set

25:57

realistic goals. For example, if you're

25:59

just getting into game design, it's

26:01

unlikely you'll be able to create

26:03

an epic four-hour space opera type

26:06

game. And taking on more than

26:08

you can handle might leave you

26:10

pretty discouraged and frustrated. My first

26:12

design was a zombie game with

26:14

a massive board and a ton

26:16

of characters who all had asymmetrical

26:18

and unique abilities. Fun fact. The

26:21

game was called Fortnight because you

26:23

had to survive for two weeks.

26:25

This was about a decade before

26:27

a certain video game came out,

26:29

but I don't think I could

26:31

use that title now. I managed

26:34

to make the first prototype and

26:36

run a play test, but I

26:38

quickly realized that my ideas were

26:40

much bigger than my current designability,

26:42

and I had no idea how

26:44

to fix the hundred issues wrong

26:46

with the game. After that first

26:49

test, I shelved the game and

26:51

never came back to it. Instead,

26:53

I started trying to make much

26:55

smaller, shorter games. Of course, those

26:57

ideas were also way too big,

26:59

and it would be a while

27:02

before I managed to actually finish

27:04

a design. Luckily, I'm a very

27:06

stubborn and sometimes creatively obsessive person,

27:08

so I refuse to let all

27:10

that early failure and discouragement run

27:12

me off. However, a lot of

27:14

people run into that first brick

27:17

wall and turn around and walk

27:19

away. I chose to keep slamming

27:21

my head into it for a

27:23

while. But you can set yourself

27:25

up for success by having realistic

27:27

expectations and setting attainable goals that

27:30

line up with your current aptitude.

27:32

In the wise words of Ira

27:34

Glass, nobody tells this to people

27:36

who are beginners. I wish someone

27:38

told me. All of us who

27:40

do creative work, we get into

27:43

it because we have good taste.

27:45

But there's this gap. For the

27:47

first couple years you make stuff,

27:49

it's just not that good. It's

27:51

trying to be good. It has

27:53

potential. It has potential. But it's

27:55

not. But your taste, the thing

27:58

that got you into... the game

28:00

is still killer and your taste

28:02

is why your work disappoints you. A

28:04

lot of people never get past

28:06

this phase. They quit. Most people

28:08

I know who do interesting creative work

28:10

went through years of this. We know

28:13

our work doesn't have this special

28:15

thing that we wanted to have. We

28:17

all go through this. And if you're just

28:19

starting out or you're still in

28:22

this phase, you've got to know it's

28:24

normal and the most important thing you

28:26

can do is do a lot of

28:28

work. Put yourself on a

28:30

deadline, so that every week you

28:32

will finish one story. It is

28:34

only by going through a volume of

28:37

work that you will close that gap,

28:39

and your work will be as good

28:41

as your ambitions. And I took

28:44

longer to figure out how to

28:46

do this than anyone I've ever

28:48

met. It's going to take a

28:50

while. You've just got to fight your

28:52

way through. Taste comes before

28:54

skill. That's why you can play

28:56

a game and see how good it is

28:59

long before you can create a game that's

29:01

good. So don't get discouraged.

29:03

Just keep going. Keep designing.

29:05

Keep learning and growing and figuring

29:08

out how to bring your ideas

29:10

to life. Number two. Define your

29:12

audience. Who are you designing

29:14

the game for? Understanding your

29:17

target audience is crucial.

29:19

Different players seek different experiences.

29:21

Some prefer strategy-heavy games

29:24

while others enjoy casual

29:26

party games. Consider age range,

29:28

interest, and the complexity level

29:30

of your audience. Tailoring your

29:33

game to its intended players

29:35

increases the likelihood of creating

29:37

an engaging and successful game.

29:39

And please, don't say everyone. A

29:41

game for everyone is a game for

29:43

no one. And even if you manage to

29:45

design and finish such a game,

29:47

it'll likely be pretty forgettable since

29:50

a game for everyone. has to

29:52

be incredibly generic. When I'm first starting

29:54

a new design, I create a game

29:57

avatar for it. I write down all the

29:59

specifics of the ideal player I'm aiming

30:01

at. And this gives me a

30:03

great decision filter throughout the design

30:05

process. I would much rather create something

30:08

that is a small group of

30:10

people's favorite game and hated by

30:12

others. Instead of creating something that

30:14

people in general think is just

30:16

okay and forget about it 15

30:19

minutes later. So in my game

30:21

avatar document I put things like,

30:23

Enjoys Rolling Dice, only has 30

30:25

minutes to play. has young kids

30:27

so can only play one or

30:29

two player games, loves dramatic

30:32

endings, etc. And this

30:35

helps me guide the design to

30:37

line up with who the game is

30:39

for. The avatar is always

30:41

subject to change, but

30:43

writing down what my

30:45

ideal player and customer

30:48

wants provides helpful guardrails

30:50

as I make changes and

30:52

slowly bring the game to life.

30:54

As you immerse yourself in the world

30:57

of board games and play a

30:59

wide range of games to understand

31:01

various mechanisms, themes, and what makes

31:03

a game enjoyable, you'll find

31:05

a never-ending stream of ideas

31:07

and inspiration. And if you're like

31:10

me, you'll find yourself breaking down

31:12

games and thinking through ways to

31:14

repurpose mechanisms and change things

31:17

according to your own methods and style.

31:19

When I'm writing down my initial

31:21

vision for a design. I'll often

31:23

see several games that I'm

31:25

drawing inspiration from and the specific

31:28

things about those games that get

31:30

me excited. For example, I might

31:32

put pandemic. The game's tension

31:34

increases over time leading players

31:37

to a dramatic finish. Or

31:39

dominion. The card market is

31:41

different every game which leads

31:43

to more replayability. The inspiration

31:46

could be mechanical, thematic, experiential,

31:48

or a combination of all

31:51

three. But writing down the inspiration for

31:53

a game can be super helpful as I

31:55

work through the design process, and it's especially

31:58

helpful when the game has been on the

32:00

shelf for a while and I come back to it

32:02

later. After I started designing games

32:04

I realized that I can no

32:06

longer simply play games. Every game

32:08

night became an opportunity to do research

32:11

on what works and what doesn't, and

32:13

it helped me to keep up with

32:15

industry trends and see where my game

32:18

ideas might fit in the current market.

32:20

But what made the research extra helpful

32:22

was writing down my experiences and

32:24

creating a system that made it

32:27

easy to reference back to later.

32:30

4. The core concept. Something I learned

32:32

later in my design journey is to

32:34

start with a simple core concept or

32:37

mechanism that will be the centerpiece of

32:39

the game. This could be a unique

32:41

gameplay mechanism, a compelling story,

32:43

or an innovative theme, but

32:45

the core concept should be engaging enough

32:48

to build the rest of the game

32:50

around. It's basically the game's hook. It's

32:52

the first thing you would tell a gamer

32:54

to make them want to learn more about

32:56

the game. From a marketing standpoint, It's the

32:58

thing you would put in an ad

33:01

that would get someone to stop scrolling.

33:03

So what is it about your

33:05

game that's different and interesting? You

33:08

don't have to come up with something

33:10

hyper innovative that's never been done

33:12

before or anything, but what makes your

33:14

game stand out against the rest. Remember,

33:16

simplicity at this stage is key,

33:19

and complexity can be added later.

33:21

But figuring out the game's core concept

33:23

and overall hook will make things so

33:25

much easier as you bring it to

33:27

life. Things are always subject to

33:30

change, of course, but at

33:32

least you'll have a direction to

33:34

move in. 5. Theme. What's the game

33:36

about? Who are the players? Why are

33:38

they competing, working together,

33:40

or both? Where are they? When are they?

33:42

If you already have a

33:44

mechanism for the game, what theme

33:47

would complement it? The answers

33:49

to these kinds of questions will

33:51

help you bring the world around

33:53

the game to life. Some games

33:55

are full of lore and backstory and

33:58

a book worth of flavor text. Other

34:00

games have a theme so thinly pasted

34:02

on that it runs the risk of

34:04

coming off with the shrink wrap. And

34:06

either way can work. It just depends

34:08

on the game and experience you're

34:11

going for. But theme helps players

34:13

understand their place in the game's

34:15

world. And when done well, theme

34:17

can help players understand how the

34:19

game works. Some designers prefer

34:21

to start with theme and then

34:24

figure out mechanisms that support that

34:26

theme. Other designers prefer a

34:28

mechanism first approach. Both methods

34:31

are viable and it can change

34:33

depending on the game. The key word

34:35

is start. Please note that the words

34:37

theme and setting often get

34:39

interchanged and used to mean

34:41

the same thing. However, they're

34:44

technically different things.

34:46

I was recently chatting with

34:48

Johnny Pack about this topic, and

34:50

this is how he put it. Theme is

34:52

what players are doing. Setting is

34:54

the overall place, time, and genre.

34:56

For example, Wild West is

34:59

the setting. Robbing banks is the

35:01

theme. Outer space is the setting.

35:03

Fighting aliens and mining for

35:05

resources is the theme. The

35:07

Caribbean is the setting. Being a

35:09

pirate looking for booty is the theme.

35:11

But more generally, we can

35:13

label theme to encompass all of

35:16

this, and we tend to all the time.

35:18

In the context of this book, any

35:20

time you see the word theme. Just

35:22

know that I'm referring to both

35:24

what players are doing and the

35:26

game's overall setting. Constantly

35:29

making the distinction gets

35:31

long-winded and confusing.

35:33

6. Mechanisms How does the

35:35

game work? What mechanisms

35:37

can be intertwined with the theme

35:39

to bring it to life? What

35:42

systems can you combine

35:44

or present in interesting ways?

35:46

What actions do players take on

35:48

a turn? How do players interact with the

35:51

game and each other? The answers to

35:53

these kinds of questions are all subject

35:55

to change, but go ahead and develop

35:57

a framework for how the game plays.

36:00

If you're unsure about something,

36:02

just use a placeholder. For

36:04

example, I've run playtest for games

36:06

I knew would have combat, but

36:08

that system wasn't ready, so I just

36:10

flipped a coin to determine who won

36:12

and then moved on to the next

36:15

phase of the game. There are so many

36:17

options, and it can be hard

36:19

to determine which mechanism to use. I

36:21

mean, there are at least 47 ways you

36:23

could do worker placement. So try a bunch

36:26

of things and see what works best. I

36:28

like to work on one mechanism

36:30

or system at a time and

36:32

then put things together after they

36:34

work individually. For example, I'll work on

36:36

a game's movement system and then

36:39

spend time on the combat system. Once

36:41

those systems work well on their own,

36:43

I'll combine them and figure out how they

36:45

can work together. I find this approach

36:47

to be much easier than trying to

36:49

create everything all at once. Focusing on

36:52

one part of the game at a

36:54

time helps me gain momentum and score

36:56

little victories. which leads to less overwhelm

36:59

and a greater likelihood that I'll finish

37:01

the game overall. Please note that

37:03

the words mechanism and mechanic

37:05

often get interchanged and used

37:07

to mean the same thing, a specific

37:09

process or system that the game

37:11

has for achieving an outcome. For

37:14

example, some people call deck building

37:16

a mechanism, while others call it a

37:18

mechanic. However, for the purpose of this

37:20

book, and based on my own preference,

37:22

mechanism will refer to a

37:24

specific system or process in a game,

37:27

while mechanics will refer to

37:29

all the systems or processes

37:31

working together. 7. Key Moments

37:33

How do you win? How does the game end?

37:35

What are the interesting things

37:37

a player can do on a turn? What

37:39

helps bring the game to a

37:42

satisfying conclusion? The answers

37:44

to these kinds of questions will

37:46

ultimately determine your game's

37:49

overall experience and will

37:51

often alter your choices for

37:53

the game's theme and mechanisms.

37:55

I like to start here and then figure

37:58

out the rest. For example... If

38:00

I know I want the game to end

38:02

with a dramatic stand-up dice roll, I design

38:04

the rest of the game to lead up

38:06

to that moment. Or if I want

38:08

the players to feel a certain emotion as

38:10

they play, I can be more intentional

38:13

with my theme and mechanism choices.

38:15

If I want players to feel like

38:17

they're doing taxes, I'll design a euro

38:19

game with lots of beige. I'm just

38:21

kidding. Mostly. But when you know where

38:23

you want to go, it's much easier to

38:26

figure out how to get there. 8. Sculptor

38:28

or painter or painter. There are

38:30

two types of game designers. Some are

38:32

sculptors who begin with a massive

38:34

chunk of ideas and slowly refine,

38:37

cut, and chisel away at things

38:39

until the game becomes what they

38:41

want. And some are painters, who begin

38:43

with a blank canvas and slowly add

38:45

things to it until the game

38:47

becomes what they want. Neither type is

38:50

better than the other. It just comes down

38:52

to personal preference and sometimes

38:55

changes depending on the project.

38:57

However, realizing I was a sculptor

39:00

made me feel a lot better

39:02

about my personal design process. It's

39:04

kind of like that old quote

39:06

about a smart fish thinking it's

39:08

stupid if it's judged based on its

39:10

ability to climb trees. For a while,

39:12

I thought I was a bad designer

39:14

because all my games started off as

39:16

a big chaotic mess that had to

39:18

be cut down by 75% just to

39:21

be mediocre. Why couldn't I just start with

39:23

a simple mechanism and make a

39:25

game out of it? But after I

39:27

realized I'm a sculptor, and this

39:29

is simply how my design brain

39:31

works, I became a lot more

39:34

confident in my process. So I hope

39:36

figuring out which type you are will bring

39:38

you a bit more confidence as

39:40

well. 9. Document your process.

39:42

Keep detailed records of

39:44

your design process. Document changes

39:47

made, feedback received, and your

39:49

thoughts during development. And

39:52

don't forget to write down why you

39:54

made a change. I can't tell you how

39:56

many times I've come back to a design

39:58

after several months and couldn't remember why certain

40:00

aspects of the game had been altered.

40:03

Then, inevitably, I make the same

40:05

mistakes and waste time that could have

40:07

been saved with a simple note to

40:09

self. If you end up working with a

40:11

developer or publisher, the notes can

40:13

also be super helpful to them and

40:16

explain why certain decisions have

40:18

been made. This could save them time

40:20

and or money and potentially get your

40:22

game on the market faster. Documenting

40:26

your process can also be useful later

40:28

if you decide to create a design

40:30

diary that you share online. People love

40:32

getting a behind-the-scenes look at how

40:34

a game was created, and it

40:36

can be a more compelling way to market

40:38

your game than a social media ad.

40:41

But design diaries are much easier to

40:43

write when you already have notes instead

40:45

of trying to remember everything from the

40:47

last three years. Ten, stay organized and

40:50

patient. No matter how many years of

40:52

experience you have, you have. Game

40:54

design is a process that often

40:57

takes longer than anticipated. Stay organized,

40:59

set deadlines for yourself, and

41:01

be patient. Good games take time to

41:03

develop. So set realistic expectations

41:06

and embrace the process.

41:08

Whenever I start to get frustrated

41:10

or annoyed with how long a game

41:12

is taking, I remind myself that designing

41:14

games is hard, and this is

41:16

what hard feels like. That usually

41:19

helps me refocus and get back

41:21

to work. Eleven, engage with the

41:23

community. Designing games can feel

41:25

isolating, but it works best when you're

41:28

involved in a community. So join

41:30

online communities, find local gaming

41:32

groups, and attend conventions. Engaging

41:35

with gamers and other designers

41:37

can provide support, advice, and

41:39

networking opportunities. Learning from and contributing

41:41

to the community is invaluable

41:43

for a new game designer,

41:45

and helping others is an excellent way

41:48

to figure out solutions to your own

41:50

design challenges. The more you help

41:52

others, the more they want to help

41:54

you and everyone benefits. In a lot of

41:56

industries, the latter climbers end up

41:59

at the top. However, in the board

42:01

game space, it's the latter builders who

42:03

tend to find the most success. If you

42:05

have a Facebook account, I welcome you to

42:07

join the board game design lab community.

42:09

It's the largest group of designers

42:12

on the internet, and it's the

42:14

most helpful and encouraging place you'll

42:16

find. Conclusion Starting your game

42:18

design journey is about laying a

42:20

solid foundation and building upon it

42:23

systematically. By understanding your game's

42:25

vision, knowing its audience, iterating based

42:27

on feedback, and staying engaged with

42:30

the community, you can

42:32

transform your game idea into

42:34

an enjoyable and polished

42:36

final product. What's your best

42:39

advice for how a designer can

42:41

make a fun game? Involve other

42:43

humans all along the way

42:45

and observe them playing with humility

42:48

and empathy. When designing,

42:50

be playful and experiment. Matt

42:53

Leacock. Chapter 3 Protecting

42:55

Your Creativity Why new game

42:57

designers shouldn't fear idea theft?

42:59

For many aspiring designers, the

43:02

fear of someone stealing their game

43:04

ideas can be paralyzing. It's an

43:06

understandable concern. After all, your

43:09

ideas are a product of your

43:11

creativity and hard work. However, this

43:13

fear, while common, is often misplaced

43:15

and can hinder your growth and

43:18

development. In this chapter, we'll explore

43:20

why new game designers should focus

43:22

more on development and less on

43:24

the fear of idea theft. One,

43:27

ideas are just the starting point. The

43:29

first thing to recognize is that

43:31

an idea in isolation is rarely enough

43:34

to make a successful game. The real

43:36

value of game design relies in

43:38

the execution of that idea, how

43:40

it's developed, the mechanisms

43:42

involved, the storytelling, how it

43:45

engages players, the overall experience,

43:47

etc. These elements which

43:49

are unique to each designer's approach

43:52

and style are much harder to

43:54

replicate. That means sharing your idea

43:56

for feedback and improvement is often

43:58

more beneficial than Also, the greatest

44:01

idea in the world, if poorly

44:03

executed, will be a flop. The

44:05

magic is in how the idea gets brought

44:07

to life on the table. Two, the

44:09

board game community values originality.

44:12

The board game community, including

44:14

publishers and fellow designers,

44:17

places a high value on

44:19

originality and creator credit. The

44:21

culture within this community

44:23

often self-polices against

44:25

plagiarism and respects

44:27

intellectual property. The

44:30

industry is also rather small and

44:32

the reputation of a game publisher

44:34

or designer would be severely damaged

44:36

if they were caught stealing, which

44:38

acts as an excellent deterrent. 3.

44:41

Collaboration over competition. In many

44:43

cases sharing your ideas with

44:45

others can lead to collaboration

44:47

which can enhance your game's

44:49

development. Feedback from other designers,

44:51

play testers and potential players

44:54

is invaluable for refining and

44:56

improving your game. Holding

44:58

your idea too close could

45:00

deprive you of these growth

45:02

opportunities and stifle your creativity.

45:05

Plus, it's much easier and

45:07

more beneficial for a publisher

45:09

to license your game than steal

45:12

it. 4. The market is massive. The

45:14

industry is fairly small, but

45:16

the board game market is vast

45:18

and diverse, with room for tons

45:21

of ideas and genres. The likelihood

45:23

of your exact idea being stolen

45:25

and turned into a mass-produced game

45:28

is effectively zero. In most cases,

45:30

similar ideas can coexist in the

45:32

market, each finding its unique audience.

45:34

I think I've seen at least 10 games

45:36

about mushrooms of all things in the last

45:39

year, and many of them have done rather

45:41

well. They all approached the theme from

45:43

a different angle and provided

45:45

different experience. The designers all

45:47

started with a similar premise, but

45:50

the final products were vastly different.

45:53

Five legal protections are limited,

45:55

but you can do some

45:57

things to help. While it's true that

46:00

protecting a game legally is challenging

46:02

as copyright law does not cover

46:04

ideas or mechanisms, there are

46:06

steps you can take to make theft less

46:09

likely. Documenting the development

46:11

process, keeping a design diary, and

46:13

sharing your game's journey online with

46:15

others makes your game less likely

46:17

to be plagiarized since it'll be

46:19

easier to prove it was stolen.

46:21

Also, your written rules do fall under

46:23

copyright. So if someone copy paste

46:25

the rules from your rulebook, you

46:27

can take action. However, in 15

46:30

years of creating games, I've only seen

46:32

this happen twice, and it got

46:34

called out and rectified almost immediately

46:37

both times. I'm not a lawyer, but I

46:39

firmly believe your focus should be on

46:41

creating a great game instead of wasting

46:43

time and money trying to figure out

46:46

how to safeguard your idea. Six, the

46:48

value of sharing and openness. Sharing

46:50

your game's development process

46:52

can lead to community support,

46:55

networking opportunities and even

46:57

potential partnerships. The positive

46:59

effects of being inactive and open

47:01

member of the game design community

47:04

far outweigh the risks of idea theft.

47:06

The initial process of creating a

47:08

game is often very isolating, but

47:10

the quicker you can get it in

47:12

front of others and the more ideas

47:14

and information you can solicit from

47:16

them, the better off your game will be.

47:19

Could someone steal your idea? In theory,

47:21

sure. But designing without the help

47:23

of others almost guarantees your idea won't

47:25

be good enough to be worth selling.

47:28

Conclusion. While the fear of having

47:30

your game idea stolen is natural,

47:32

it's important to understand that

47:34

the path to a successful game

47:37

design is through development, collaboration, and

47:39

community engagement. Focusing on

47:41

these aspects, rather than the

47:43

unlikely event of idea theft, will

47:45

likely lead to a more fruitful

47:47

and enjoyable game design experience. Your

47:50

unique vision and execution

47:52

are your true assets. What's your best

47:54

advice for how a designer can make a

47:56

fun game? Playtest with

47:59

varied groups. always using the

48:01

same players will develop the

48:03

game away from the beginners

48:05

and will threaten to narrow the

48:07

appeal even at the top. Richard

48:09

Garfield Chapter 4 Identifying

48:11

Your Game's Target Audience One

48:14

of the most critical steps

48:16

in designing a board game is

48:18

identifying your target audience. Knowing

48:20

who your game is for helps

48:22

you make informed decisions

48:25

about its design, complexity,

48:27

theme and marketing. This

48:29

chapter will guide you through the

48:31

process of pinpointing your game's intended

48:33

players, an essential factor in

48:35

creating a successful and engaging game.

48:38

1. Define the Player Experience.

48:40

Start by defining the experience you

48:42

want to offer. Is your game

48:44

a fast-paced party game, a deep strategy

48:47

game, or a family-friendly activity?

48:49

The experience you aim

48:51

to create will largely indicate the type

48:53

of audience you should target. For

48:56

example, a complex strategy game

48:58

might appeal to experienced gamers,

49:00

while a light-hearted, easy-to- learn game

49:03

could be more suitable for families

49:05

or casual players. Player experience

49:07

is the best decision filter

49:10

you can have. Once that gets determined,

49:12

everything you do just needs to point

49:14

back to it. If it doesn't point

49:17

back to it effectively, it gets removed.

49:19

2. Consider age range. Age can be

49:21

a significant factor in determining

49:24

your target audience. Games designed

49:26

for children need to be

49:28

simple, with minimal text and

49:30

engaging visuals. On the other

49:32

hand, games for adults can include

49:35

complex rules and mature themes. And

49:37

games for families need to find

49:39

a good mix of complexity to

49:41

keep everyone engaged. Also, always

49:43

specifying age range on your game,

49:46

as this is one of the

49:48

first things potential publishers, players, and

49:50

buyers will look for. Three, analyze

49:52

interest and themes. What themes

49:54

or interests does your game cater

49:56

to? If your game is based around

49:58

a specific themes... such as science

50:01

fiction, historical events, or fantasy, consider

50:03

the fans of these genres. A

50:05

game with a niche theme might

50:07

have a smaller but more dedicated

50:10

audience, while a game with a

50:12

broad appealing theme could attract a

50:14

wider range of players. But as

50:16

I said before, I think it's

50:18

better to really lean into a

50:21

certain audience as preferences, and create

50:23

a game that they love and

50:25

others hate, instead of making something

50:27

that people in general find just

50:30

okay. and forget about in 15

50:32

minutes. Four, determine complexity and length.

50:34

The complexity and playtime of your

50:36

game are crucial in defining your

50:38

audience. Casual gamers usually prefer games

50:41

that are easy to learn and

50:43

can be played in a short

50:45

period, while hardcore gamers are typically

50:47

more inclined towards games that offer

50:50

deeper strategic depth and longer play

50:52

sessions. Assess your game's complexity and

50:54

length, honestly, to target the right

50:56

audience. If your game's playtime doesn't

50:59

line up with your target audience,

51:01

you have to make changes. A

51:03

good game that drags on for

51:05

too long is no longer a

51:07

good game. But too long is

51:10

completely up to the people playing

51:12

it. So make sure the game's

51:14

complexity and length line up with

51:16

your target audience's expectations. 5. Assess

51:19

learning curve and accessibility. Consider how

51:21

easy it is to learn your

51:23

game. A steep learning curve might

51:25

deter casual players. but can be

51:27

appealing to gamers who enjoy a

51:30

challenge. Learning the rules is the

51:32

number one barrier to playing a

51:34

game. So make sure the rulebook

51:36

is as clear and easy to

51:39

absorb as possible. A hard to

51:41

learn rulebook leads to gamers playing

51:43

something else, or just watching Netflix.

51:45

Also, think about the accessibility of

51:48

your game. Does it accommodate players

51:50

with different abilities, eyesight limitations, etc.

51:52

This can broaden or specify your

51:54

audience. 6. Look at

51:56

similar games. Research games that are

51:59

similar to yours and theme mechanism

52:01

or style. Who are their fans?

52:03

Understanding the audience of comparable games

52:05

can give you insights into who

52:08

might enjoy your game and how

52:10

to cater to them. However, be

52:12

cautious not to assume that your

52:14

game will attract the exact same

52:17

audience or sales numbers. And from

52:19

a more philosophical standpoint, never forget

52:21

that comparison is the thief of

52:23

joy. 7. Use play testing feedback.

52:26

Playtesting provides valuable insights into your

52:28

target audience. Notice who enjoys your

52:31

game the most, and ask for

52:33

feedback directly about who the testers

52:35

think would like it. This real-world

52:37

testing can often reveal audience segments

52:39

you hadn't initially considered. Nothing beats

52:42

the type of market research you

52:44

get from people actually playing the

52:46

game. So the sooner you can

52:48

start getting things in front of

52:50

people, the better. 8. Define your

52:52

audience, but remain flexible. While it's

52:55

important to define your target audience,

52:57

stay flexible. Be open to the

52:59

idea that your game might resonate

53:01

with a different group than you

53:03

initially anticipated. Sometimes games find their

53:06

audience organically, and a part of

53:08

the design process is adapting to

53:10

this discovery. I've designed several games

53:12

that were targeted at a certain

53:14

audience, but play testing revealed they

53:16

were a much better fits for

53:19

a totally different group of people.

53:21

When this happens, sometimes it means

53:23

changing the game to be a

53:25

better fit for the originally intended

53:27

audience. Other times it means leaning

53:29

into the unexpected audience's preferences. Either

53:32

path can be successful, but the

53:34

key point is to be intentional

53:36

with who your game is for.

53:38

Conclusion Identifying your target audience is

53:40

a critical part of the game

53:43

design process. It influences many aspects

53:45

of your game, from mechanisms to

53:47

marketing to everything in between. By

53:49

understanding who your game is for,

53:51

you can tailor your design to

53:53

meet their preferences, increasing the chances

53:56

of your game resonating with its

53:58

intended players. But keep in mind

54:00

that the audience might evolve over

54:02

time and be prepared to adapt

54:04

your game to meet the needs

54:07

and expectations of its players. What's

54:09

your best advice for how a

54:11

designer can make a fun game?

54:13

Know your audience. Different games are

54:15

fun for different types of players.

54:17

Knowing the level of mechanics, rules

54:20

and interactions that your target audience

54:22

wants and can handle will help

54:24

craft a game that they find

54:26

fun to play. Chapter

54:29

5 Game Design is Product Design.

54:31

If you want to see your

54:33

game on store shelves, it's essential

54:35

to recognize that game design is

54:37

not just a creative endeavor, but

54:39

also a form of product design.

54:41

Understanding this and what it means

54:44

for your game's overall design, gives

54:46

you a much better chance of

54:48

bringing a game to market and

54:50

ensuring its success. In this chapter,

54:52

we'll dive into why viewing game

54:54

design through the lens of product

54:56

design is beneficial and how it

54:58

can shape your approach to creating

55:01

games. 1. Understanding the market and

55:03

audience. Like any product a board

55:05

game must meet the needs and

55:07

preferences of its target market. This

55:09

requires understanding who the game is

55:11

for, what they enjoy, and what

55:13

gaps exist in the current market.

55:16

By researching trends, player preferences, and

55:18

successful games, you can design a

55:20

game that appeals to a specific

55:22

audience. much like a product designed

55:24

to satisfy a particular consumer need.

55:26

Many designers, including myself, often start

55:28

with what game would I like

55:30

to play, and then try to

55:33

bring it to life. Being the

55:35

target audience makes things a bit

55:37

easier, and the design process feels

55:39

less like a grind. Not a

55:41

whole lot less, especially by the

55:43

end, but every little bit helps.

55:45

However, many starting points are viable,

55:47

and it can even be helpful

55:50

to begin by thinking about the

55:52

audience you have in mind even

55:54

before thinking about the theme, mechanism,

55:56

etc. etc. This is where having

55:58

a specific gamer avatar, as mentioned

56:00

in Chapter 1 of this section,

56:02

can be a guiding light to

56:04

creating a game that is viable

56:07

in the marketplace. 2. Balancing creativity

56:09

and functionality. In product design functionality

56:11

and usability are as important as

56:13

aesthetic appeal. Similarly, a well-designed game

56:15

balances creative elements like themes, story

56:17

and art with functional aspects such

56:19

as rules clarity, mechanisms and playability.

56:22

A game that's visually stunning but

56:24

difficult to play, or vice versa,

56:26

may not resonate with players. There

56:28

are outliers, of course. Sometimes a

56:30

game's rulebook is a mess, or

56:32

it looks a bit ugly set

56:34

up on a table, but it

56:36

still sells a lot of copies

56:39

and finds a fan base. However,

56:41

I've learned to never think or

56:43

assume my game will be an

56:45

outlier. Instead, I assume that I'm

56:47

not going to get lucky at

56:49

all. So I need to make

56:51

sure my game is set up

56:53

for success in every possible way.

56:56

Then, lucky breaks feel like a

56:58

nice bonus instead of being something

57:00

I need to succeed. People buy

57:02

games based on how they look,

57:04

but they play games over and

57:06

over again and recommend them to

57:08

others based on how they play.

57:11

And with thousands of games coming

57:13

out every year, you'll need to

57:15

create a game that appeals to

57:17

consumers on all levels if you

57:19

want to sell more than a

57:21

handful of copies. I realize it

57:23

can be overwhelming to think about

57:25

theme, gameplay, aesthetics, etc. all at

57:28

once. So it can be helpful

57:30

to focus on just one aspect

57:32

at a time. This is also

57:34

why partnering with a good publisher

57:36

can be invaluable, and I'll go

57:38

into more detail about that in

57:40

Section 8. 3. Product Considerations. Product

57:42

designers must consider manufacturing process, materials,

57:45

and costs, and these factors are

57:47

equally vital in game design design.

57:49

The quality of components packaging and

57:51

the overall product value can significantly

57:53

impact the game's marketability and appeal.

57:55

Decisions about the game's components also

57:57

affect its retail price, a crucial

58:00

factor in the minds of potential

58:02

publishers, and ultimately the consumers who

58:04

would be buying the game. Whether

58:06

you plan to pitch to publishers

58:08

or publish the game yourself, having

58:10

at least a general idea about

58:12

how much each component in your

58:14

game costs and designing with those

58:17

costs in mind is extremely important

58:19

when it comes to meeting the

58:21

expectations of your target market. A

58:23

casual game with a $100 price

58:25

tag probably isn't going to do

58:27

very well. Something I find helpful

58:29

is to have a specific box

58:31

size in mind from the very

58:34

beginning of a design. It doesn't

58:36

have to be down to the

58:38

millimeter or anything, but just having

58:40

an idea of how much physical

58:42

space I have to work with

58:44

is super helpful in determining things

58:46

like card count, board size, etc.

58:49

For example, if I'm designing a

58:51

$20 solo game that comes in

58:53

a small box, I know my

58:55

card count maxes out around 100,

58:57

and I have enough room for

58:59

a small number of other components

59:01

like cubes and dice. To get

59:03

a sense of industry norms, take

59:06

a look at the box sizes

59:08

of games on your shelf and

59:10

in stores, and then take note

59:12

of how many components fit in

59:14

there and what the games cost

59:16

is. In the past, most games

59:18

were sold in physical stores. So

59:20

a lot of publishers made their

59:23

game boxes way bigger than they

59:25

needed to be in an attempt

59:27

to stand out better on the

59:29

shelf. However since most games are

59:31

now sold online, most publishers are

59:33

choosing smaller boxes to cut down

59:35

on manufacturing and shipping costs. Speaking

59:38

of shipping costs, that's another thing

59:40

to have in mind when creating

59:42

a game for the marketplace, since

59:44

it's definitely going to be important

59:46

to potential customers. A $20 game

59:48

that costs $15 to ship is

59:50

going to be a hard sell.

59:52

So be aware of not only

59:55

component count, but also component weight.

59:57

A question I often ask is,

59:59

does this component... its cost. If

1:00:01

adding a certain piece or deck

1:00:03

of cards is going to increase

1:00:05

the cost to manufacture and or

1:00:07

ship the game, it has to

1:00:09

increase the game's perceived value in

1:00:12

how it's either played, viewed, or

1:00:14

marketed. And perceived is the key

1:00:16

word here. It's more about the

1:00:18

customer's perceived value than what an

1:00:20

extra component actually means to a

1:00:22

game. For example, the game Everdell

1:00:24

has a massive cardboard tree that

1:00:26

doesn't really do anything other than

1:00:29

hold cards. But the tree makes

1:00:31

the game look incredible and draws

1:00:33

players into the game's theme much

1:00:35

better than just having the cards

1:00:37

spread out on the table. 4.

1:00:39

Production Consideration Just as product designers

1:00:41

prototype, test, and refine their products,

1:00:44

board game designers must do the

1:00:46

same through play testing and product

1:00:48

testing. The play testing process is

1:00:50

about identifying and fixing issues in

1:00:52

gameplay. However, it's equally important to

1:00:54

test the game as an overall

1:00:56

product to ensure it's enjoyable, engaging,

1:00:58

and accessible from the time the

1:01:01

player picks up the box to

1:01:03

the time they put it away.

1:01:05

It's about refining the product, the

1:01:07

game, to create the best experience

1:01:09

possible. I'll go into much greater

1:01:11

detail on gameplay play testing in

1:01:13

Section 4, and it's probably the

1:01:15

most important part of the game

1:01:18

design process. But for now, just

1:01:20

be aware that testing is about

1:01:22

a lot more than balancing mechanisms

1:01:24

and tweaking numbers. How does the

1:01:26

game look on a table? How

1:01:28

does it look in social media

1:01:30

posts? How does it fit in

1:01:33

the box? Is it easy and

1:01:35

intuitive to set up and put

1:01:37

away? Do the colors, cardboard layouts,

1:01:39

fonts, and components create an accessible

1:01:41

experience? Is the rulebook clear with

1:01:43

plenty of examples and graphics? How

1:01:45

hard are the rules to learn

1:01:47

and to teach? Does the box

1:01:50

open easily but stay closed when

1:01:52

you hand it to someone? Are

1:01:54

the components easy to organize inside

1:01:56

the box? Are the tokens easy

1:01:58

to pick up, etc. These are

1:02:00

the kinds of questions to be

1:02:02

asking as players engage with your

1:02:04

game's overall and entire experience.

1:02:07

A great game that fails as a

1:02:09

product is doomed from the start. So make

1:02:11

sure you're testing every aspect of your

1:02:13

game to make it as good as

1:02:15

it can be. And once you have good

1:02:17

data about the overall product, make changes.

1:02:20

Don't let pride or ego get in the

1:02:22

way and hamper your game in the process.

1:02:24

If players are having a hard time

1:02:26

setting the game up, learning the

1:02:29

rules, learning the rules, understanding the

1:02:31

iconography, etc. Don't blame them.

1:02:33

Fix the hang-ups to make things

1:02:35

as smooth as possible. If someone

1:02:37

chooses to play your game over

1:02:40

the near infinite number of other

1:02:42

things they could have chosen, don't

1:02:44

disappoint them, especially with something

1:02:46

that could have been fixed with

1:02:49

a little more work in the

1:02:51

testing stage. 5. Marketing and

1:02:53

branding. In product design,

1:02:55

how a product is marketed and branded

1:02:57

plays a critical role in its success,

1:03:00

and board games are no different. Effective

1:03:02

branding from the game's name to

1:03:04

its visual identity and how it's

1:03:06

positioned in the market can attract

1:03:08

attention and differentiate it

1:03:10

from competitors. Understanding marketing

1:03:12

strategies and channels is crucial

1:03:14

for a game's viability and

1:03:16

success, and this applies to both

1:03:19

publishers and designers. I will go into

1:03:21

more detail about naming a game later

1:03:23

in this section, so for now I

1:03:25

just want to focus on setting your

1:03:27

game up for general marketing success. Even

1:03:30

if you plan to pitch your game to

1:03:32

a publisher, there are still certain things you

1:03:34

can do to help your game have a

1:03:36

better chance in the marketplace, which

1:03:38

will also make it more likely that

1:03:40

your game gets signed by a publisher.

1:03:42

The best thing you can have is a

1:03:44

captivating hook that intrigues people and makes

1:03:47

them eager to learn more. Whether it's

1:03:49

text-based or visual, it should

1:03:51

compel a person to stop and

1:03:53

explore further. For example, the

1:03:55

hook for Syth from Stonemire Games

1:03:58

is, Syth is an engine built Asymmetric

1:04:00

competitive board game set in

1:04:02

an alternate history, 1920s period.

1:04:05

It is a time of farming and

1:04:07

war, broken hearts, and rusted

1:04:09

gears, innovation, and valor. Then

1:04:11

combine that with beautiful classic artwork

1:04:14

that mixes giant mex with

1:04:16

farmers, and it's no wonder

1:04:18

the game has sold over a million

1:04:20

copies. Stonemire takes a

1:04:22

similar approach with best-selling

1:04:24

game viticulture. Old World Tuscany

1:04:27

awaits your winemaking skill

1:04:29

and strategic cunning. You'll plant

1:04:31

vines, harvest grapes, age wines, and

1:04:34

fill merchant orders to create the

1:04:36

greatest winery in Italy. And then

1:04:38

the artwork on the box cover

1:04:40

and product shots reinforces this hook.

1:04:42

Stonemire Games is a great example

1:04:45

of how to build a brand

1:04:47

with provocative hooks and attractive artwork.

1:04:49

Combine that with the games being

1:04:51

genuinely fun to play. and it's no

1:04:54

wonder why the company has become such

1:04:56

a force in the hobby gaming

1:04:58

industry. So what's your game's hook? Does

1:05:00

it describe your game's experience

1:05:02

and gets someone to stop

1:05:04

scrolling and want to learn more? A

1:05:06

good hook opens up a loop in

1:05:09

a potential customer's mind that they have to

1:05:11

learn more about your game in order to

1:05:13

close. Our brains hate open loops. So

1:05:15

what loops are being opened by

1:05:17

your game's tagline? Box

1:05:19

art, component images, mechanisms,

1:05:21

mechanisms, etc. The better you open

1:05:23

the loop, the more attention you'll get.

1:05:26

The better you close the loop, the more

1:05:28

sales you'll get. 6. Regulatory

1:05:30

Compliance and Safety All products sold

1:05:32

on the open market must adhere

1:05:34

to safety standards and regulations. And

1:05:37

this is true for board games

1:05:39

as well. Ensuring that your game

1:05:41

complies with safety standards, especially

1:05:43

if it's intended for children,

1:05:46

is an important aspect of the

1:05:48

design process. This includes using

1:05:50

non-toxic materials. and ensuring that small

1:05:52

parts are not a choking hazard.

1:05:55

This is something a publisher takes care of

1:05:57

at the factory level by paying for product

1:05:59

safe testing, and the paperwork is

1:06:02

required to accompany large shipments

1:06:04

when games are clearing customs.

1:06:06

If you're licensing your game to

1:06:08

a publisher, this isn't something you need

1:06:10

to worry about. But if you're publishing

1:06:12

a game, talk to your manufacturer

1:06:15

about their process and costs. Not

1:06:17

having the proper paperwork can cause

1:06:19

long and costly delays when importing

1:06:21

games. However, at the designer level,

1:06:23

if you want to create

1:06:26

anything that uses nonstandard components...

1:06:28

make sure to do some research on

1:06:30

the feasibility from a production level before

1:06:32

you travel too far down that design

1:06:35

path. For example, a game that

1:06:37

utilizes smell or taste could have

1:06:39

some regulatory and safety issues

1:06:41

depending on the country. Also a game

1:06:44

with custom plastic components

1:06:46

might also have issues depending on

1:06:48

how breakable it is, the target audience,

1:06:50

the materials used to create it,

1:06:52

etc. The main thing is to understand

1:06:54

the possible issues you could run into,

1:06:57

and to make sure you're checking all

1:06:59

the necessary boxes. Conclusion. Approaching

1:07:01

game design as product design offers

1:07:03

a helpful framework for creating games

1:07:06

that are not only creatively fulfilling,

1:07:08

but also market-ready and appealing to

1:07:10

your target audience. It involves a

1:07:12

balance of artistic vision with

1:07:15

practical considerations for functionality,

1:07:17

production, marketing, and user

1:07:19

experience. By understanding and

1:07:21

embracing these aspects, you can increase

1:07:24

your chances of creating a successful

1:07:26

game. that resonates with players and

1:07:28

thrives in a competitive market. Realizing

1:07:30

I was just as much a product

1:07:32

designer as I am a game designer

1:07:35

was a huge shift in my thinking

1:07:37

several years ago. And it was one

1:07:39

of the main ways I leveled up

1:07:41

my ability not only to find the

1:07:43

fun, but also to be able to

1:07:45

effectively share it with others. I hope

1:07:47

a similar realization will help you just

1:07:49

as much. What's your best advice for how

1:07:51

a designer can make a fun game? Be

1:07:54

very clear about the story you wish to

1:07:56

tell and try to ensure that the

1:07:58

mechanisms you apply Why serve that

1:08:01

story? Martin Wallace Chapter 6 Embracing

1:08:03

Simplicity When first getting started it's

1:08:05

natural for designers to be filled

1:08:08

with ambitious ideas. However, one of

1:08:10

the key principles in game design

1:08:13

is to start simple. Creating the

1:08:15

simplest version of your game before

1:08:17

adding complexity can lead to a

1:08:20

more refined and ultimately successful game.

1:08:22

This chapter explores why beginning with

1:08:24

simplicity is a winning strategy in

1:08:27

game design. One, clarifying core mechanisms.

1:08:29

Starting simple allows you to focus

1:08:31

on and refine your game's core

1:08:34

mechanisms, and it's essential to establish

1:08:36

what makes your game unique and

1:08:39

enjoyable before adding additional layers. This

1:08:41

approach ensures that the foundation of

1:08:43

your game is solid and that

1:08:46

every added element has a purpose

1:08:48

and enhances the core experience. identifying

1:08:50

and solving problems. A simpler version

1:08:53

of your game makes it easier

1:08:55

to identify and address issues. Complexity

1:08:57

can mask underlying problems, making them

1:09:00

harder to spot and fix. By

1:09:02

starting with a basic prototype, you

1:09:05

can quickly see what works and

1:09:07

what doesn't, allowing for more efficient

1:09:09

troubleshooting and refinement. 3. Streamlining the

1:09:12

learning curve. Board games need to

1:09:14

be accessible and easy to learn.

1:09:16

especially for newer players. A game

1:09:19

that is too complex from the

1:09:21

outset can be daunting and off-putting.

1:09:24

By starting simply, you can create

1:09:26

a more approachable learning curve, gradually

1:09:28

introducing players to the game's mechanisms

1:09:31

and strategic depth. Four, facilitating more

1:09:33

productive play testing. Simpler games are

1:09:35

easier for play testers to understand

1:09:38

and provide feedback on. This leads

1:09:40

to more effective play testing sessions

1:09:42

as testers can focus on the

1:09:45

core gameplay. rather than getting lost

1:09:47

in complicated rules or mechanism. Early

1:09:50

play tests should be about gauging

1:09:52

the game's fundamental appeal, not managing

1:09:54

its intricacies. 5. Reducing development time

1:09:57

and cost. Developing the simplest version

1:09:59

of your game, first, can significantly

1:10:01

reduce both time and cost. Complexity

1:10:04

adds layers of development, testing, and

1:10:06

production cost. By building a simple

1:10:08

prototype, you can iterate faster and

1:10:11

more economically. allowing for a more

1:10:13

agile and flexible design process. Six,

1:10:16

creating space for organic growth. Often

1:10:18

the best features of a game

1:10:20

arise organically during the development process.

1:10:23

Starting with a simple foundation provides

1:10:25

the space for such organic growth.

1:10:27

And as you play test and

1:10:30

iterate, you'll naturally find opportunities to

1:10:32

add complexity and depth where it

1:10:34

feels necessary and beneficial. Seven. Ensuring

1:10:37

coherence and balance. A simpler game

1:10:39

is easier to balance and keep

1:10:42

coherent. As you add complexity, it's

1:10:44

vital to maintain the game's balance

1:10:46

and ensure that all elements work

1:10:49

harmoniously together. Starting simple gives you

1:10:51

a clear overview, making it easier

1:10:53

to maintain this balance as you

1:10:56

gradually add new components or rules.

1:10:58

8. Appreciating the power of elegance.

1:11:01

There's a beauty in simplicity and

1:11:03

elegance in design. Some of the

1:11:05

most beloved and enduring games are

1:11:08

those with straightforward, elegant mechanisms that

1:11:10

provide depth and replayability. By aiming

1:11:12

for simplicity, you're striving for an

1:11:15

elegance that can make your game

1:11:17

both accessible and captivating. Conclusion. Starting

1:11:19

with the simplest version of your

1:11:22

game is not about limiting creativity.

1:11:24

It's about building a strong foundation

1:11:27

upon which complexity can be meaningfully

1:11:29

added. It allows for a focused,

1:11:31

efficient, efficient, and player-friendly development process.

1:11:34

As a new designer embracing simplicity

1:11:36

can be your greatest ally in

1:11:38

creating a game. that is enjoyable,

1:11:41

engaging, and ready for success. Most

1:11:43

designers start out trying to create

1:11:45

their magnum opus and then get

1:11:48

frustrated when they can't make it

1:11:50

work. For some this frustration leads

1:11:53

to walking away from game design

1:11:55

forever. However, if those designers had

1:11:57

started small and tried to create

1:12:00

a simple game with fewer concepts,

1:12:02

they would have had a much

1:12:04

easier time bringing a game to

1:12:07

life. Also, a few early wins

1:12:09

do a great job of building

1:12:11

confidence and momentum which can propel

1:12:14

you even further down the design

1:12:16

path. What's your best advice for

1:12:19

how a designer can make a

1:12:21

fun game? Design with the player

1:12:23

in mind. Watch people's first reactions

1:12:26

to the game and be honest

1:12:28

about what you see. If someone

1:12:30

has a hard time getting it

1:12:33

or expects things that aren't there,

1:12:35

that's not a problem with them.

1:12:38

It's a problem with the game.

1:12:40

James Ernest. Chapter 7 Creating a

1:12:42

minimum viable product. For aspiring gamers,

1:12:45

starting a new project can be

1:12:47

an exhilarating yet daunting experience. One

1:12:49

of the biggest challenges is avoiding

1:12:52

the trap of overcomplicating things. This

1:12:54

chapter dives into the concept of

1:12:56

a minimum viable product, or MVP,

1:12:59

and explains how it can be

1:13:01

a game changer in transforming your

1:13:04

grand ideas into playable prototypes. One,

1:13:06

understanding minimum viable product. An MVP

1:13:08

is essentially the most basic version

1:13:11

of your game idea. It strips

1:13:13

your grand vision down to its

1:13:15

core focusing on a single fundamental

1:13:18

aspect. For instance, if you dream

1:13:20

of designing an expansive, space-themed game

1:13:22

featuring intricate ship-to-ship combat, your MVP

1:13:25

might just be the core dice-rolling

1:13:27

combat mechanism. Similarly, for a Euro-style

1:13:30

farming game, it could be the

1:13:32

basic resource collection system. Basically break

1:13:34

the game down into smaller parts

1:13:37

and systems. and then focus on

1:13:39

those one at a time. time

1:13:41

as you slowly bring the whole

1:13:44

thing together. It can sometimes feel

1:13:46

a bit tedious, but it makes

1:13:49

the design process much more manageable.

1:13:51

2. The power of starting small.

1:13:53

Starting with an MVP approach has

1:13:56

several advantages. Simplicity of focus. Concentrating

1:13:58

on a single aspect of your

1:14:00

game reduces complexity and helps maintain

1:14:03

your focus. Early fun testing. It

1:14:05

enables you to assess the fun

1:14:07

factor of your concept early in

1:14:10

the development process. Saving you time

1:14:12

and effort in the long run.

1:14:15

Building momentum. Completing a small manageable

1:14:17

part of your game can give

1:14:19

you a sense of achievement and

1:14:22

the motivation to tackle the next

1:14:24

component. Easy to pivot. It makes

1:14:26

it easier to try different mechanisms

1:14:29

to see which ones fit best

1:14:31

and to find out if this

1:14:33

is actually a game you want

1:14:36

to pursue to completion. I use

1:14:38

and recommend a modular approach to

1:14:41

game design that breaks the game

1:14:43

down into distinct systems or modules.

1:14:45

Start perhaps with the movement system,

1:14:48

followed by the combat mechanics, and

1:14:50

then the resource management mechanism. This

1:14:52

method allows you to playtest and

1:14:55

refine each element individually before integrating

1:14:57

them into a cohesive whole. Each

1:14:59

one has to stand on its

1:15:02

own and be fun before it

1:15:04

gets combined with the other systems.

1:15:07

and each one gets the focus

1:15:09

it deserves. It also frees me

1:15:11

up to experiment and try out

1:15:14

different mechanisms to see which ones

1:15:16

fit the theme and overall experience

1:15:18

best. Should the game have a

1:15:21

rondle for its action selection? Let's

1:15:23

try it real quick. Maybe an

1:15:26

element of area control needs to

1:15:28

be involved with how workers are

1:15:30

placed. Draw it on some note

1:15:33

cards and see what happens. It's

1:15:35

like building with Lego. You can

1:15:37

switch out any blocks you want.

1:15:40

and piece things together as you

1:15:42

see fit. And if you build

1:15:44

something that later doesn't quite work...

1:15:47

just leave it put together to

1:15:49

possibly use in a future game.

1:15:52

After years of doing this, I

1:15:54

have a ton of systems that

1:15:56

I really like that ended up

1:15:59

being cut out of a game

1:16:01

for various reasons. However, this means

1:16:03

I also have a library of

1:16:06

systems that can be integrated into

1:16:08

future games. And that's been one

1:16:10

of the main reasons my design

1:16:13

process has sped up over the

1:16:15

years. Nothing is ever wasted. Four,

1:16:18

iterative process and small victories. Designing

1:16:20

a game is an iterative process,

1:16:22

and your primary goal in the

1:16:25

early stages should be creation rather

1:16:27

than perfection. Small victories in developing

1:16:29

individual modules can provide a significant

1:16:32

boost, propelling you forward in your

1:16:34

design journey. I find that designing

1:16:37

this way is a lot easier

1:16:39

to manage, as I don't feel

1:16:41

overwhelmed by the work involved. I'm

1:16:44

not trying to design a game.

1:16:46

I'm simply figuring out how one

1:16:48

small aspect of the game needs

1:16:51

to work. and that's a lot

1:16:53

easier to write my mind around,

1:16:55

prototype, and play test. Then each

1:16:58

completed module gets me one step

1:17:00

closer to realizing my overall vision.

1:17:03

But never underestimate the power of

1:17:05

a little momentum. One small victory

1:17:07

can be the tipping point you

1:17:10

need to ultimately bring a game

1:17:12

to life. Perfection is procrastination masquerading

1:17:14

as quality control. Chris Williamson. Transitioning

1:17:17

to play testing. One of the

1:17:19

fundamental truths in board game design

1:17:21

is that you cannot play test

1:17:24

an idea. You need a tangible,

1:17:26

playable version of your game, however

1:17:29

rudimentary. This is where your MVP

1:17:31

comes into play. It allows you

1:17:33

to get something physical on the

1:17:36

table, something you can actually interact

1:17:38

with and test. This step is

1:17:40

crucial in determining whether your game

1:17:43

concept has the potential to captivate

1:17:45

and engage players. A lot of

1:17:47

my games start off as a

1:17:50

few dice, some bits of paper,

1:17:52

and a note card. Just... Anything

1:17:55

that I can move around on

1:17:57

a table to get a sense

1:17:59

of how the game could work.

1:18:02

And if I can make something

1:18:04

fun and interesting out of those

1:18:06

simple components, I know I can

1:18:09

scale it up. Conclusion. Adopting the

1:18:11

MVP philosophy in your design process

1:18:14

is about embracing simplicity and taking

1:18:16

pragmatic steps. It's about breaking down

1:18:18

your grand vision into manageable, testable

1:18:21

pieces that gradually come together to

1:18:23

form a more complex whole. Whether

1:18:25

you're a seasoned designer or just

1:18:28

starting out, the MPP approach can

1:18:30

streamline your design process, keep you

1:18:32

focused, and provide much-needed clarity and

1:18:35

direction. Remember, the goal is not

1:18:37

to create the perfect game right

1:18:40

out of the gate, but to

1:18:42

develop a functional prototype that you

1:18:44

can refine and improve upon. So

1:18:47

take that big idea, distill it

1:18:49

down to its essence, and start

1:18:51

the exciting journey of bringing your

1:18:54

game to life one piece at

1:18:56

a time. Chapter

1:18:59

8 Overcoming Designers Block Strategies to

1:19:01

Get Unstalk Every game designer at

1:19:03

some point encounters the dreaded designers

1:19:05

block. It's an all-too-common part of

1:19:07

the creative process, often striking when

1:19:10

you least expected. You might be

1:19:12

progressing well with your design when

1:19:14

suddenly you hit a wall. An

1:19:16

obstacle appears that seems insurmountable. But

1:19:18

fear not, there are several strategies

1:19:21

to help you navigate through these

1:19:23

challenging moments. One, accepting the inevitable.

1:19:25

Firstly, it's important to recognize that

1:19:27

designers block is normal. Many of

1:19:29

the best games we know today

1:19:31

faced similar roadblocks during their development,

1:19:34

and understanding that this is a

1:19:36

typical part of the process can

1:19:38

alleviate some of the frustration. Designing

1:19:40

games is hard, and when you

1:19:42

run into problems you don't know

1:19:45

how to solve, that's just what

1:19:47

hard feels like. Unfortunately a lot

1:19:49

of people hit low points in

1:19:51

their design journey and assume creating

1:19:53

games isn't for them. However it's

1:19:55

really just... of the price of

1:19:58

admission that everyone has to pay

1:20:00

no matter who they are. Accepting

1:20:02

this and knowing deep down that

1:20:04

every problem is figure outable with

1:20:06

enough time, effort, and question asking

1:20:09

helped me to stick with game

1:20:11

design in spite of the roadblocks

1:20:13

I ran into. Some games took

1:20:15

years to bring to life. Some

1:20:17

games require me to find a

1:20:19

co-designer or developer, and some games

1:20:22

are still on the shelf of

1:20:24

not quite sure what to do

1:20:26

next. But after doing this for

1:20:28

over 15 years, I know beyond

1:20:30

all doubt that every hole can

1:20:33

be climbed out of, and I

1:20:35

firmly believe the same is true

1:20:37

for you. Two, taking a break.

1:20:39

When you find yourself stuck, one

1:20:41

of the most effective strategies is

1:20:43

to take a step back, allowing

1:20:46

your brain some time to rest

1:20:48

and recharge. During this period, do

1:20:50

the following. A. Play other games.

1:20:52

Engaging with other games can be

1:20:54

incredibly insightful. observing how different designers

1:20:57

tackle similar problems can often spark

1:20:59

the solution you need or give

1:21:01

you an idea on a totally

1:21:03

different approach. Alternatively, if you're not

1:21:05

able to play as many other

1:21:07

games as you like, you can

1:21:10

also absorb game-related media. Read design

1:21:12

diaries, watch review videos, and play-throughs,

1:21:14

listen to podcasts. Anything that might

1:21:16

offer insight into how other designers

1:21:18

think and overcome their own challenges.

1:21:21

B. shift your focus. Sometimes the

1:21:23

best way to solve a problem

1:21:25

in one project is to divert

1:21:27

your attention to another. Working on

1:21:29

a different game can provide a

1:21:31

fresh perspective and inadvertently lead to

1:21:34

a breakthrough in your original design.

1:21:36

I typically have three main designs

1:21:38

going at one time and then

1:21:40

a few more secondary ideas that

1:21:42

I'm just playing around with. Being

1:21:45

able to jump back and forth

1:21:47

between projects keeps my mind fresh

1:21:49

and my creative juices flowing. This

1:21:51

doesn't work for everyone. and some

1:21:53

people really need to focus on

1:21:55

only one game at a time.

1:21:58

But it's definitely a strategy. you

1:22:00

worth trying. Three, embrace the learning

1:22:02

curve. Recognize that sometimes the

1:22:04

issue might stem from a gap

1:22:07

in your current design skills. Game

1:22:09

design, like any art form, requires

1:22:11

time, practice, and patience to master.

1:22:14

It's common to be able to

1:22:16

identify what makes a great game

1:22:18

long before you have the skills

1:22:21

to create one yourself. This is

1:22:23

especially true when you're just

1:22:25

starting out. You simply don't have

1:22:27

the experience, tool set, or frame

1:22:29

of reference necessary to overcome a

1:22:32

lot of design problems you run into.

1:22:34

But why would you? When someone starts to

1:22:36

learn a sport, you don't throw them

1:22:38

into a game situation and expect

1:22:40

success. Instead, you start with the

1:22:43

basics, the general rules and basic

1:22:45

skills, and then slowly move toward

1:22:47

playing at full speed in an actual

1:22:49

game. When you're getting started in

1:22:51

game design, expecting to be

1:22:54

able to create a fully complete and

1:22:56

fun experience is like putting

1:22:58

a child in an adult league

1:23:00

basketball game and expecting things to go

1:23:02

well. So cut yourself some slack.

1:23:04

Anything worth doing takes time to learn how

1:23:07

to do well and creative fields

1:23:09

like game design take a lifetime to

1:23:11

master. But if you commit to the process

1:23:13

of learning and growing, over time you'll

1:23:16

surprise yourself in how much you

1:23:18

start to understand the nuances of

1:23:20

theme, mechanisms, player experience,

1:23:22

and everything else involved

1:23:25

in the craft. Conclusion. Designers

1:23:27

block is an inevitable part

1:23:29

of the game design journey. But with

1:23:31

the right approach it can be overcome.

1:23:33

Whether it's taking a break to play

1:23:36

other games, shifting focus to a

1:23:38

different project, or simply acknowledging

1:23:40

your current skill level and

1:23:43

persisting despite the challenges, there

1:23:45

are ways to move forward. Embrace

1:23:47

each block as an opportunity to grow.

1:23:49

And remember that persistence is a

1:23:51

key ingredient in the recipe for success

1:23:54

in game design. The journey to becoming a

1:23:56

great designer is paved with projects that never

1:23:58

see the light of day. day. But remember,

1:24:01

most people don't achieve greatness

1:24:03

in their field overnight. It's

1:24:05

the result of relentless perseverance,

1:24:08

numerous failed attempts, and

1:24:10

the courage to continue despite

1:24:12

setbacks. So when faced with designers

1:24:14

block, keep pushing forward. The

1:24:16

greatest writers, artists, designers, etc.

1:24:19

only got to that point

1:24:21

because they created a bunch

1:24:23

of art that ended up in

1:24:25

the trash, and they kept going. So

1:24:27

I encourage you to do the same. Keep

1:24:29

designing, keep learning, and

1:24:31

above all, keep playing. Chapter

1:24:34

9. Crafting the Perfect Name.

1:24:36

A Guide to naming your Game.

1:24:38

The name of your game is more

1:24:40

than just a label. It's the

1:24:42

first impression and a vital

1:24:45

marketing tool. A well-chosen

1:24:47

name can intrigue, entice,

1:24:49

and inform potential players.

1:24:51

For both new designers

1:24:54

and seasoned-seasoned vets, naming

1:24:56

a daunting task. but

1:24:59

it's an important part of the

1:25:01

design process. So this chapter

1:25:03

provides some ideas on how to name

1:25:05

your game effectively. One, reflect

1:25:07

the theme. One option is for the

1:25:10

title to reflect the game's theme. It

1:25:12

should give players a hint of what

1:25:14

to expect when they open the box.

1:25:16

If your game is about building empires

1:25:18

in ancient times, the name should

1:25:21

evoke that era and activity. A

1:25:23

name that aligns well with the

1:25:25

game's content. can create intrigue

1:25:27

and set the right expectations.

1:25:29

Games like Sherlock Holmes, Consulting

1:25:32

Detective, Pandemic, Terrorforming Mars, and

1:25:34

Great Western Trail tell you

1:25:36

exactly what the theme is

1:25:38

in the title. And when that

1:25:41

gets coupled with the thematic artwork,

1:25:43

players know exactly what they're

1:25:45

getting into before they even open

1:25:47

the box. Two, reflect the core

1:25:50

mechanism. A similar option is to

1:25:52

put a nod to the game's core

1:25:54

mechanism in either the main title or

1:25:56

subtitle. This could be a great way to

1:25:58

clarify what type of... game it is, and make

1:26:01

sure you're appealing to the intended

1:26:03

audience. Many games also include

1:26:05

stylized components in the box

1:26:07

art to reinforce this. For

1:26:09

example, Roll for the Galaxy has

1:26:11

roll in the title and several sci-fi-themed

1:26:14

dice on the cover to suggest you're

1:26:16

going to be rolling lots of dice.

1:26:18

Arkham Horror, the card game and

1:26:21

Star Wars X-Wing miniatures game, use

1:26:23

their subtitles to clarify what kinds

1:26:25

of games they are. and Flickhamup's

1:26:27

title lets you know it's a

1:26:30

dexterity game based on flicking. 3. Keep

1:26:32

it short and memorable. A

1:26:34

good game name is usually short

1:26:36

and memorable. Long or complex names

1:26:39

can be difficult to remember or

1:26:41

pronounce, which might put potential

1:26:43

players off. Aim for brevity and

1:26:46

impact. A concise name is also

1:26:48

easier to brand and promote. Even

1:26:50

a short, made-up word can work

1:26:52

really well. Take Catan, for

1:26:54

example. Other examples include

1:26:56

Ark Nova, Azul, Seven Wonders,

1:26:59

Nemesis, and Saith. 4. Consider

1:27:01

uniqueness and originality. Check that

1:27:03

your game's name isn't already

1:27:06

in use. A unique name helps

1:27:08

your game stand out in a

1:27:10

crowded market and avoids

1:27:12

confusion. Additionally, avoid names that

1:27:14

are too generic, as they

1:27:16

can get lost among similar

1:27:19

titles. Originality can also make

1:27:21

your game more searchable online, on

1:27:23

retail sites. and board game geek.

1:27:25

For example, Wingspan is a

1:27:28

game about birds, but the creator

1:27:30

chose to use a rarely used

1:27:32

term related to birds instead of

1:27:34

calling it something more obvious, like

1:27:36

bird watching. 5. Test for clarity

1:27:39

and pronunciation. Your game's

1:27:41

name should be easy to pronounce

1:27:43

and understand. Avoid words that

1:27:45

might be confusing or hard to

1:27:48

spell. Test the name with friends,

1:27:50

family, or gaming groups. to ensure

1:27:52

it's clear and easy to communicate.

1:27:55

This also applies to terms inside the

1:27:57

game, when people can't pronounce an

1:27:59

alien in a sci-fi game, they just call

1:28:01

it the purple one, which doesn't help

1:28:04

with immersion. Six, think about

1:28:06

cultural sensitivity. Be mindful

1:28:08

of cultural sensitivities

1:28:10

when naming your game. Avoid names that

1:28:12

could be offensive or inappropriate in

1:28:15

different cultures. A name that

1:28:17

is respectful and inclusive can

1:28:19

broaden your game's appeal to a

1:28:21

global audience. Also, be aware that

1:28:23

words can mean completely different

1:28:25

things in other countries or

1:28:27

regions. I once suggested a town and

1:28:30

a game should be called Slagboro.

1:28:32

The game had a robot and metal

1:28:34

theme. The artist I was talking

1:28:36

to burst out laughing and let me

1:28:38

know that in the United Kingdom where

1:28:40

he was from, Slag had a

1:28:43

bit different definition than the one

1:28:45

I was used to in Alabama. 7.

1:28:47

Check for trademarks and

1:28:49

domain availability. Before finalizing

1:28:52

your game's name, check for existing

1:28:54

trademarks to avoid legal issues.

1:28:57

Also, consider the

1:28:59

availability of relevant

1:29:01

domain names for your

1:29:03

game's website. A matching

1:29:05

domain name can be an

1:29:08

asset for online marketing

1:29:10

and branding. The easiest

1:29:12

thing to do is search for the

1:29:14

title in Board Game Geeks

1:29:17

Database and see if

1:29:19

anything pops up. 8. Evoke Emotions

1:29:22

or Curiosity. or an

1:29:24

emotional response can really

1:29:26

draw players in. Think about

1:29:28

the feelings you want to

1:29:30

evoke, excitement, mystery, adventure,

1:29:33

joy, and see how your name can

1:29:35

reflect these. A few examples

1:29:37

are, so you've been eaten, final

1:29:40

girl, mansions of madness,

1:29:42

and flashpoint, fire rescue.

1:29:44

Nine, play with words. Don't be

1:29:46

afraid to get creative by

1:29:48

playing with words using puns

1:29:51

or creating new words. A

1:29:53

clever play on words can make

1:29:55

your game's name stand out and

1:29:57

be memorable. However, ensure the word

1:30:00

aligns with your game's theme and

1:30:02

is easy to understand. Some good

1:30:04

examples are dead of winter. This

1:30:06

town ain't big enough for the two to

1:30:08

four of us. Role player and broom

1:30:11

service. 10. Flexibility for

1:30:13

Future Expansion If you plan

1:30:15

to create expansions for your game,

1:30:17

consider a name that allows for

1:30:20

flexibility. A name that lends itself

1:30:22

to thematic variations can

1:30:24

be beneficial for branding

1:30:27

future expansions. The game Russian

1:30:29

Railroads is about constructing railroads

1:30:32

in Russia. That worked pretty

1:30:34

well until they decided to

1:30:36

create an expansion set in

1:30:39

Germany. It's called Russian Railroads,

1:30:41

German Railroads, which sounds kind

1:30:43

of silly. 11. When in doubt, just

1:30:45

name it a location. One of the

1:30:48

most popular game name conventions

1:30:50

is to simply use the main

1:30:52

location as the title. This applies

1:30:55

to both real-life places and

1:30:57

ones that are completely made

1:30:59

up. This method isn't quite as

1:31:01

creative as others, but it definitely

1:31:04

works. Carcazon, on Mars,

1:31:06

Puerto Rico, Everdell, Glume Haven,

1:31:08

and Earth are good examples.

1:31:11

Conclusion. Naming your game

1:31:13

is a creative and strategic process.

1:31:15

The right name can capture

1:31:17

the essence of your game, attract

1:31:19

players, and help with marketing. So

1:31:22

take your time to brainstorm, test,

1:31:24

and refine your game's title.

1:31:26

Remember, a well-chosen name not

1:31:28

only labels your game, but also

1:31:31

becomes a key part of its

1:31:33

identity and success. What's your best

1:31:35

advice for how a designer can make

1:31:37

a fun game? In game design, there's

1:31:39

way too much talk about

1:31:41

iteration and test groups and

1:31:43

metrics and objectivity, and not

1:31:46

nearly enough about love. If you truly

1:31:48

love a game and you share it with

1:31:50

others, and they love it too, there's

1:31:52

a decent chance a wider audience

1:31:54

will also. Alf

1:31:56

Seagert

1:31:58

Chapter Again, designing

1:32:00

games for everyone, the

1:32:03

importance of accessibility. Board

1:32:05

games are more than just

1:32:07

entertainment. They are a way for people to

1:32:09

connect, learn, and engage with each

1:32:11

other in a shared space of fun

1:32:13

and challenge. However, not all games are

1:32:16

accessible to everyone, which can

1:32:18

exclude potential players due to

1:32:21

physical, sensory, or cognitive barriers.

1:32:23

Designing with accessibility in

1:32:25

mind is not just an act

1:32:28

of inclusivity. It's an essential approach

1:32:30

to embracing the diverse community of

1:32:32

players around the world and getting

1:32:34

the game on as many tables

1:32:36

as possible. 1. The Need for Accessibility

1:32:39

in Board Games In this context

1:32:41

accessibility refers to

1:32:43

the ability of the game

1:32:45

to be played by people

1:32:47

with various disabilities, including visual

1:32:50

impairments, color blindness, hearing impairments,

1:32:52

physical disabilities, and cognitive impairments.

1:32:55

Many board games feature

1:32:57

small text. Color-coded pieces

1:32:59

that are indistinguishable for

1:33:01

color blind players, or complex

1:33:03

rules that can be daunting for

1:33:05

players with cognitive challenges. By

1:33:08

addressing these issues you can

1:33:10

create games that are more inclusive

1:33:12

and more marketable. 2. Benefits

1:33:14

of accessible design. Broader

1:33:16

Audience Reach. Accessible games

1:33:18

can reach a larger audience. This

1:33:20

inclusivity can lead to

1:33:23

higher sales and a more robust

1:33:25

gaming community. enhanced gameplay

1:33:27

experience. Games designed with

1:33:30

accessibility in mind often result

1:33:32

in a better experience for

1:33:34

all players. Simplified and clear

1:33:36

rules, high contrast game pieces,

1:33:39

and versatile gameplay options can

1:33:41

improve the game for everyone,

1:33:43

not just those with specific

1:33:45

needs. Social inclusion. Board

1:33:47

games are a social activity, and

1:33:49

making them accessible means more

1:33:51

people can participate in the

1:33:53

fun. This inclusion fosters community

1:33:56

and brings diverse groups of

1:33:58