“Consider submitting to a publisher if only to hear their feedback and consider it. The publisher’s feedback is more often valid than not.”
Galen Ciscell, designer of Atlantis Rising, shares some lessons learned about working with a publisher on his game’s artwork and components:
If you find yourself doing the art direction for your game, know what you want ahead of time, communicate that clearly to your artist both verbally and, if possible, visually, and work with your artists from the beginning to realize your vision.
Be willing to adapt and experiment with new ideas you hadn’t considered. Publishers and artists know the business and know what is doable and what could be improved!
http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/12580/designer-diary-atlantis-rising-or-how-atlantis-ros
Free Webinar: Mastering Kickstarter and Crowdfunding
Sept. 18, 2012, at 9:00 AM PDT
http://www.thegamewhisperer.com/2012/09/mastering-kickstarter-and-crowdfunding-webinar.html
Answering the question: “What will a player do on his or her turn?”
Pros and cons for the different options:
Part 1: http://hyperbolegames.com/2012/09/06/disorderly-conduct/
Part 2: http://hyperbolegames.com/2012/09/06/disorderly-conduct-part-2/
Some semi-serious advice from Aaron Weissblum, co-designer of San Marco and other games:
Make sure you have lots of friends that really like you and are willing to spend many hours testing crappy games.
Play lots of games! When you love a game ask yourself why. When you almost love a game ask yourself what’s missing.
Quit your day job. Recent research indicates that fewer than half of people with day jobs are successful game designers.
http://www.otb-games.com/inventor-of-the-month-aaron-weissblum/
Some panels at Escapist Expo that might interest board game designers:
http://danielsolisblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/ill-be-at-escapist-expo.html
What should be on the box?
http://www.bgdf.com/node/7021
Board Game Design Forum’s September 2012 Game Design Showdown - “I Spy”
http://www.bgdf.com/node/7026
The Game Crafter’s Co-Op Design Challenge
Design an original co-op game
Deadline: Nov. 15, 2012
Prizes: Game Crafter points and store credit
http://news.thegamecrafter.com/post/30873081565/announcing-the-co-op-design-challenge
The Ludology podcast discusses the much-maligned roll-and-move mechanic, including its history and whether it has a place in modern strategy games:
http://ludology.libsyn.com/webpage/ludology-episode-39-roll-and-move
Brittania designer Lewis Pulsipher (@lewpuls) gave a wide-ranging two-hour talk at the recent World Boardgaming Championships, covering topics including:
- the way the industry is set up and how it’s changing
- the working processes of board game designers
- what makes a good game
- variety vs. replayability
- licensing contracts
- intellectual-property law
http://pulsiphergames.com/teaching1.htm
Direct link to mp3: http://pulsiphergames.com/presentation/Lew%20Talk%20at%20WBC%202012.mp3
Cardboard Edison’s Favorite Tips & Resources – August 2012
/Every month, we round up our favorite tips and resources for aspiring board game designers to create a monthly best-of list.
Here are our picks for August 2012:
- “How Do I Get a Game Published?” in 17 tweets, by John Kovalic
- Uwe Rosenberg discusses self-publishing, making good game expansions, the worker-placement mechanism and more
- Wolfgang Kramer on changes in the board game industry, originality in game design and more
- “Focus is the key to move from someone with a great game idea to a game designer with a great game.” – Jesse Catron
- “Have dreams. Have courage to follow these dreams. Do your games. You don’t need to have big budget. You don’t need to have 20 people crew. You don’t need anything except passion and will to fight. Fight for your success. It is at your fingertips.” – Ignacy Trzewiczek
Most important cautions for novice game designers, by Lewis Pulsipher:
http://pulsiphergamedesign.blogspot.com/2012/09/seven-years-and-million-dollars.html
“HOW DO I GET A GAME PUBLISHED?” in 17 Tweets. I’m sorry, I mean “Steps.”
By John Kovalic (@muskrat_john)
STEP 1: Make a playable prototype of your game.
STEP 2: Playtest the HELL out of it. Not just with family and friends. Most importantly, with people with no vested interest in your sanity.
STEP 3: Keep playtesting it.
STEP 4: No. Seriously. KEEP PLAYTESTING THE DAMN THING, until you’re SICK of it. Then playtest some more.
STEP 5: Go to gaming conventions. Talk with people who own companies. Ask them about their submission process. Buy them beers.
STEP 6: Hey! Look! There’s some free time! Just right for some more PLAYTESTING!
STEP 7: Work on more prototypes to send to companies. Make these the best you can.
STEP 8: Unless you want to FOUND your own gaming company.
STEP 9: YOU DO NOT WANT TO FOUND YOUR OWN GAMING COMPANY!
STEP 10: Is it a day ending in “Y”? Time for more playtesting.
STEP 11: Send out your prototypes. Follow the companies’ submission guidelines TO THE LETTER.
STEP 12: No. Really. TO THE LETTER! If you can’t follow THEIR rules, why should they trust yours?
STEP 13: Be prepared for rejection. Do not let rejection break you.
STEP 14: Accept some of the criticism. It’s nothing personal. Some may be hooey, but some may do you good.
STEP 15: Do not get defensive. NO, JUST DON’T. Send out polite, professional “Thank you"s. Hope they are willing to keep in touch.
STEP 16: Send out more prototypes. Set up more playtests. Did someone say "PLAYTESTS”?
STEP 17: Repeat until you get accepted, or start working on your next game.
2013 Ion Award Game Design Competition
Deadline: Nov. 30, 2012
Entry fee: $10
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/849628/2013-ion-award-game-design-competition
