Introduction
Board Games have been a popular form of entertainment for centuries and are enjoyed by people of all ages. Many classic games such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Clue, Risk, and Checkers have become staples in households across the globe. While each game is unique in its game play, they all require essential components to bring them to life. To produce a board game of your own design and make it successful, you’ll need a few key elements: an idea, an artwork team and equipment for production.
Selecting a Theme
When you’re choosing a theme for your board game, it’s important to think of something that people are likely to be interested in. Think about something you’re passionate about or what trends are currently popular. Identifying the age range for your game can be beneficial in helping you choose an appropriate theme. For example, if your game is intended for children, consider bright colors and cheerful characters to attract attention and make it more attractive while striking a balance between interesting rules and simple gameplay. Alternatively, adult board games may require more sophisticated content with more thought-provoking mechanics. Additionally, look at some of the most successful games on the market and brainstorm what set them apart from others; this could act as a guideline when you’re designing your game.
Designing the Board
To produce a board game you will need to design your board game. There are plenty of software alternatives available today for designing board games, such as Adobe Photoshop and Autodesk Sketchbook Pro. Once you have a design in mind, you will need to consider the materials and components needed to create the actual board. These typically include cardboard or a thick paperboard, and printing supplies like ink cartridges and printer paper (colors optional). To make the board more visually appealing, labels/cutouts, dice, markers/pawns can be added as well as general art supplies such as paints, scissors and glue. If you want to take it up a notch some resources to look into include 3D modelsand printable cut files like Vinyl cutter digital designs or CNC router-ready vector designs.
Production of Cards and Pieces
In addition to cards and pieces, you will need some type of board. This can be a large game board that includes playing spaces as well as a scoreboard, or it could simply be a card table large enough to accommodate all the players. You should also be aware of measurements, as different components will need to fit together in the box. You’ll want to include components such as gaming pieces, dice, money cards and tokens.
The rules are vitally important when producing a board game. All producers must make sure that their rules are unambiguous and clear so players can easily follow them throughout the game. It’s important to double-check any calculations made while weighing out components or estimating how many boxes you can fit in your van during transportation. Don’t forget to take into account printing costs for rule books and player aids if necessary; these are great for introducing the game quickly to new players.
Finally, consider what kind of packaging your game will have. It may not seem very important at first, but people tend to judge books by their covers when considering their purchase decisions! Think about whether you’d like a plastic shrink wrap packaging or just boxes; this might alter your design requirements as well as your budget. In addition, depending on what types of materials you choose for the production process (plastic pieces versus wooden ones), other types of packaging such as clamshells may be required for safety reasons so there’s no risk of customers being exposed to sharp edges when opening up their games after purchase.
Rules and Mechanics
• Brainstorming: Start from a blank sheet of paper and list all the ideas you have for mechanics, components, objectives, etc. that you’d like to see in your board game.
• Take Inspiration From Existing Games: Look at existing board games and find aspects to draw inspiration from when creating your own game. Keep these simple and easy to understand so that your game is understandable and playable.
• Components: Think through what physical components you would need to play your game and design/create artwork to go with them. This might include cards, tokens, a dice, character pieces, boards and anything else needed for play.
• Playtesting: Arrange sessions with friends or family to test out the rules and mechanics of the game to work out any kinks. Make sure to adjust your game as needed based on the feedback of the testers so you can create a polished final product.
• Create Rules for Your Game: The gameplay needs detailed instructions about what’s allowed or not allowed in order for players to understand how the game works. Be sure that you give examples of actions where it is unclear what should be done under certain circumstances so everyone can stay on the same page when playing together.
Play-testing
Play-testing is an important part of the process of creating a board game. It can help to identify any potential issues the game may have, as well as optimize it for optimal fun and fairness. Play-testing should involve playing the game with players of different ages and backgrounds in order to get feedback from a variety of perspectives. Additionally, testing should be done multiple times to ensure that any changes or improvements are thoroughly tested as well as cover any unintended side-effects. Finally, play-testers should be able to provide notes on their experiences with the game in order to help pinpoint areas for improvement or modify how mechanics work.
Finalizing Production and Manufacturing
When it comes to producing a board game, you need to consider the various parts of production and manufacturing. To begin with, it is important to have artwork and copywriting done on your behalf, if you are uncomfortable creating them yourself. You will also need to find a printer for your game pieces as well as all necessary packaging and components. Additionally, you will need packaging materials such as boxes or shrink wrap that can protect all of the game pieces while they are shipped to customers. Finally, when considering each element of the production process, it is important to research potential vendors who specialize in these services. Many printing and production companies provide quotes on both digital and offset printing options that may be suitable for producing your board game components in bulk. You should allow ample time for researching services but take into account any costs associated with their services, shipping times and the lead times required for completing the order before making a final decision.
Conclusion
To produce a board game, you need to consider a lot of factors. You will need to have an idea or concept for your game and formulate the rules, design the board and pieces, create artwork for the box, cards, and board itself, determine how much material is needed to produce the games and select packaging that meets any regulation or safety standards for children’s products. Additionally, you will want to consider copyrighting your work if it is not automatically protected. Finally, you should investigate routes to market your product, including online platforms and distributors.
For more information on producing board games there are a number of resources available online:
• BoardGameGeek – A comprehensive resource with forums where one can learn from veterans in the industry as well as consult independent reviews of all types of board games
• The Game Crafter ” Offers printed components to make quality DIY games
• How To Make A Game ” Detailed instructions published by Kotaku
• Prototyping Tutorials ” Links to helpful tools like graphic designers and 3D printing services
• Indie Board & Cards ” Information on production volumes and costs for those ready to begin mass producing
I love playing all kinds of games – from classics like Monopoly to modern favourites like Ticket to Ride.
I created this blog as a way to share my love of board games with others, and provide information on the latest releases and news in the industry.
