Inventing Board Games

Start with a Fun Concept

People who love to play board games often make changes to the games they play so that the games better suit the preferences and needs of the players. For example:

• Some players change the rules on an old favorite to make the game play faster.
  
• A player may develop special rules for team play that are different than the official rules for the game.
  
• A family might adapt a game to help their children with school subjects.
  

These changes are played with family and friends, but the thought of designing a new board game may not be considered.

Other board game lovers like to design a new board game from scratch. They usually take the elements and concept they like from other games, add their own special touches and end up with a new game to share with their family and friends. Some go one step further and decide that the game is so terrific that they want to produce millions of copies of the game, sell them and make their place in history as a great game designer. Unfortunately, having a fun concept is a good start, but it does not guarantee you a fortune.

Test Play

Your friends and families are a great way to test a game you have designed, but you should also share the game with people you don't know. Don't worry about what the game looks like. You can use pieces of papers as playing cards, coins as markers, a sketch on cardboard for a playing board and computer-printed rules.

Let people play for 30 minutes or so. Watch them play. Look for problems they encounter and ways you can improve the game. Then ask them to evaluate the game. Some of your best ideas for improvements can come from people you don't know, since they tend to give the most candid answers and comments.

Make a Prototype

After you have completed your initial testing and finalized your game concept, you need to develop a prototype of your game. The prototype gives you the following:

• Tangible game to test – You can try out the playing pieces, the board design and the rules to see what works and what can be improved. Test your prototype with your prior testers and add new testers to give you a fresh outlook.
  
• Design to show – It's easier to describe the game to a designer or a potential investor if you can show a design prototype.
  
• Design to analyze – You can isolate each piece of the game and the game board to determine what it will cost to produce the game.
  

Run the Numbers

Figure out how much time and money it will cost to design and produce the game. Talk to designers, printers, suppliers and accountants. They can all provide you with the cost and step-by-step details to design and produce your game.

Once you have the projected design and production costs, you will be able to decide whether you could make a profit by selling your game. If you can't make a profit, you might decide to just enjoy the game with your friends and family and not pursue the idea of producing games for sale.

Self-Launch or Sell Decision

Many game designers enjoy inventing board games, but they choose not to get involved in the details of designing and financing the production of their game. Instead, they sell the concept to a board game publisher. The publisher will perform the steps necessary to get the game produced and available for sale. A publisher may receive thousands of submissions each year from board game designers, so the competition is tough. But, if you have a great idea and the publisher thinks the game will make a profit, your game might be chosen!

For More Information on Inventing Board Games

• Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals
  
• The Game Inventor's Guidebook
  
• Game Design Workshop: Designing, Prototyping, and Playtesting Games
  
• The Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook
  
• The Game Maker's Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners
  
• Tips From a Game Creater