Planning for Success – Identifying and evaluating your options

In contemplating the myriad of costs associated with producing a board game, many inventors are faced with the daunting task of determining where they can cut corners and effectively reduce their out-of-pocket expenses. Unless you have unlimited resources, this is a necessary evil.

Let’s analyze the primary services required to produce a successful board game. If you are reading this page, I will assume that you have already invented your new game concept, so although “invention” is the first “service”, I will not be expanding upon it here. What I am focusing on instead are the services that the average game inventor is seeking.

Game Development – This is the process of taking your initial game idea, and molding it like clay into a form that has the greatest potential for success. This step requires an unbiased, objective evaluation of every aspect of how the game is presented, played, and perceived. While it is possible for this step to be successfully performed personally by an inventor, in some instances, an inventor may be too emotionally attached to the game to realistically evaluate it. In other instances, an inventor may be able to objectively evaluate the game, but lack the knowledge to discern what will enhance or detract from the success of their game.

The good news is that regardless of which category you fall into, there are viable solutions you can pursue. Some solutions come with a high price tag, but the trick is to find the solution that most appropriately meets your needs. The important thing is that development is not a step that can safely be skipped. Some development options are:

• Preliminary Play Testing: Arrange to have your game played by individuals who fall into your target demographic (Individuals whom you have identified as potential end users who would benefit from your game.). Don’t choose friends or family as they will have a tendency to look past potential problems in an effort to spare your feelings. Even if you ask them to be honest, chances are that despite their best efforts, they will not be able to offer you the sort of brutal honesty you desperately need to ensure success. When you find the proper individuals to play your game, do not coach them, simply give them your prepared rules, and let them play. You should not be present; you should gather your information from them after they have played the game. This process needs to happen multiple times, in order to gather enough varied information to form a realistic picture of how your game will be received. Do not evaluate the feedback from each session, but rather gather the information from all sessions, and evaluate all feedback at the same time. Once this has happened, you will need to modify your game to address the desires and concerns you have discovered.
• Development Consultant: Find an individual who is willing to serve as a consultant and guide you through the development process. This solution is more expensive than conducting your own preliminary play testing, but less expensive than hiring an individual to develop your game for you. A development consultant will help you to identify any potential problems associated with your game as well as make suggestions to you for potential solutions to these problems. As opposed to full development services, a development consultant will identify problems and offer solutions, but you will be responsible for executing those solutions.
• Full Development Services: If full service is what you are looking for, hiring a professional game developer to manage the development of your board game is the solution for you. The cost of this service is above and beyond the cost of game production, but it is often an investment that can make the difference between simply producing a game, and producing a successful game. It is not a guarantee of success, but it is a close to a guarantee as you can get. A professional game developer is an individual who intimately understands what is needed for a successful board game. They will be brutally honest and through in their evaluation of your game, and present you with suggestions for improving your game. You will be advised of the advantages and disadvantages of these suggestions, and together you will determine the best course of action. The developer will then implement any needed changes and deliver to you a professionally developed game that is ready for design and production.

Packaging Design – Package design is the process of determining what materials you will use to produce your components, what your component dimensions are, and the process used to produce your components. This is a daunting task if you are not aware of what the options are and the advantages and disadvantages associated with each option. This step is needed before you can secure a production quotation. Many inventors, struggling, with this step, submit inaccurate packaging specifications to production providers who have no vested interest in correcting them if they are asking for a more expensive product than it has to be. Simply put, production providers make a greater profit from a higher priced product. The larger and more custom your game is, the more your game will cost. Often times, the best way to reduce your production costs, are to fine tune your packaging design. Many game developers can offer this service to you for a very reasonable cost.

Graphic Design – As opposed to packaging design, that deals only with the component specifications, graphic design is the process of creating the digital design files that comprise the visual look of your game. The design process can be as utilitarian as simply piecing visual elements together with copy, or it can be as complicated as evaluating the psychological effect of design on your end user.

Many first time game inventors are not aware of the risks associated with not hiring a professional graphic designer. To complicate things even further, many graphic designers, however great they may be, are completely unfamiliar with the design needs of designing a board game. Often times, a graphic designer who specializes in board games, can give you a set price for designing your game. This is much more conducive to producing a board game on a budget. If you choose a designer who has a low hourly rate, but takes longer to design your game, you could end up paying more for design than if you selected a designer who has a higher hourly rate, but willing to quote you a set price for designing your game. When choosing a graphic designer, be sure to look for one with the following qualifications:

• Three or more years of experience in designing board games.
• Reference from other game inventors whom they have supplied game design for.
• Knowledge of the board game production process.
• Ability to evaluate in advance the design time needed to design your game.
• Willingness to work for a flat fee as opposed to an hourly rate.
• Willingness to design game around game premise or theme.

When interviewing a graphic designer, be sure you are comfortable with the look of other games they designed. Do they look like they were designed by a professional, or do they look like they were designed by an amateur? Be sure not to confuse a clean simple design for an amateur design, or a complicated busy design with a professional design job.

Lastly, when you find a graphic designer you are comfortable with; allow them to do what they have been trained to do. You will be doing yourself a great disservice if you hire a designer, and then dictating to them how to design it. You will end up with a far more dynamic looking game if you limit yourself to outlining a look and a general theme, then letting the designer do the designing.

Kim Becker
kbecker@gamebuilders.net
www.gamebuilders.net
847.244.7099

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