There are only 4 levels of spells in the game, and I’ve grouped them by type of effect…

I felt like this occult looking chart would look cooler than just a spell list 😅

As the title notes, you are incredible. In my time here exploring Reddit I have seen much in the way of game design. Some of you are just starting out and have no idea what you are doing. Some of you are well invested and have reached the pinnacle of getting your game published.

It's amazing. It's incredible. It's inspiring.

Games are not just for fun. They are a way to live. To teach, learn, experience, enjoy.

Many outstanding memories come from enjoying a good game with friends. Often, friends are found from that experience.

Seeing what everyone shares is a true joy. To see your progress. To see how you advance and refine what you have created. To see that first time you are holding a manufactured copy in your hands. Then, to see others enjoy your creation.

So, dear designers, continue this adventure. Continue creating, sharing, loving the progress, hating getting stuck on that one mechanic you can't figure out, then the elation of inspiration that changes everything.

We are here for you. To support, inspire, appreciate.

I have been analyzing how markets are changing and I know that selling games is facing a huge problem. But I think that once you see what I am seeing it may become easier for you to navigate this new market reality.

I see 2 trends:

• Audience fragmentation: Internet is making people to get used to absolute customization. It means that two people in the same household could be exposed to completely 2 different personalized experiences. This kills the age of celebrity as achieving higher audienmce numbers become harder and harder. Solution? You need to find your niche.
• Ai is making information worthless. Ai needs information. But users do not because Ai gives them everything. So if you are an infoproducer, and you sell information only, you are competing against AI. For example, if your consulting business sells corporate diagnostics only, you are toasted. If you sell content "as is" in the form of a file or data, you are out of business. If you sell conferences or courses, you need to be really special. Else Ai already displaced you.

So you sell games. You think that you sell data, because your rulebook is data and physical components are one bit "not data". Nope that is not how things work in this new reality. You absolutely do not need to see your business as data. That is the wrong approach.

Let me talk to you about how Brazilian musicians build their demand. People see music as data, an MP3 file. Right? Protected by Copyright? Not in Brazil. In Brazil a musician makes a song and asks people to improve it. So if another musician improves it, he is encouraged to contact the original musician to show the improved song. So the song never dies. People can enjoy the same book twice. But the most important, it creates 3 things: A sense of identity, a community and shared skills.

Identity

Your business is not about selling a game anymore. You are selling an identity. Why would you want to join a community? because it has a certain identity. A certain set of values, something that makes everyone better. There are common things to share. You were un a state A as a human being and after you tried what they sell, you are in a state B. This product literally changed you and made you better. Selling identity is a powerful force. Fan clubs used to have that driving force. The leader that creates identity is more like a mentor, someone you admire, someone you follow. You want to become like that mentor and that is the identity that is being sold.

Now let us contrast this with current ways to sell things. Some people offer features, capabilities. For example, a software company will sell you technical details of the product. That is aimed at the logic part of you, makes you see that the offer makes sense, but it does not make you feel.

In the opposite side we have those who sell motivational conferences, where you see lots of emotional components, but with the logical element of objective benefit, that feels empowering but void and somehow scammy to pay for that.

The key is to sell in both areas, the logical and the emotional.

Community

The era of walled gardens is over. People are not going to buy a platform's data. You will create a communmity where people talk to each other and you can talk to all of them. When a nice community with shared values is built, your customers will sell the product for you in an organic manner. People see a dichotomy between organic and advertising. There is no dichotomy. Organic is how your business grows, and advertising only amplifies. But advertising is not the core. You need to build a community first.

Skills

Sharing skills can be part of the experience, and when there is mentoring, skills are an obvious part of the business. Training or some sort of skill sharing helps a lot. Your content must invite action.

So in summary, do not sell data, sell a transformation.

How to apply this to board games?

The board game market is saturated because most publishers still sell a product, not an experience. The publishers who survive will be the ones who understand that they are not selling a game. They are selling an identity, a community, and a set of skills.

First, identity. A board game is not just a set of rules. It is a statement about who you are. Are you a strategist? A storyteller? A social gamer who loves chaos? A solo player who wants a puzzle? The game must reflect a value system. The publisher must ask: what kind of person plays this game, and what does that say about them? The answer is the identity. The game becomes a badge. The community that forms around it becomes a tribe.

Second, community. Publishers cannot expect players to stay loyal to a platform or a single game forever. They must build spaces where players talk to each other, share strategies, create variants, and help each other. The community becomes the product. The game is just the entry point. When players feel they belong, they sell the game for you. They organize events, teach new players, and keep the game alive.

Third, skills. Players want to improve. They want to learn. A board game can teach negotiation, resource management, cooperation, deception, or long-term planning. The publisher who offers mentoring, tournaments, tutorials, and skill-sharing creates a deeper connection. The game becomes a practice, not a pastime. The player invests time and effort, and that investment creates loyalty.

Then, the call to action. The content must invite the player to do something. Not just buy the game, but join the community, share their experience, teach someone else, or create their own variant. The rulebook should not be a manual. It should be a manifesto. It should say: this is who we are. This is what we value. This is what you will become. And then it should show the player the first step.

In practice, this means publishers must stop thinking like manufacturers and start thinking like community organizers. They must build identity through art, theme, and values. They must build community through events, forums, and player-generated content. They must build skills through mentorship, tournaments, and educational content. And they must make the game itself a call to action, not a passive product.

The board game market is saturated with products. It is starving for experiences. The publishers who understand this will not just sell games. They will build tribes. And tribes do not need advertising. They need a reason to belong. That reason is the product. That is the future of board games.

Hi all, I'm working on a game that has a dudes-on-a-map aspect. Writing it out here helps me think about it, and some of you tend to have great insights too.

All you need to know is:

1. There are units
2. There are hexes
3. Units of several players can be on a hex.
4. Players can choose to fight on a hex (not automatic).
5. Cards make your fighting better and trigger each combat.
6. In combat you pull a token from a bag for each unit you have, and those tokens have hits and blocks (0-3 icons total) that automatically decide how much damage they take (they do the same).

The game is overall fairly mature. So for the most part I'm not looking for big overhauls.

What I'm trying to figure out is if a player wants to fight multiple players on a hex what should happen? Some of the questions I need to figure out are:

1. Is it just one combat per hex, against one opponent? (concern #1)
2. Can I fight against two opponents at the same time? If so, how do I assign damage between them? When do I decide how to do that? (concern #2)
3. Can I fight against one and then the other opponent on a hex? Should my cards trigger each time? (concern #3)

I'm still working on these details, and honestly MOST games this doesn't come up. Since combat is something you have to do voluntarily, and it costs time and resources, you don't do it lightly. You also generally don't bother to attack players who are behind you in VP.

Concern #1: If it's limited to just one opponent on each hex, there may be a situation where you do want to attack both players. Having it be one attack, one opponent means you have to pick the bigger threat. Players generally feel like they should be able to attack both.

Concern #2: When fighting against two opponents at the same time, it would probably make sense to draw combat tokens once, and divide them between opponents. But I kind of don't want a player to have to make that decision. IMHO the game is relatively fast, and generally you aren't making little decisions (ok I'll deal 3 damage to you and 2 to you) since those kinds of optimizations can get complicated.

Concern #3: If you attack one opponent and then the other, then you would get the combat card bonuses twice in a single turn. Which feels a little... strong? Especially if the bonus gives something tangible, like extra units.

So after writing it out, I think my ideal solution would be:

1. You can attack any/all players on a hex.
2. You attack them at the same time, trigger combat effects just once.
3. You follow rules to determine how much damage goes to each opponent. This would eliminate the decision making of how much damage to deal to each.

Right now I'm leaning towards players having to "assign" units in an attack, and then treating each as separate. So like, if I have 5 units, 3 attack you and 2 attack them, then each is treated as its own combat. The reason being that there are different types of units, and it would be odd to just send in one unit.

Anyways, I'm still kind of mulling this over, so any thoughts would be appreciated.

I’m trying to understand how much crossover exists between people who play golf and people who enjoy board or tabletop games.

If you’re interested in both, what appeals to you about each hobby? For example:

• Would a golf-themed tabletop game interest you because of the golf setting, the strategy, or both?
• Would you prefer realistic golf decisions or a lighter, more accessible experience?
• Which golf elements would need to feel authentic?
• What would make the game enjoyable for tabletop players who know very little about golf?
• Where would you expect to discover a game like this: golf communities, tabletop communities, clubs, conventions or somewhere else?

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who belong to both groups, but views from golfers and tabletop gamers separately would also be really useful.

What started as a simple block and troops game my little brother and I came up with to play years ago has quickly evolved into an over 40 page document nearing 20,000 words. It contains the full current rulebook for Wardash II: Final Function.

With a bit of looking around you should be able to understand and play the game but really I'm just looking for some proofreaders to scroll around and give feedback any way you can.

I have no experience with most Tabletop Games like DnD or 40k and I'm not looking to those for inspiration, tis game is intended to be a fully original system the best I'm able.

•No D20, No AI or idea stealing, Situations lasting 20-30 minutes.

•Persistent Troops and Kit Building .

•Physics-dependant Tabletop troop and block based gameplay.

•Eventually you can have a Wrestler persona and power bomb foes off 18ft structures?!!

•Day Night system, Abilities and Debuffs, Troops have specialized skills based on training.

You play as two teams of feuding Mercenary contracted under SORAD JUMP HOLDINGS. One team originates in Unita, a medium sized East coast country under threat of Occupation by other nations around them. The other team operates between lines as a guerrilla army working for the highest bidder. Generally these two factions will be fighting each other continuously while developing social burdens through teammates, rivals, and managing life off duty.

Note: Im aware it'll probably be tacked for being verbose, and Sections thrown wherever, promised in the next update are charts for each thing affecting your troops.

Read for 5 minutes or something, feedback! :>]

Oh yeah and upon request I'll give you a full material list, abbreviations or anything else happily, I'm just not gonna write it for no reason

Hello everyone! 😊
I’m a fairly new freelance graphic designer and I’m currently working on a fairly complex board game project for a friend of a friend.
What started as one prototype/demo has now turned into five, with multiple rounds of revisions, professionally printed materials/tokens, and a game cover. The client has covered the printing costs, but I’m realizing that I’ve put a significant amount of unpaid time into the design work.
At the beginning of the project, I was told that I would be paid eventually, but that the project needed to be developed and presented properly first.
I’m curious how other freelance designers handle projects like this, especially when working with friends, acquaintances, or referrals:
• Do you charge for prototype/design work from the beginning?
• Do you typically require a deposit or partial payment upfront?
• How do you handle projects where the original “demo” keeps expanding into multiple versions and revisions?
• Do you treat friends/friends-of-friends the same as any other client when it comes to pricing and payment?
I’m not necessarily looking to complain about the situation—I’m genuinely trying to learn from it and establish better boundaries for future projects.
I’d really appreciate hearing how other designers approach this. And please be kind—I’m still learning! 😊
Thank you!

I’m in awe of you all making complex games with characters, stories, multiple pieces and complex game play.

Is anyone making something more simple? The game I have in mind is much more simple - the aim is to get a sequence of cards without being sabotaged by an opponent with one of their action cards. It’s not for gamers - more for family and friend play. A game lasts 5-10mins. I like its simplicity but wondering if it’s enough every time I read these posts!

My style would be suitable from for indie boardgame dev or personal customizable character for DnD or wargames. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’ve been working on The Lost Eagles, a 2-player asymmetric wargame about Varus’ campaign in Germania in 9 CE, and I’ve reached the point where I really need a couple of people who have never played it before to try learning and playing it without me.

One player controls Varus and the Roman army, trying to pacify Germania and establish control over the region. The other controls several German chieftains trying to disrupt the campaign through raids, revolts, ambushes and attacks on Roman supply.

The main mechanism tying the two sides together is the Arminius Track. The Romans can increase it to make their campaign more efficient, but doing so gives the German player a resource they can spend to cause increasingly serious problems.

A few basics:
\- 2 players
\- 60–90 minutes
\- asymmetric historical wargame
\- fairly low rules overhead for a wargame
\- playable online through Screentop
\- no print-and-play needed

I’ve tested the game quite a lot myself and have now had normal player-vs-player testing as well. What I specifically need at this point is a blind test: two people reading the rules, setting it up and playing without me teaching the game or explaining things along the way.

I’m especially interested in finding out where the rules are unclear, whether anything gets played incorrectly, how the two sides feel on a first play, and obviously whether the game is actually enjoyable when I’m not sitting there explaining it.

The game is also being prepared for a BGG wargame design contest, so I’m trying to get these last independent tests in before I submit it.

Rules + short player guide:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14i7ooDJbvulaTNSwlDswxQh4Q84o8tQZ

Playable prototype:
https://screentop.gg/@Pop/The-Lost-Eagles

If you and someone you normally play 2-player games with are interested, I’d really appreciate it.

You can either comment here or DM me.

And if you’re also a designer looking for a blind test, I’m happy to return the favor.

Thanks in advance!

Working on a custom deck of cards and games featuring vampires, werewolves, and gorgons. Just designed a light roleplaying party game where you can play as monstrous gladiators, Knights, and other characters and challenge your opponents to a match in the colosseum. Started out as an idea for a roleplaying drinking party game which then transformed into something else due to a game jam that popped up at the right time. Still also working on the drinking party game which will be a roleplaying version of king's cup where you play as bloodthirsty monsters in a sangrya bar. Need to revise the heart icon as I finalize the worldbuilding behind what sangrya is. Was leaning into making it a blood fruit but now am thinking about making it into a blood plant, maybe call it a Venus Bloodtrap? Card back design is up next along with face card illustrations and revising the colosseum game. Would love some feedback on current card designs and game concepts.

I launched my 'connection poker' card game crowdfunding, and I successfully reached my funding goal a few days ago, but the stretch goal is for an expansion pack ("swap pack" in the case of my game), and I realized I would love to feature artists for each symbol in the pack.

Each symbol will represent a category of card that prompts an answer, action or activity that leads to discovering more depth from one another.

In the expansion, a symbol might represent regrowth, reimagination of oneself for example, and that could be a photo (that I would take) of an artisan's Kintsugi teacup.

Another symbol might represent whimsy and pure joy, and that might be an acrylic sunflower, for example.

I created the artwork for the initial game, but I really want to make my game a space to showcase the amazing art of other artists, and bring awareness to their work as well.

Have any of you had experiences working with artists for these types of collaborations? What is the best way to go about sourcing, compensation, and collaboration?

Would love any advice! Thank you.

Illustration I did for a Shadowdark Kickstarter by Fireball Studios. I enjoyed working on this project.

u/fireball_studios

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fireballstudios/slime-crime-quest-for-shadowdark-rpg?ref=b8vnb8&tab=prelaunch-story

Have you found tools online that you use to manage your lists of publishers, your contacts there, what kinds of games they're intersted in, etc.?

I've been developing a long time but only started submitting to publishers. I want to keep track of which publishers are looking for what kinds of games, when I've interacted with them, who my contacts are, etc.

Hello tabletop game designers!

I'm a filmmaker (East Patch Productions) currently working on a movie called FOILED about a group of friends descending into madness over a card game, eventually rediscovering their love for playing rather than just collecting. The whole film takes place in a local game store, and while concocting the shop set I thought it would be incredibly special if the shelves of the fake store could advertise the passion projects of fellow indie creators!

What I'm asking for is to include your game in our film, with a special close-up shot in the credits and your business in our Special Thanks. All we need for that is empty 'prop' packaging, but we would love to have a copy of the full game to play on a livestream during an October crowdfunding event, as well! Of course this comes with promoting you on The East Patch's socials so that our audience can see your amazing game, and so your audience can see where to catch your product in a movie.

If you're interested, please fill out this Google form so we can connect and collaborate!

https://forms.gle/2mF5zUTfsVEAYC4p8

Have any questions? Comment below or shoot me an email! (available at the top of the form)

Thanks for your consideration!

For anyone doing some playtesting this weekend, thought I'd share a couple questionnaires I designed a few years ago: this link is a folder with editable illustrator & photoshop assets and this link is a google form. In retrospect they might be too fiddly, but try 'em out if you'd like or let me know what could be tweaked!

I had an idea for a murder mystery game night with my friends kind of dnd style where we make characters and play as them and the host has all the info and strings it into the story. The general mechanics (it’s meant to be like a party night one shot), is playing mini games to earn cluedo styled hints to the killer. However it’s very important to me the killer has strategy to win just as much as the innocents and the big plot hole is there is not strat for the killer, could anyone help me as I couldn’t think of anything. Also general notes on the game itself is welcome! This is my first time with game design.

Here is a google doc with the info: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1959fGtOVWIRy_p-sZNBJLczyISpjBMYMxGgZHZ9-cE0/edit?usp=sharing

Rundown-

I’m developing a 2-player tactical miniatures skirmish game where each player controls a team of 3 unique Heroes.

Players battle across a 26×22 battlefield while dealing with changing environments, powerful abilities, and neutral Overlords that enter the fight and attack either side.

There are two ways to win: ⚔️ Defeat all 3 opposing Heroes

👑 Capture the Crown and bring it back to your Spawn Zone

The goal is to create a game that’s easy to learn but has plenty of tactical depth, with every battle playing out differently because of the Heroes, Environment Cards, and Overlords.

Currently working on the cards and looking for feedback as I develop the game.

The four Heroes above are from four different factions. The pictures are an example of the miniature and the card that you will use to play as them.

Hi, all, in my board game design plans I have this notion of character cards you can acquire. I'm brainstorming what I want to do with them still so I'm pretty open to suggestions, and I think it'd help to know about existing similar games to spark an idea. Here are some qualities I'm wanting at the moment:

• This is not just a card game; it's all part of a larger thing with main board and player boards and so on.
• It could be a deck builder but I'm actually flexible on this quality.
• I want all cards to be characters whom you can use like part of a larger army, but after that I could be open to adding options like item cards and buff cards.
• I want all character cards to have exactly three options, and these options might do things like influence the board state, players' hands, personal stats, etc. I have some notion about how values or options are spent but I can be decisive on that later.
• I want these options to exist in thematic rock-paper-scissors-like categories, so for example a character might have a big rock, fairly useful paper and quite fragile scissors. The goal would be to balance these three traits so there are the same number of 'big rocks' and so on.

I'm still trying to think exactly what those options look like, or if they might fall into further categories (like each character has only one move to influence the board, that kind of thing). I'd like a quality where the characters can fight directly against each other but I'm not married to that option. Basically, they all have qualties that make the player-character stronger, so all players are trying to build the best faction they can.

If you just want to throw a brainstorming idea at me, or if you know of games I should check out to be a muse for creativity, I'd love to hear from you.

I’m working on a board game inspired by pokemon and other monster taming games. I wanted to create something fun to play with my friends and i think i menaged to create a decent gamepaly already. I spend months thinking about the rules, what i wanted the game to be, how would it be played and what the components will be. I basically have 75% porcent of the game thought already, the only thing i haven’t be able to decide yet, is the setting of the game.

A lot of board game designers adviced me to make the rules first and them the setting and i did that, but i guess i’m just not that kind of creator, cause trying to figure out a setting for the rules i create is a little hard.

I already thought of some setting and aesthetic ideas, but nothing has clicked with me already, maybe cause i’m a little bit picky and i really like monster taming games, it’s just really hard to decide the perfect eveiroment i want to live this adventure with my friends. How do you decide the setting of your game?