There’s a lot to learn about making amazing tabletop games. Here’s where I share what I’ve learned about game design.
Game Design 101: working out the math
Spoiler alert: game design uses math, whether you're good at it or not. Call it 'math' or 'maths' if you like - whatever you call it, I've never been a fan of it. I think it was around the time when letters started replacing numbers and I lost the ability to think as...
Game design 101: 11 great books about game design to read
There's no shortage of books written about game design or how to make board games — in fact, every time I look for something new to read, there's usually a new one I hadn't heard of before. This isn't not an exhaustive list, but aims to curate some of the best books...
Game design 101: I have an idea for a game — what now?
So I have this idea for a game... Scenario #1: It's gonna be awesome! It's gonna have pirates and lots of cool cards, and maybe even some little pirate ships you move around the board...You can develop that, can't you? We'll split whatever we make! Ahoy! Slow down...
How to use PowerPoint to design a prototype for your game
Yep, that's right. PowerPoint. Here's how I use it to make cards quickly. It does a lot more than slides and boring presentations, that much is sure — and since there's a good chance you have it on your computer, there's nothing new to download. Like a lot of other...
Game Design 101: go from concept to prototype
OK, so I guess I wrote these out of order. If you're just joining the party, step one is to build a great toolbox of components / bits. Next is this post - conceptualizing and building the mental picture of what your game will look like. Finally, there's the matter of...
Game Design 101: making a prototype
Now that you've assembled a toolbox of components / bits, it's time to turn what's in your head into a real-world prototype. We'll save the conceptual stuff for another post, but let's assume you have the idea firmly pictured in your head. The most common path for...
MAINS – my new way to teach a game
If you've spent any time around entrepreneurs, you've probably heard the acronym MVP (Minimum Viable Product). This is a stage of development at which early adopters see the product or service, then offer their feedback for the final version of the product or service....
Game design 101: build a toolbox full of bits
So you're thinking of making some games, but you have nothing to make them with. Here's what to get or look for to make your very first game-making. First things first — don't cannibalize the games that you care about. They'll be difficult or impossible to play...