Your Turn!

Scott Rogers has been a professional game designer for thirty years. He has designed many tabletop games including Rayguns and Rocketships, Pantone: The Game, ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo, and was featured in the 2020 documentary Gamemaster. He is the author of the best selling book Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design. Scott has taught at USC and the New York Film Academy and now he’s ready to teach YOU!

• Hi There! xxiChapter 1 Let’s Make a Board Game! 1The Game Board 2A Brief Note About Components 3Getting Started 4How to Make a Game Board 5Let’s Make Improve the Game! 11Change a Number 12Change a Component 13Change a Rule 15Change the Theme: An Introduction to Theme and Genre 16Chapter 2 Writing Rule Books Is Hard 21The Problem with Rule Books 23Problem #1: There Can Be Only One (Reader) 23Problem #2: Front-End Information Overload 24Problem #3: Rule Book Length 25Problem #4: Edge Cases 26Tricks to Writing Rule Books 27Trick #1: Rules Are Stories 27Trick #2: Use The Six Zones of Play 28Trick #3: I Am Talking to “You” 34Trick #4: Use Command Statements 34Trick #5: Include Pictures 34Trick #6: Add Callouts 35What Every Good Rule Book Needs 36Creating an Introduction 36List of Components 37Game Setup 38The Goal of the Game 38General Sequence of Play 40Detailed Sequence of Play 47End of Game 47Everyone Deserves Credit 48But Wait, There’s More 48Say What? Translating the Rules 51Chapter 3 The Chapter About Play Testing 53The Great Worry 54Let’s Start Starting 56Is This a Thing? 56Going Solo 59Do It by Design 62Gamers Game Games 63Friends and Family 73Blind Play Testing 73Publisher Play Testing 74Chapter 4 Let’s Make a Dice Game! 75Dice Basics 75Dice Mechanisms 78Rolling 79Rerolling 80Dice Determine Movement 81Dice Determine Combat Results 82Dice Placement 82Banking Dice 82Dice for Targeting 83Dice Builder 84Concealing Dice 84Dice Determine Actions 85Dice Determine Resources 85Dice of Different Colors 86Combination Matching 87Real-Time Rolling 87Roll and Write 87Dice Stacking 89Dice Crafting 89Dice as Counters 89Dice as Units 90Bluffing with Dice 90Pop-O-Matic 91Choosing the Right Dice Tools 91It’s Probably Due to Probability 91I Still Don’t Believe in Luck, But 96Let’s Design a Dice Game 98Step 1: Create the Rules 99Step 2: Play Test the Game 100Step 3: Change the Rules 100Step 4: Change a Number 101Step 5: Change the Objective 102Step 6: Add a Mechanism 103Step 7: Change the Theme 104Creating Your Own Custom Dice 106Dice Games to Play 106Chapter 5 Let’s Make a Card Game! 109Let’s Create a Card! 110One Way to Make Cards 110Another Way to Make Cards 111Yet Another Way to Make a Card 112Here’s One More Way to Make a Card 112Even More Ways to Make a Card 113Print and Play 113Size Matters 115Clear Cards 116Pentagonal and Hexagonal Cards 117Circular Cards 117A Very Short History of Card Games 118An Order of Sides 121Card Mechanisms 125Components 142A Note About Probability and Cards 143Let’s Design a Card Game 144Step 1: Setting Up the Game 144Step 2: Create the Rules 144Step 3: Play Test the Game 145Step 4: Change the Rules 146Step 5: Change a Number 146Step 6: Change the Objective 146Step 7: Add a Mechanism 147Step 8: Change the Theme 148Let’s Share a Card Game! 14910 Card Games to Play 150Chapter 6 Let’s Make a Party Game 153First Came Parlor Games 153Then Came Party Games 154There Are Only Four Types of Party Games 157Traits of a Party Game 160Trait 1: Keep It Simple 161Trait 2: Few Components 161Trait 3: No Theme Required 161Trait 4: Accommodating the Players 162Trait 5: Playable Anywhere 166Trait 6: Interruptions Allowed 167Trait 7: Scoring at a Party 168Trait 8: Ageless 168The Five Ps of Party Games 169Permission 169Predictability 170Pace 171Presentation 173Props 175The Sixth P Is for Player 176Party Game Mechanisms 176Knowledge 176Word Play 177Guessing 178Memory 178Acting 179Drawing/Creating 180Betting 181Bluffing 183Repetition 184Movement 184Observation 184Judging 185Let’s Make a Party Game 185Step 1: Create the Rules 186Step 2: Playtest the Game 186Step 3: Change the Rules 187Step 4: Change a Number 187Step 5: Change the Objective 188Step 6: Add a Mechanism 188Step 7: Change the Theme 188Ten Party Games to Play 190Chapter 7 Let’s Make a Board Game 193Board Games of Antiquity 194Mancala 195The Royal Game of Ur 196Mehen 197Senet 198Nine Man’s Morris 199Chess 199Backgammon 200Hnefatafl 201Snakes and Ladders 201Ancient Games Are Still Around 201Types and Elements of Game Boards 202Game Board Grids 203Game Board Tracks 203Game Board Spaces 204Victory Tracks 206Maps 207Terrain 208Abstraction and Symbolism 211How to Make a Game Board 215Understanding Abstract Games 216Traits of an Abstract Game 218The Concept of Elegance 219Abstract Game Mechanisms 220Word Game Mechanisms 221Let’s Design an Abstract Game 224Step 1: Create the Rules 227Step 2: Playtest the Game 228Step 3: Change the Rules 229Step 4: Change a Number 230Step 5: Change the Objective 230Step 6: Add a Mechanism 231Step 7: Change the Theme 231The Mensa Select Award 23210 Abstract Board Games You Need to Play 233Chapter 8 Let’s Make a Euro-Style Strategy Game 235A Short History of the “German Game” 235The German Game Becomes the Euro-Game 238Euro-Game Traits 239Lack of “Luck” 240Lack of Conflict 241Loss 242Emphasis on Construction/Growth 242Exotic Settings 243Lack of Theming 245Goals 245Balancing Mechanisms 246Catch-up Mechanisms 246Shorter Playing Time 247Wood Components Rather Than Plastic 247Crunchiness and Weightiness 248Euro-Game Mechanisms 249Action Points 249Action/Role Selection 251Arrangement 252Auction/Bidding 252Building 253Bag-Builder 254Buying/Market 255Choosing 255Cooperation 256Engine-Builder 257Income 257Negotiation 258Placement 258Follow Action 262Seeking Information 263Set Collection 263Trading/Deal-Making 264Rondels 265Victory Track 266Gaming Is for Everyone 266Color Blind Accessibility 266Language Dependency 267Character Diversity and Portrayal 267Let’s Design a Euro-Game 267Components of Riverside 268Step 1: Create the Rules 271Step 2: Playtest the Game 271Step 3: Change the Rules 272Step 4: Change a Number 273Step 5: Change the Objective 273Step 6: Add a Mechanism 274Step 7: Change the Theme 276Some Euro-Games to Play 277Chapter 9 Let’s Make a Thematic Strategy Game 281A History of Thematic Games 281The Adventure Is Yours 284Meanwhile Over in England 286The Secret Origin of Ameritrash 287Traits of Thematic Games 289Intellectual Property 291Any Theme Can Be a Game 293Stories in Games 295Players Have Wishes 297Adding Drama and Conflict 298Strategy vs Tactics 301Unraveling Complexity 302Bring on the Bling 305Making Miniatures 309Collectability 311The Gimmick 312Thematic Mechanisms 316Variable Player Powers and Characters 316Leveling 318Upgrades 320Crafting 321Action Points 321Action Selection 321Movement 322Take-That 323Fighting and Combat 324Player Death and Elimination 326Area Control 327Timer 328Doom Track 328Race 328Deduction 329Voting 332Let’s Design a Thematic Game 332Step 1: Creating the Game Board/Tiles 334Step 2: Creating the Characters 339Step 3: Creating the Denizens and Hit Tokens 340Step 4: Creating the Dice 342Step 5: Create the Rules 342Step 6: Playtest the Game 344Step 7: Change the Rules 344Step 8: Change a Number 346Step 9: Change the Objective 346Step 10: Add a Mechanism 347Step 11: Change the Theme 348Some Thematic Games to Play 349Chapter 10 Let’s Sell a Board Game 351Why Sell Your Board Game? 351First Things First 352The Importance of Sell-Sheets 354The Pitch Presentation 357The Pitch Video 363The Digital Solution 366Playtesting Events 367Selecting a Publisher 368Meeting with Publishers 370Contracts and Money 373Licensing Your Game 373Credit Where Credit Is Due 374The Advance 374Royalty Rate 375Other Rights and Issues 376Complimentary Copies 376Rights Reversion 377Media and Products 377Always Be Selling 377Self-Funding 378Crowdfunding 379Marketing 380Previews 380The Campaign 380Add-ons and Stretch Goals 382Production 383Pricing 385Shipping, Storing, and Distribution 386Chapter 11 Let’s Do It All Over Again! 389Starting with a Mechanism (or Two) 389Starting with the Theme 390Starting with a Story 391Starting with the Title 391Start with Components 392Starting with the Player Count 392Starting with a “Moment” 393Starting with an Experience 393Starting with the Publisher’s Need 394Carrying a Sketchbook 394Inspiration for Amateurs 394Preventing Game Designer Burnout 395One Last Bit of Advice 396Appendix A Let’s Make a Game Prototyping Kit! 399Appendix B Sell-Sheet Examples 403Who’s Hue? 404Dynamite Ridge Railroad 406Castle Climbers 408A Town Called Showdown 410Index 413