Monday, February 19, 2007

The Board Game Design Process

Game Designer - A:

1. Think up great mechanic
2. Think of pieces and theme to go with it
3. Make some arbitrary points and conditions to go with it
4. Write it up
5. Test it
6. Throw in drawer for future reference

Game Designer - B:

1. Think up great theme
2. Think of pieces and mechanics to go with it
3. Make some arbitrary points and conditions to go with it
4. Write it up
5. Test it
6. Throw in drawer for future reference

Non Game Designer - A:

1. Think up theme
2. Change all places on Monopoly board to support theme
3. Commission artwork
4. Done

Non Game Designer - B:

1. Think up theme
2. Make 200 cards with trivia questions about theme
3. Change all places on Monopoly board to support theme
4. Commission artwork
5. Done

Yehuda

4 comments:

Jackson Pope said...

I was type Game Designer A for Border Reivers (though I managed to add step 7 - retrieve from drawer and self-publish). I'm now leaning towards Games Designer B. Not sure why.

Jack

Yehuda Berlinger said...

Because mechanical driven games become too mechanical.

Yehuda

Juan Pablo said...

Hi, is me again, i wonder if you know where i can find some patent of dinosaurs board games or if you one. I need redesign a dinosaur board game, but i don't know anyone. I hope you can help me. bye.

Yehuda Berlinger said...

juan: It's easy enough to search for board games and patents on google, now:

http://www.google.com/patents?q=dinosaur+%22board+game%22&btnG=Search+Patents

There are some patents about dinosaurs and board games, but none that would prevent you from making your own, from what I could tell. You could ask a lawyer, however.

As far as re-designing, you could ask a game designer. Me, for instance, or any of the designers listed on BGDF.com

Yehuda