BOARD GAME DEVELOPMENT

Before we embark on your quest, meet your instructor (and party leader), discover the path ahead, and prepare your scrolls (assignments). Your journey starts here.

• Meet your instructor
• Course structure 
• Assignments & final project 

Time to step into the world you’re about to shape. This session introduces the terminology, tools, and terrain of board game design. You’ll explore product types, markets, and software — and start connecting your personal inspirations to your concept.

• Terminology & concepts
• Product categories 
• Board game market
• Software & platform options
• WORKSHOP: In groups, share a game that has influenced your original concept. Discuss how it inspired your current design. 

Do you lead with theme, mechanics, or experience? In this class, you’ll explore different paths through the design forest and stake your flag on your personal approach.

• The design process
• Product vision
• Defining target audiences 
• Theme, mechanics, or experience first

Assignment #1: Design Approach 
Determine if your idea is Theme first, Mechanics first, or Experience first. Explain why.

Time to roll up your sleeves and delve into the gears that make games tick. Explore popular mechanics, how to innovate within them, and how components like dice and cards shape experience.

• Popular mechanics
• Exploring design space
• Innovation & challenges
• Component mechanics

Assignment #2: Game Vision Statement 
Craft a clear vision for your game — include the core feeling, the hook, and who it’s for.

Every adventurer remembers how a game felt. Discover how to create tension, deliver surprise, and spark decision-making dilemmas through narrative and conflict.

• Conflict 
• Uncertainty, inevitability, tension
• Meaningful decisions
• Themes & narratives

Assignment #3: Game Themes
Brainstorm 3 bold, varied themes for your design — the more distinct, the better.

Summon your first prototype! Class 5 shows you how to make early versions that actually work — and look good doing it. Discover how to match form to function and how design supports play.

• Building prototypes
• Form follows function
• Component considerations
• Visual design & iconography

Assignment #4: Tabletop Simulator Implementation 
Implement your prototype in Tabletop Simulator.

Your prototype faces the world. Plan your first playtests, extract critical feedback, and tweak your game for balance and fairness — all while dodging overpowered strategies and feedback traps.

• Planning & conducting sessions
• Feedback & iteration
• Balance fundamentals
• Catchup mechanics
• Dominant strategies & feedback loops

Assignment #5: Prototype Playtesting
Playtest in groups, gather feedback, and write your action plan for improvement.

Dig into the minds of your players. Learn why randomness excites, why loss aversion matters, and how clever design can frame decisions in just the right way.

• Key concepts
• Understanding odds 
• Randomness vs uncertainty
• Loss aversion
• Variable Ratio Payout schedule
• Case Study: Framing - World of Warcraft

You’ve got the game — now let’s sell the dream. From sell sheets to pitch decks, learn how to impress publishers and partners with clarity, confidence, and killer presentation tools.

• What is a sell sheet
• Creating prototypes to pitch
• Writing effective rules
• Tailoring your pitch 
• Pitch deck or pitch video
• Utilising digital tools 

Assignment #6: Sell Sheet
Identify the type of publisher you are targeting and create a sell sheet for your design. 

Peek behind the curtain of the industry. From production pipelines to profit margins, class 9 breaks down the entire journey from pitch to retail shelf.

• Board games landscape
• Cost structure
• Logistics chain
• Pricing and profit margins
• From pitch to store shelves
• Roles in the industry

You’ve got your contract, now what? Demystify the legal and collaborative aspects of working with publishers, artists, and IPs. Expect wisdom from someone who's been there.

• Licensing agreements
• Clauses & considerations
• Working with IPs
• Working with developers
• Working with artists & graphic designers

Assignment #7: Game Pitches 
Get together into groups of 3-4 and pitch your game. Each pitch should be no more than 5 minutes. Critique each other’s pitch.

You made a great game. Now get it noticed. Learn how to build buzz through online presence, influencer outreach, and community engagement.

• Developing a strategy
• Building an online presence
• Working with influencers and reviewers
• Conventions & game events

Forge your own path! This session dives into self-publishing realities, including manufacturing, quality control, and shipping — plus how to run a Kickstarter that doesn’t crash and burn.

• Identifying and researching manufacturers
• Manufacturing standards and processes
• Material selection and costing
• Quality control procedures
• Shipping and logistics 
• Crowdfunding platforms

Final Assignment: Game Plan
Bring it all together with a polished sell sheet, a playable prototype, and a pitch that’s ready to wow.