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Game Production: Prototyping and Producing Your Board Game

✍ Scribed by Geoffrey Engelstein


Publisher
CRC Press
Year
2020
Tongue
English
Leaves
199
Category
Library

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✦ Synopsis


Description:

Many new games are from first-time designers or are self-published, so there is a tremendous thirst for information about the nuts and bolts of tabletop game design. While there are many books about the design process in terms of mechanisms and player experience, there are no books that cover the arts and crafts aspects of how to create a prototype, software and physical tools that can be used, graphic design and rules writing, and considerations for final production. Gamecraft: Prototyping and Producing Your Board Game presents this information in a single volume which will be invaluable for up-and-coming designers and publishers.


Key Features:

  • The text compiles information from many websites, blogs, Facebook groups, subreddits, and the author’s extensive experience in an easy-to-read volume.
  • The text illustrates how to lay out and assemble the physical aspects of an effective board game.
  • The book is divided into two sections for readability and covers a large array of different techniques.


Geoffrey Engelstein is the designer of many tabletop games, including The Ares Project, the Space Cadets series, The Dragon & Flagon, and The Expanse. He is the founder of Ludology, a bi-weekly podcast about game design, and a contributor to the Dice Tower podcast with his bi-weekly GameTek segments that discuss the math, science, and psychology of games. He has also published several books, including GameTek: The Math and Science of Gaming, Achievement Relocked: Loss Aversion and Game Design, and Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design. He is on the faculty of the NYU Game Center as an adjunct professor for Board Game Design and has been invited to speak at PAX, GenCon, Metatopia, and the Game Developers Conference.

✦ Table of Contents


Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
About the Author
Introduction
Section I General Topics
Chapter 1 Tools of the Trade
Rapid Prototype Kit
Index Cards
Dice
Cubes
Penny Sleeves
Plastic Tiles
Specialty Components
Full-sheet Labels
Chipboard
Hexagonal, Circular, and Square Tiles
Meeples
Binder Clips
Stealing from Other Games
Physical Tools
Cutting Tips
Handheld Rotary Cutter
Flatbed Rotary Trimmer
Printer
Inkjet versus Laser
CNC Cutter
Spray Adhesive
Corner Punch
Laminator
Circular Punch/Hex Punch
Software Tools
Vector Drawing
Adobe Illustrator
Inkscape
Affinity Designer
Google Draw
Microsoft Office
Image Editing
Adobe Photoshop
GIMP
Affinity Photo
Page Layout
Microsoft Word
Adobe InDesign
Scribus
Affinity Publisher
Specialized Software
nanDECK
Component.Studio
Map Generation Software
Mail Merging Workflow
Mail Merge with InDesign
Mail Merge with nanDECK
Mail Merge with Component.Studio
Mail Merge Summary
Chapter 2 Graphic Design
What Is Graphic Design?
The Three Reads
Iconography
Icon Resources
Fonts
Don’t Use Too Many Fonts
Don’t Sacrifice Readability for Style
Use Styles Consistently
Use Font Sizes to Establish Importance
Carefully Consider the Background
Resources for Fonts
Creating an Icon Font
Color
Diversity
Mental Models
Using Affordances and Signifiers
Card Layouts
Usability Case Study: Eclipse
Chapter 3 Writing Rules
When to Write the Rules
The Purpose of Rules
Basic Rules Sections
Overview/Fluff
Objective
Contents
Setup
General Flow of Play
Details
End of Game
Index
Game-specific Terminology
Structural Layouts of Rules
Separate Rulebooks
Reference Column
Outline Case Format
Card Almanac
Distributed Rules
Programmed Instruction
Interactive and Video Tutorials
You and They
Rules Editors
Section II The Development Lifecycle
Chapter 4 Alpha Prototypes
Creating Cards
Index Cards
Printing onto Cardstock
Paper and Sleeves
Dry Erase Cards
Tokens and Tiles
Backing onto Chipboard
Game Boards
Assembling
Printing Service
Acrylic Sheet
Hexagonal Tiles
Custom Dice
Miniatures and Standees
Chapter 5 Beta Prototypes
Reasons for Beta
Enhance Thematic Immersion
Demonstrations for Publishers
When Taking a Pitch, How Much Does the Polish of the Components Impact You?
Marketing Demos
Final Artwork and Component Testing
Upping the Graphic Design
Beta Design Resources
Beta Components
Tokens and Player Mats
Boards
Miniatures
Online Prototyping Services
Virtual Prototypes
Virtual Prototype Example
Tabletop Simulator Tips
Virtual Prototyping Pros and Cons
Chapter 6 Production
Printing Considerations
Bleed and Margin
Color
Black is the New Black
Exporting Graphic Files
Localization
Card Materials
Card Options
Punchboard
Die Lines and Safe Zones
Distance between Cuts
Single Cut between Two Components
Reusing Dies
Thickness
Upgrades
Punchboard Constructions
Game Boards
Game Box
Box Inserts
Meeples
Storage Baggies
Rules
Miniatures
Dice
Typical Component Prices
Shipping and Distribution
Chapter 7 Conclusion
Invest Your Time Wisely
Stick with Your Tools
Focus on Usability
Rules Are a Barrier
Don’t Sweat the Details, Then Sweat the Details
Make the Process Your Own
Have Fun along the Way
Resources
Communities
Components and Prototypers
General Graphics Software
Game-Specific Software
Virtual Tabletops
Icons
Fonts
Color Blindness Testing
Manufacturing
Podcasts
Index


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