I challenge you!
Grant Rodiek in his recent interview said: „You can make a game that is functional. It is relatively easy to make a game that works and is balanced.”
These are the most honest and true words about game designing I’ve heard in a long time. Let us talk about submitted prototypes today.
***
I have my reputation. The Trash Guy. The Delete Man. The Mad Man. The guy who will play your prototype and tear it to pieces in no time. That guy.
How did I get myself* this reputation? I receive prototypes every single week. Every single week I find in my Inbox new messages from designers who have a prototype and are looking for a publisher.
It’s 50+ prototypes a year.
It’s 50+ designers looking for their chance.
It’s 50+ authors who contacted me and got a 'Thank you, we are not interested’ reply.
It’s 50+ prototypes I throw in the bin every year.
Sounds drastic, huh? Well, I prefer to put it this way – it’s 50+ prototypes that failed me. Prototypes that were functional, balanced and boring as hell, prototypes that introduced nothing new to our hobby. They worked and that’s all I can say about them. There was no reason why I’d choose these prototypes over playing Bohnanza (published in 1997), Tikal (published in 1999), Tigris & Euphrates (published in 1997), Race for the Galaxy (released in 2007), Dominion (released in 2008)…
Among all prototypes sent to me in 2012 I found only one that was good enough. It was called Nobles of Paris and it was released in 2013 as Legacy: testament of duke de Crecy.
Among all prototypes sent to me in 2013 I found only one that was interesting enough. It was called Battle of York and it will be released in 2016 as Cry Havoc.
Among all prototypes sent to me in 2014 I found only one that was freaking good. It was called Tides of Time and it was released in 2015 as Tides of Time.
I looked into 50+ designs and most of them were functional. Most of them were balanced. Most of them worked. None of them had anything to offer.
***
Stop doing functional prototypes.
It’s not f… enough.
I challenge you. Surprise me. Deliver something exceptional. I want your best. I want your prototype to make my skin tingle. Give me more than a functional prototype.
Or leave my Inbox alone.
edited by Piotr, thanks!
I strongly believe that good board game is the one that tells a good story. You play it and suddenly you are sucked into it, you feel chills on the skin. Emotions grow. In a moment you defend castle. You hear roar of warriors. You smell boiling oil. You are into it.
That's how I design my games. I always want to tell a good story. I want players to be into it. As deep as possible.
Well said. There needs to be new elements and mechanics, not rehashing of older games.
Well said. We need new and fresh ideas and mechanics. If we keep rehashing stuff from older games we risk the board game market becoming stagnant. There is nothing wrong with being inspired by older classic titles just don’t take them, make a tweak or two and put it back out as a new game.
Mr. Trzewiczek,
I accept your challenge and am coming for you! As soon as I fix a few things in the functioning department 🙂
And if this one doesn’t do it for you I have an idea a few prototypes down the line for one I know will!
Challenge accepted! I will look into comparable games to what I am developing and see what they have done, and try other things to make my game interesting and unique!
In 2018 I built over 15 prototypes, none of them where fun. This year I’m going further and higher than before. It takes research, studies and work. I’ve narrowed down to 4 games that I want to focus on this year, 2019. My goal, to learn to have functional fun, becoming overwhelmed with nuanced designs isn’t the same as fun. Sheriff of Nottingham does a spin on beggor-my-neighbor that makes it fun in exactly the same way that Ticket to Ride does with Rummy. Most great games are remakes of old ones, even Antone Bauza does this with old Japanese game mechanics. There are very few innovate games designers and very few innovative games. Everything is a copy of something else.
something that is not worth inventing. 😛
Sometime what’s boring to such an experienced eye is very new to the audience. 😀
There are two types of ideas. One that someone else has already invented, and something that is not worth inventing. 😛
Sometime what’s boring to such an experienced eye is very new to the audience. 😀