How To

From Prototype to Full-fledged Product: How Kites Came to Be

A previous iteration of Kites
A previous iteration of Kites

I used to think that I got started with game design after a light literally turned on above my head in a Fullerton parking lot. In retrospect, my desire to design games started much earlier.… [Read On]

Why Art Can be a Detriment to Your Game

Beautiful space-themed artwork
Beautiful space-themed artwork

In tabletop gaming, one of the first things players will often notice about your game is the art. Art helps tell the story.

Perhaps your game is pirate themed. Board game implements with pirates, ships, oceans, parrots, palm trees, buried treasure, and the like will all immerse players more than mere geometric shapes can.… [Read On]

Ideas for Improving Your Booth Design

Bits and boards everywhere. Who's down to play?
Bits and boards everywhere. Who's down to play?

Coming from conventions like San Diego Comic-Con and PAX Prime, I’m used to booths that are showy and quite the spectacle to behold. From actors brought in to play zombies to free escape rooms, convention booths are an opportunity to bring in new audiences in a way that print and digital media simply can’t.… [Read On]

What to Know When Going to a Protospiel or Unpub

Tips for tackling Protospiel
Tips for tackling Protospiel

Protospiels and Unpubs come in many shapes and sizes. They all exist with the goal of connecting tabletop game designers and players in the name of creating even better games. To date, I’ve been to three San Jose Protospiel’s, an Unpub, and a few other random playtesting events.… [Read On]

How to Print Cards Using Printer Studio

Playing a game of Night Market
Playing a game of Night Market

At various playtesting events, including San Jose Protospiel, people invariably ask me where I get my cards printed from. I get my cards printed through Printer Studio. For the most part, they’ve done a great job at taking the art I have and reproducing it on high-quality cards.… [Read On]

Gaming Solo at a Convention

Checking out the LA tabletop gaming community. Guild Masters anyone?
Checking out the LA tabletop gaming community. Guild Masters anyone?

Got to check out Gamex for a second year, this year, the event, though fun, seemed markedly different from the last time I went. I wanted to share my thoughts on it and overall how to make the experience better, as a solo person going to a gaming convention.… [Read On]

Selling to Play

Show off your assets
Show off your assets

At events like San Jose Protospiel and Unpub, players come to test out and provide feedback to games in all stages of development. One would assume that players would go up to your table, regardless of how the game looked, and ask to play.… [Read On]

The Evolution of a Game: Notes on Hackronyms

A few little scribbles is how it all started
A few little scribbles is how it all started

It’s amazing to think about how far Hackronyms has come from just an idea scrawled in a notebook (see above) to an actual thing that people can and want to play.

I recently came across notes that I made in designing Hackroynms.… [Read On]

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