10 Types of Board Game Designers (And How to Discover Your Own Style)

[@aleasthete]

“Wooden person tokens” 😂

[@AdaminWales]

If only there was a word for them…

[@joshuablount]

I vote we call them "Peemles." Rolls right off the tongue

[@aleasthete]

Miniature People > Pinioturples

[@Ggdivhjkjl]

How about minimen?

[@revimfadli4666]

@@AdaminWales miniature persons... Mersons!

[@storgetube]

I love the GWP reference in combination with its supposed inventor as a specimen for the money-driven entrepreneur type.

[@logixindie]

This is cool! I think I'm mainly Engineer, Innovator, and Achiever. But I'm also interested in exploring Artist, Storyteller, and Entertainer.

[@kirkbeiser]

Lovely video. I knew I was an engineer but achiever is also a strong one

[@everydaynoob1]

This has me really thinking which was quite interesting. I feel like (even though I’m new to the hobby) I want to become an artist in the sense that I want to evoke a feeling through a game in the same sense that a song gives a feeling. Also a bit of entertainer because at the end of the day I just wanna make something fun I can share to have fun with others. But also “natural” but not really, maybe this is just an everyone thing but I also like to occasionally just get carried away with ideas and designs for a game and endlessly create stuff for a game, even though I cut it out because it becomes super convoluted and unbalanced lol. Neat video, glad I was able to come across it!

[@stefanbauer7875]

Very inspiring video. Thank you very much. For me it would be 20% each for natural, engineer, innovator, artist and achiever.

[@jbkennedy1987]

Nice video Adam! About 12 months ago I identified my core driver in game design as "creativity" - both in the sense of fostering my own joy of thinking creatively and creating things - and also in terms of making games that encourage and reward players for thinking creatively. I think this driver is most likely covered by the 'natural' and 'innovator' categories you identified which were also the ones that resonated most strongly with me.

[@AdaminWales]

Yes, I originally named “The Natural” as “The Creative” but thought it was a little too close to “The Artist” so looked for another term. I wanted to make a distinction between an “artist” who has a mission (provoke, reflect on life and meaning, create beauty) and someone who just makes stuff because of an internal drive (hence, The Natural).

[@myname-ns1rp]

My boss Andrew created Deliverance. I was so surprised just casually watching your videos as I do when they pop in my feed to see his game in here! Truly is a fantastic dungeon crawl style Diablo-esque game. The expansion is still available in late pledge on Kickstarter!

[@AdaminWales]

I haven’t played it but I have heard that it is good :)

[@moodymagicmaple]

This is certainly something I’ve been thinking about a lot as I’ve started developing games. Especially understanding what impacts I hope to make through my games. Not only do I want create well made, repeatable games, but I want to find ways to help with real issues through them. I’d definitely say the “natural” describes me well 😅

[@AdaminWales]

Awesome - sounds like there’s a bit of “educator” in there too? :)

[@moodymagicmaple]

@ maybe so 😄

[@KootFloris]

I'm an engineer, love solving problems with elegant solutions I'm an innovator, I work on less explored concepts, like can we change the core of DnD to a total new concept? I'm a natural, being doing this all my live I'm an storyteller, both roleplayer and simulator I'm an educator, as I want my players to develop themselves through play I'm an facilitator, yes this is what I want my games to do, stimulate social interaction, not just moves on a board I'm an artist, having been an illustrator once helps And entertainer, yeah do that too. Oops, I score low on entrepreneur and achiever.

[@kerim8666]

Looking forward to your top games of 2024 and predictions for the next year!

[@AdaminWales]

Working on them as we speak! :)

[@PeterBonte]

Thank you for the new video!

[@idwgames]

I find myself being a fusion of both Entertainer and Natural...

[@oknodiangames6]

I am 25% entertainer, 25% natural and 50% kinda-sorta achiever. I don't want praise or recognition, though. That's why I said "kinda-sorta". I want to improve the culture of my country, specifically the region I live in. While other regions are quite rich and diverse culturally, we almost don't have anything. That's why, to start things off, I'm planning to add a trick-taking game to the list of things we do have. If I manage to spread into the other parts of the country, too, would be great but it's not a goal. If I don't get any recognition from it, I don't really mind. When it comes to money, as long as I get enough to keep my company (which I will have to open to do this legally) above 0 for at least 1 year ahead, I'm fine.

[@ronhalliday7304]

I'd classify myself primarily as a "Facilitating Engineer" -- a designer who strives to have elegant, intuitive rules for their games. I don't think you mentioned that as something that drives us!

[@AdaminWales]

Yes, it does sound like another subset of engineer. Perhaps closest to The Tuner. But maybe there should be another subset for engineers who prioritise accessibility and ease of play.

[@TheFerretmancer]

50% Entertainer, 50% Engineer

[@AdaminWales]

Awesome :) Really interesting to see the different profiles.

[@notgate2624]

Depends on the game. Board games for me fall into "solo game" mode or "party game" mode most of the time, so I think I would be 50/50 engineer/innovator for the former and 50/50 engineer/facilitator for the latter. Design for me is just intrinsically about engineering interesting systems, so I'm definitely not the type to rely on intuitive iteration even if it's for something more casual like a party game. I've really enjoyed games with a narrative, but I would need way more practice with that before I could call myself a storyteller.

[@sooooooooDark]

in my case: the entertainer 30% the engineer 30% the innovator 10% the natural 10% the artist 0% the storyteller 0% the educator 10% the facilitator 10% the entrepreneur 0% the achiever 0% id imagine 😛

[@TheKamiran85]

50% engineer, 30% Artist 20% Innovator Mechanics first, arranged in a new, creative way and after that, it has to look awesome. 😂

[@AdaminWales]

That’s great! It’s fascinating to see how much the different commenters diverge in their approaches/goals.

[@GroundControlBoardGames]

My stats: Engineer - 30% Innovator - 15% Natural - 15% Artist - 5% Storyteller - 10% Educator - 0% Facilitator - 0% Entrepreneur - 0% Achiever -15% Entertainer - 10%

[@AdaminWales]

Really interesting to read other designers’ profiles! Thanks :)

[@LionHeart039]

I know I'm in the achiever part... I've always think that, if watching a Top 10 games of all time videos I love seeing to find new games, someone would mention one of mine, that's when I would be satisfied...

[@AdaminWales]

Yes, absolutely! Me too! I’m always looking out for that (and often disappointed!! 😂)

[@refreshdaemon]

I'm probably some combination of Natural, Engineer, Artist, Facilitator, and Entertainer (in that order). I might be a bit of some of the others, except Entrepreneur and Achiever. I've been forcing my younger siblings to be playtesters for my games ever since I first encountered Uno and Candyland when I was somewhere between 6-8 and I still have a large folder of WIP. I probably should try to develop a little bit of Entrepreneur or Achiever in myself though, so I can step past making people in my game group occasionally test my designs and actually finish something before the next interesting idea comes around and makes me drop my current project.

[@AdaminWales]

If it brings you joy, you don’t have to change anything! :)

[@refreshdaemon]

@@AdaminWales Creating new games does bring me joy! The folder of promising, yet still incomplete projects brings me disappointment. I'd like to staunch some of the disappointment to help enhance the joy at some point.

[@jazu4nuk]

Very interesting topic. Thanks for you work🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@AdaminWales]

You’re welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jazu4nuk]

@AdaminWales I enjoyed the most the part where you put points on table, it's like mini game😂😂😂

[@cakeghoul]

I'm definitely entertainer crossed with natural but depending on what I'm working on I'll sometimes lean into educator. Overall I just wanna make things that are fun, and my projects are always spontaneous. It's often years between me updating ideas/projects, but I got tons of hobbies so I'm like that with everything.

[@AdaminWales]

I’m loving reading different designers’ profiles. Thanks for sharing yours!

[@khiarastales2091]

GWP (generic wooden person) omg I'm so sorry you had to use that lengthy term from now on 😔

[@AdaminWales]

Haha. I’m sure I can say M**ple without the lawyers calling :)

[@necrotick]

I call my little wooden persons Fugue. I'm an Innovator, Entertainer, Storyteller.

[@stillbuyvhs]

I might add an 11th: the Simulator. Like the Storyteller, this designer creates narratives. Instead of focusing on character & plot, this person's designs focus on simulation events. Think of some of Avalon Hill's old wargames, vs something like Dungeons & Dragons or HeroQuest.

[@AdaminWales]

I have “The Simulator” as a subgroup under Storyteller. I distinguish Simulators from Fantasists at 3:45 in the video. A simulator might recreate a sport or any activity really. A fantasist does the same for a non-real setting. War game designers would be covered by Storyteller (subtype: Simulator) and Educator (subtype: Historian).

[@OrdemDoGraveto]

I'm definatly NOT an engeneer, as I Care about theme above all else. But I identify with both tuner and fixer... Also not a inovator. I prefer working over stabilshed sistems that work well and I can interate upon. I'm a natural for sure, but I wouldn't consider that a "type". I think most, if not all designers are like that. People that aren't like that, don't become game designers in the first place... Besides a game designer, I'm also a teacher, and I love teaching stuff. But I that's not a concern or a goal when I'm developing a game, just something that happens. Specially as teaching some facts is something that naturally occurs when you're creating a theme driven game hehe I care a LOT about the looks of my games, but it's not a goal. I create the game first, and make it look great later. So in the end I would describe myself as a fantasist storyteller tuner fixer. I love balancing my game in a way that the mechanics reflect the narrative, and I do so by using other similar games as a base. % wise, I would be 70% storyteller, 25% engeneer, 5% artist.

[@blankiecat9302]

I am Proberly a storyteller with bits of natural and engenier. I like theam a lot my fravorit games are villanous and root wich are asemeric games that put values in makeing the person you play as very different from others. Also I see shows and movies and think how can I make that a board game.

[@AdaminWales]

Awesome - thanks for sharing your designer profile! Sounds like you’re a bit of a “Simulator” (subtype of Storyteller) :)

[@blankiecat9302]

@@AdaminWalesya I am definitely that

[@Stcyr030]

As a future board game designer, I'm a person who is a philosopher and an achiever. Note: I would like to buy the adam in wales board game designer journal.

[@Stcyr030]

I'm also a board game natural.

[@Stcyr030]

And a board game facilitator.

[@AdaminWales]

Thanks for sharing your own designer profile! It’s interesting to hear how people differ :) I hope you find the journal useful! :)

[@shuaster]

I am an innovator.

[@MannsOmatiko]

Is it normal that i relate to all of them :o

[@AdaminWales]

I think that probably is normal! I relate to 9 out of the 10, but definitely lean more towards some than others. I’m sure there are designers out there who are a perfect balance of all types.

[@eshawniallowry6983]

The wooden figures are called meeple

[@TrecherousMonki]

Now trademarked sadly

[@AdaminWales]

:) Yes, it was a little joke really. The term Meeple was trademarked recently by one publisher, which caused a bit of an outrage!

[@eshawniallowry6983]

@@AdaminWales very good didn't catch that humor. I love your content keep it up.

[@Ggdivhjkjl]

​@@AdaminWalesA common noun in general use can't be trademarked. Apple did not require any fruit to be renamed.

[@mica8076]

3rd?

[@foyoGames]

2nd

[@Kaikaku]

First :)

[@TouristAarchie]

This whole thing makes no sense. Why would anyone create a new game when there are already ten thousand others on the market? Everything has already been invented in this hobby. You should play, not design.

[@AdaminWales]

Should we stop creating books? Movies? Videogames? Painting pictures? :) Even if it were a bad commercial idea (it isn't - it can still be lucrative creating games) creating games is still a hugely worthwhile exercise for a designer's own personal fulfilment.

[@TouristAarchie]

@@AdaminWalestrue 🤕

[@stillbuyvhs]

Because if we don't, Hasbro & Asmodee will own everything.

[@revimfadli4666]

not everything, where's my self-balancing mechanism that makes every card draw neutral w.r.t. winning strength, yet still meaningfully varies the gameplay? Also without everything that puts people off auction games

[@revimfadli4666]

and those "everything" have their own "flaws" that somehow haven't been addressed yet. just look at how dune imperium still has the cloggy card market like most ascension-clones, even tho dale of merchants and century solved that long ago with the "dutch market" system. there's still a slot for worker placement + deckbuilder without that issue. and maybe a more spatial map play like brass or concordia