How much I make as a board game designer

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[@PamWallsGameDesign]

What do you think about this plan? 😅

[@KeepersofFun]

As a published designer myself, I only eat once a day. The last time I bought new clothes was 2 years ago, and some of my underwear even have holes. Thankfully, I don’t pay rent, which helps a TON! But yes, I’m doing something I’m passionate about. If I don’t sign a ‘good’ enough game to get by within this year, I might look into new day jobs though.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

@@KeepersofFun we gotta do what we gotta do 😅 No rent is a huge help for sure!! Best of luck to you, we got this 💪

[@raymyers700]

I think this is the one thing that I love about these current times : a person can do this and no matter how niche : they can make it. You are a very creative person and I know you'll do well. Morgan Freeman once said something to the effect that he wanted to be an actor and there was no "plan b".

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

@@raymyers700 yes I’ve also heard not having a back up plan actually helps you reach a goal because it’s all or nothing!

[@Aroundthestumpgames]

The 6 flags dining plan is one of the craziest life hacks that exists. I remember an interview with a guy who after realizing his student loans were on track to destroy his financial goals he moved to Valencia, got a job as an electrician, rented a bedroom, and ate every meal at 6 flags. Then paid off everything in 18 months…

[@leonelpena1976]

I'm a 48 years old Software Developer since 30 years ago (started with Pascal and then boring Windows desktop and web application with C# and Python) but I always wanted to be a professional Board game designer (or videogame designer). It's my passion but I always felt that I needed a "traditional career". I designed some board games as a kid for myself but sadly I never decided to be a full time game designer. I'm thinking to take an appointment with you... your video is inspirational. Thank you for sharing. 💜

[@interhumangames8525]

Cheers on your commitment and approach! Reducing expenses is probably the most important measure. I actually love working and have enjoyed all my jobs until now but going game designer / publisher full-time was necessary to do board games at a certain level. I went for being a publisher as well because that was possible and to make my days as full with commitments as possible :) Good luck with your plan!

[@staceofspades]

I really admire your ambition and determination. Best of luck with everything, Pam!

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much 😊 I really appreciate it!

[@ConstantChaosGames]

I really appreciate your genuine and transparent content. I think you have a great plan - freedom to make more choices whether design or anything else. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching and coming along the journey with me 🙌

[@VegasWayneW]

Thanks for the update and the ground truth of being in independant game designer. Clearly diversified revenue and flexibility are key. And I'll +1 the iOverlander shout out. It's our go-to when we're planning our off grid camping adventures.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Yes it is such a helpful app! I rely on it a lot and found some really cool places to camp I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. Thanks for watching!

[@SteveRB511]

Thanks! I wish you the very best on your journey!

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Ah! Thanks so much Steve! I really appreciate it! 🤗 😊

[@strinh808]

I LOVE that you are a fellow ChooseFI-er! Truly live changing money philosophy!

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Yes absolutely! It needs to be taught in schools. Only learned about it in my 30’s. But, better late than never. Thanks for watching!

[@RobertDoman]

This was a great video, thank you!

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

You’re so welcome! Thanks for watching 🙌

[@Derek-le4er]

Didn't know you had a newsletter until I watched this - just subscribed to it! :D This video is super encouraging. You're so passionate and motivated and hard working - I love seeing it. It really helps me try my best too - because it doesn't come super naturally to me most of the time haha. Thanks, Pam!

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much Derek! Yes I need to do a better job of letting people know about my newsletter 😆 I’m glad you signed up! And I’m glad you enjoyed the video, it’s always a bit scary sharing so much but I think it will help a lot of others so I went for it :)

[@NoPlanetBGames]

Good for you and great advice to know what you want and come up with a plan on how to achieve it. Really hope it works out and you get to focus full time on creating and talking about games.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Yes knowing the goal and choosing a path to get there is half the battle! We’ll see how this works out, but if not, can always try a different path :) Thanks for watching!

[@m.v.r.3395]

Goodluck Pam! Sounds like an exciting road is ahead of you!

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much! I’m excited to see what lies ahead. Thanks for coming along the journey with me 🙌

[@Yous0147]

Very inspirational, I hope you enjoy the adventure despite the difficulties. From my viewpoint it seems like you've really got a great plan and attitude going into it. You got this.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thank you so much! 🤗

[@jamesbrazeal3847]

Useful video and thanks for sharing. Goodluck on all your endeavors. I hope you can make all your dreams come true.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks James! 💪 🙏

[@robwilson2360]

So open, authentic and resourceful. You're a gem. I wish you all the best with your plan.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much, Rob! We’ll see where it takes us 💪

[@GlenOneN]

Best of luck Pam. Love your motivation. Great pivot too.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much, I appreciate it! 🤗

[@agauger28]

Nice video, Pam. Your determination is inspirational and I wish you the best of luck. I can't wait to see the next step of the adventure.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much Andy! I appreciate it, thanks for coming along with me 🙌

[@user-vr2hy7tb4i]

I really admire your down to earth approach to life and finances and I can tell you're doing this for the sake of helping others achieve their creative potential. That is a very kind thing of you and I am pretty humbled by this. I'm an aspiring board game designer and would be thrilled to schedule a 1 on 1 session with you as soon as I have a clear idea of what I'm supposed to work with and what I want to achieve. I think you deserve to have these kind of encouragements in return so that you, too, can have a life free of worries and other daily constraints. I truly wish you all the best and remain hopeful that good things are bound to happen to people like you sooner or later.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Oh wow, thanks so much! I really appreciate this 🙏 Best of luck with your designs and yes, I will be here whenever you want to book a session. Thanks again for watching and for your support 🤗

[@ElfLady]

I believe in your plan wholeheartedly, and hope your dreams come true for it! To this end, its not much, but I upped my membership level, and would encourage others to do the same. Pam is a great inspiration.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thank you so much Kristen!! I really appreciate it. And know that I’m here for you too on your journey! We got this 💪 🤗

[@denisgiles]

Another great video Pam. You are definitely smart with your money. The season pass and food plan was genius. Thanks for sharing the income numbers, they provide a realistic view of what to expect.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much Denis! I’m glad you enjoyed it and it was helpful for you. I was a bit hesitant sharing so much but I think transparency is a good thing, especially in our industry so people have realistic expectations. Thanks for watching 🙌

[@thesamuraiman]

What's impressive dedication. I'm excited to see your success.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much, we’ll see what happens! Thanks for coming along with me 🙌

[@paulnewsham]

Wishing you every success Pam.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much Paul! 🤗

[@kub20t]

Good luck. Hope you get the ife you want!

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thank you! 🤗

[@UlugNaar]

Good plan. I wish you all the best, and I hope you make it.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it 😊

[@natew.7951]

Great video, good luck to you. I also hope to soon be able to support myself as a board game designer. I have two published games (2022, 2023) and I'm not even close right now.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Yeah it’s tough. We definitely picked one of the hardest careers to make any money at lol Wishing you the best of luck as well, we got this 💪

[@lukeparnell]

Good luck Pam, I am also going to make a living doing what I love. I haven't published any games, I'm mostly a professional artist so I guess game design is technically a hobby for me but I hope it will become something I can hang my hat on. So yah, go for it! I look forward to seeing your journey, I will be rooting for you! Be well.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much Luke! Being a professional artist is so cool and already a huge achievement! Best of luck with game design, we got this 💪

[@tonyallen4265]

You continue to impress me with your determination and genuine openness. Your videos are always helpful and highly informative. I'm 64 years old and I have the same dream as you.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much, Tony! I’m so glad this was helpful for you. That’s so cool you have the same dream, it’s nice to know you’re not alone! Let’s get it 💪

[@armandovillarreal3554]

I hope Disney Chronicles of Light will be a financial blessing for you! I'm planning to pick it up and play with my kiddos. Would be cool to see a video celebrating the release when it's available in stores!

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much! I hope you and your kids have some epic adventures together playing CoL! And yes I’ll definitely post more videos about the game once it’s released. Thanks for watching 🙌

[@logicalinsanity]

I love it. I genuinely believe you can do it! Signed up for my 1-1 session!

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Ah thanks so much! Looking forward to chatting with you 🙌

[@geekworthy7938]

Have a plan, work the plan, enjoy the plan.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Yes, yes and yes! 🙌

[@ParlorPunch]

What a great video. Much of the world lives in multi-generational homes. I grew up in a home with 3 generations and I really miss that life. Maybe my kids will move home some day...

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Yeah it makes a lot of sense financially but also socially and emotionally! It was so nice to chat with my parents every day and always have someone to hang out with :)

[@mxcatnap]

I admire this so much!!! I think mutligenerational living in particular is a fantastic choice that many of us don't consider b/c of internalized grind-culutre/capitalism-inflected stigma (although as you say it's not a viable option for every person.) glad you had that time with your folks. also, have you considered adding "creative/design/artist coaching" as a 1:1 option alongside boardgame-specific coaching? I think you'd have a lot to contribute to a slightly broader group of creative folks, too (as someone who writes short fic and is starting to design tabletop roleplaying games, i'm interested!) tl;dr: keep going!!!!

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks so much! I hadn’t really thought about expanding my audience for 1:1s but that is something I will think about. I might have to deal with a bit of imposter syndrome….. But it’s true a lot of the things I have learned could be applied to a range of business owners and creatives. I will think about it, thank you for the encouragement! Also, since you’re a short fiction writer, have you heard of the NYC Midnight challenges? They are super fun. You are given a genre, a word and an action and have 24 hours to write a short story. There are different word limits like 100 words or 250 words, etc. I recently did the 100 word micro fiction challenge and it was such a great creative exercise!

[@tiberiusdw]

Very brave choices-including the one to share online. I hope it all pays off. Only one life to live-might as well do it your way if you can. 🙏

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

I’m learning that more and more all the time! Life is too short to not live it how you want! Thanks so much for watching 🙌

[@IosifStalin2]

Best of luck

[@partymeeple5633]

My game design thing is more like fishing or golf... ...in that it is a cost rather than an income. ~laughs~ I really only do it because it's fun having other people play my games. That being said, power to you and your dreams Pam.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Yes it’s good to know why you’re doing it! And if it’s just for fun then that’s totally cool as well! Not every hobby needs to be monetized, that’s for sure.

[@sirguy6678]

Great video! Not to sound obvious but there are other jobs in the board game industry that your talents (game creation, KZbin creation, podcasting, and game marketing) which you keep you in the industry -

[@Phlanx06]

You're very brave and I applaud you for this. As an American the greatest concern I have is healthcare costs that could easily put me into a difficult situation. I expect that is less of a worry as a Canadian. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong in that assumption

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Yes that is something that I am very grateful for in Canada. Not everything is covered, but most is, so it isn’t a huge thing to worry about. I’m genuinely sorry you have to deal with that in the US, healthcare costs shouldn’t be something that could put you in debt or bankrupt.

[@Burgundy_Lor]

Thank for the great video! As a new designer I have a couple questions about how typically your games generate revenue. Compared to the advance royalties how do the actual royalties compare? What kind of percentage should I be expecting to see more than what the game made on the advance? As said I’m currently still a new designer, and only started selling my designs about a year ago. Fortunately I’ve been able to sell two so far, but am unsure about how much of an indicator the advances I got truly mean. Also if you have the time, how did the royalties bring in over time? How quickly did the falloff begin?

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Thanks for watching and for your questions! You should expect between 5-6% royalties, and between $1000 - $5000 USD for an advance. And then it depends on the marketing of the game and how many units it sells if you will make any royalties or not. You have to recoup the advance you already got, so you might not even get any royalties at all if the game doesn’t sell enough units. Personally, I had one game where I didn’t earn any royalties at all because it didn’t sell enough for me to fully recoup my advance. I have earned royalties on other games, but nothing life changing and they tend to fall off after 6 months or so, unless a big order comes through. If you’re able to design an evergreen game that sells year after year, then you will continue to earn royalties. That would be ideal! But is very, very hard to do.

[@octobrain23232]

Cheapest car insurance and phone plan. Well please share! =D Awesome video!

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

If you’re in BC, you have to get basic car insurance with ICBC, but can get your optional coverage with any other provider. I went with BCAA and saved about $100/year. And Rogers tells me I have the cheapest phone plan with them but I’m going to see about just using an e-sim… If you’re in the US you should have a lot more options for cheap car insurance and phone plans than we do in Canada! Super expensive and not a lot of options here :(

[@snowsamurai]

Great plan if we need advice of board game design we ask you?

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

Yes, you can book a meeting with me here: calendly.com/pwgamedesign

[@fleazapp]

good luck. it's pretty scary how people in america take chances. it's not common in europe at all. we like to be cozy and secured. pretty spoiled and priviliged, but we have been building this for more than 2000 years

[@shortydancer]

Ok, so you're telling me that you were at Six Flags everyday? How many steps did you take total and what's your favorite coaster there? And why is it Twisted Colussus? Lol Also, not being negative, but it's like the first step to all of this is to have rich parents with a basement. 😂

[@roggie1]

Wow that’s low. Do you know what top designers are making? I suppose it’s theoretically unlimited, but do you have an idea of how many units you would have to sell to make 100k?

[@ShatteringSword]

what is about your husband? Didn't you tell in an earlier video your husband supports you? I am confused why you have to live at your parents place to cut expenses.

[@PamWallsGameDesign]

I don’t have a husband. And if I did, I wouldn’t ever rely on someone else to support me.

[@ShatteringSword]

@@PamWallsGameDesign Sorry, I messed up my memory. It was another female game designer's story. Sorry for the rude question.