Classroom Q&A Innovation, Boxes, & Regrets

I answer a few questions sent to me from a high school class about game design. The examples I use (in order) are Viticulture, Sea Salt & Paper, Red Rising, Euphoria, Wingspan, and 7 Wonders Duel.
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Intro animation by Jeff Payne vimeo.com/jaar... and video proofing by Cody Simonsen

[@edwardking4431]

Having theme match the mechanics is one of my favorite parts of playing and designing games. It's a such a great moment when things just start to make sense because they are thematically intuitive. So cool hearing about how the grapes never aged in the initial design. Adding that was a fantastic addition to theme and mechanics!

[@jameystegmaier]

Those are some of my favorite moments too. :)

[@redstachegames]

Great video. I thought for sure you were gonna pull Ark Nova. Big surprise seeing 7 Wonders Duel instead 😆

[@MikeHodgkinson]

Hi Jamey, FYI there's a flickering in your recent videos that can be super distracting. Looks like an auto exposure, white balance or similar setting you could switch off. Really appreciate your content!

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm sorry about that! I'm aware of it, and the best I can do is minimize it by turning off the light (which I do 99% of the time) and close the drape behind me (which I sometimes forget to do). I don't think it's a recent issue--this video, for example, was filmed in February.

[@davemagrum]

When you wait to "write the rulebook last" basically, are you taking notes and just not compiling them per se, or is it all in your head until you've softened the corners through prototyping & self play testing? If the latter, you must be a superhuman! Another great "behind the scenes" style video, really enjoy them. Thanks!

[@jameystegmaier]

Kind of, yeah. :) Though I typically distill the rules down to a player aid for the purpose of playtesting. That's a good exercise in keeping things simple, and then I get into the details when composing the rulebook later when the gameplay stops changing as much.

[@marcosseven8872]

Hi Jamie. Great vid! I got actually very interested and curious to know a bit more in depth the design process of Viticulture. It was your first Design. You wasn’t very experienced and yet you hit the nailed it with it. Would be very nice if you would like to share. What mechanics you used. What failed. And so on. The choices of components and stuff. Like a Viticulture tale of design process. Another thing that got me interested is: How to nail the right mechanics. How to know what will suit best? Why, why not certain mechanics and so on. Love your content. I’m enjoying Expeditions a lot!

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks Marco! It was a long time ago, but you can check out some of the interviews and posts here to find that information about Viticulture's design process: stonemaiergames.com/games/viticulture/media/

[@johnatanmunoz6540]

Great vid! I've been at table top games for a few years by now, and I just started to create my own one and looking to improve some classic games with home rules. I love wingspan and just bougth wyrmspam.

[@jameystegmaier]

That's a great way to start, John!

[@StevenStJohn-kj9eb]

I completely get what you're saying about the Euphoria board, though in my case, seeing that board is what sold me on getting it. (Well, that and the cool custom dice.) There's just something about it that captured my imagination. Speaking of Euphoria, the morale cost for using doubles is not only a good example of mechanical balance, it's also a good example of tying mechanisms to theme. I imagine that second worker is like, "Already? I thought I had one more day off, but you're telling me I have to go to work now?" He does it, because it's a dystopia, but he doesn't have to like it!

[@jameystegmaier]

I love hearing when anything we create captures imagination, so thank you for sharing that. :)

[@ludwigmises]

Thanks for that very interesting and informative video.

[@jameystegmaier]

My pleasure!