4 Steps to Pitch Your Game to a Tabletop Publisher

[@AlitarS]

The amount of information you share in your different social media channels, the amount of good you do in the gaming community in general... You could just keep publishing great games, but instead you go above and beyond to support and grow the boardgame community. Thank you so much for all you do!

[@GrahamScobey]

Thanks so much for this, Jamey. My friend and I are first time designers and everything you have shared on this channel has been so helpful in navigating the publishing world. Our game recently won a competition and we have a meeting with a publisher this week, thanks in large part to your guidance through these videos! Looking forward to the day that we submit a game to SM!

[@perrybarney6872]

What's your game called? I'll keep an eye out!

[@ferventworkshop]

Jamey, this is such a great summary video. One thing that I'd add is for designers to **cultivate friendships with other designers** before trying to pitch. Other designers helped me greatly by giving suggestions aiding me to become a better designer, by presenting design situations of their own that challenged me to grow and gain experience giving helpful suggestions to them, by opening my eyes to industry trends and developments, and by sharing their experiences with publishers so that I could understand what kinds of publisher behavior are typical. Related thought: A good friend with design expertise can also say that a game isn't ready to submit, and a good friendship means being able to accept and reflect on that feedback without being defensive. Given the number of great games out there, it doesn't make sense to submit a game until playtesters love the game and are almost begging to play it again. A designer friend can help avoid approaching publishers until the game really is truly great. Anyway, sorry to be so wordy. Thanks for your video!

[@jameystegmaier]

Brilliant, Chris!

[@isaacreel6626]

Thanks so so much for this video! I'm a first time designer, about 4 months into what you term the preparation step, and this video is very detailed and helpful!

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks Isaac! I hope you're enjoying the process.

[@isaacreel6626]

@@jameystegmaier Thanks, its been a very fun puzzle putting together some of my favorite game mechanics!

[@chadstilson8804]

Thank you for this Video Jamey... it was Perfect Timing, as I am in the middle of Designing a new game to submit to Stonemaier Games. For any new Game Designers, Speaking from my own personal experience, I have submitted a game to Stonemaier Games and it got All the Way to me sending a Prototype for Jamey an Alan to play. Even though it was not accepted, I was SO Stoked that it made it that far. I also remember getting some Great Feedback from Jamey that really helped me to improve the game. I have since submitted that game to other publishers and I have to say, Stonemaier Games had a very Smooth Submission Process.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us, and I'm glad it was a positive one. Not many games get as far as your did, and I'm honored to have played it. :)

[@marcosseven8872]

Nice experience, thanks for sharing. I don't know what it is about Stonemaier Games, their games for sure but, also the way Jamey runs it, his transparency in everything he does, I don't know, but I'm always expectant to everything they do (games, content on the internet). It is a dream of mine to have a game published by Satomaier games. and I'm gonna work for it! Cheers!

[@errolwilde1656]

Videos like this are why you and stonemeier games are my favorite, not to mention you make some of my favorite games of all time. Your honesty, kindness, and transparency are truly next to none and should be the gold standard for a company. I can't wait to work with you in the future!

[@jameystegmaier]

This comment made my day! Thank you, Errol.

[@Nuclearnumber]

This video was extremely helpful and has really energized me today! 🤩I hope one day I can be happy enough with one of my games to reach out to a publisher.

[@AdaminWales]

Thanks for this Jamey. I have pitched a lot over the years, but still learned some new tips. The most significant being to send a short email after using an online form (if I have a known contact at the publisher). I am so used to pitching in person at conventions with a short email beforehand, that I struggle with the lack of personal contact when using an online form. But I hadn’t thought of sending a short email at the same time just saying “Hi, I’ve used your online submission process”. I did exactly that with a submission this evening, immediately after watching your video! :) Thanks! On a different note, I do often pitch multiple games in the same meeting. But that is generally because my games are very light and often I’m pitching to large publishers with massive catalogues. I think your advice of pitching one game per meeting rings true for a mid/heavy strategy game.

[@jameystegmaier]

That's great! I think that's particularly important when you have some type of existing relationship with someone at the company (if not, I would not recommend sending such an email).

[@carmanragatz]

Thank you so much Jamey! I am an aspiring game designer and while I have multiple challenges being a would-be first time game designer, I think my biggest challenge has been a lack of knowledge in the industry. The problem with ignorance is that you don't know what it is that you don't know! So having you give a good run through on the process is extremely helpful, especially as I am currently half way through step two where I have created my prototype and am now working on getting a bunch of play testing and feedback. Assuming that the playtesting and design tweaking goes well, it is the next steps that I am really anxious about having close to no idea what to expect. So thank you again for all of the great information and all that you do to help people like me!

[@GIB4815]

I am a first time developer. I never leave comments like this. I just had to because your video was most informative to me! It felt like a college seminar on game development and how to promote the game in a professional way! Although this video is a couple years old, it’s right on time because I will be attending Proto ATL 2024.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thank you so much! I'm glad this was helpful for you, and I hope you have a good time in Atlanta.

[@gradyhuggins1230]

Hey Jamey, thanks so much for making videos like this! Game design became my COVID lockdown passion and I've been soaking up all your advice. I've never been to a convention and I keep my social media footprint pretty small, so "selling myself" to a designer sounds quite intimidating. But listening to you talk through some of the dos and don'ts of the submission process helps it seem more accessible to an outsider like me. Having a game I designed published by Stonemaier games would be a dream come true. So, I'll get busy play-testing and get back with you in a few months. Thanks again!

[@xCNapo]

Thank you for these Insights Jamey, as always very helpful! Good to get to know better the publishers pov. I have to add something to your comment concerning 'publishers are not the ones to tell you who your game might fit to'. I just had my prototype at a (german) publisher that actually really saw potential in the game but it is too big of a scope for them. It was a positive rejection with detailed feedback. So now whats interesting is that THEY would keep the prototype and take it with them to a publishers meeting and show it to other publishers that they might think it would fit to! In the end I wanted to have the prototype back to be able to work on it in the meantime, but as you see there are a lot of possibilities of how a publisher can behave and react. This was a very positive one and Id always apply to them again with a different game idea.

[@jameystegmaier]

That's very generous of that publisher! There are times where I see something special in a game but don't necessarily think it's a good fit for us, in which case I might recommend another specific publisher.

[@justcallmewendy7207]

Thanks for a great and insightful video. As a games designer it's great to hear about the pitch process from the publisher side.

[@alex314pi]

This is great! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us!!! I CANNOT believe people don't accept constructive criticism. I'd LOVE to hear feedback from publishers about my game!!! It's really sad you're discouraged to share insights with people when you so kindly feel that'll help :(

[@kirksellman1999]

Helpful advice, Jamey. Thank you for doing this for those of us who hope to pitch our game(s) someday.

[@wmoranmplays]

As an avid board game fan, I have started designing my first game recently. It's already been SO fun. It's a Princess Mononoke themed strategy game, (or at least Japanese inspired with Forest Spirits, demons, and a human vs nature theme), and a sort of Root meets Rising Sun meets Dune (territory control as a means to do later actions like worker placement, very thematic tied to mechanisms, multiple routes to victory). I wish I saw this video right from the start! Over the last month I've carefully written the rules, sketched out a first board game design, and just ordered basic parts to make a prototype to test it out. Then I looked into publishers of games I already own (which Jamey mentions here to do as well) to see if it's possible to truly just make your own board game. I wasn't sure at all how to actually get a game made a month ago. Of the publishers I researched, Jamey and SM Games (of which I own and love Wingspan, and have been looking to buy/play Scythe for the better part of 2 years) is the most impressive in regards to care and information about submitting. This video is a great example. It is very clear they want great designs submitted to them, but also overall great designs/games put out into the world in general. I've been watching all the videos and reading the articles about game design they provide, including the many from Jamey himself, and feeling great that both my instincts on many of these topics are in the right direction, and that someone like Jamey has put in the effort to have these resources available. They're also just fun videos to watch, I love the top 10 lists he uploads. Hoping to send my submission to Stonemaier Games this year and before other publishers, as soon as I playtest this like crazy. This comment is me trying to 'make yourself known', even if just a little bit. Jamey if you're reading this, you're an inspiration. Even if you don't see this, or my eventual submission gets lost or rejected, you've helped me on such a fun and exciting journey.

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm so glad that you're having fun with your design! I love Princess Mononoke--I think it's my favorite Studio Ghibli movie. I hope you continue to have fun with your design, and if we're a good fit for it, I look forward to seeing the submission at some point. :)

[@wmoranmplays]

@@jameystegmaier You have great taste in games AND movies! It's my favourite along with Howl's Moving Castle. I think the themes/settings and different factions of Mononoke lend themselves well to a game format. I'm ecstatic you're a Studio Ghibli fan too, and your encouragement means so much.

[@wheelskis]

I appreciate you sharing this. Giving context to the process by providing the publisher's point of view is really helpful for designers. Many things remind me of working relationships with an employer or potential future employer, such as graceful responses to feedback and actively listening to an interlocutor. As you mentioned, being mindful of this in any relationship is important. When individuals spend so much time creating something and building their own expectations for that product, openness to constructive criticism may be harder to accept. Thank you for explicitly shedding light on this with real examples.

[@jonydude]

One thing that really resonated with me, because I think I've said the same thing myself but it tends to land on confused ears when I say it, was "If someone has already designed your idea, that's great! You can go buy a copy and just play it!" Because if I'm not immediately itching to spend my hard earned cash on MY OWN IDEA, then who is? A great idea should feel disappointing to find out it's unique.

[@jameystegmaier]

Absolutely! That's a great way to put it. Also, if the game already exists, you get to skip all the months/years it would take to create it--you can go enjoy it right now! :)

[@professorpi6872]

Thank you for sharing your expertise with all of us! Every time I discover a new Stonemaier product I'm always impressed. These videos have only solidified them as my favorite producer.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thank you!

[@robertvella4919]

Thank you for being so generous with time and your knowledge. I'm in the process of writing a rulebook for my first board game (I've written 3 campaign books for the miniature wargame system Bolt Action), and it's become a real passion project. These videos are extremely valuable for people in my situation.

[@jameystegmaier]

My pleasure! I hope the rulebook writing process goes well for you.

[@robertvella4919]

Thank you.😀

[@lipezepil]

Jamey gave to a role community of game designers important information. That is an amazing job. Thank you so much.

[@Vijay-tg7hf]

I'm a long time boardgame player and absolutely love your games. However, I myself am very new to conceiving the idea of and designing a boardgame. Still some way to go and I'm constantly playtesting and fine tuning it. I'm nervous about reaching out but some day I will. Videos like this certainly help guide new board game designers. And so I thank you very much!

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm glad you're already at the playtesting stage--that's further than most people get. I hope you continue to enjoy the process! :)

[@Vijay-tg7hf]

@@jameystegmaier Much appreciated! I feel very out of my element. Being a physician in healthcare, it's funny how I get more nervous figuring out pitching my boardgame idea haha. Just passionate about it and that's a good sign. I hope you have a great holiday season and Merry Christmas :)

[@coryogata]

I'm currently designing my first game, and it's daunting. Watching all these videos about publishing, and what it takes to get a game out there is so overwhelming. When I need inspiration and hope to keep pushing forward, I watch this channel. Thank you for making the games and content that you do; it truly keeps me afloat.

[@jameystegmaier]

"When I need inspiration and hope to keep pushing forward, I watch this channel." This is a huge compliment--really, that means a lot to me. Thank you for sharing, and I wish you the best in your design journey!

[@Nephelium84]

Not a game designer but this is wonderful insight into how the boardgames that we love are born 😁

[@davekoehnlein4575]

Well this sure is timely…I was just today toying with a game design! Just want to say thanks for all you do for the hobby Jamey. Can’t wait to get my hands on Libertalia and that upcoming Viticulture expansion 😎

[@jessismith]

Always in awe of how willing you are to share your knowledge. We live in a world where most people just want to keep everything to themselves. You show that there is enough sunshine for everyone. Especially impressed by how easily you talk up other games and publishers. I hope your kindness and generosity comes back to you tenfold. I’m new to the board game hobby, and I’ve learned so much from your videos. Thank you!

[@jameystegmaier]

Thank you so much, Jessica. This made my day, and I'm happy that you're enjoying the videos. There's a bunch of articles too when you're ready to delve deeper: stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter/how-to-design-a-tabletop-game/

[@jessismith]

@@jameystegmaier Again with the kindness. I’m not looking to design a game, just enjoy your videos. Got Rolling Realms this week and watched your play throughs. Thanks again! Have a great day!!

[@jameystegmaier]

@@jessismith That's great! Sorry about the assumption. :) I hope you have fun with Rolling Realms!

[@MH-dn3jz]

This has been *EXTREMELY* useful for me as I'm gearing up from "these are my private prototypes" to "I'm trying to move into pitching." (That's not a meta pitch setup or anything). Thank you.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks! Good luck with your pitch!

[@jestes7]

Why are you so nice and awesome? Incredible how proactive you are within the community.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thank you!

[@xizozuxioxi4772]

As a new designer THIS video tops my list of the most helpful in providing an understanding of the process and the possible relationship between game designer and publisher. I now know it's possible to find success and the path to follow. The advice you share is invaluable. THANK YOU for taking the time to post it. I don't think my current work is right for you, but your generosity of spirit makes me want to design a game that is! Thanks again!

[@jameystegmaier]

My pleasure, I'm glad it's helpful!

[@bibleboardgames]

Thank you for the insights! If my games were accepted immediately, they surely would not have been as good as they are today. Now I have a way to consider feedback, iterate a new version, and print 1 new copy for myself. It is still enjoyable for me to open a new iteration when it arrives with a clear sense of completion. Then my mind is free to work on the next project and not feel too anxious about 1 publisher's answer. Whether it sells 1 or 10,000 copies, I look for ways to enjoy the process so that it is sustainable and ongoing improvement whether I get a yes now or much later. Hope that helps someone.

[@jameystegmaier]

I think that's a great approach to game submissions!

[@samhugo5870]

Thank you for doing this, I really appreciate this. For me it’s still a dream, like to be someday a Boardgame Designer, maybee I will never able to live this dream, but watching your kind, honest and generously pitched details about how it would be, if I had accomplished all those steps, is simply awesome, thank you.

[@JonoNZBoardGamer]

Thanks for this Jamey! I may never try to submit a game to a publisher, but if I do I'll know there is this extremely helpful video to come back to!

[@flange_pickle]

Thanks Jamey, I really appreciate the information it was very helpful as a first time designer. 👍

[@jameystegmaier]

My pleasure! --Jamey

[@Tateligames]

First time designer here. Thank you so much Jamey. Great information. I am at a stage of my game where I am trying to figure out how to "get it out there". Crowdfunding is so overwhelming and when I looked into publishing I was really discouraged and felt like publishers were this huge unapproachable machine that would never even look at a small designer. Thank you for giving me a hope. BTW big fan of Wingspan.

[@valiantvalryn987]

Thank you Jamie all of your videos have been very helpful to me as someone who is legally blind and finds it difficult to attend events and make my presence known. Happy to say it has not stopped me from designing my first game and I’m hoping to submit it for public criticism soon. I hope all is well in your life and I hope maybe one day submit it to SM games haha ☺️

[@jameystegmaier]

That's amazing! I'm in awe of that, and I hope you're enjoying the process.

[@valiantvalryn987]

@@jameystegmaier thank you yes I am greatly enjoying the process I have watched your channel for years now along with many other board game reviews and board game design videos it is a very time fulfilling hobby the process is long but enjoyable :) I wish you well on your upcoming board game projects I look forward to them every year 🙏

[@arturthekingg]

As someone who submitted to Stonemaier and got rejected, I also wanted to share my experience! IMO, submitting and being rejected is actually way better than not submitting at all. The fact that you have to go through this really specific process, answer questions, and be prepared, was really important for me to better explore my own game. Also, you only really go through all of this if you really believe in your creation. The fact that it got rejected was an eye-opener which led to a completely different development direction, which I'm loving right now. The whole experience has me feeling way more prepared. As additional advice, I'd recommend taking a time before getting back to the publisher once you got the final answer (especially if it was negative). Emotions can run high, after all, most of us spend years on our creations. It is a really intimate relationship. It is better to come back some hours or even a day or two later, understand their points, which come from a place of experience, and answer properly. As Jamey said, this may even be the difference for a future opportunity. Finally, playtest a lot! A strategy I also employed was to do a half blind-playtest at times. Essentially, I'd give players the rulebook, the game, and would just stand there - they are not allowed to ask me anything, and must themselves figure everything out. However, I'm there and am able to follow along and instantly capture main roadblocks and struggles. I am able to see if they are engaged (or if are constantly pulling phones). Are they talking about other things, or about the game? Did they rate this experience highly because they enjoyed the game, or because they enjoyed spending time together (regardless of the game)? Etc. This does not substitute blind-playtesting, but I think it complements it really well! Thank you Jamey for the really insightful video. Your material keeps growing in value. Proud to be a champion of this content!

[@jameystegmaier]

Thank you for sharing your detailed experience with this process, Artur!

[@adampiper2013]

I enjoy are your design-related videos' (and other videos), but this one was so insightful. You are my go-to in the tabletop space for game design and publishing information and motivation. Thank you.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thank you, Adam--I'm glad this was helpful. I'll try to make more videos like this one.

[@AnaMahsati]

What an interesting video! I find some similarities with pitching a book to a publisher. Not all publishing houses do every genre, so you have to choose well.

[@ognjenbjeletic83]

An amazing video on the perspective of pitching a game. I have a working prototype (First game I'm going to pitch) that I want to pitch to publishers and this gave me extra hope towards pitching the prototype and having it ready for a best first impression. Thank you for your insight and guidance!

[@SkyboxWorlds]

Wow Thanks Jamie! I have watched a LOT of game design videos over the years and this is definitely one of the best. Getting insights and advice straight from a publisher is gold!

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm glad it was helpful! :)

[@IAmShniff]

I'm creating a game for university at the moment and this has been such an informational video. Very helpful, so just wanted to say thanks.

[@hardcorenacho1020]

This information is very helpful. Thank you so much for all the video’s

[@Avelice0]

Hi Jamey, I hope you're doing well! I used to post a lot on your "My Favorite Game Mechanism" videos. One tip I have to share is to make a Tabletop Simulator prototype of your game. There are a lot of digital playtesting opportunities now, and many publishers want to try games digitally too. Thanks for sharing this video; this detailed breakdown will surely help many people--myself included. I really like the tip for explaining your game as a cross between two other games, but with a twist. I'll have to keep that trick in mind for the game I'm pitching now.

[@jameystegmaier]

Good to hear from you, Nyles! I hope you're doing well. I agree that having a virtual version of the game can be handy for demoing and pitching (we do all our playtesting on the tabletop, though).

[@Avelice0]

​@@jameystegmaier I'm doing well! Thanks to my board game experience, I actually got as a mobile game designer job a few years ago, which I love. And my first published board game finally hit stores in December! (Word Heist, published by Gamewright)

[@jameystegmaier]

@@Avelice0 Congrats! That's awesome!

[@niefali]

Awesome informations. I am currently playing around with my first still vague game idea - atfer illustrating dozens of games for years. ^^

[@jameystegmaier]

I hope you have fun exploring game design!

[@achabz9657]

2 words: so helpful!! Thanks a lot Jamey for all these tips! I’m currently in this process of pitching games to publishers, so this video really got my attention. I was a little surprised by one point, the fact of naming already existant games (like “Azul meeting Taluva” for instance). But it can make sense! It’s so important and helpful to have a publisher’s point of view! So.. thanks! 🙂👍🏼

[@ForeverShadow0]

Thank you so much for posting this! I am designing my first board game and this helped set some things for my to do list.

[@jesseabbott9334]

Jamey, Thanks for this content. It drives home the importance of the publisher’s needs and that’s something designers/creatives can lose sight of easily.

[@1bay123]

Thank you for this wealth of information! I’m starting the journey of Board Game creation and much better off for it due to the info you’ve given in this video. Great info as always!

[@jameystegmaier]

My pleasure! I hope you're enjoying the journey so far. :)

[@Ribbit-mx1sd]

This channel is a goldmine of information, thank you for spending so much time helping future designers!

[@jameystegmaier]

My pleasure!

[@kerenhadar73]

Thanks so much for this awesome video! It couldn't have come at a better time and really helped answer some of the big questions I had.

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm glad it was helpful, and good luck with your pitch!

[@brettduty4116]

This…. This is why I subscribe to your channel, more stuff like this please.. I also enjoy when you talk about mechanisms! It helps keep me inspired to create games. So thank you for taking the time to do things like this.

[@kevinkingmaker7395]

PITCH: 'High Roll Wins' Each player rolls a six sided die. High roll wins. In the event of a tie, all tied players reroll until a winner is determined. TOURNAMENT MODE: Best two out of three.

[@caseymasters8801]

Ok, if you are open to constructive feedback: what if each player instead rolls 42 dice? As they say in the biz, "more dice, more fun."

[@ZebraCatfish73]

Extremely helpful! Thank you Jamie for sharing your wisdom with the world. Much appreciated.

[@pattycraig7170]

Very helpful information! My sons designed a card game and are considering kickstarting it. But they are open to submitting to publishers too. They have other games in the works as well. Thanks!

[@NicholasMeyer515]

I know I’m ‘late to the party’ but I really appreciate you sharing your perspective in such a thorough manner. Thanks- this will help me in the final steps of my design journey. 😊

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks Nicholas! I hope you're having fun with the design process!

[@Mat23]

Thank you for this Jamey!

[@milesmiletto7109]

What a fantastic video Jamey. It's helpful as a new game designer to see these very informative videos to help have a realistic view of the process. I very much appreciate the time you take to help the community.

[@govassociation]

Love this video on guiding game creators in pitching to publishers. I really appreciate it.

[@kringfish4078]

Thanks, Jamey! This advice and your 10 designer tips have been extremely helpful for me as a new game designer trying to get my foot in the door. I hope I can share my games with the board game community in general soon :)

[@orbesteanu4tsa]

Such great advice! I love the way you think and talk about the respectfulness bound between a designer and publisher. Awesome video, thank you!

[@fylraen]

I mean, it'd be pretty weird to NOT leave a comment after watching this video. Thanks for the guidance. ;) Looking forward to the journey.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks Daniel. :)

[@sethwinslow]

Thank you so much for this incredible video. I’ve been working on a game for a few weeks, and there is a wealth of information here. I’m trying to get ready for my first game test this coming Sunday. (No more details for now - I’m not being coy, it’s just that this is NOT a pitch. But when I’m ready, I hope to look you up!) I just want to say that I’ve gotten great advice from four friends in the industry - West Todd, Ori Kagan, Jesse Anderson, and Alex Radcliffe. This is a quick shout-out to them for their time and consideration. I hope I can do them justice with the end result.

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm glad you found this helpful and that you continue to enjoy your game design journey!

[@sethwinslow]

I’ve been devouring your videos and those of a few others over the past two weeks. Would you mind if I asked your advice on writing rules? Feel free to ignore this if I’m being presumptive. In my game, players are heads of national intelligence of small countries during a Cold War. So you’re kind if in the side, or at least trying to stay in the sidelines while being pressured to jump in on one side or another. I’m trying to make it realistic, but accessible. So there are different kinds of intelligence to collect (resources), such as human-sourced, and signal and image-based. There rules are fairly intuitive (to me!) but I think they’ll be more intuitive with some descriptions of how the Intel world actually works. But, while potentially interesting, and helpful in grokking the game, I’m afraid this will deter some by making the rules longer than necessary. (Like this message!) Any advice?

[@jameystegmaier]

@@sethwinslow Big-picture answer: I'd recommend reading the articles shown here under "Level Up Your Game Design Skills" (there are 5 articles about writing rules): stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter/how-to-design-a-tabletop-game/ Specific to your game, I think text boxes are helpful in adding designer tips, thematic connections, and more are a great way to augment the rules without making players feel like there's even more to read. You can probably find these types of text boxes in many games on your shelf (including pretty much any Stonemaier game).

[@sethwinslow]

Thanks for the tip. I’ll definitely check those out tomorrow. Game night is about to begin! I’m using Word for now, so not much in terms of layout options other than tables and text boxes. But I can set them off with different fonts/text color and/or coloring the text boxes. I won’t waste more if you time now with app suggestions. Right now my goal is putting digital pen to digital paper. Getting it pretty is a ways off. :)

[@jameystegmaier]

@@sethwinslow Definitely, Word is a bit limiting, but it does allow you to insert text boxes that your graphic designer can organize later into the actual layout.

[@koalasquare2145]

Hi again, I had another question. After agreeing to go with a certain publisher, generally speaking, would the designer then be committed to working a certain number of hours for a certain amount of time? eg. would the expectation be that the designer would need to spend around 8 hours a week for the 4 months of development? If I have other upcoming commitments like work or university, should I be cautious of my time? Also thanks, for these videos and comments, it's super helpful and generous for someone who knows so much about the industry. You really go above and beyond.

[@jameystegmaier]

I think it depends on the publisher. When some publishers accept a game, the handoff is complete, and they handle development from there with little to no input from the designer. Others (like Stonemaier) work with the designer--we playtest and coordinate blind playtesting while offering feedback, but it is the designer who iterates, refines, and updates the prototype on their schedule.

[@rhodrambles3943]

This is great information, thank you for sharing it so freely!

[@jameystegmaier]

You are so welcome!

[@lauraknight7066]

I think I broke every rule in your advice to game inventors when pitching. I am a little embarrassed, but I am really eager to get my preschool board game produced. It looks MER-MAZING and its crazy fun to play. I have a strong social media following for an adult TCG (self-published) but it is a different market. You mention sharing your game idea with the public... am I taking a chance of someone stealing my concept (or art)? I am tired of waiting for pass/reject emails from Game Publishers. In some cases it been 6+ months waiting & no response. Thanks for these tips, I'm sending Lucky Treasure to you SG.

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm sorry the response has been slow so far (especially after putting so much work into your game). There are only a few publishers who target the preschool audience (HABA is the first that comes to mind). I would recommend at least sharing your pitch (with images) on a few of the tabletop game design forums on Facebook--not to promote, but to see if anyone mentions publishers you haven't already reached out to. Good luck! :)

[@lauraknight7066]

@@jameystegmaier I appreciate those tips and I never heard of HABA. Their portfolio of games looks wonderful. Thank you for that!

[@jerrodmcdaniel6780]

Thank you for taking the time to cover this subject!! I'm so happy I stumbled across this video (even if it was a year late). Super informative! I love Stonemaier Games, and I looove to see a game company willing to talk about this kind of stuff. As a first time game designer, I'm excited to put all of this in practice.

[@jameystegmaier]

It's never too late! Thanks Jerrod. :)

[@colinmbrandt]

Thanks for spending the time to prep and shoot this video - super helpful! Also want to shout out Cardboard Edison's "The Compendium" as an amazing directory of publishers and what types of games they're looking for.

[@brandonvh55]

Thank you for sharing all of these tips with such detail and clarity. I've spent a lot of time developing my game, but I'm still learning how to prepare a pitch. This video provided a list of things I hadn't thought of, and it was also encouraging to hear what I've been doing right so far. Thank you for taking the time to help aspiring game designers.

[@jameystegmaier]

My pleasure! I'm glad it was helpful for you, and good luck with your pitch!

[@SirThecos]

That was a very helpful video - thank you! 🙂 This will definitely help when I decide to pitch one of my game designs in the future. ✌️

[@bozotkopo]

Hi Jamey, thank you for being so transparent about the business behind board games, I really appreciate it. There is a topic that I think could be a great addition to your vlog: How to track Hit Points in tabletop games. There are a few options, like tokens, dice, dials or a tracker line. What do you think? :)

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks! I don't really play many games with hit points, and most that I can think of use dials (I think that's my preferred method).

[@yourMoonstone]

Great video Jamey! Thanks a ton for the tips & insight!

[@Cotick55]

Thank you for this video. I'm a eurogamer, so I started to design an amerygame :). Now I see that it has only one and a half unique ideas. That's not enough.

[@joshuasiegal]

Excellent video, thanks!

[@markheim5932]

Thanks so much for this information. I think a lot of us have taken a first time shot at game design during the pandemic. I was curious if I should have a completed game or bring in a game that was 75% complete to see if anyone was interested first. Keep up the great content it's definitely appreciated.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks Mark! From the designer's perspective, I would wait to submit a game until you consider it nearly complete...but then be open to the publisher viewing it instead as a 75% complete game that they can continue to refine.

[@eikejmeyer]

This is a really interesting video to gain some better insight into the publishers perspective! Thank you!

[@StevenStJohn-kj9eb]

[@BMVfilms]

You draw your deck (literally). Oh and you put stickers on them - that’s the legacy bit

[@TisButAScratch666]

Some great tips Jamey. Thanks

[@matt_stowball]

Lots of really great info and I love how you put the importance on the human aspect of submitting 🙏

[@NocturnalOnion]

Fantastic video Jamey! I've been watching as many design and publishing videos as I can, and your top 10 video on game design is what fired me up to pursue design in the first place. This video came out at the right time as we're just really getting into play testing. Knowing what comes next is a huge help. Thanks so much!

[@boredgameslab]

Appreciate your content as always Jamey! I'd love to hear your perspective on how to approach this topic in a remote environment. I feel like a lot of information about this is heavily focused on people who can attend conventions and get in front of publishers. Some of us live in places that don't have these and/or have higher barriers to entry for in-person meetups. I know you mentioned online presence, but it would be great to hear more specifically about this topic. What do you think about virtual pitching? Have you ever experienced/accepted one? What are the best ways you've seen to "get in front of publishers" in a virtual environment?

[@jameystegmaier]

I'd say that all of our pitches are virtual (and have been for years)--that's exactly how our submission system works. That's what this video is all about. :)

[@DeyaViews]

For the Selection part of the process: you mention "pick ONE game to submit". One thing I've heard some designers say (notably on the Ludology podcast) that if you pitch a game to a publisher and they reject it, it's a good idea to have a second game ready to pitch instead, like a backup. What is your opinion on that?

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm trying to think of a circumstance where a publisher would receive that well. At a convention if you have a meeting with a publisher, you probably have 20-30 minutes at most. Say you pull out Game A, and within a few minutes the publisher says it's not a good fit for them. 99% of the time it's because the designer didn't look at their guidelines or research the publisher, so no backup game is going to help that situation. I think maybe there's a very rare case where the designer has done everything right but the publisher just happens to have another similar game secretly in the works that the designer couldn't have known about and you still have 25 minutes to chat about it--in that rare case, yes, it might be good to have a backup.

[@Leonadter]

This was a super informative video that seems to have popped up just when I needed it in the height of my board game design process. I appreciate all the advise you selflessly provide and the work you do to contribute to the board game industry as a whole. This video will be a great reference for me when the time comes to prepare my own game pitch. Cheers!

[@yvettelee3990]

Great breakdown of the process.

[@casualrob]

Not exactly board gaming related, but have you ever read "On Writing" by Stephen King? One of the best works I've ever read when it comes to just creating things in general, lots of crossover with what you're talking about here. Thanks for putting out videos like this, always inspiring.

[@jameystegmaier]

I have--it's been a while, but I love that book. Great recommendation.

[@samhugo5870]

I also love this book. Destroying the rumor of writing a Harry Potter Success on a train to work, kind of like it would be possible without putting real work into it. But this reminds me of a Question autor reading, to a German Autor of Middle Age Themed Books, why the Book Titles aren’t fitting to the Story. He revealed that it’s the Publisher right because of the Marketing efforts to choose the Title an he very seldom has something to say in this matter. (Being clearly not so successful as Steven King). @Jamey:Is that true for Boardgames to, do the Publisher choose the Title of the Game?

[@nataliejohn4243]

This was so helpful! Thanks for all your videos. It's so nice to have these resources.

[@kiffscholl]

Incredibly helpful, as usual.

[@batkiz]

Thanks Jamie, so many good advice here.

[@ColonelKurtz]

I was wondering, perhaps, if you could provide more specifics regarding your process of onboarding projects from other designers. What factors inform the decision to start taking game submissions? And for how long to keep submissions open? What exactly is the review process like- is the task of preliminary review assigned to someone or a group of people to do over the course of a specified period of time? Is there ever a limit to the number of games that are passed on to you to review? Are prospective submissions retained a certain way for a period of time? How are they retained/organized? Also, if a publisher expresses some interest and communicates to a designer they will email if they want to move forward, would it be okay for the designer to ask when to expect a callback (within a timeframe or no later than a specific date)? Should the publisher expect a finished game, or could the designer still be in the midst of playtesting and iteration? Should the designer bookmark or pin the version that was pitched in case she wants to continue to make design changes? I'm sure this would come up naturally during the pitch, but would a publisher normally expect the game to not be iterated upon?

[@jameystegmaier]

Lots of great questions here, Derrick! What factors inform the decision to start taking game submissions? And for how long to keep submissions open? --I made that change for Stonemaier because I realized that my design skills are limited and I wanted to open Stonemaier to the best possible games to fit our guidelines. We generally keep submissions open all the time, but with the caveat (when appropriate) that we may not actively be seeking new games at any particular time. What exactly is the review process like- is the task of preliminary review assigned to someone or a group of people to do over the course of a specified period of time? Is there ever a limit to the number of games that are passed on to you to review? --I describe that process here: stonemaiergames.com/how-to-pitch-and-not-pitch-your-game-to-stonemaier-games/ Are prospective submissions retained a certain way for a period of time? How are they retained/organized? --It's just a Google Form/Doc. Also, if a publisher expresses some interest and communicates to a designer they will email if they want to move forward, would it be okay for the designer to ask when to expect a callback (within a timeframe or no later than a specific date)? --When should I expect a reply to this comment, Derrick? --Okay, that was a fake answer--don't worry. :) How did you feel when I asked you that? I think it rarely feels good to be asked when to expect a response; rather, when a person is ready to respond, they will. And if too much time has passed from your perspective, you can always check in to say hi. Should the publisher expect a finished game, or could the designer still be in the midst of playtesting and iteration? --From the designer's perspective, the game should be finished. But the game isn't actually finished, because the publisher will then enter to serve as a developer to make the game even better. Should the designer bookmark or pin the version that was pitched in case she wants to continue to make design changes? --I think it's a good idea for any game design to save the game at various stages. I often go back and look at what I did in a previous iteration. I'm sure this would come up naturally during the pitch, but would a publisher normally expect the game to not be iterated upon? --I would hope so, as I see it as the publisher's responsibility to develop the game for balance, fun, intuition, and marketability.

[@ColonelKurtz]

@@jameystegmaier Thank you kindly for your responses, Jamey. What I meant by the first question is what, for example, would make you open/close submissions? For example, does Stonemaier have a queue of prospective projects and when the # exceeds a certain amount that you feel could be ones you'd like to pursue, you close submissions? Or is it more like too many are coming in to keep up with so you have to close submissions? And, as far as the question about hearing back from the publisher, it's just the part of me that has to plan everything. For example, if I can't find a publisher, I may decide to go the route of self-publishing. In which case, it would be good to have somewhat of a date/month in mind when to realistic feel confident of the need to move forward, whether it be funding or whatever. I suppose after the pitch, the publisher should make it clear their intent/level of interest. 1) Don't call us, we'll call you...means no 2) We are interested, give us a few weeks to look things over, and we will call you with a proposal. I guess it would be helpful to know what kind of answers to expect and how to interpret them.

[@jameystegmaier]

​@@ColonelKurtz Alan checks the submission form results every week or so--it's an ongoing process, not something we open or close. I'd just say that if a publisher is interested in your game, you'll hear from them. If not, you won't. And in the meantime, as I mentioned in the video, you need to look out for yourself--if you don't hear from a publisher in a timely fashion, you need to do what's best for you (and it might be indicative that they're not someone you want to work with).

[@gradyhuggins1230]

Would you be able to explain a little bit more about what an Excel sheet (or were you saying "sell sheet"?) for a game might include or look like? Perhaps it's something you'd like to expound upon in a later video. Thanks!

[@jameystegmaier]

A sell sheet involves a short description of the game, highlights a few things that make the game special, and showcases a prototype photo and the contact information. I don't have an example of one, and I would say it is by far the lowest priority of anything on this list.

[@gradyhuggins1230]

Thanks for clearing up my confusion 😊

[@TheTrevorBunce]

Fantastically thorough, and a great glimpse behind the cardboard curtain. Thanks for making this, Jamey. This is a more specific hypothetical question, and I apologize if it's been answered elsewhere (and that it's long). But let's say you've submitted to a publisher that has a much slower turnaround, and simultaneously to a publisher with a quicker turnaround. If the quicker publisher is very interested, and the process has moved to such a place that they're insinuating an offer or actually making offers, would you consider it a faux pas to reach out to the slower publishers you've submitted to with a "bump" to let them know that your game is getting significant interest, and that if they want to take a look at it, sooner is better than later? Thinking specifically of a scenario where the slower publisher is one with whom you'd prefer to publish, if it's a courtesy to let them know there's a contract on the table or if it's tacky and comes across like you're just trying to get them to respond faster. I also wonder how the quicker company would feel if you said "I'm waiting to hear back from all interested parties before signing anything"

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks, Trevor! I think a polite bump is completely fine, as long as you don't make it seem like you're playing one publisher against another. You could even say, "You are my preferred publisher, though my goal is to get the game published by any of my top 5 best-fit, favorite publishers, so would it be possible to let me know in the next week, as my #2 pick has made an offer." Honestly, I'd wait until you actually receive the offer before sending that, though. If #2 makes the offer, just stall a little bit by asking questions, which is something we expect a designer to do anyway. :)

[@TheTrevorBunce]

@@jameystegmaier You're lightning quick, dude. I bow. Thanks a heap for this response. It's certainly a problem I'd like to have someday, so I'll keep this advice close at hand while I strive to make a situation like this happen to me haha Have a great one, and very much look forward to Apiary!

[@jameystegmaier]

@@TheTrevorBunce My pleasure! Good luck with the submission process. :)

[@nib71286]

The Seth Godin of board gaming! Ive only played one SM game once, but Im chomping on the bit to play more! Sorry if Ive ever PM'd you, didnt consider it a selfish play, but could totally see it fron a business stand point. For anyone out there, check out Jay Baer's book "Hug your Haters" for more reasons why this could be the case. Keep going Jamey!

[@J-Wheeler-G]

I know that you have said that the first prototype is going to be awful a bunch of times and one of the books (The Board Game Designer's Guide by Joe Slack) that you recommend to me a while back also emphasize this topic but mine didn't even work at all, I was very discouraged and haven't worked on it since. When is it that you know that this game is not going to work I need to do something else? Also even though I probably won't be pitching a game to you anytime soon, certainly not this one (it's a Basketball but from a franchise/management point of view) because I'm making this for my father and I don't even know if I would ever even want to pitch it pluss I know you are not interested in that theme. I wanted to thank you for all the advice in previous comments, recommendations and your vlogs that are very helpful to someone like me.

[@jameystegmaier]

John: I think the tough truth is that sometimes a game doesn't work, and that's okay. You can still learn from it if you decide to try another game someday. I permanently set aside games all the time because they don't work. :)

[@J-Wheeler-G]

@@jameystegmaier Yes, that was my gut feeling but wasn't sure if I was just not being patient enough. Thanks for taking the time to answer.

[@Darshist]

Thanks Jamey, always open, informative and welcoming. Thanks

[@mana_station]

Awesome video!

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

It's interesting as in Novels and video games it's completely different how you approach a publisher... In video games it's always by an email never in a public form... why? It's a private conservation and it's more formal at least with review copies... In Writing, you can't go directly to them at all and need an editor who is dedicated to the task kinda like a disability lawer... Thanks for the video! I never thought about how different industries have polar opposite etiquette! Edit: About the constructive cytizum bit... pure opposite with Novels... It's normal for a publisher to explain why they did not pick up your book... The novelist in me thinks when you are discussion about rejection questions "Man this publisher is uppity". Which in video games it's just common courtesy and not required.

[@jameystegmaier]

Just to clarify, tabletop game submissions are completely private (it's a private form, not a public forum). As for constructive criticism in the book publishing world, that hasn't been my experience. In book publishing, most authors aren't talking directly to publishers at all; rather, publishers only want to hear from literary agents, who serve as the conduit between authors and publishers. Part of the reason that happens is so publishers can have a more personal relationship with agents--the agents are acting as a filter for the publisher. For that reason, publishers are pretty open with agents about what they are or aren't looking for (or why a particular book is or isn't what they want).

[@jacquesfouche4278]

Hi Jamey, do you receive a lot of international submissions and do you handle/view them differently from local submissions? Obviously there would be a lot of logistical challenges for physical pitches, so I'd be interested in your take on it. I'm asking from the perspective of someone living in a country (South Africa) where the board game scene is only now taking off a little, but the publisher presence is still extremely limited. Lastly, thank you so much for taking the time to discuss all these design-related topics in such a transparent manner, it's invaluable to get an inside perspective as to how a publisher's approach to submissions might look.

[@jameystegmaier]

We do receive pitches from around the world, and the designer's location has no impact on our consideration of their work. We communicate mostly by email with everyone we work with (even people here in St. Louis). :)

[@durrellwalkersr.2016]

Hey thanks Jamey, you give good advice.

[@Mad-Jelly-Fish]

I really appreciate you saying you need to write a great rulebook! Playing games from Kickstarter with poorly edited or playtested rulebooks can easily be a games' biggest downfall, poor rule books really can ruin a game experience!

[@AvaFayIliza]

Hi Jamie! Thank you so much for this. As a budding game designer this info is absolutely invaluable. BTW, I am in love with Wingspan right now I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on the expansions! I haven't had the chance yet to play Scythe, but it's definitely on my list. Anyway thank you so much! 💖 -Ava

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks Ava! I'm glad you're enjoying Wingspan, and I'm glad this video was helpful for you. :)

[@lorimcdonald363]

Thanks, Jamey, for your guidance. Inspiring and informative!