10 Answers to Tabletop Game Design, Publishing & Prototyping Questions

[@NishithThakkar]

Cutting cards for my prototype, listening to Jamey talk about listening to a podcast while working on prototypes. Quite a meta moment. Thanks a lot for all the expertise and insight! I'm slowly working my way through a lot of these as I am developing my first game, and the perspective and knowledge from these videos is quite invaluable.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thank you! I do the same thing (listen to podcasts or watch game design videos while assembling prototypes). :)

[@jacquesfouche4278]

Very insightful, thanks! You're answer to no.7 especially set me at ease, glad to know it's not just me who's fretting internally!

[@lemoncassidy]

Listening to this while designing my first game and considering how to build the prototype. Thank you for all the sage advice and for supporting human creators!

[@jameystegmaier]

My pleasure! I hope this is helpful. :)

[@Jon.Li.Sketches]

Really interesting answers to great questions. Totally agree on your stance on AI in terms of creativity related tasks.

[@Ian-R-Wilz]

I know your stance on AI for artwork for your games and I completely agree. My question would be, if someone where to submit a prototype using AI for artwork (with plans to use an actual artist for the final copy) to make it a little more aesthetically pleasing for the prototype would that dissuade you form choosing the title?

[@jameystegmaier]

For prototypes, I'm fine with someone using art from a variety of sources (including AI) to set the tone for the game.

[@jameystegmaier]

@@andrewmitchell3459 Quite the opposite. This is a pro-human take that keeps independent artists, playtesters, and proofreaders in the market rather than being replaced by AI.

[@joeybrobuscus7392]

​@@jameystegmaieras a translator myself and just as a person who is worried about the IA taking over some jobs, I really appreciate your thoughts on this matter. Thank you!

[@xChikyx]

tbh, if i see someone usijg AI in any stage, I will doubt everything they created. What if everything was conceived by AI? I'd rather have someone show up with hand drawn stick figure drawings than AI

[@zmollon]

Always good taking a peek at how board games are designed.

[@Kartenhouse]

Small note: I love Pendulum and I think it's very much underrated. Aside from being a great and innovative game in its own right, having friends who suffer from severe analysis paralysis really makes you appreciate it.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks! I agree that Pendulum is a great game for countering AP.

[@michaelcardel8920]

Always fascinated to hear the behind the scenes work of game design, so thanks for this! So, besides the things on your submission guidelines, are there certain things that you see that really make a game pitch stand out? I've yet to pitch a game to anyone but I'm trying to learn ways to go above and beyond!

[@jameystegmaier]

Other than the things I mention in this video, really the top thing is clarity. The easier we can play the game from the rules and components (rather than spending most of our brainpower trying to understand how the game plays), the better.

[@paigel6630]

Its often said that making fan content is a good way to practice design whether it's video game mods or fan expansions/cards for board games. Have you ever talked about things to watch out for when making custom realms for rolling realms? Like how to know how many resources to make earnable, etc?

[@jameystegmaier]

I actually just recently wrote an article on this topic! stonemaiergames.com/a-fan-designed-an-expansion-for-your-game-what-should-you-do/ As for Rolling Realms specifically, we generally aim for players to be able to get around 7-10 resources and 6 stars in 8-10 activations.

[@404ErrorPage]

Excellent video. Plenty of food for thought especially your involvement with Connie designer of Apiary. The labelled baggies and clear components for prototyping i.e. Functionality over form is insightful. How do you decide in the prototype stage which path to take with a game's development. For example, a two player duel style current prototype the decision is dexterity, card or even dice-based. The first is the more unique of the three but from a publishing stance what are your thoughts on the attraction between the three?

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks! It was great to work with Connie, the designer of Apiary. When I'm designing a game, I simply try to craft a specific experience that I think will bring joy to tabletops. For any game I typically brainstorm and test a variety of mechanisms until I found those that are the best fit.

[@paulnewsham]

I had that moment (about 3 weeks ago), where a game was announced for next year that sounds a lot like one I've been developing for a while. Details are light about it at the moment, but I quickly rationalised it similarly to your comments. i.e. It's going to (hopefully) be/feel different anyway. How can I just make mine the best it can be, maybe by leaning into the differences? Thanks for these videos Jamey - really enjoying the design/development insights and experience.

[@jameystegmaier]

I know those moments are tough, but I'm glad you used it as positive motivation for your design! Thanks!

[@coyotemoon722]

Jamie, great video! Can you share insight on the way to create higher quality prototypes for chit board components, player boards, and the game board itself? Are there any print-on-demand shops that would provide this service?

[@jameystegmaier]

Absolutely, there are several websites that do this. Check out the "create a prototype" section of this page: stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter/how-to-design-a-tabletop-game/

[@GnatsOriginals]

Awesome video Jamey thank you- especially because I have a big 6-player test coming up this week & need these "is it fun?" reminders. I was literally cutting out and finishing a prototype for ours while listening to this video. I think being a first-time designer has led me to make typical mistakes- like going visually further than a basic prototype (despite the other reason that I may be one of those people who might self publish)~but~ I consider our game super gateway so I am passionate about catering to non-gamers specifically. What would you say in that respect to bumping up graphics for prototypes not only for playability and visual language but also to help folks get in the spirit who don't usually visualize like we designers, hobby gamers, and experienced publishers? I of course feel like I'm doing a little extra service to my target audience 🤓 and of course I enjoy the process. Not to say I'd ever design like this again for a different game...love to know your thoughts about that mindset/where I'm coming from❣️

[@jameystegmaier]

I hope the big playtest goes well! I totally think that using placeholder art to set the mood/setting can help, though it's also a good test to see if the mechanisms are representing the theme well by not using any art at all. That's what I did with Tapestry playtests.

[@GnatsOriginals]

Thank you- that is an interesting thought that I have not yet considered and perhaps will try next!

[@alexzoin]

Video game dev here! Just so you are aware, an "AI" opponent in a video game is a categorically different thing than a generative AI or the kind of AI people talk about today. Enemy "AI" is just a collection of a handful of algorithms to do things like pathfinding. I am not aware of any games actually using Machine Learning to make enemy "AI" in games at all.

[@jameystegmaier]

I agree! Is there a better term I can use to differentiate the two in the future?

[@alexzoin]

@jameystegmaier There's definitely no set industry term. A lot of devs do say AI. Other popular terms are CPU, Computer Player, or just a Bot. Generally Machine Learning AI that does visual output is referred to as a Generative AI. You really didn't do anything wrong at all! I just wanted to point out that the use of """AI""" opponents in games isn't frowned upon at all and isn't what people mean when they talk about AI being bad in the videogames/boardgames/art space. By the way, just found your channel and I'm loving your work! I've never published any physical games and I aspire to eventually.

[@gaillardlionel]

Out of curiosity, would you mind sharing what the original name of Expedition was before you changed it?😊

[@AaronRauth]

About a year ago i had an idea for a game and worked on my own for several months during which the initial idea completely evolved out of the mechanics. Have you had this happen, and if so, do you ever return to the original idea to see if that can be successfully developed, or do you take the evolution as a sign that it isn't the strongest option?

[@jameystegmaier]

I can absolutely relate to that! Most ideas I've ever tried to implement end up on a list for future use, not the first game I tested them in. :) I try to take notes about this ideas in Trello so I can revisit them later.

[@CactusJackter]

Hi there - have you previously written a blog, or are interesting in writing a blog/recording a video about how you go about developing the value and balance of actions in worker placement games? Thanks.

[@jameystegmaier]

I have a few videos about worker placement, but not balance specifically, as it's specific to each game--I don't think there are global rules for balance.

[@CactusJackter]

Thanks for replying. I've watched all your videos about it and have a list of your top games involving it for further research. Do you have any advice on how best to go about balancing it, or is simply testing, testing, testing the answer? Thanks again, your replies are greatly appreciated.

[@jameystegmaier]

@@CactusJackter I think testing, testing, testing is generally the answer. :) You can use some basic formulas to balance the actions ($1 = 1 VP = 2 basic resources = 1 commodity, etc), but also pay attention to what players actions players seem to prefer over others.

[@CactusJackter]

Thanks again.

[@xChikyx]

it happened to me that I have a game developed since 2015, Called it Dracula's Curse. Since I'm live in codta rica, I havent been able to publish it yet. But then a kickstarter showed up with that name around 2023 i guess. and even tho i clesrly have been working on it from earlier (even had the BGG page set up in 2020), I had to change the name :/

[@dcomartin1]

How long did Wingspan take to get from idea phase to first prototype?

[@jameystegmaier]

I think the designer, Elizabeth Hargrave, spent a month or so working on the very original version before first playtesting it. I worked on the game for several years with her before going to print--it changed significantly from the original submission to the final version.

[@therealBocaStudios]

I recently made an attempt to download the podcast versions of your episodes..however the audio isn’t solid on the podcasts 😅 and cannot be heard well, the room echo is in the audio and your voice is weak. You might have to upscale the audio but I’d ask if you’re using a condenser-cardioid microphone?

[@jameystegmaier]

I use a Blue Yeti mic.

[@RyanCrossOfficial]

Really interesting to add the extra bit around AI at the end. It feels like a grey area for tasks like text editing to be considered a "creative" task that AI shouldn't help with. Kudos for having a clear stance, but seems like it might also be limiting your tool box as well.

[@jameystegmaier]

I've found that limits and constraints are some of the best tools. :) We have no desire to replace any creative human work with generative AI.

[@SPQRKlio]

@@jameystegmaier👍💕

[@ruicabral171]

In terms of design, is it possible to create a game whose story, or action, can follow a random path, in such a way that it has virtually infinite gameplay, combinations and unpredictability?

[@jameystegmaier]

Definitely, there are many ways for games to offer nearly infinite replayability. I talk about that topic in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZCThoGniNyZhMUsi=vxMLrbsZhnhpVEm0

[@ruicabral171]

@@jameystegmaier My question was to demystify the category of campaign and legacy games, transforming each complete game into a different branch of history. In other words, the paths chosen may even be the same, but the challenges and events may be different, leading to a different outcome. Games like Gloomhaven shouldn't be so limited, despite the huge number of hours for each game.

[@jameystegmaier]

@@ruicabral171 I think this might be the first time someone has called Gloomhaven limited. :) If you're looking for a game that offers different branches of history every time you play, I'd recommend Tapestry.

[@ruicabral171]

@@jameystegmaier limited, not literally, but in the spoiler sense :) Probably few will be able to spend the number of hours necessary to play Gloomhaven completely. Tapestry and Expeditions are on my wish list. I'm waiting for availability in my local store in Portugal. For now Scythe is the focus and preference of my gaming time.

[@therealBocaStudios]

AI is becoming big in the bottom-up design space. There are a whole group of designers/publishers coming up through the ranks that want to fast track their games with AI art and I’ve seen a couple of conversations that suggest AI game development. I wonder if the industry as a whole needs to set some standards and have retailers and distributors pledge to those standards….

[@gaillardlionel]

I consider heavy use of text on cards to be a design flaw. On the table, they are hard to read from all angles (especially with small fonts!). In our hands, it slows down the game because we constantly have to re-read the cards (this is more pronounced of course with "big hands" of cards). I've (sadly!) shied away from several of your games lately because of that aspect (Red Rising, Expedition), and I heard in this video that you were working on another card game, so I was wondering: is it just me or has this aspect ever come up in your play tests? I feel that text on cards is perhaps heavily influenced by popular games like Magic the Gathering, but what works well (for some) at 2 players doesn't necessarily work well at 3, 4 or 5 players counts. Why do you think cards with lots of text are still a thing nowadays (you're not the only one using them, I think Evenfall is another recent example if I'm not mistaken...). Thanks for sharing your thoughts!