Made for Play: Board Games & Modern Industry

[@timjones990]

I certainly have a greater appreciation and understanding of the cost of the games I purchase

[@christopherphillips6486]

Very good film, I use it in my Advanced Marketing class and my students get to design their own games and we play the games on the last day of the unit. This film was very informative about the manufacturing and logistics process of creating game. Thank You!

[@Physiology-E-Paathshala]

So many people's efforts come together to enable someone else's few minutes of joy!

[@ClarkPotter]

The engineers behind these (any) factory machines are the unsung heroes. They deserve 6-figures in my book. Board games bring me so much joy that I'm thankful for everyone involved with the process. All for the cost of one dinner out, I get hours and hours of thoughty connection with friends.

[@StephenConway]

Agreed on all accounts. Thanks for watching!

[@X_Leonhart]

This really makes me value the hard work that is required to create board games. Amazing documentary.

[@StephenConway]

Thanks a lot. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Botanica_Gaming]

This is sure to make any communist shudder in their commune.

[@StephenConway]

Wooden/plastic pieces are important to some games, sure, but the color printing and the cardboard for boxes and tokens are very important to the process for every game Ludo Fact makes. If you watch the entire documentary, I think we show how these parts are essential to every game.

[@ilSilvano]

This was spectacular! Thank you for making this video, and thanks to every single man or woman working in Ludo Fact for bringing the fun on our tables!

[@upandawaygames]

Such a professional production. Very impressed.

[@StephenConway]

+Rick Heli Thank you very much!

[@Hgkbukk]

its German.

[@kioarthurdane]

This video is amazing. As I get myself into a hobby of Desktop Publishing and print-and-play games and design, I realize after watching how much I take for granted in the large-scale production of even the smallest of game print runs.

[@StephenConway]

Thanks to you all. There's a tremendous effort behind each box and we hope the film does a good job highlighting all the fine work that goes into every game.

[@Keindzjim]

I would like a documentary on the story BEFORE the producing and printing (i.e. Develoment, ideas, testplaying, making the rules etc.)

[@StephenConway]

Certainly an interesting topic. Hopefully someone will do a film on that some time.

[@funkygamesninja2782]

Check out Off The Page games, Jay has done a series of videos on those very subjects

[@alejandrolozano1258]

Game designers documentary

[@Lwilibert]

Plenty of those out there.

[@bweber02]

This is a fantastic documentary! I have not been able to find one so thorough yet digestible as this. Thanks to you and LudoFact for the inside look!

[@joemacleod-iredale2888]

Incredibly useful insight into the manufacture of games, from someone about to embark on a PhD that incorporates elements of board game design and making.

[@StephenConway]

Thank you for the kind words. I am very glad to hear you found the film helpful!

[@MajMalfunction10]

Great job. After watching the assembly line, I am amazed more games don't get opened to missing components. That looks to be an insanely tough job.

[@StephenConway]

Thanks for watching, Hertzog! It's great to know we can help other people interested in games understand all the different people and decisions that go into every box.

[@Derek-le4er]

I enjoyed watching this so much, thank you for taking the time to make this documentary.

[@StephenConway]

Thanks for the kind words! Great to know you enjoyed it.

[@StephenConway]

Thanks so much to everyone. We're so excited to be able to share the film with you all and are so glad to know you enjoy it.

[@cutcc]

Wow the color kitchen and other methods of cataloguing custom tools,shapes, and print runs are awesome =)

[@StephenConway]

It was really cool!

[@StephenConway]

Thanks for watching! We certainly hope the film gives people a new appreciation and perspective on the world of games.

[@aurabozzi228]

This was a great video!

[@StephenConway]

@@aurabozzi228 thanks so much!

[@vindagagames4498]

Amazing! I learned so much from this documentary. It’s so awesome to see the hard work and production that goes into these games. This was a delightful window into the world of board game manufacturing. Thank you!

[@StephenConway]

So glad the film helped you appreciate and learn about games! Thank you!!

[@JeremeyByrne]

Awesome work guys. I really enjoyed the in depth look into the making of boardgames. I have to go donate now. Content this good should be rewarded. Thanks for providing it for free.

[@gqdaddy8544]

A great cool video for table top gamers to see how their favorite German board games are made. I saw my 7 Wonders! "The Windmill" machine for game boards spinning around was very European in the windmill design. Love it! Ludo Fact has a secret vault of every game run they've ever made for every publisher? Treasure trove!

[@StephenConway]

Thank you so much Matthieu! So glad you enjoyed the film!

[@StephenConway]

Thanks, Sascha! So glad you enjoyed it.

[@-N0PE-]

Thank you for making this. Made my day

[@StephenConway]

Thanks so much! It makes my day to know I made yours. :)

[@StephenConway]

You are very welcome. Glad you enjoyed the film and found it helpful!

[@gamiclea]

Awesome job Stephen and Dave!! Very entertaining and informative...really enjoyed seeing a "How it's Made" approach to my favorite hobby.

[@luidavinci]

Such a great insight to the industry for inventors like myself. Thank you for sharing this video!

[@StephenConway]

You are very welcome. I am glad our film can help people understand the world of games a little better.

[@Victor_Zapata]

This is exactly what I've been wanting to see.

[@StephenConway]

thanks so much!

[@StephenConway]

We really appreciate all the kind words. Thank you all. And we certainly hope this gives people new insights into the world of games.

[@conradbarrettyear1032]

Stephen Conway how long does it take to produce the boards and how long does it take?

[@StephenConway]

there are several manufacturing processes detailed in the film but primarily we talk in detail about printing and cardboard fabrication (into boxes, boards and tokens).

[@muzboz]

That was really cool. I would love to see one on the entire DESIGN & ART process.

[@vatarants]

I have a dream to create my own boardgame and sell all over the world : )

[@dforte6195]

I too have a dream...but shhhhhh...dont say that here. They crush dreams, stamp them out into the same cookie cutter concept, and the next thing you know, you are a sleepwalking zzzzzzombie. Its a conspiracy I tell ya!

[@lollol44577]

And how are you doing so far after 3 years?

[@meenki347]

I have a dream too. My dream is to play all the games I own.

[@IskandarStrategist1689]

Same

[@ClarkPotter]

Same here. 3 prototypes set up in my office!

[@StephenConway]

Time for another round of thanks. Response has been just great thus far! We're glad the film helps show people the world of games from a perspective they've probably never seen before.

[@knockdownbarns]

I can't wait to be doing business at this scale.

[@ZoomOutMedia]

This is a cool documentary about the technical aspects of making board games! Very interesting :)

[@StephenConway]

thanks very much!

[@btanered]

awesome! i work in a direct marketing print shop in sweden and its great to see how anorher big company works! alot of the production is the same. thanx!

[@Hieronymus-Pseudonymous]

This needs more views.

[@StephenConway]

Thanks! I agree :)

[@reddyredrooster]

What a fantastic and professional job - I'm proud to be a backer!

[@marke4834]

Wow, as a budding game designer this was simply fascinating to watch and learn. Thank you so much!

[@pxlcrdgm8140]

Wow I'm really impressed. Currently looking for a manufacturer and Ludo Fact has just become a highly considered option for me. Take care!

[@MatthXIII]

Thanks for this wonderful video, and thanks to all these people that are creating our games!!!!

[@JacobWood]

This is one of the coolest things I've watched in a long time. I've been really interested in printing presses lately, and combining that with the way board games are manufactured was a really cool way to see it all in action.

[@StephenConway]

+Jacob Wood thanks very much! So glad you enjoyed the film..

[@RacetasClub]

That was super professional, very nicely done!

[@philyates7670]

Great documentary.

[@lisssner]

thank you for this video, just what i needed to know to make my game

[@StephenConway]

That's great to know! So glad it was helpful.

[@StephenConway]

You're very welcome, Oliver. Glad we could help you out. :)

[@JaKamps]

16:21 "It's a me, Mario!" Videogame character doesn't want people to know he works making board games.

[@Hieronymus-Pseudonymous]

I was thinking the same thing. :)

[@frankzed7684]

Thank you for this video, sir. Not enough of these out there.

[@kaytee8716]

beautiful !

[@StephenConway]

Thanks very much!

[@ziomalZparafii]

31:33 we all need such "sample room" in our houses ^_^

[@bp9762]

The Sample Room in Ludo Fact - a boardgamer's Paradise!

[@StephenConway]

We didn't want to leave the sample room. Could have spent hours in there! :)

[@briancherry8088]

"... to keep the cardstock from bending or warping before they are assembled." After they are in the box though, you're on your own. lol. Thanks for the great video!

[@StephenConway]

Hard to account for humidity and other factors that can cause warping once the games leave the factory, that's for sure! Glad you enjoyed the film!

[@Hertz80]

Thank you so much for uploading this. It's a wonderful insight into the board game manufacturing process! And I'm sure many hobby designers like myself will benefit from watching it :)

[@StephenConway]

wakertwojerk: it was difficult to pry us out of the Sample Room! Definitely a board gamers' paradise. I am sure the Ludo Fact people were rolling their eyes at us walking around the stacks like giddy schoolgirls. daniel: thanks. so glad you enjoyed it!

[@BizarroJoe000]

This is awesome and enlightening. Great work!

[@StephenConway]

+Joe Walerko thanks very much!

[@atherisentertainment2208]

This is a great documentary on the board game manufacturing process. Great work! :) It is amazing being able to publish board games. We're very fortunate to be in such an inclusive and overwhelmingly positive industry.

[@atherisentertainment2208]

We wonder how things have changed in LudoFact's printing capabilities and technologies since this video.

[@DriveThruReview]

Guys... That was amazing!!

[@JaKamps]

I own the featured Cyclades & "Masters of Commerce"'s reprint, which is Panic on Wallstreet (& now out of print). They are favorite's of mine. I also have Saboteur.

[@CharlieShread]

Thank you for making such a wonderfully informative film!

[@StephenConway]

You're very welcome. Glad you enjoyed the film and found it helpful!

[@Cellardoorian]

If you like this documentary please consider backing the spiel's current kickstarter (link in video description) for more great documentaries about the games we love.

[@reftomgreen82]

Very interesting. I worked primarily as a scupltor for a table top miniatures company in the 80s' (Heritage Models, Dallas, Texas) but I was also involved with mold making and casting for a while. In this video I saw lots of parallels with the behind the scenes manufacturing, packaging and shipping process.

[@StephenConway]

Thanks very much! Gosh I think I may have a few of y our minis here in my collection! :) I can see how there would be lots of parallels in the process since both start out as creative endeavors and end up as a series of manufacturing challenges that are interesting in their own way.

[@reftomgreen82]

There were at least a dozen sculptors that contributed to th evarious Heritage lines over the years. I did a lot of 15 mm historical figs but also contributed to the 25 mm fantasy lines. There are a few pics in my gallary on BoardGameGeek dot com under user = RefTomGreen.

[@jensmaier8289]

super interesting video ! many thanks !

[@StephenConway]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it. :)

[@StephenConway]

Thanks very much! We appreciate the kind words and the support. Feel free to spread the word far and wide. :)

[@JuanDiaz-jo1rw]

I have a question. If I have and old cardboard game that I would like to restore. As you already know the board gets scratched or faded after long years. Is there a way to get someone somewhere that can do a re print of a bard that doesn't exist anymore as long as I have a picture?.

[@StephenConway]

@@JuanDiaz-jo1rw If you have a good high res photo, your best bet is probably to go to a print shop with a large format color printer. They could do a one-off print of the board and format it to the right size so you can apply it to the board.

[@JuanDiaz-jo1rw]

@@StephenConway ok thanks, but who does print on card board and how would they know what type of card board material is used to make a board game. Because as far as I know. Game boards come prepared with a special gloss and they look like they are wrapped some how or laminated. I'm trying to get the Tio Rico Mc Pato board game. But it looks like they are only making them in Colombia. They don't sale them in the US anymore. I check their website but they don't do shipping to the US. The original game was from 1972 but it looks like they came out with a re released in 2010. But they didn't use that hard card board it originally came in. And they also have a Delux edition.. I've been trying to get my hands on them and I haven't been able to. I grew up with it. I can't find it anywhere else.

[@StephenConway]

Sorry I misunderstood. I was thinking you wanted to revive an older board from a game you own and apply new art to the old board. If you are wanting to create an entirely new board with artwork, etc. I would look into The Game Crafter. They manufacture custom board game boards and cards. You can find them at www.thegamecrafter.com/

[@JuanDiaz-jo1rw]

@@StephenConway awesome, thanks a lot.

[@w0mblemania]

This was great, thanks.

[@DavidEstall]

A really excellent production, congratulations gents!

[@heijewubs988]

Wood be interesting to see how the numbers hold up now, ten years later!

[@anzaeria]

Great documentary. Really interesting insight into how board games are made. There's a game I'm designing that I would like to see produced one day. Luckily, it doesn't have any unique shapes with any of the cardboard pieces. There are lots of tiles required but they are square shaped.

[@tinshoegames1231]

Excellent work on this!

[@StephenConway]

Thanks very much!

[@jamesburns6603]

They seem more like an assembler type of company ,then a manufacturer. Thought they did just buy the Printer company as well. Perhaps they might expand into making the wooden bits as well?

[@pedro_navarro]

31:25 Aha!! It was you who forgot to include the rulebook!!

[@murvo]

Did I see full size Ticket to Ride train cards?!?! What the hell, I'm super jealous my edition has tiny cards.

[@binaryspider]

Just a very small detraction here. When you describe the plates (6:24), what you did was to take the original image and put 6 differently tinted versions of it. The issue is that plates will often look very differently than one another. Wherever there is no magenta, there will be nothing on the plate. This is a ridiculously small gripe with the presentation. In fact, I'm probably just waving around my printing experience to appear smart. I like the film very much.

[@slackerjoe]

Really well done. Fantastic production quality, educational, and great music too!

[@paulstaker8861]

Whenever I feel doubt about spending upwards of 80$ on a big box game,... I watch this.

[@StephenConway]

:) I feel the same way. Thanks for watching!

[@paulstaker8861]

Entirely my pleasure :")

[@jossuearias3509]

What an informative video for me. My board game might take time to be released. But it'll be hot :)

[@MeanderingMikesManCave]

Fascinating! 2.5 million Euros for a 6 color printing press setup ... that was 11 years ago ... I wonder how much that would cost today!!

[@whizkid365]

Wonderful!!!! Keep up the good work and I'll look forward to supporting more of your efforts!

[@easymath8574]

Great video, i am a game designer, this is very useful

[@StephenConway]

Thanks very much! Glad to know you found the film helpful.

[@Santanilla]

Que buen video!

[@StephenConway]

Thank you!!

[@stingray2159]

Just what I was looking for

[@StephenConway]

Great! Thanks for watching!

[@someknave]

Well Done Guys!!

[@michaelross1386]

Brilliant and informative. I'm an Author who has designed a board game that accompanies my urban fantasy trilogy called The Wand Chronicles, with cards, quad fold board, cardboard characters, plastic stands and and special dice. From my 1st mock-up to testing and then blind testing has been a journey...now on the hunt for some board game publishers in the UK to take it on board. Any suggestions anybody? Thanks, Michael

[@StephenConway]

First, thank you very much for the kind words! I am always glad to know when someone finds the film is helpful and entertaining! Second, I would recommend attending the UK Games Expo which is coming up in June. There will be many game publishers there and you will be able to learn a great deal from taking meetings with lots of publishers. www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/

[@luxjedi]

Well done, well worth the money I spend on the Kickstarter campaign, and that's not counting all the interviews that have already been posted. See you in Essen in October? ;)

[@JaKamps]

26:28 I like that there's a punk rock girl working at the board game company. As well as ska sounding music during the video.

[@buasuda0]

Amazing.

[@StephenConway]

Thank you so much!

[@SlotraceDK]

Impressive!

[@StephenConway]

Thanks so much!

[@jamesburns6603]

Nice little video. Though I thought that Ludo Fact did it all ,but it seems that all they do is assemble the final product for in the video it says the wooden pieces and bits come from other manufactures. It seems all they do it punch out anything cardboard like the board or other components like that.

[@raffaelepassarelli6444]

3 years from this video, is anything changed in the process? thanks to upload this, it is incredibly interesting.

[@StephenConway]

+Raffaele Passarelli the process has not changed much at all. Some publishers use digital printing instead of the traditional 6 color process shown in the film but the basic steps are essentially the same.

[@Phunguyen-wq1ht]

Very Details! Love it

[@innovationstudios9040]

Hey 👋… thanks for this amazing video… I have made 5 board games and 2 card games and I’m from Namibia 🇳🇦 Africa. I’m struggling to find a publisher is it possible to assist me with getting me closer to publisher… Is it possible for me to send you the sell sheets of my games and you assist me with your publishers… much appreciate in advance for your assistance.

[@ariksternberg5567]

the other side of game-mechanics :) very good documentary with a few well placed promotional facts about Ludo Fact. See it if you like board-games culture!

[@Zwiezwerg92]

Great film, thank you!

[@JIGSCUT]

nice video

[@StephenConway]

Thanks

[@neanderthalgames6205]

Such a great video!!!

[@StephenConway]

+Neanderthal Games thanks very much!

[@neanderthalgames6205]

I hope to be producing my game within the next year so this was just the perfect thing to see! I'll have to check out this manufacturer now! :)

[@StephenConway]

+Neanderthal Games here's a link to their web site www.ludofact.de/

[@mathieuhatt]

Extremely well done, interesting and fun. Congrats!

[@rabardy2992]

An awesome video - very informative... ;-) Thank you.

[@StephenConway]

Thanks very much!

[@shett8320]

maybe you know the name of cutter for gaming cards? Very interesting machine, never seen something like that, and want to learn about it.

[@MrMaligner]

Fantastico! Thanks for the hard work!

[@STOCKBROT1973]

Absolut amazing!! Thanks for this great film!

[@Armitage01101]

Really nice video!

[@StephenConway]

+Drowsy Emperor thanks. glad you enjoyed it!