The Board Game Industry | Start Here

[@markdavies7776]

This was a very good video for me Adam, especially the second half. I like how open and informative you are about your experience in the board game industry, clarifying how important it is for budding designers like myself to not get too over excited or disillusioned about the money that 'could' be made. I also appreciate how honest you are about how much money you are making currently through KZbin. You're videos and channel really do deserve loads more views! Talking of which I need to scour back over your older videos regarding publishing and breaking out into the BG industry. PS loved the pic of you in your dentist garb proving you're proper day job!

[@xcaliburvv2352]

It’s very clear that you care about this industry and fellow game makers. Thank you, great video!

[@richardwalker9826]

i have a board game that i created but i can't find anyone to back it or get it started. i don't have any money to make it myself so what do i do now? you would think that companies would jump at the chance to get a new game on store shelves so why does it take years to get a new game on the market? even kickstarter takes money but i don't have any money. so what do i do with my game now? how do i get a game tester to play test my game if i only have one homemade copy of my game and i don't have any money to get a prototype made?

[@AdaminWales]

Hi Richard, thanks so much for your questions. I thought there was a lot to cover here, so I made a video instead of writing it all out in a comment. Hope it helps :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/npjPZIiYbdJrl5I

[@DrewCarson-p7n]

Amazing video. It's clear that the financial outlook for dedicated game designers is pessimal, which is why those who want to do it as a career typically become the publisher. I am currently working on solutions to some of these problems with my company. I hope to live in a world where board game artisans (encompassing all the creative work) is properly compensated.

[@jericodepadua8853]

Great video. Your videos might be niche, but You got my big thanks for inspiring up and coming creators. Im looking to launch my Kickstarter, your videos are very informative.

[@randomutubr222]

Thanks for the video. I've been looking into getting into a business for myself, and self publishing a board game is one of my ideas. This gives some good context into what expect.

[@AdaminWales]

Glad it helped. Good luck with your business!

[@zmollon]

I think the main thing is not to expect to make money. If you are very experienced, a graphic designer, and an artist, you might be able to manage something without blowing the bank and actually recoup money, but crowdfunding is *crowded* these days.

[@randomutubr222]

@@zmollon Yeah, I have experience in game design, graphic design, illustration, 3D modeling, printing, marketing etc. Developing the game and its assets, and then marketing it, are all things I have enough skills in to know what I’m getting into. It’s the cost to manufacture that’s the problem.

[@zmollon]

@@randomutubr222 wow. I'd say making sure there is some hype for your game before going to gamefound or Kickstarter is a good idea. Lots of playtesting and blind playtesting will help if you are to build prototypes. Manufacturing is harder obviously but there are some good links online about actual materials used for board games so you can st least go to a company with all information they might need in terms of card thickness, type of finish, etc. Good luck friend :)

[@Native2Earth]

Great video I’m definitely going to self publish since I’m already a graphic designer 🧑‍💻 can’t wait to launch my first game. :)

[@AdaminWales]

Great. Good luck! Graphic design is such a useful skill in this industry.

[@a7xfanben]

Great overview video! 😀

[@stevecardiff444]

A really interesting watch Adam - as always.

[@AdaminWales]

Thanks Steve :)

[@marklangley8100]

Thanks Adam, another wonderfully explained overview about the world of board game design. I love the way you succinctly breakdown the various elements and interrelated parts of the industry. As a relatively new designer this type of content is invaluable. This also describes in a very direct and honest way how navigating a successful career will definitely have it’s challenges!

[@TheJamon79]

Is it feasible to earn a full time salary in the industry rather than free-lancing? I’m curious if there’s a stable way to earn an income in toys/ games other than by founding and running your own publishing company.

[@AdaminWales]

Yes, definitely possible! But not easy. I talk around these topics in the following videos. Can you REALLY do both? Juggling game design with another career. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYvdi4GgpNKDndE How niche can a BOARD GAME be, while still marketable?... Your Game Design Opinions and Insights kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4WulmmNZ5uLp5Y

[@VedranPrema]

Dear Adam, thank you for a great video, your such a kind and charming personality! As a budding inventor, how does one find an agent and how can an inventor trust the agent not to steal concept of the game before the inventor has it copyrighted?

[@AdaminWales]

Thanks for watching! I’ve never used an agent and there aren’t many around. I’ve heard good things about White Castle but I can’t vouch for them myself because I haven’t used them. Here’s a video I made about protecting your idea: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYXFeal6l513fsk

[@grafjean25]

Thanks for this video 👍

[@aquarius5719]

There are rumors that Hasbro want to stop being a toy company and become a videogame company. That is good news because collector's will stop spending on toys and could collect board games.

[@TisButAScratch666]

Thanks Adam. Another very informative, yet thoroughly depressing video! God reality sucks!

[@AdaminWales]

No problem - I didn't meant to depress anyone! :D

[@ismaelhall3990]

all about the money

[@aquarius5719]

There is a way to win Monopoly. Hoard houses. Do not buy hotels. Then an attrition game begins. It is slow and painful and you win. It will make the game of ruining others painful so you can convince them to play a different game where the goal is not to ruin people. We have enough of that in real life.

[@azzaelulbrinter]

Wait am i missing something? 20 pounds per month is like nothing right? How much is that in usd?

[@AdaminWales]

With current exchange rates, £20 is equivalent to $24… so, yeah, it’s really a meagre reward for the effort put into the videos. My channel has grown a little since I made this video so now I make more like £35 ($42) per month. I’m OK with this. It pays for a game each month… well, nearly. KZbinrs generally don’t rely on advertising revenue for this reason - they’d have to have millions of subscribers to make even a modest income. One way they make money is through sponsorship deals outside of the KZbin app itself - companies pay them to feature their products. I don’t do this. Another way KZbinrs get paid is by providing paid preview videos for upcoming games (usually Kickstarter games). Again, I don’t do this although I get offers. I like to pick and choose which games I talk about based on my own interests. Kickstarter games rarely match my personal taste. There’s often speculation that KZbinrs get paid by publishers for providing reviews. I’ve never actually read or heard any convincing evidence that this is happening. Nobody has ever offered me money for a review, and I wouldn’t accept it. Some publishers (actually more distributors) do send me review copies of games. Most stipulate that they don’t actually mind whether I review them or not… they leave that to my judgement. But I always try to prominently feature the games in some form or other - even if it’s not a review. Some KZbinrs have annual funding campaigns - usually on Kickstarter. They collect a large amount of money once per year from donations by fans. This pays their salaries. This is only feasible if you already have a massive following. “Massive” is a relative term. The biggest board game channels are tiny compared to their video game counterparts. Finally, many KZbinrs have Patreon accounts, where some viewers pay a voluntary subscription each month. This can translate into a small but stable income each month. Often the KZbinr offers perks like a newsletter, or exclusive videos for Patreon-backers only. I have considered using Patreon because I feel like I have a very loyal fan base who might be willing to contribute. But frankly, at that point I would start to feel obligated to make videos, and that would add to my daily stress for relatively little reward. Currently I make videos when I want, covering the topics that I want to cover. I am not answerable to anybody. So for me KZbin is a hobby first and foremost. It pays VERY little. It is useful though for networking. I get to know industry folk, which is useful for a designer. And exploring games in depth through the channel also informs and inspires my own designs. So it’s not JUST a hobby. The channel directly contributes to my design career.

[@azzaelulbrinter]

@@AdaminWales wow, I wasn't expecting such a deep answer. Thank you! I just found about your channel and I'm doing a binge watching right now!