Your Turn! The Guide to Great Tabletop Game Design

Whether you are a novice or experienced pro, this easy-to-follow guide to designing board games is for you!

In Your Turn! The Guide to Great Tabletop Game Design, veteran game designer Scott Rogers?creator of tabletop games including Rayguns and Rocketships, Pantone the Game and ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo?delivers a practical walkthrough to help YOU create over a half-dozen game prototypes, including dice, card, euro, miniature, and party games. The book is packed with easy-to-follow instructions, charming illustrations, and hands-on lessons based on the author's proven knowledge and experience.

And once you've made your game, Your Turn! will teach you how to prepare, pitch and sell it whether through crowdfunding or a publisher. You?ll also learn how to:

• Write and create elegant and crystal-clear rules of play
• Playtest your games to improve quality, fix problems, and gather feedback
• Learn what players want and how to design for it
• Learn the secrets of the Six Zones of Play and why they are so important to your game design!

Your Turn! is the essential guide for practicing and aspiring tabletop game designers everywhere! Why wait to make the tabletop game of your dreams? Grab this book and prepare to take Your Turn!

Hi There! xxi

Chapter 1 Let’s Make a Board Game! 1

The Game Board 2

A Brief Note About Components 3

Getting Started 4

How to Make a Game Board 5

Let’s Make Improve the Game! 11

Change a Number 12

Change a Component 13

Change a Rule 15

Change the Theme: An Introduction to Theme and Genre 16

Chapter 2 Writing Rule Books Is Hard 21

The Problem with Rule Books 23

Problem #1: There Can Be Only One (Reader) 23

Problem #2: Front-End Information Overload 24

Problem #3: Rule Book Length 25

Problem #4: Edge Cases 26

Tricks to Writing Rule Books 27

Trick #1: Rules Are Stories 27

Trick #2: Use The Six Zones of Play 28

Trick #3: I Am Talking to “You” 34

Trick #4: Use Command Statements 34

Trick #5: Include Pictures 34

Trick #6: Add Callouts 35

What Every Good Rule Book Needs 36

Creating an Introduction 36

List of Components 37

Game Setup 38

The Goal of the Game 38

General Sequence of Play 40

Detailed Sequence of Play 47

End of Game 47

Everyone Deserves Credit 48

But Wait, There’s More 48

Say What? Translating the Rules 51

Chapter 3 The Chapter About Play Testing 53

The Great Worry 54

Let’s Start Starting 56

Is This a Thing? 56

Going Solo 59

Do It by Design 62

Gamers Game Games 63

Friends and Family 73

Blind Play Testing 73

Publisher Play Testing 74

Chapter 4 Let’s Make a Dice Game! 75

Dice Basics 75

Dice Mechanisms 78

Rolling 79

Rerolling 80

Dice Determine Movement 81

Dice Determine Combat Results 82

Dice Placement 82

Banking Dice 82

Dice for Targeting 83

Dice Builder 84

Concealing Dice 84

Dice Determine Actions 85

Dice Determine Resources 85

Dice of Different Colors 86

Combination Matching 87

Real-Time Rolling 87

Roll and Write 87

Dice Stacking 89

Dice Crafting 89

Dice as Counters 89

Dice as Units 90

Bluffing with Dice 90

Pop-O-Matic 91

Choosing the Right Dice Tools 91

It’s Probably Due to Probability 91

I Still Don’t Believe in Luck, But 96

Let’s Design a Dice Game 98

Step 1: Create the Rules 99

Step 2: Play Test the Game 100

Step 3: Change the Rules 100

Step 4: Change a Number 101

Step 5: Change the Objective 102

Step 6: Add a Mechanism 103

Step 7: Change the Theme 104

Creating Your Own Custom Dice 106

Dice Games to Play 106

Chapter 5 Let’s Make a Card Game! 109

Let’s Create a Card! 110

One Way to Make Cards 110

Another Way to Make Cards 111

Yet Another Way to Make a Card 112

Here’s One More Way to Make a Card 112

Even More Ways to Make a Card 113

Print and Play 113

Size Matters 115

Clear Cards 116

Pentagonal and Hexagonal Cards 117

Circular Cards 117

A Very Short History of Card Games 118

An Order of Sides 121

Card Mechanisms 125

Components 142

A Note About Probability and Cards 143

Let’s Design a Card Game 144

Step 1: Setting Up the Game 144

Step 2: Create the Rules 144

Step 3: Play Test the Game 145

Step 4: Change the Rules 146

Step 5: Change a Number 146

Step 6: Change the Objective 146

Step 7: Add a Mechanism 147

Step 8: Change the Theme 148

Let’s Share a Card Game! 149

10 Card Games to Play 150

Chapter 6 Let’s Make a Party Game 153

First Came Parlor Games 153

Then Came Party Games 154

There Are Only Four Types of Party Games 157

Traits of a Party Game 160

Trait 1: Keep It Simple 161

Trait 2: Few Components 161

Trait 3: No Theme Required 161

Trait 4: Accommodating the Players 162

Trait 5: Playable Anywhere 166

Trait 6: Interruptions Allowed 167

Trait 7: Scoring at a Party 168

Trait 8: Ageless 168

The Five Ps of Party Games 169

Permission 169

Predictability 170

Pace 171

Presentation 173

Props 175

The Sixth P Is for Player 176

Party Game Mechanisms 176

Knowledge 176

Word Play 177

Guessing 178

Memory 178

Acting 179

Drawing/Creating 180

Betting 181

Bluffing 183

Repetition 184

Movement 184

Observation 184

Judging 185

Let’s Make a Party Game 185

Step 1: Create the Rules 186

Step 2: Playtest the Game 186

Step 3: Change the Rules 187

Step 4: Change a Number 187

Step 5: Change the Objective 188

Step 6: Add a Mechanism 188

Step 7: Change the Theme 188

Ten Party Games to Play 190

Chapter 7 Let’s Make a Board Game 193

Board Games of Antiquity 194

Mancala 195

The Royal Game of Ur 196

Mehen 197

Senet 198

Nine Man’s Morris 199

Chess 199

Backgammon 200

Hnefatafl 201

Snakes and Ladders 201

Ancient Games Are Still Around 201

Types and Elements of Game Boards 202

Game Board Grids 203

Game Board Tracks 203

Game Board Spaces 204

Victory Tracks 206

Maps 207

Terrain 208

Abstraction and Symbolism 211

How to Make a Game Board 215

Understanding Abstract Games 216

Traits of an Abstract Game 218

The Concept of Elegance 219

Abstract Game Mechanisms 220

Word Game Mechanisms 221

Let’s Design an Abstract Game 224

Step 1: Create the Rules 227

Step 2: Playtest the Game 228

Step 3: Change the Rules 229

Step 4: Change a Number 230

Step 5: Change the Objective 230

Step 6: Add a Mechanism 231

Step 7: Change the Theme 231

The Mensa Select Award 232

10 Abstract Board Games You Need to Play 233

Chapter 8 Let’s Make a Euro-Style Strategy Game 235

A Short History of the “German Game” 235

The German Game Becomes the Euro-Game 238

Euro-Game Traits 239

Lack of “Luck” 240

Lack of Conflict 241

Loss 242

Emphasis on Construction/Growth 242

Exotic Settings 243

Lack of Theming 245

Goals 245

Balancing Mechanisms 246

Catch-up Mechanisms 246

Shorter Playing Time 247

Wood Components Rather Than Plastic 247

Crunchiness and Weightiness 248

Euro-Game Mechanisms 249

Action Points 249

Action/Role Selection 251

Arrangement 252

Auction/Bidding 252

Building 253

Bag-Builder 254

Buying/Market 255

Choosing 255

Cooperation 256

Engine-Builder 257

Income 257

Negotiation 258

Placement 258

Follow Action 262

Seeking Information 263

Set Collection 263

Trading/Deal-Making 264

Rondels 265

Victory Track 266

Gaming Is for Everyone 266

Color Blind Accessibility 266

Language Dependency 267

Character Diversity and Portrayal 267

Let’s Design a Euro-Game 267

Components of Riverside 268

Step 1: Create the Rules 271

Step 2: Playtest the Game 271

Step 3: Change the Rules 272

Step 4: Change a Number 273

Step 5: Change the Objective 273

Step 6: Add a Mechanism 274

Step 7: Change the Theme 276

Some Euro-Games to Play 277

Chapter 9 Let’s Make a Thematic Strategy Game 281

A History of Thematic Games 281

The Adventure Is Yours 284

Meanwhile Over in England 286

The Secret Origin of Ameritrash 287

Traits of Thematic Games 289

Intellectual Property 291

Any Theme Can Be a Game 293

Stories in Games 295

Players Have Wishes 297

Adding Drama and Conflict 298

Strategy vs Tactics 301

Unraveling Complexity 302

Bring on the Bling 305

Making Miniatures 309

Collectability 311

The Gimmick 312

Thematic Mechanisms 316

Variable Player Powers and Characters 316

Leveling 318

Upgrades 320

Crafting 321

Action Points 321

Action Selection 321

Movement 322

Take-That 323

Fighting and Combat 324

Player Death and Elimination 326

Area Control 327

Timer 328

Doom Track 328

Race 328

Deduction 329

Voting 332

Let’s Design a Thematic Game 332

Step 1: Creating the Game Board/Tiles 334

Step 2: Creating the Characters 339

Step 3: Creating the Denizens and Hit Tokens 340

Step 4: Creating the Dice 342

Step 5: Create the Rules 342

Step 6: Playtest the Game 344

Step 7: Change the Rules 344

Step 8: Change a Number 346

Step 9: Change the Objective 346

Step 10: Add a Mechanism 347

Step 11: Change the Theme 348

Some Thematic Games to Play 349

Chapter 10 Let’s Sell a Board Game 351

Why Sell Your Board Game? 351

First Things First 352

The Importance of Sell-Sheets 354

The Pitch Presentation 357

The Pitch Video 363

The Digital Solution 366

Playtesting Events 367

Selecting a Publisher 368

Meeting with Publishers 370

Contracts and Money 373

Licensing Your Game 373

Credit Where Credit Is Due 374

The Advance 374

Royalty Rate 375

Other Rights and Issues 376

Complimentary Copies 376

Rights Reversion 377

Media and Products 377

Always Be Selling 377

Self-Funding 378

Crowdfunding 379

Marketing 380

Previews 380

The Campaign 380

Add-ons and Stretch Goals 382

Production 383

Pricing 385

Shipping, Storing, and Distribution 386

Chapter 11 Let’s Do It All Over Again! 389

Starting with a Mechanism (or Two) 389

Starting with the Theme 390

Starting with a Story 391

Starting with the Title 391

Start with Components 392

Starting with the Player Count 392

Starting with a “Moment” 393

Starting with an Experience 393

Starting with the Publisher’s Need 394

Carrying a Sketchbook 394

Inspiration for Amateurs 394

Preventing Game Designer Burnout 395

One Last Bit of Advice 396

Appendix A Let’s Make a Game Prototyping Kit! 399

Appendix B Sell-Sheet Examples 403

Who’s Hue? 404

Dynamite Ridge Railroad 406

Castle Climbers 408

A Town Called Showdown 410

Index 413

Scott Rogers has been a professional game designer for thirty years. He has designed many tabletop games including Rayguns and Rocketships, Pantone: The Game, ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo, and was featured in the 2020 documentary Gamemaster. He is the author of the best selling book Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design. Scott has taught at USC and the New York Film Academy and now he’s ready to teach YOU!