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Tip of the Day: Idea Boards

Tip of the Day: Idea Boards

When I start designing a game, my first step is to scribble all my thoughts about it down into a notepad. What’s the theme? What’s the scope? Who’s it aimed at? What are the key mechanics? How do you win? How do players interact? What do I want the players to feel? All of this gets jotted down in no particular order, just to get it out of my head and clear some brainspace. I’ll invariably find that, as I’m doing it, fresh ideas pop up - so I write them down, too.

Tip of the Day: First Steps

Tip of the Day: First Steps

Starting a new design can be a daunting prospect, because in your mind you’re always going to compare it - however subconsciously - to all the finished games you know. One of the most common issues I see among new designers is the notion that they can’t start until they’ve thought of everything, or that they can’t try the game out until they’ve written all the rules down. This is rubbish, and it’s one of the best ways to run out of steam on a project before you’ve even really started.

Thoughts on Game Design: Colour Blindness

Thoughts on Game Design: Colour Blindness

My grandad was colour blind, and when I was little there was always a worry that it would be passed down to me. I was lucky, but my cousin inherited it, and according to a quick google it's as prevalent as one in every twelve men in the world (and one in two hundred women). In other words, it's surprisingly common! And yet, it's something that the board games world is only just starting to take into consideration.