How to Make Your Own Board Game
Write down your ideas., Determine the age range of your players., Set your goals., Decide how players will win., Write out the basic rules., Create a test game., Sketch a rough draft of your board design., Test your prototype., Play it with friends...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Write down your ideas.
Keeping a log in a sketch book or on a computer can really help get good ideas flowing.
Use this log to write out every idea you have about your game as you begin designing it.
This will help you quickly separate good ideas from weak ideas.
There are two basic approaches to starting your design:
Themes and Mechanics.
These two concepts are the foundation of all board games.
Themes are the “feel” of the game, and can also be referred to as the “genre”.
Games like Sorry! have a simple theme of beating your opponent around the board, while complex wargames have the theme of large conflicts and player strategy.
Mechanics are the fundamental ways the players interact with the game.
In Monopoly, the mechanics are centered around dice-rolling, buying and selling property, and making money.
In Axis & Allies, the mechanics deal mainly in moving pieces across a large, interconnected board, while using dice to resolve conflicts between players.
There is no right or wrong way to start designing your game.
Some people come up with a mechanic, and then create a theme around it, while others come up with a great theme and then tailor the mechanics to match that theme. -
Step 2: Determine the age range of your players.
Knowing the age range of your tentative players would allow you to design the game as simple or as detailed as you wish it to be and would allow you to create age-appropriate rules.
For instance, if you are designing the game for young children, you would want to create something that is simple, easy-to-understand, fun, and would promote camaraderie and learning among the children at the same time.
For adults, you could create something that is more competitive and exciting. , Once you have the basic ideas behind your game written down, set yourself some design goals that will help shape your game.
Ask yourself what kind of experience you want your players to have, and what you want your game to accomplish.
Consider some of the following when coming up with your goals:
Decide how many player the game will support.
Think about if the game would be fun with two players, or if it needs three or more.
Think about how long you want your average game to take.
Take into account the first game that players will play, and the learning time associated with it.
Ask yourself how complex you want the game to be.
Some people enjoy games that are incredibly complex, with thick manuals full of rules, while others enjoy quicker games with just a few basic rules.
Consider how much of your game will based on luck and how much will be based on skill. , The end of the board game is one of the most crucial aspects, because the players need a goal to use as an incentive to win.
Consider the different ways that the player could win, and keep these in mind as you work on the game. , These will undoubtedly change during the course of your game being developed, but a basic set of rules will allow you to quickly begin testing and experimenting.
Keep in mind your win conditions, and make sure that the mechanics are clear. , Before you begin work on the actual game, create a rough test game so that you can play around with the mechanics.
It doesn’t have to be pretty; you just need to be able to see if the basics work as they should.
Cut out markers and pieces from cardstock or index cards.
Use coins or poker chips as counters. , This will allow you to determine whether you need to include more or less details in your final design.
Depending on the theme and mechanics of your game, your board may or may not include the following elements:
A path.
Make sure to add start and finishing places and to set out a clear direction for the character(s) to travel along.
Decide whether or not to split or loop the path to add variation or extend the game time.
A playing field.
This is the opposite of the path.
Games that have a playing field do not have set paths, but instead have areas that the players can interact with depending on the mechanics of the game.
Risk is one such game that uses a playing field as opposed to a path.
Positions on which to land.
These can be designated by shapes (squares, circles, triangles) or drawn objects/locations (stepping stones, islands, clouds).
Make sure that some positions redirect players, instruct them to pick up cards, or cause them to gain/lose items.
When designing positions that redirect players to other locations, be careful not to create any domino effects (e.g.
Go Back Two Spaces position that sends takes a player to a Move Ahead Five Spaces position).
Playing cards.
A randomly shuffled assortment of cards adds variation to an unchanging game pathway by affecting the players in unexpected ways.
A card often tells a quick story about an event that befalls a player and then changes his or her score / position / accumulated goods accordingly.
Having different types of cards (ex. cards that change a player’s location, cards that change a player’s stats, cards that players can collect throughout the game to represent achievements, and/or cards that command players to do things in real life like dance, sing, do a cartwheel, draw the person to their left, etc.) will greatly increase the number of ways in which a game can unfold. , Once you have all of the basic pieces assembled for your rough draft, you can start testing the game to see how it plays.
Before taking it to anyone else, play it yourself by playing as each possible player.
It can be difficult to strategize against yourself, but you can get through a large number of games this way and collect valuable testing information.
Always write down what works and what doesn’t and make changes as you see fit to the board and the other components.
Try to break your game while testing it against yourself.
See if it’s possible for players to always win if they do something specific, or if the rules can be broken at all. , Once you’ve played your game solo enough that most of the kinks seem smoothed out, it’s time to take it for its first real test.
Gather some friends or family and explain to them that you’d like to test the game you are working on.
Let them know that it is a work in progress, and that you appreciate any and all feedback.
Take extensive notes while the game is being played.
Note anytime someone doesn’t seem to be having fun, or any time that the rules get confusing.
Pay attention to how the games end.
If one player is consistently far ahead of the other players, look at how that happened.
Board games are more exciting when multiple players are in close competition.
Try to not get defensive when you start receiving criticism on your game.
Criticism is essential to making sure that the game is as fun as possible for the greatest amount of people, so be polite and write everything down.
If possible, try to watch a group of people play without you being involved.
This will help you see how a group that is entirely unfamiliar with the game approaches the rules. , Try to get as many different players to try your game as possible.
Everyone plays games a little differently, and testing a lot can help to make sure that your game is fun for as many people as possible.
The more people you get to test your game, the more opportunities you’ll have to find flaws or weak points and fix them. , As your finish each play test, make any changes or adjustments to your board, rules, and components that you think will help playability. , Once your testing process is complete and you are happy with how it plays, you can get started on creating the final version of the game.
Make a list of all the parts that your finished game will require.
Board games are traditionally mounted on chipboard or binder board.
These provide a durable backing for your game and give it a professional feel.
You can use an old game board as the base if you’d rather not purchase anything.
Get cardstock to use as the canvas for the board.
Cut playing cards out of cardstock, or purchase a pack of blank cards from a hobby shop.
Punch circles out of cardstock to use as tokens and counters. , Your game board is the centerpiece of your board game, so feel free to get creative with the design.
Make sure that the path or playing field is clearly marked and that any instructions on the board are easy to read.
There is no limit to the things that you can use to decorate your board
-- use ready-made printouts, patterned paper, paint, markers
-- anything that will allow you to jazz up your board.
Make your board design as vibrant as possible, so as to capture and maintain the interest of your players. , You can draw the images on paper, then tape or glue them to a thick material such as cardstock.
If you are making a game for family or friends, you can even use players’ photos.
If you want to spend a little money, you can take your designs to a professional printer and have them printed on thick, high-quality stock.
To make the pieces stand, cut out a strip of cardboard that you can fold into a 3D triangle (similar to picture frame stands), then stick to the back of the piece for support.
Another way to make game pieces that stand is to glue craft foam to the bottom of the folded piece of paper. , If your game involves the use of a dice or spinner, you can just use the ones from your existing games, or create your own from cardboard and markers.
To do this, you need a pin, a circle piece of cardboard, a cardboard arrow, and a marker.
Stick the pin through the arrow and piece of cardboard and then draw on the results. , If you really want to make your game stand out, you can look into getting 3D pieces printed.
You will need to submit a 3D model to a company that specializes in this, but the result will be custom game pieces that look like they came from a store-bought game. -
Step 3: Set your goals.
-
Step 4: Decide how players will win.
-
Step 5: Write out the basic rules.
-
Step 6: Create a test game.
-
Step 7: Sketch a rough draft of your board design.
-
Step 8: Test your prototype.
-
Step 9: Play it with friends and family.
-
Step 10: Test with as many different people as possible.
-
Step 11: Refine your test game.
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Step 12: Gather your materials.
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Step 13: Illustrate your board.
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Step 14: Create the game pieces.
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Step 15: Create any additional materials.
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Step 16: Look into 3D printing.
Detailed Guide
Keeping a log in a sketch book or on a computer can really help get good ideas flowing.
Use this log to write out every idea you have about your game as you begin designing it.
This will help you quickly separate good ideas from weak ideas.
There are two basic approaches to starting your design:
Themes and Mechanics.
These two concepts are the foundation of all board games.
Themes are the “feel” of the game, and can also be referred to as the “genre”.
Games like Sorry! have a simple theme of beating your opponent around the board, while complex wargames have the theme of large conflicts and player strategy.
Mechanics are the fundamental ways the players interact with the game.
In Monopoly, the mechanics are centered around dice-rolling, buying and selling property, and making money.
In Axis & Allies, the mechanics deal mainly in moving pieces across a large, interconnected board, while using dice to resolve conflicts between players.
There is no right or wrong way to start designing your game.
Some people come up with a mechanic, and then create a theme around it, while others come up with a great theme and then tailor the mechanics to match that theme.
Knowing the age range of your tentative players would allow you to design the game as simple or as detailed as you wish it to be and would allow you to create age-appropriate rules.
For instance, if you are designing the game for young children, you would want to create something that is simple, easy-to-understand, fun, and would promote camaraderie and learning among the children at the same time.
For adults, you could create something that is more competitive and exciting. , Once you have the basic ideas behind your game written down, set yourself some design goals that will help shape your game.
Ask yourself what kind of experience you want your players to have, and what you want your game to accomplish.
Consider some of the following when coming up with your goals:
Decide how many player the game will support.
Think about if the game would be fun with two players, or if it needs three or more.
Think about how long you want your average game to take.
Take into account the first game that players will play, and the learning time associated with it.
Ask yourself how complex you want the game to be.
Some people enjoy games that are incredibly complex, with thick manuals full of rules, while others enjoy quicker games with just a few basic rules.
Consider how much of your game will based on luck and how much will be based on skill. , The end of the board game is one of the most crucial aspects, because the players need a goal to use as an incentive to win.
Consider the different ways that the player could win, and keep these in mind as you work on the game. , These will undoubtedly change during the course of your game being developed, but a basic set of rules will allow you to quickly begin testing and experimenting.
Keep in mind your win conditions, and make sure that the mechanics are clear. , Before you begin work on the actual game, create a rough test game so that you can play around with the mechanics.
It doesn’t have to be pretty; you just need to be able to see if the basics work as they should.
Cut out markers and pieces from cardstock or index cards.
Use coins or poker chips as counters. , This will allow you to determine whether you need to include more or less details in your final design.
Depending on the theme and mechanics of your game, your board may or may not include the following elements:
A path.
Make sure to add start and finishing places and to set out a clear direction for the character(s) to travel along.
Decide whether or not to split or loop the path to add variation or extend the game time.
A playing field.
This is the opposite of the path.
Games that have a playing field do not have set paths, but instead have areas that the players can interact with depending on the mechanics of the game.
Risk is one such game that uses a playing field as opposed to a path.
Positions on which to land.
These can be designated by shapes (squares, circles, triangles) or drawn objects/locations (stepping stones, islands, clouds).
Make sure that some positions redirect players, instruct them to pick up cards, or cause them to gain/lose items.
When designing positions that redirect players to other locations, be careful not to create any domino effects (e.g.
Go Back Two Spaces position that sends takes a player to a Move Ahead Five Spaces position).
Playing cards.
A randomly shuffled assortment of cards adds variation to an unchanging game pathway by affecting the players in unexpected ways.
A card often tells a quick story about an event that befalls a player and then changes his or her score / position / accumulated goods accordingly.
Having different types of cards (ex. cards that change a player’s location, cards that change a player’s stats, cards that players can collect throughout the game to represent achievements, and/or cards that command players to do things in real life like dance, sing, do a cartwheel, draw the person to their left, etc.) will greatly increase the number of ways in which a game can unfold. , Once you have all of the basic pieces assembled for your rough draft, you can start testing the game to see how it plays.
Before taking it to anyone else, play it yourself by playing as each possible player.
It can be difficult to strategize against yourself, but you can get through a large number of games this way and collect valuable testing information.
Always write down what works and what doesn’t and make changes as you see fit to the board and the other components.
Try to break your game while testing it against yourself.
See if it’s possible for players to always win if they do something specific, or if the rules can be broken at all. , Once you’ve played your game solo enough that most of the kinks seem smoothed out, it’s time to take it for its first real test.
Gather some friends or family and explain to them that you’d like to test the game you are working on.
Let them know that it is a work in progress, and that you appreciate any and all feedback.
Take extensive notes while the game is being played.
Note anytime someone doesn’t seem to be having fun, or any time that the rules get confusing.
Pay attention to how the games end.
If one player is consistently far ahead of the other players, look at how that happened.
Board games are more exciting when multiple players are in close competition.
Try to not get defensive when you start receiving criticism on your game.
Criticism is essential to making sure that the game is as fun as possible for the greatest amount of people, so be polite and write everything down.
If possible, try to watch a group of people play without you being involved.
This will help you see how a group that is entirely unfamiliar with the game approaches the rules. , Try to get as many different players to try your game as possible.
Everyone plays games a little differently, and testing a lot can help to make sure that your game is fun for as many people as possible.
The more people you get to test your game, the more opportunities you’ll have to find flaws or weak points and fix them. , As your finish each play test, make any changes or adjustments to your board, rules, and components that you think will help playability. , Once your testing process is complete and you are happy with how it plays, you can get started on creating the final version of the game.
Make a list of all the parts that your finished game will require.
Board games are traditionally mounted on chipboard or binder board.
These provide a durable backing for your game and give it a professional feel.
You can use an old game board as the base if you’d rather not purchase anything.
Get cardstock to use as the canvas for the board.
Cut playing cards out of cardstock, or purchase a pack of blank cards from a hobby shop.
Punch circles out of cardstock to use as tokens and counters. , Your game board is the centerpiece of your board game, so feel free to get creative with the design.
Make sure that the path or playing field is clearly marked and that any instructions on the board are easy to read.
There is no limit to the things that you can use to decorate your board
-- use ready-made printouts, patterned paper, paint, markers
-- anything that will allow you to jazz up your board.
Make your board design as vibrant as possible, so as to capture and maintain the interest of your players. , You can draw the images on paper, then tape or glue them to a thick material such as cardstock.
If you are making a game for family or friends, you can even use players’ photos.
If you want to spend a little money, you can take your designs to a professional printer and have them printed on thick, high-quality stock.
To make the pieces stand, cut out a strip of cardboard that you can fold into a 3D triangle (similar to picture frame stands), then stick to the back of the piece for support.
Another way to make game pieces that stand is to glue craft foam to the bottom of the folded piece of paper. , If your game involves the use of a dice or spinner, you can just use the ones from your existing games, or create your own from cardboard and markers.
To do this, you need a pin, a circle piece of cardboard, a cardboard arrow, and a marker.
Stick the pin through the arrow and piece of cardboard and then draw on the results. , If you really want to make your game stand out, you can look into getting 3D pieces printed.
You will need to submit a 3D model to a company that specializes in this, but the result will be custom game pieces that look like they came from a store-bought game.
About the Author
Julie Simmons
Writer and educator with a focus on practical crafts knowledge.
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