Board Game Business Podcast

Inside the Box In this episode, we talk about these box insert topics: - Cardboard Inserts - Size of Box - Number of Wells - Gametrayz and Other Plastic Inserts - Broken Token Wood Inserts and Boxes - Cost Analysis of Manufacturing vs. After-Market - Bags of Bags - Game Storage Recommendations in Rules? - 13 oz. Golden Rule   Video version: https://youtu.be/V3K_bdnFZ1Q  

We talk about designing the back of the box. This includes: - Legal Requirements      - Age Limitations      - European CE Mark      - Country & Address - Barcodes - Playtime & Number of Players (Learn Time?) - Restock Code - Components - Game or Scenario Description - Simplified How to Play - MSRP - QR Codes      - Other Games      - Learn to Play - Names      - Designer      - Artist      - Manufacturer - Sides of Box  

We talk about naming your game and other more general branding questions, such as:- Why we changed our podcast name- What makes a good title for a game?- Is a unique name important?- Should the name work in other countries?- Matching video game names- Branding your game for your market- Name that will appeal to retailers YouTube/Video: https://youtu.be/wdPBDJm8jEo

Today we talk about manufacturing quality. Here are some of the topics: Print-on-Demand Quality CMYK & RGB Issues Defects and Limitations When are defects worth the risk? Which manufacturer should publishers choose? How to gauge quality Quality for repetitive use Does the manufacturer influence a purchase? Video Version: https://youtu.be/CjYPdXjdqTs

Why should a prospective crowd-funding backer contribute to a campaign? Why not wait for the game to come out? We talk about our experience and lessons learned as we cover these topics:    - Get a lower price  - Make a better game/exclusives  - Be a part of the process  - Get the game early  - Inside information  - Back before you make your own campaign   Video: https://youtu.be/a0AA5dc1aXA

What themes should designers and publishers target for their games? Here are some topics we discuss: - How important is being family-friendly? - Considerations for getting into a big box retailer - Over/Under-used themes Video Version: https://youtu.be/ogHM9pbQYAQ

Learn Chris Reynolds' secrets to lay out out your crowd-funding page to give potential backers what they want to see and read. He also gives some tips on general marketing of a board game so come have a listen!

This is all about the fulfillment company called Send from China. We describe this service from a first-hand perspective covering these topics:    - What is Send from China?  - Why might I use it?  - What are some potential pitfalls?  - Timelines  - User Interface  - Costs  - Payment Options  - Shipping Calculator  - Currency Conversion  - Packaging Options  - EU/AU/CA Friendly  - Customer Service   Video Version: https://youtu.be/NuYYEf7X5wY   Resources: http://www.sendfromchina.com/ - The SFC website.

Brian interviews Eduardo Baraf about his company Pencil First Games and all the analog and digital games he has designed and published. He recently released Gem Packed Cards with both a card game version and a mobile version of it at roughly the same time. We talk about that and so much more in this interview.

What's the best way to get noticed by a publisher at a convention? What annoys them? What excites them? We talk about our experience and lessons learned as we cover these topics: - Making Appointments - Sell Sheets - Elevator Pitch - Finding a Publisher that Fits Your Game - Publisher Speed Dating - Ludography - Demos - Follow-ups After a Pitch Video version on The Dice Tower: https://youtu.be/Ec-dJmj3Gyc

Richard New, Jeremy Commandeur, and Brian Henk talk about writing rules for a board game. Here are some of the topics we cover in this episode: Different styles of reading and writing rules Rules layouts Managing versions of rules Rules editors Sanity test Reference cards vs. rules Rules for an expansion Blind playtests   Resources: The Game Crafter Sanity Tests [https://www.thegamecrafter.com/help/sanity-tests]

The top 5 keys to convention preparation from the designer and publisher perspective. Also, how do you prepare for a smaller convention? Which conventions should you attend?  Video/YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/5cgYrNqIQWs  

We continue our discussion on getting ready for a convention, running a booth, and getting in front of a publisher at a con. What should you put in your convention prep kit? Video/YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/OVVYI8E4li0

Today the topic is getting ready for a convention from the perspective of someone playing games, publishing games, and designing games. How do you get your design in front of publishers? How do you get buzz going for a booth? What are the booth-goer "use cases"? How do you make the most of your convention? We tackles these questions and more. Video/YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/fD5lhcPeluM

Jeremy gives some more tips on running your own Protospiel event and we get more from him about how to create the right environment for game design support and feedback. Resources Protospiel website: http://www.protospiel.org/ Unpub website: http://unpub.net/  

In this episode, we interview Zachary Strebeck about legal issues in the tabletop game industry. He talks about his launch of his site for do-it-yourself contracts and he also started his own podcast called Legal Moves. Video/YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/8KLd3DaqsrE

We cover lessons learned in talking to tabletop game manufacturers so you can better prepare for the next time you need to work with one. Video/YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/h5wEsDtUPPw  

Jeremy Commandeur hosts this WonderCon 2015 panel on Indie Tabletop Publishing. These are the panelists: Jeremy Commandeur  Chris Castagnetto Brian Henk Payton Lee

We talk about improving the relationship between a publisher and an artist. What are some tips to make it mutually beneficial?   Working with Artists | Hyperbole Gameshttp://hyperbolegames.com/2013/04/14/working-with-artists/ Kelley McMorris illustration: Self-Published Authors: 10 Tips on How to Email an Illustratorhttp://kmcmorris.blogspot.com/2015/04/self-published-authors-10-tips-on-how.html

The Forbidden Limb guys talk about different places to go to find an artist for your tabletop game. Video Version: https://youtu.be/-aC04mNovAo Topics: Where can I go to find an artist? What's the difference between an artist and a graphic designer? How much does an artist cost? References: http://www.comicsalliance.comhttp://www.fiverr.comhttp://www.deviantart.comhttp://www.99designs.comhttps://www.behance.net