10 ways to come up with
brilliant game ideas
Everyone loves a good top 10 list, so I thought I would put
together a list of my 10 favorite ways to come up with new
board game ideas.
I’ve mentioned some of these methods in The Board
Game Designer’s Guide but I’m also going to add some
new ideas here.
1. Play lots of games!
This might seem like an obvious step, but there are a
number of game designers I’ve met who have played very
few modern board games. If your knowledge of games is
limited to Monopoly and Checkers, you won’t have as
good an understanding of what type of game will do well
in today’s market.
But remember: play all types of games. New ones, old
ones, good ones, bad ones. You’ll quickly learn a number
of different mechanics and be able to recognize what
works in a game and what doesn’t.
Perhaps there is a specific part of a game you really enjoy.
Maybe you could expand this to make a game based
completely around this idea.
Or try mashing 2 of your favourite games together and
see what you come up with!
2. Look for gaps in the market
It can be helpful to look at what games currently exist and
begin to question what is missing.
What audiences or groups are being left out of the board
game hobby? What group sizes or dynamics don’t have a
great representation of games available?
Is there a demand for more solo games? Games for
groups of 10 or more people? What about games for kids
with learning disabilities?
Try to think outside the (game) box.
3. Look at other markets and industries
You can also get many ideas and learn lessons from other
markets. You could look at different entertainment genres
such as video games, music, and movies for example.
Video games often have save points, power meters,
inventories, different difficulty levels, and end bosses.
Many successful games spawn sequels.
DVD movies have chapters, extras, and other features.
Perhaps there are other industries we can learn from and
apply some of their great aspects to board games.
4. See things from a different perspective
Games are also a great opportunity to allow players to
take on roles they normally wouldn’t dream of. Allow
players to take on the role of a villain or monster, instead
of the typical knight in shining armour.
A great example of this is Burgle Bros. This is a
cooperative game where all players take on the role of
thieves working together to rob a bank. This takes players
out of reality and into a fantasy world where they can act
out in ways that they would never normally even consider
in the real world. This can be really exciting and appealing
to a lot of players.
5. Check out game design contests
Keep your eyes open for board game design contests.
You’ll occasionally see publishers or board game websites
announce contests for specific types of games. Maybe
one of these will really speak to you and you’ll decide to
design a game and compete in the contest. This may get
your game a lot of attention, or possibly even get your
game published!
I was inspired by a podcast with Jason Tagmire, who runs
Button Shy Games, to create my first 18-card game. He
only publishes games of this size and sometimes runs
contests. While I didn’t end up submitting the game I
created to this contest, I did submit it to another contest,
and a publisher who judged the game took a lot of interest
in the game and we’re currently working out a contract.
So, it was well worth the small entrance fee.
6. Look for inspiration wherever you are
Ideas can come from anywhere. You have to be ready to
pluck them from the air wherever you find them.
While board games are typically played indoors, you may
find a lot of interesting ideas waiting for you outside, in
nature. Animals interacting with each other; the way a tree
blows in the wind; or anything else you can imagine.
You can’t just sit by your computer or game table and
expect great ideas to rush to you. You have to get out and
walk around. Do something different. What do you notice?
Talk to others, notice people’s conversations, and explore
the world around you. Be open to any suggestions that
come to mind.
7. Brainstorm
There are plenty of brainstorming techniques that you can
use to come up with lots of ideas.
Here are a few you can try:
Write down everything you can think of
Write down each letter of the alphabet and come up with
an idea for each letter
Think of the worst possible boardgame ideas you can
think of. Now flip this and see if any ideas opposite to
these might work.
Just remember that when it comes to brainstorming, write
down everything. There are no bad ideas. Even the
craziest idea can lead to something interesting.
8. “That could be a game”
Sometimes when I’m talking to someone else, they will
say something and I’ll comment “that could be a game”.
Just about any idea might make a reasonable game
concept.
I jot down these ideas whenever I have them. While many
of them will never see the light of day, I may just come
back to the odd one that later develops into something
special.
9. Use a board game idea ramdomizer
If all else fails and you really can’t come up with an idea,
here is the fastest way I know.
Check out http://www.boardgamizer.com/, the board
game design idea generator.
It will give you suggestions for mechanics, theme, victory
condition, and constraints.
Don’t like the idea it generated? Just click the button to
get a new set of ideas!
10. Stop thinking about board games!
What? I know this goes completely against all my other
suggestions above.
But sometimes, just taking a break from what you’re doing
and not thinking about it anymore will allow your brain to
relax and not be under the pressure to perform.
This can lead to solutions for problems you’ve identified in
your existing games as well as ideas for new games.
When and where do you come up with your best board
game ideas? What are your favourite techniques to come
up with ideas?
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