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Help! I've designed a game and I can't get up!

3 replies [Last post]
Sat, 04/28/2012 - 15:35
SithPenguin
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I need some advice, please.

I have designed a game and I am utilizing all or your helpful advice on how to create a viable prototype to present to a publisher.

Few Questions:

1. Where can you have custom dice made? I have three unique die I need created. Or is it allowable to simply include a D6 with a list of what happens when you roll and the publisher will take care of custom dice during production?

2. I'm assuming that for pieces I can utilize wooden cubes/chips of different shapes/colors/sizes to indicate the various playing pieces. I'm currently using pieces scavenged from Supremacy, but they are not the final colors I would want for the game and they really don't capture the theme. Is it worth it to try and have custom pieces (plastic minis) made? And if so, where can this be done fairly affordably?

3. What do I do after (or during) that? How do I protect my ideas? I would love to post the rules and screenshots for review, but I am nervous without some kind of copyright on the rules. How do I even find a publisher for the game after the prototype is done.

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Sat, 04/28/2012 - 17:00
#1
MarkKreitler
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Good luck!

SithPenguin wrote:
I need some advice, please.

I have designed a game and I am utilizing all or your helpful advice on how to create a viable prototype to present to a publisher.

Few Questions:

> 1. Where can you have custom dice made?

www.thegamecrafter.com sells sticker sheets and custom "indented" dice. I've never used this solution. I prefer to make my own custom dice by buying blanks and using rub-on transfers which I then coat with acrylic floor wax or nail polish. You could also print on adhesive label sheets if you can't find rub-ons with the correct symbols.

SithPenguin wrote:
2. Is it worth it to try and have custom pieces (plastic minis) made? And if so, where can this be done fairly affordably?

Depending on what you need, you may be able to order existing bits from sites like this:
http://www.boardsandbits.com/
http://www.spielmaterial.de/english3/
http://www.rolcogames.com/

If not, you can have figures custom built at various sites like these:
http://www.lorenz-spiele.de/ (wood)

Sites that manufacture custom plastic bits are harder to find.

I don't know that having custom plastic bits made will add much to your prototype's appeal, though. Any publisher worth its salt will understand the difference between production values (which they supply) and game design (which you supply).

SithPenguin wrote:
> 3. What do I do after (or during) that? How do I protect my ideas? I would love to post the rules and screenshots for review, but I am nervous without some kind of copyright on the rules. How do I even find a publisher for the game after the prototype is done.

Unfortunately, I can't say much to these as I've never taken this step. I could repeat what I've read here from people who have, but I consider that bad form. I will say that several threads have compiled lists of publishers willing to accept new submissions, so it's worth poking around the archives. Many links will have expired, but you're sure to find a few gold nuggets.

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Mon, 04/30/2012 - 13:15
#2
Jefe
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Joined: 04/16/2012
2. Check ebay or garage

2. Check ebay or garage sales for copies of old games.

Old copies of Risk with all those plastic tokens could be useful for prototyping. (Or Diplomacy)

If I were you, I'd hesitate to contract out custom pieces if you're shopping around for a publisher. They may take your game, but decide to re-theme it or something - making your expensive custom prototypes obsolete.

Think about "Through the Desert" by Fantasy Flight games. It started out as a game about campers, and was re-themed to be a trek through the Sahara.

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Mon, 04/30/2012 - 19:24
#3
SithPenguin
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Joined: 04/27/2012
Thank You!

@MarkKreitler

Thank you for the bits links. The blank dice and colored crystals will definitely help toward my prototype. Did some research over at BGG regarding copyright... so I slapped a clip art symbol in my rules header and will hope for the best. I'll hopefully post them soon for feedback if I ever allow the game out of playtesting.... but that's a topic for another thread...

@Jefe

Thank you for the tips. I've been poking around local garage sales and craig's list for people offloading games cheap (I've already found some real steals.. and it definitely makes it easier to scavenge from games you only pay $1 or $2 for!!

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