Designer with a ready product

Firstly now that you have a GAME and not a "Game Idea" and that you've fleshed it out seriously with blind playtesting and I am assuming playtesting with various play groups ... You have to make some "tough" decisions.

#1> Will you be planning to self-publish?

or

#2> Are you looking to find a Publisher?

Now that you've done all the work, this is a REAL SERIOUS question. Why? Because #1 implies that you will be handling all the finances and manufacturing of your game in China. Sure there are resources and you can reach out to various companies with a ask for an RFQ (Request For Quote) and figure out with not too much variability the format of the components of your game. And this includes all of the nomenclature of the printing world and knowing that in the US it's mostly "Inches" while China it's "Centimeters" or "Millimeters".

There is a lot to research including paper types lbs or pts, colors 4/0 or 4/4, cardstock gsm, varnishes versus poker oil, component sizes and bleeds, wooden components, plastic components, etc.

All that is an adventure in itself. And look, I'll be the first one to tell you that I am going the Self-Publish route for "Quest Adventure Cards(tm)" - The Reboot which is a revival of a 15 year old game in a new format with streamlined rules.

BUT... before you make a decision...

Finding a Publisher means they would handle all the details and you would probably get 4% of the MSRP so if your game is $60 USD you would get $2.40 USD per game sold. However the upside is you don't have to invest any more of your money and the Publisher will handle manufacturing, freight, taxes and levies (basically anything related to financials regarding production) and house the pallets of games "somewhere" in the USA.

That's another concern in the Self-Publish route: do you have sufficient space to house pallets of your game???

Getting back to Publishers ... They also take the role and responsibility of pitching and selling your game to distributors around the world that they deal with. With about 42% of the Board Game Market being in North America ... This means the USA and Canada (I doubt you make many sales in Mexico...!)

***

So there is a few reasons to TRY to find a Publisher. But heck I looked into it and the closest I got was one publisher who was intrigued by my game but it did NOT fit into their catalog. Everyone else either said NO or there was no response after a few follow-ups.

Finding a Publisher is hard to do nowadays many of them are booked 3-Years in advance with a Queue of games... (Imagine that 3-Years...!)

And the major problem that I see with the complexity of your game is MAKING it is going to be expensive... In the $20k USD for 1,000 units price point. There are a lot of component and you have to factor in the size of the BOX and so I'm saying $20k USD landed in the USA (that's my gut!)

***

Now I said, I am planning to Self-Publish myself. But there is an upside to my approach is that my game costs me $1.75 USD to make maybe $3.00 USD landed. There's a bit difference between risking under $3,000 USD than risking $20,000+ USD... See my point??? Can you afford it? Maybe. But do you want to risk it??? Is another question.

***

Therefore you have a DECISION to ponder. What "financially" makes sense to you? Do you have the stomach to learn printing lingo and terms to invest your hard earned OWN money into production and can you warehouse it someplace where the price is reasonably inexpensive (like a garage or basement)???

***

Reaching out to reviewers is another matter. But that I can help you with. Since you offered our community some BGG links, here are some you can look into with your Game:

https://boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Board_Game_Reviewers

That should give you a good idea of people you can approach. Start with finding the RIGHT people for your game and maybe see if you can find Global contacts which can spread word about your good game through-out the Internet.

***

I think what you need to think about is having a Kickstarter if you want to go the Self-Publish route. This will advance you the FUNDS for making an initial Print Run of maybe a 1,000+ games and you can maybe pocket some money for a 2nd Print Run after the KS fulfillment is done.

But it is highly conditional on how WELL your game does with the KS crowd. I took a quick look at the rulebook and while I did not read any specific rules, I get your game is for a more SERIOUS Gamer crowd (as compared to mine which is for kids 9+ in age). So your 20-Something game could do WELL on KS... Provided you have the talent to make more presentation material, reviewer videos, unboxing videos, KS preview videos, how to play video, etc. And maybe a KS video to present your game (something flashy!)

***

Then after a successful KS ... You'll have some extra monies to see if you can find anyone who is willing to SELL your game. Successful KS-ing always helps because it shifts the PROVING your game is good vs. 1,000+ Backers who are happily playing your game. Then that is a talk for another day.

***

That's the MARKETING you should look into ... And once you get some reviews, you can join a bunch of Facebook Groups that are for sharing future KS campaigns, new games in the market, and all kinds of TableTop Gaming Groups.

Share video reviews of your game on FB and get word out that you are planning a KS campaign. With the KS Campaign there is a bit of a learning curve and you'll need to spread word about your game BEFORE Launch.

You can advertise your KS if it is ready to potential players (Upcoming Projects) maybe give yourself like 30-Days advance to build up a crowd through TableTop Gaming FB Groups and KS dedicated Groups on FB...

***

I wouldn't ATM invest in large conventions because it can be very costly and not very productive. This is why you see SO MANY KS campaigns each and every day: people know it's the best way to TRY and see what sticks!

You'd be wise if you have the financials to have an Advertising Company make you a KS Video for your campaign ... But steer away from any advertising companies that promise views and such.

***

On a more personal side: get a KS Banner for your campaign on BGDF.com! It costs $20 USD/month (30 days)... If you are looking for inexpensive marketing, well we've got that covered. You can maybe even advertise for 2 or 3 Slots (impressions) and it will cost you $40 to $60 USD for 30 days.

We get over 25,000+ unique visitors per month (and no they are not bots... bots fall into another category and yes we do get those too!) This has almost doubled between 2022 and 2023... We may be a small community but people enjoy reading what our community is up to and doing...

***

So I've given you somethings to consider and know what your options are and how you can move forwards. If you have more questions or need more guidance, feel free to ask away, it'll be my pleasure to help in any way I can.

And maybe there are other members who may join the conversation and offer their insights and experience towards what may or may not work...

Thank you for visiting BGDF.com again...

And wishing you the best of success!

There is probably people on BGG willing to review your game. But I don't know what is the best timing. Is it better to review prototypes before release, or after release?

Finding publishers is the easiest publishing method, but you might not get published in the end.

Else you could kickstart, but like QuestCCG said, you will have to handle all the logistic yourself.

***

A random idea that came to my mind: Is a digital implementation more expansive to produce than a physical implementation? Sure you will need art and other assets you would pay for in the paper board game.