A USTRALIAN B OARD G AME D ESIGN IN THE M ODERN A GE By Aaron Lim @ehronlime // @action_points theactionpointspodcast.com.

AUSTRALIAN BOARD GAME DESIGN IN THE MODERN AGEBy Aaron Lim

@ehronlime // @action_points

theactionpointspodcast.com

HELLO I’M AARON

WHAT DO I MEAN BY “BOARD GAMES”?

Strategy board games, designer board games, Euro games, thematic games

Also usually includes: Classical/Abstract Games (Historical) wargames Party games Dexterity games Social deduction games Mass market games, family games

WHAT DO I MEAN BY “BOARD GAMES”?

Related, but distinct subcultures: Role-playing games Customizable card games Tabletop miniatures games Playing card games

WHAT HAPPENED THEN?

Australia has had a history of board game design from the 1960s Squatter (1962) by Robert C. Lloyd World in Flames (1985) by Harry Rowland & Greg

Pinder Colonial Diplomacy (1994) by Peter Hawes 7 Ages (2004) by Harry Rowland Archaeology: The Card Game (2007) by Phil

Walker-Harding

WHAT WAS HAPPENING?

We’ve always had board games - abstracts, wargames, mass market

Current surge in popularity of strategy board games

Not that young either: Acquire 1964, Cosmic Encounter 1977, Civilization 1980, Die Macher 1986, Catan 1995, Puerto Rico 2002, Ticket to Ride 2004

WHAT WAS HAPPENING?

Assume “modern age” started in late 90s – 00s – Catan, BoardGameGeek

Owes a lot to the internet connecting disparate groups of enthusiasts

YouTube, podcasts, Twitter, Instagram connecting players, designers, publishers, reviewers.

Non-specialist coverage – RPS, Kill Screen Daily, PAX

Appearance in mainstream media – Big Bang Theory, Parks & Recreation, Green Bay Packers

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?

Kickstarter (crowdfunding & self-publishing & marketing) lowering the barrier for creators Backer engagement with creators and vice-versa

Wider variety of designers and publishers Diversity in themes and styles being

challenged and expanded Bruno Faidutti on Post-colonial Catan and

Orientalism Luke Turpeinen on Euro-centrism and

whitewashing Monarch by Mary Flanagan on Kickstarter Consentacle by Naomi Clark String Railway, Paperclip Railway

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?

Video games with board game elements – evoking the form of board games, a lot of it with cards

Board games with video game elements – evoking video game art (pixel art), tie-ins

Digital versions of board games - mostly on tablets and mobile phones, but also on consoles and PC

App integration with board games – to ease bookkeeping but also as game elements

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE? Major: America, Germany, France Minor: Canada, UK, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Japan,

South Korea What’s up with Australia? Games published in late modern age through

different paths: Relic Runners (2013) – major publisher Sushi Go! (2013) – Self-published, then picked up by

major publisher Francis Drake (2013) – Kickstarted with publisher support One Zero One (2014) – Originally Binary on Game

Crafter, Kickstarted 2nd Edition, setting up as publisher Hedron (2014) – Kickstarted as pilot test Rise to Power (2014) – Kickstarted, setting up as

publisher

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE? Relic Runners (2013) – major publisher

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?

Sushi Go! (2013) – Self-published, then picked up by major publisher

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?

Francis Drake (2013) – Kickstarted with publisher support

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?

One Zero One (2014) – Originally Binary on Game Crafter, Kickstarted 2nd Edition, setting up as publisher

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?

Hedron (2014) – Kickstarted as pilot test

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?

Rise to Power (2014) – Kickstarted, setting up as publisher

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?

What’s happening elsewhere Kickstarter for Australia launched in

November 2013. As at 18 April 2015: 79 tabletop-related projects launched. 60

identified as unique tabletop games (includes minis and RPGs)

26 successful projects (46%) Some numbers for 22 successful Australian game

projects: Funding goal – Avg: $6272; Median: $5250 Amount raised – Avg: $21,617; Median: $11,820 No. of backers – Avg: 463; Median: 228 Pledge per backer – Avg: $62; Median: $44 Most backed tier – Avg: $31; Median $25

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE? Conventions (TAGE, PAX Australia) – Meeting other

tabletop designers, panels on tabletop games, presence of publishers (Game Salute, Greater Than Games, Steve Jackson Games etc.)

Boardgames Australia – previously organized design focused events and annual awards

Game Jams – GGJ, Blue Jam Micro, Iron Game Designer, BGDF Contests

Playtest events – Unpub Mini Sydney, Brisbane Playtest Fest, Playup Perth, Games Lab Incubator

Designer meetups Game shop supported: Games Laboratory Incubator,

Gatekeeper Games playtest session, Vault Games, Good Games Hurstville

Others – Ad-hoc, gaming groups, friends etc.

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?

Online communities & resources: Tabletop Games Design Australia & Australian

Game Designers on Facebook Australian Board Game Designers BGG guild Internationally – Card & Board Game Designers,

Art and Graphic Design for Tabletop Games, Kickstarter Best Practices & Lessons Learned Group, Jamey Stegmaier’s blog at Stonemaier Games, League of Gamemakers, Cardboard Edison, Board Games Design Forum, Ludology

General increase in sustained interest in board game design

WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN?

Some challenges: Hurdles in self-publishing/crowdfunding Publisher access – conventions, meetings,

sending prototypes Cost of production (GameCrafter & China) and

logistics Playtesting and feedback – tapping into local and

international community Knowledge/Experience sharing, design &

production maturity Diversity of

designers/experiences/designs/themes Communication between creators

WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN?

Plans for more events: game jams, playtest sessions, designer meetups and discussions

Community is growing and sharing online and in-person

Increasing production/publishing experience Growing design maturity Seek out different perspectives Intersection with other forms, digital or

physical

QUESTIONS?

Contact: @ehronlime // @action_points theactionpointspodcast.com mail@theactionpointspodcast.com Tabletop Games Design Australia on Facebook Games Laboratory Incubator on Facebook Godzilla Games & Eurogames at the Royal

Standard on Meetup