How To Get Board Game Published

To get a board game published, you must first design and playtest it thoroughly, then create a compelling pitch, and finally submit it to publishers or consider self-publishing.

Have you poured your heart into creating the perfect board game? It’s time to learn how to get board game published. Taking your game from concept to a physical product on shelves involves several key steps.

It’s a journey that requires a good design, and business acumen. Many aspiring designers struggle to understand these crucial steps. This article provides guidance to navigate the process effectively.

How to Get Your Board Game Published

So, you’ve poured your heart and soul into creating an amazing board game. You’ve playtested it countless times with friends and family, tweaked the rules until they’re just right, and you’re ready to share your creation with the world. But how do you actually get it published? It can seem like a huge, confusing mountain to climb, but don’t worry! This guide will break down the process into manageable steps, offering tips and advice to help you navigate the exciting journey of getting your board game into the hands of players.

Understanding the Board Game Publishing Landscape

Before you jump into pitching your game, it’s important to understand who the players are in the board game publishing world. Knowing the different types of publishers will help you target the right ones for your game. There are many different approaches and publishers in the board game world, lets see.

Major Publishers

These are the big names in the board game industry, the ones you see on the shelves of big stores like Target or Barnes & Noble. They have large marketing and distribution networks, meaning they can get your game to a huge audience. Think of companies like Hasbro, Asmodee, and Ravensburger. They typically take on games that have mass appeal, meaning they are easy to learn and play. Landing a deal with a major publisher is a big achievement, but it can be very competitive.

Pros: Wide distribution, established marketing, bigger production budgets.
Cons: Highly competitive, often prefer games with broader appeal, less creative control for designers.

Small to Medium-Sized Publishers

This group includes publishers who focus on more niche audiences and games. They tend to be more flexible and often give designers more creative input. These publishers often attend conventions and actively seek out new designs. Examples include publishers that specialize in strategic or more complex euro games. These publishers are also more likely to take a risk on a unique design. They will often work closely with designers, providing feedback and collaborating on game development. This can be a great option for designers who want their voice to be heard in the process.

Pros: More design collaboration, focus on specific genres, good at building relationships with designers.
Cons: Smaller distribution networks than major publishers, fewer resources for marketing.

Self-Publishing

With self-publishing, you become the publisher of your game. This means you handle everything yourself, from production to marketing to fulfillment. It requires more work and investment from the designer, but it provides complete creative control and all profits. It can be a good route to take if you want to maintain total control over your game and are willing to learn about manufacturing, marketing, and sales.

Pros: Complete creative control, all profits go to the designer, direct relationship with customers.
Cons: Requires significant time, investment, and effort, needs a good knowledge of manufacturing and distribution.

Preparing Your Game for Publication

Before you start approaching publishers, you need to ensure your game is fully ready for review. This means more than just having a concept. Here is what you need.

Solid Game Design

This is the most important step! Make sure your game is fun, engaging, and well-balanced. Playtest it as much as possible with different groups of people, and pay close attention to their feedback. Is it easy to learn? Does it offer a satisfying challenge? Is it unique? Refine your game until you’re confident it’s the best it can be. Remember that, a solid game design also has a very clear core mechanic. What makes your game different? What special thing it does? You have to think about all these questions in your design.

Playtest, Playtest, Playtest: Play with diverse groups of people and listen to feedback.
Rules Clarity: Write clear and concise rules that are easy for players to understand.
Balance: Ensure the game is fair and that no one player has an unfair advantage.
Fun Factor: At its heart, the game should be enjoyable and engaging to play.

Professional Components

While you don’t need a fully produced game at this stage, you should present your game in a polished way. This includes high-quality images or prototypes that showcase the game’s components, including cards, game board, and other pieces. Think of how you would want to buy the game if you were not the designer. How does the game look? Does it have good quality pieces? Use this information for your prototype. You can use software to design the board and cards, and use tools such as 3D printers to create the game’s pieces. Don’t just show a prototype with printed papers. When you make your prototype use thicker paper to give a more professional look. When you do the images, use a good quality camera to show the best features of the game.

Attractive Visuals: Your game should look appealing, so use good quality print or print the prototype in a good printing shop.
Professional Presentation: Consider designing a game box and a good looking rulebook.
High Quality Components: If you can, add custom designed components that fit your game.

Detailed Rulebook

The rulebook is the key to getting someone to play your game. It should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. It needs to cover all the rules and game aspects. You can even include images as needed to make it easier to read. It’s worth having a few people read your rules and play to make sure they understand them. If they get confused, you need to re-write and re-design the rulebook. A good rulebook ensures no ambiguity in the rules, and will help the players play the game easily without any misunderstandings.

Clear Language: Use simple and easy to understand language.
Logical Organization: Arrange the rules in a way that makes sense.
Visual Aids: Use diagrams and illustrations if needed.
Examples: Adding examples can help players understand the rules quickly.

Sell Sheet

This is a one-page document that provides a quick overview of your game. It includes information such as the target audience, game length, number of players, and a brief description of the gameplay, and also game’s core mechanics, which is a quick one sentence about what the game is about. Use high-quality images and a compelling sales pitch to show why your game is amazing and deserves to be published. This is often the first thing publishers will see, so make it count. Make sure to include a call to action at the end, with your contact info, and a request to talk more about the project.

Target Audience: Who is the game for? (Kids, families, gamers, etc.)
Game Overview: Provide a short description of the game’s theme and gameplay.
Number of Players: How many people can play the game?
Playing Time: How long does a typical game take?
Unique Selling Points: What makes your game different from others?
Contact Information: Always include your details for follow-up.

Finding the Right Publisher

Now that your game is ready, you need to find the right publisher. This takes some research and careful consideration. Not every publisher will be a good fit for your specific game. Here are the different ways to find the publisher.

Research Potential Publishers

Start by creating a list of publishers that might be a good match for your game. Look at the games they have already published and their focus. Are they known for complex games? Family games? Thematic games? Check their website and social media. Also check if their game style is similar to your game. Consider publishers that have a history of publishing games similar to yours. Do some internet research and see their reviews. Make a list of all their pros and cons and prioritize publishers that have a good fit.

Previous Publications: Study the types of games they usually publish.
Company Size: Decide if you prefer working with a major or smaller publisher.
Publisher’s Reputation: Research the publisher’s reputation and working culture with designers.
Game Style: Look for publishers that specialize in your game’s theme and mechanics.

Attend Board Game Conventions

Board game conventions, like Gen Con, Essen Spiel, and PAX Unplugged are great places to meet publishers and network with other designers. Many publishers attend these events specifically to discover new games. You can present your game, get feedback, and create valuable connections. If the publisher is interested you can schedule meetings and demonstrate your game. These types of events help you get face-to-face interactions, and develop a strong network. You should also play other games at the conventions to get inspiration and learn from other designers and their games.

Networking Opportunities: Meet and connect with publishers and other designers.
Game Demonstrations: Show your game to publishers and get feedback.
Industry Insights: Learn from presentations and workshops at these events.

Online Pitching

Many publishers accept submissions online. Look for their submission guidelines on their websites, usually in the “contact” or “submissions” section, and follow their instructions carefully. These guidelines tell you what they are looking for and what they are not. They can be very specific about game style, component requirements or file types. Make sure to use a professional cover letter, a well prepared sell sheet and high-quality images of your game. It’s very important to showcase your game professionally when you contact the publisher through email.

Follow Instructions: Carefully review each publisher’s specific requirements.
Professional Materials: Send a polished pitch deck with a sell sheet and good images.
Personalized Approach: Address your emails specifically to the publisher.
Follow Up: Be polite and follow-up if you do not hear back in a reasonable time.

Be Patient and Persistent

Getting a board game published is a journey, and it can take time. It is very important to stay positive and persistent. Rejection is a part of the process, so don’t get discouraged if you face rejections. Learn from them, improve your game, and keep trying. Your patience and determination will help you get through all the challenges. Don’t give up on your dream, keep iterating on your game and keep on working.

Be Patient: Publishing can take time; do not rush the process.
Don’t Give Up: Persistence and determination are very important.
Learn From Feedback: Be open to critique and use it to improve.

The Pitching Process

Okay, you’ve got your game ready, you’ve researched publishers, and you’re ready to make contact. Now what? Here is a more in-depth look at the pitching process.

Crafting a Compelling Email

Your first email is your first chance to make a good impression. Keep it concise, professional, and enthusiastic. Introduce your game, highlight its unique selling points, and explain why you think it would be a good fit for that particular publisher. Don’t send the same email to multiple publishers; make each one personal. A generic copy-paste email will always be obvious, and shows less effort from the designer side.

Professional Tone: Maintain a formal and polite tone.
Concise Message: Get straight to the point.
Personalized Approach: Mention why you chose them as a publisher.
Clear Call to Action: Clearly state what you want the publisher to do.

Following Up

If you don’t hear back from a publisher, it’s okay to follow up politely. You can follow up in a week, or two, depending on the size of the publisher. Don’t send multiple follow-up emails and avoid getting aggressive. Be professional and respect that they might be busy, or that your game is not something they are looking for. Remember you also have a lot of other publishers that you are going to pitch your game to.

Be Patient: Allow some time before following up.
Be Polite: Always maintain a respectful tone.
Keep It Brief: Do not include unnecessary details.

The Pitch Meeting

If a publisher is interested, they might ask for a meeting, either in person or online. Be prepared to demonstrate your game, explain its rules, and answer any questions they might have. Have a well-rehearsed presentation, but do not try to be too scripted, always remember to be natural, enthusiastic, and passionate about your game. This will show your game’s positive qualities and make the publisher trust you more. Be professional, show that you are a game designer that is fun to work with.

Practice Your Pitch: Rehearse your presentation thoroughly.
Be Prepared to Demo: Be ready to demonstrate the game smoothly.
Answer Questions: Be ready to answer any questions clearly.
Show Enthusiasm: Be passionate about your game.

Negotiating a Contract

If the publisher likes your game and wants to publish it, the next step is to negotiate a contract. Be sure to read through the contract very carefully and understand all the clauses. Consider using a lawyer that specializes in board game publishing. Make sure that you know everything about royalties, the type of intellectual property that the publisher is going to take, and the production costs. Do your research before agreeing to any terms. This step is critical to avoid problems and misunderstandings.

Carefully Review: Read every clause with a lawyer specializing in board games.
Understand the Terms: Ask questions to make sure you understand everything.
Be Informed: Do not be afraid to negotiate if necessary.

Working With a Publisher

Once you’ve signed a contract, the real work begins. This is the phase where you have to work together with the publisher to help them achieve their goal of publishing your game. Be open to feedback and suggestions, and remember that you’re working together to make the game the best it can be.

Game Development

This can include refining the rules, tweaking the game components, and working on the game’s art and graphics. Be cooperative and work together with the publisher’s designers. The publisher might have ideas on how to make the game better and reach a larger audience. They may also want to change or simplify some mechanics or rules to make the game easier for the general public to understand. Don’t be too attached to your design. Try to see the changes from a neutral perspective and always keep the best result for the game in mind. Remember that even though it is your design, the publisher’s experience can make it better.

Open to Feedback: Be willing to consider suggestions from the publisher.
Collaborate Effectively: Work together to refine the game.
Be Flexible: Be ready to change and adapt to the game needs.

Production Process

The publisher will take care of the manufacturing of the game, but you can still be involved in the process. The publisher may ask for some recommendations on the game’s components and design choices. Discuss the game’s material and the quality of those materials. Keep in contact with the publisher, be transparent and ensure that your work is on schedule. Always communicate with your publisher and they will always be open to communicating with you, especially if you are transparent.

Material Choices: Make suggestions on the components’ quality.
Stay Informed: Keep track of the production timeline and process.
Communicate: Maintain contact with the publisher throughout the process.

Marketing and Promotion

Publishers usually handle the marketing and promotion of the game. However, they might ask you to help with promotional events or social media campaigns. You can also help by attending game conventions and demonstrating the game. Use your social media to connect with players. A lot of gamers follow game designers and will get interested in your game just by hearing about it from you. This is all part of the process, and all contributes to the game’s success.

Promote the Game: Help with promotional events and marketing.
Social Media: Connect with players through social media.
Game Conventions: Be available to demo your game at conventions.

Getting your board game published is a challenging but very rewarding process. By understanding the publishing landscape, preparing your game thoroughly, and being persistent in your efforts, you can significantly increase your chances of seeing your game on store shelves and in the hands of happy players. Remember to be patient, learn from every step, and most importantly, have fun on this exciting journey!

From Idea to Shelves: Get Your Board Game Published with Insider Tips from a Published Designer

Final Thoughts

Playtest your game thoroughly and refine it based on feedback. Create compelling rulebooks and visually appealing prototypes. Then, research publishers who suit your game’s theme.

Craft a strong pitch package highlighting your game’s unique selling points. Attend conventions and network with industry professionals. How to get board game published requires perseverance and good communication.

Submitting your work to several publishers simultaneously might increase your chances of securing a deal. A well-designed and well-presented game with strong mechanics is a must, and persistence is key.