How to create a board game?
First, a prototype is created, which is tested in various conditions and environments. If it has well-thought-out mechanics, it can go into mass production and become a hit in the market. You don't have to be an engineer to build it, maybe even invent it and make it a beginner. What is this device? Board game! She is the protagonist of the Board Games Festival, which will be held in AvtoTachkiu showrooms in ten Polish cities at the turn of September and October.
Magdalena Walusiak
It works on sight, hearing and touch. It helps to develop memory, imagination and creativity, tactical and strategic thinking, as well as relationships between people, empathy and sensitivity. He teaches that sometimes you lose, and there is nothing wrong with that; shows it's worth collaborating with others, and when you're racing, every second counts. It brings people of different generations and beliefs together at the same table. At the same time, it brings a lot of joy and satisfaction, as well as a feeling of having a good time.
In any case, there is probably no need to convince anyone of the positive impact of board games. There is also no need to prove that this is a great activity for adults and supports their development, as evidenced by the scale of commissioning of games by corporations and the use of board games in employee training.
What is inside?
What is the mechanics of a board game that is not usually equipped with gears or microprocessors (although recent games are increasingly using electronics)? And what conditions must the game meet in order to attract the attention of players one hundred percent? “When I asked an industry friend what he thought the perfect board game should be, he said that a game has three very important elements. These are: mechanics, illustrations and theme, - says Michal Herman, editor-in-chief of Fox Games. “For a game to be good, it must have two of these three attributes at the highest world level, and if it is to be successful, all three must be as good as possible,” Herman concludes.
A cursory glance at the game shelves in the showrooms is enough to understand that the thematic richness of board games is enormous. Every area of life, knowledge, art and entertainment has already been adapted to the game, recently series and ... quests, transferred from closed rooms full of puzzles to boxes with sets of tasks and puzzles, have proven themselves well in this category. recently.
The level of graphics is becoming more and more important in games. “It all depends on the budget of the game, but in order for it to sell well, it must be very beautiful, especially the cover,” says Michal Herman. - In turn, the mechanics, that is, the rules of the game, cannot be too complicated. The explanation of the rules should take a maximum of 10 minutes, concludes the Fox Games editor.
Board Game Festival 2018
It is likely that such games - with clear rules, colorful and intriguing - will be the most popular among the participants of the next edition of the Festival of Board Games. During two weekends - September 29 and 30 and October 6 and 7 - in AvtoTachkiu stores in ten Polish cities (Warsaw, Lodz, Szczecin, Wroclaw, Krakow, Lublin, Poznan, Gdansk, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Katowice) you will be able to see the premieres and add this season's new releases, test out bestsellers and niche games, and play classic board games of all time with friends and strangers.
Game publishers and presentation experts will guide players through the twists and turns of the rules. You will be able to play trial games with them, ie. learn the secrets of specific games from the best.
AvtoTachki and board game publishers: Trefl, Tactic, Hasbro, Egmont, Granna, Nasza Księgarnia, Portal Games, Zielona Sowa, Fox Games invite you to play together.
Family board game competition.
This year, during the Board Game Festival, exceptionally creative players will have the opportunity to host a family board game competition. - a family game should be universal, i.e. designed to be played by children eight years of age and older who already have reading and numeracy skills; so that adults can play it and children and adults can play together,” says Philip Milunsky, who has been developing board games for 10 years and has already created about 30 titles. “When developing a family game, I try to reconcile these worlds with each other and find elements that will be attractive to children and parents. It's important for children to be able to compete with their parents, which means it's good that the game includes some dose of randomness, but not in the extreme form, as in Monopoly, where the result of the game is practically determined by the dice, and not the decisions of the players, explains Milunsky, Game -Designer for Lucky Duck Games publishing house.
Can someone who hasn't tested at least a few dozen games develop a best-selling board game? “Absolutely,” says Philip Milunsky. – There are cases when a person who is not “contaminated” by the rules of game mechanics is more likely to find an original solution. And it's happening! For example, American designer Donald Vaccarino designed the game Dominion and won the Spiel des Jahres, the industry's highest award, like the Oscar for board games, says Milunsky, who also made a great debut with the game. "Little rebels", which are still popular today.
Prototypes of games that can be submitted until December 14, will be judged by a jury consisting of: Michal Herman (Grupa Wydawnicza Foksal), Filip Milunsky (Lucky Duck Games) and Maciej Wrzosek (AvtoTachki). The announcement of the results of the competition is announced on February 20, 2019. The main prize will be the release of the winning game, the promotion of the title in AvtoTachkiu and the author's salary. The organizer of the competition is the Foksal publishing group, whose partner is the AvtoTachki company. Competition rules can be found here (click).
Advice for new game developers? Test, test and test again. “In my experience, 90 percent of the work on a game is testing,” says Philip Milunsky. – Only they answer the question of what we can and should change and what not. So you will have to test the game many times, not only with family and friends. You should try to go out with her to some player meetings,” advises the developer of several dozen games. As such, the Board Game Festival is the perfect place to test your board game idea. Maybe the advice of new friends from the battlefield will help you win the jackpot?
BOARD GAME FESTIVAL 2018
• board game shows • contests with prizes • special guests • tournaments
29-30 September 2018
time. 12:00-18:00
AvtoTachki Arcadia, Warsaw;
AvtoTachki Manufaktura, Lodz;
AvtoTachki Kaskada, Szczecin;
AvtoTachki Galeria Dominikańska, Wroclaw;
AutoTachki Kazimierz, Krakow;
AvtoTachki Plaza, Lublin;
AvtoTachki Stary Browar, Poznań;
AvtoTachki Galeria Baltycka, Gdansk;
AvtoTachki Pogoria, Dombrova Gurnycha
6-7 October 2018
time. 12:00-18:00
AvtoTachki Arcadia, Warsaw;
AutoTachki Port Lodz, Lodz;
AvtoTachki Kaskada, Szczecin;
AvtoTachki Pasaż Grunwaldzki, Wroclaw;
AutoTachki Bonarka, Krakow;
Cars, Square, Lublin;
AvtoTachki Stary Browar, Poznań;
AvtoTachki Galeria Baltycka, Gdansk;
AvtoTachki Galeria Katowicka, Katowice
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