MeStarter #4 update 2: Theme

 MeStarter #4 update 2: Theme

Many game designers are asked “what do you start designing with: theme or mechanism?”*

For me, it’s 49/51 with theme taking the lead. Which begs the question; “which theme am I passionate enough about to spend the next 6-12 months making a game about?”

 

My usual answer is: there are three themes that I want to design games about: Star Wars, Batman and Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. I’ve come close to having games based on all three published… but not yet.

 

And then I am reminded of the sage words of my pal Hardy LeBel who said “make your own damn Star Wars.” **

 

There are currently three themes that intrigue me when considering designing a game with immersive table presence. They are: 

 

 

 1) An Indiana Jones-esque set in a trap-filled temple

 

 

2) A James Bond-esque spy thriller set in a multi-level casino

 

 

 3) An 80’s action game based in a “not” Die Hard’s Nakatomi Plaza Tower

 

I find all three themes exciting and I can already envision game play based on them. However, the real question is, which theme is most exciting to YOU since (hopefully) you will be backing this. (More on how you will be doing this in a future update)

 

Let me know which theme is the most exciting to you in the comments below!!

 

* My answer is usually “Why not both?”

** I did this when I created Rayguns and Rocketships.

Mestarter #4 update 3: Experimentation

Mestarter #4 update 3: Experimentation

I've mentioned that I often find inspiration in remix. Taking two (or more) ideas and smooshing them together to make something (hopefully) new.

Recently, my game group played an old favorite, Colt Express. IMHO, it's the poster child of a game with great table presence. In my mind, I started to wonder what Colt Express would be like if it were orientated vertically instead of horizontally. I decided to try it out.

Taking my copy of Colt Express, I mashed it up with another game, Ouija Manor, a little-known Prospero Hall game from 2024 with a dramatic board, just to see if it worked.

The good news is, "Colt Manor" as I dubbed it, worked really well - with only a few tweaks needed to accommodate the different play orientation. 

The bad news is, I don't want to just make "Colt Express meets Ouija Manor." I want to create something more original than that.

And I don't even know if there is interest in a game like this. Is there?

I will have to give this concept some more thought before I move forward with it.

Project #4 (name TBD) update 1

MeStarter #4 update 1: Inspiration

It's time to start a new MeStarter. Follow along to join me on this creative journey!

"Where do your ideas come from?" is a question that famous writers report being asked often. For me, ideas for games can come in a variety of ways.

 An idea from a game can come from playing another game and being so impressed by it, that I am inspired to make my own version of it. Or conversely, playing an unsatisfying game and wanting to make (IMHO) an improved version of the design.

It can come from synthesizing two or more ideas together to create a new one. This concept is beautifully illustrated in Kirby Ferguson's multi-part video essay "Everything is a Remix"

Sometimes I will just look at pictures of games online at BGG.com or Kickstarter or Gamefound to see if I can understand what the game play is just by looking at it. Often I am wrong, but that misunderstanding can lead to a new idea for a game.

I have to admit, going into MeStarter #4 (name TBD), I didn't have a specific "mission statement". For Oh No! There Goes Tokyo! I wrote "I don't know what this game is going to be, but it's going to have a windup monster in it." Escape from Rotter Mansion started it's creation as a game "with dice and a ghost in it."

This time? I'm starting from scratch.

There are a few concepts that I'm interested in exploring: the first is a game with "Table Presence" - the type of game that makes you go "Wow!" when you see it. Usually this "Wow factor" comes from a paper craft element on the board like the tree in Everdell, the delightful train in Colt Express or the impressive multi-level mansion in Ouija Manor. I'd like to create something memorable, that will draw the players in to want to play it.

But creating a game with table presence is just the start. I will also need intriguing game play and a theme. 

But let's save that for the next post.

I DO MY OWN STUNTS update 32

I DO MY OWN STUNTS update 32

Whew, we've finally made it to the last blog post about I DO MY OWN STUNTS!

A question that many new game creators ask is how much does it cost to create and publish a game?

To create the prototype for I DO MY OWN STUNTS, my costs were: 
Don't Go In There game (to experiment with the box) - $26.99
Meeples - $14.95
Blank playing cards - $8.95
Total = $50.89

 
There were other expenses, like the time it took to draw the art for the prototype and design and playtest the game, but those I'm treating as a sunk cost.

 
Moving on to the production of the game: The art was "free" since I did it myself and I didn't keep track of the time it took to create it all (although if I read through my old blog posts, it looks like I created the art between July and September, so 3 months?)

 
Once I had completed all of the art assets, it was time to get a quote from the printer. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I went with Gameland because they were the printer who had created Don't Go In There - the game that inspired the box. The quote from Gameland for 100 units was:

Unit price $19.124  -  1912.40
Mold fee (1 set for the plastic insert)  -  150
Sample Fee (3 set) - 300
Handling change - 250
Delivery Cost (air freight) - 950
Additional shipping costs were $75 for tariffs and another government fee of around $250

 
Total cost to the printer (and US government) = $3,887.4

My retail price for the game was $65 a unit (78 copies pre-sold)
I kept 3 copies for samples/my own collection (a "loss" of $195)
3 copies of the game were gifted to publishers/friends (a "loss" of $195)
2 cases (16 games) were also sold to a local game store ($35 a unit)

I used USPS to ship all of the games. The game weighed 15.70 oz and I made sure that the game fit the medium box size which was a flat $22 per unit. USPS ground shipping was $22 a game.
I also had several international backers and shipping ranged from $29.95 to $40.45 depending on location.

So, how much did I earn for I DO MY OWN STUNTS?

$5070 earned from selling games to 78 customers
$560 games sold to game store (16 copies)

Total = $5630
Minus printer and tariff costs = $3,887.4
Minus production costs = $50.89
My total profit was $1,691.71

It doesn't seem like much, but I think of it this way: My goal was to learn how to make a game from beginning to end and have it show up on my door a complete product. Check. 

I wanted to learn what it was like to deal with a retailer and have my game sold in a game store. Check. 

I wanted to make a game for people to enjoy. Check. 

I wanted to have a game that I could then pitch to other publishers and possibly sell. Still in progress with this one.

Overall, I think that I DO MY OWN STUNTS was a big success - although whatever I do next will need to be either cheaper to produce or made at a larger scale - maybe even both.

I've learned a lot and I hope you did too. I'm looking forward to the next one!

Introducing Cheesed Off!

Cheesed Off! is a fun silly party game for 3-10 players. Instead of the traditional sell-sheet, I decided to create something new and explain this simple game on a single sheet.

 

I DO MY OWN STUNTS update 31

 I DO MY OWN STUNTS update 31

 I’m happy to report that I DO MY OWN STUNTS production run has SOLD OUT! You can still buy copies at Geeky Teas & Games in Burbank. 

 

 
Thank you for everyone who backed and supported the game! This project has been a HUGE success!

I DO MY OWN STUNTS Update 30

 I DO MY OWN STUNTS Update 30

 Now that you have your game, you might notice a component isn't included. The rule book mentions player aid cards. However, these cards were removed to reduce costs (if you exceed the number of cards on a "sheet", you end up paying for the entire next sheet.) 

      

These things happen. Fortunately, all of the relevant information (genre and skill icons) are included in the rule book on the top of page 4.

I'm so grateful for all of my backers! Look at all of these happy faces! This is why I make games.

 

A reminder that you can still purchase I DO MY OWN STUNTS exclusively at Geeky Teas & Games, my favorite board game store in the universe.

I DO MY OWN STUNTS update 29

 I DO MY OWN STUNTS Update 29

Aside from a few in-person deliveries, all of the copies of I DO MY OWN STUNTS are on their way to backers!!

 

 

Overall, 86 copies of the games were pre-ordered by backers out of the production run of 100 games. I kept some copies for my own library and for promotional purposes but I still have a case remaining. Eight copies of the game remain unclaimed… This is your only chance to own this version of the game, so don’t delay!

 

If you are interested in owning your own copy of I DO MY OWN STUNTS, please DM me for details. Please consider purchasing a copy, it will help me create more projects in the future!

I DO MY OWN STUNTS Update 28

Deliveries have begun!!!

Over 60 games have been shipped worldwide! I will be reaching out to backers this weekend with shipping information.

I have hand-delivered many copies to friends and backers so far. This is my favorite part - seeing the happy owners of I DO MY OWN STUNTS! 

If you are one of the proud owners, don't forget to rate and review the game on Board Game Geek or your favorite social media platform!

Remember that if you missed backing I DO MY OWN STUNTS, there are still copies available at Geeky Teas & Games - who is exclusively carrying the game!

And if you selected local pick up, I will be at Geeky Teas & Games on Wednesday Feb. 18th and 25th from 7-10pm! Come and get your game! I'll see you there!