Insights Into Making and Pitching Board Games

At this year’s Board Game Jam we were lucky enough to have two professional board game designers share their knowledge. Sen Foong Lim and Jay Cormier, who are the Bamboozle Brothers made the popular games Belfort and Train of Thought.

They spoke to the attendees of Board Game Jam via Skype about what it’s like to design and sell games around the world.

  • In something akin to a questions and answers session they covered:
  • Prototyping games and getting them ready to pitch
  • What conferences and conventions are like
  • How to playtest and get good feedback
  • What level of finished art should you have in your game to show a publisher
  • The growing trend of mixing board games and digital games

We recorded their words of wisdom and you can listen to them below. Feel free to connect with them at BoardGameGeek (Sen, Jay).

You can buy Belfort at Amazon and Train of Thought at Tiny Minstrel Games.



March 13th, 2013 by Adam

Board Game Jam 2013 is a GO!

We’re running Board Game Jam again this year and we’re super-excited about it because we have room for even more jammers!

Like the previous two years, early bird tickets are $15, and available until Wednesday February 6. After that, late bird tickets are $20. Get them here! As before, all ticket sales go towards purchasing a cornocupia of supplies, and other fun thing

You can check out media coverage of previous years here:

  • The Toronto Star – Board Game creators compete tech-free at Board Game Jam
  • Torontoist – Battle of the Boards
  • BlogTO – The choose your own adventure of board games

    • You can buy your tickets over at Eventbrite!



    January 31st, 2013 by Adam

    Gamercamp and ZED.TO This Weekend

    Gamercamp 2012 is this coming weekend and it’s looking like the best camp yet! Tonight they are doing a halloween screening of Ace Attorney.

    I’ll be running a workshop from 2-3 on Saturday about board games and Board Game Jam, so if you’re new to board games you should come check it out. See the schedule for more fun things happening at Gamercamp.

    Also this weekend, ZED.TO is having their climactic event on Friday and Saturday. It’s looking like it’s going to be the most intense interactive theatrical experience to ever be staged in Toronto.

    A Special Message from ByoLogyc CEO Chet Getram from ByoLogyc on Vimeo.

    To catch up on some background of the ZED story be sure to check out the web comic.



    October 31st, 2012 by Adam

    Board Game in Regards to Jam and Lessons


    First off, a big congratulations to the Board Game Jam participants on creating over 20 board games in under 48 hours! The wrap-up post has more info on the greatness of the event as well as the media coverage the jam got.

    Following the enthusiasm for board games I updated the relevant resources section.

    Relatedly, I found in my archive (as I try to record more things here rather in nebulous locations) a podcast from Three Moves Ahead that looks at what lessons we can learn from board games.

    Computer and boardgame designer Paul Sottosanti joins up Soren, Julian, and Rob to discuss how board games are evolving, and how their design philosophies differ from computer games. Is the popular success of games like Catan something that will lead to wider acceptance of board games in general? Why do Julian and Paul love drafting mechanics so much? How does the transparency of board games change our relationship to them in comparison to computer games?

    Link.



    March 1st, 2012 by Adam

    Board Game Jam 2012 Will Rock Your World!

    The second annual Board Game Jam is happening next month at George Brown College. It’s going to be an awesome time when you can start a board game on Saturday and play it on Sunday night with your friends.

    Check out the announcement of Board Game Jam 2012.

    Your going to want to get your ticket as soon as possible as the early bird tickets are selling fast!



    January 24th, 2012 by Adam
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