The Purpose of this Blog

It may be a little late a year and sixty entries in, but I want to spell out my intent for this blog. 

First, I have no intention of spending much time on mechanisms and the technical aspects of designing a game system, core loop, etc. There is already so much information out there about the basics of designing a game, and I don't see a need to add much to that conversation. Besides, I'm not about to set myself up as an expert when I didn't know the term worker placement until two years ago. (The posts I do have about mechanics, Action Categories and Acquisition: Cards, are tools I use in my own designs. So, any mechanism posts have to wait for me to develop a tool I then feel compelled to share.)

Rather, I view what I write about here as supplemental material: it should not replace the traditional approach to designing games but add to it. As the industry grows, the goal is no longer to design good games but to design great ones. Innovative mechanics are only one part of how that can happen. I'm here to break down the aesthetic, thematic, and experiential components that make designs memorable. 

I don't separate my critiques or advice by whose job it is. I view a published game as a whole, designed product. However, just because you aren't in charge of the final aesthetics of a game doesn't mean that you shouldn't learn about usability, layout, or visual balance. Cross-training in related areas of design will make you a better designer. Not only that but becoming a better visual designer will help you produce better prototypes when pitching to publishers. Developing your aesthetic understanding will help you hire artists to match your product vision if you are self-publishing. In short, I don't think there is a part of the process that designers shouldn't consider (or at least be aware of) and that knowledge should be reflected in their designs.

This blog is primarily focused on designers, but I am also interested in the broader conversations of where the industry is going and the prevailing models and theories emerging about board game design. I am firmly in the camp that games are art. As a professional in the arts, I believe board games are in an exciting place where creators right now have an opportunity to shape the industry and the art form to avoid problems encountered in other fields. 

Beyond industry development, I am excited to watch board game design theory develop in real time. I started this blog after watching people struggle to describe concepts in game design that I already had a language for, thanks to art and theatre classes. In general, I write about concepts that I haven't seen analyzed in depth elsewhere. For instance, I probably won't engage much with the theory of fun or flow states because that ground is already well trod. I'm learning as I go, but I prefer to explore topics that I haven't seen dealt with in the board game sphere. As a result, much of what I write is a record of my explorations into various concepts and how they apply to board games or attempting to better define concepts already used in the hobby. 

Who is this blog for? Me, mostly. It's far easier for me to talk concisely in person about game concepts if I've already written 1k words on the topic. Designers, certainly. But this blog is also for anyone involved in the creation of a board game or who wants to understand some of the more ethereal aspects of game design. 

Going forward, you can expect more of the same from this blog: new posts most Mondays unless I'm on vacation or busy. More meditations on theme, art, and experience. A few announcements about the other things I've been doing in the board game space. 

I'm looking forward to this year and I hope this blog can continue to offer useful insight to designers of all experience levels.