On Prototype Quality

If you're reading this, you probably already know that prototypes should look nice but not too nice if you are pitching to publishers. Let's look in a little more detail at the importance of a certain level of prototype quality. 

Prototype quality communicates a lot of information to publishers. If prototypes are too nice, they signal that you are invested in a certain look for the game and may be hesitant to make changes. This is especially true if you have invested money in art and graphics. (If you are an artist doing your own art, you may want to say so upfront to avoid confusion.) Publishers have a vision for their line of games. So unless your finished game fits perfectly with that vision, they will want to make changes. 

Prototypes that aren't nice looking at all signal that the game is not yet complete. Even if the mechanics are complete, an ugly prototype signals that you haven't yet considered how to make your game into a product. So, what should a just-finished-enough prototype look like?

Your prototype needs to be usable. Cards need to be shuffleable. Components need to be physically close enough to the finished version that the game plays the way a finished version would. I usually only buy dice and standees when it comes to prototypes, but if I'm sending out a prototype to a publisher I will try to get real cards printed (and sleeve my cards if not). 

In addition to a usable level of component quality, your graphics need to be usable as well. Icons need to discernible. Text needs to be kept to a minimum. Layout needs to be considered. You don't need to be a graphic designer, but you do need to be familiar with how information is conveyed in board games. Again, usability is key. 

Lastly, you need to make the prototype look just good enough that the publisher can imagine it in their line. Placeholder art can convey a surprising amount of information: tone, intended audience, table presence, cost of final art, etc. Placeholder art also gives your game some color and character to help it stand out. Importantly, placeholder art says "I want you to finish the look of this game." 

A pitching prototype needs to convey what the game can be without actually spending much money yourself. It needs to inspire a publisher's imagination by leaving only a few things to the imagination. There is a certain element of 'doing all the hard work but letting the publisher think it was their idea' in a pitching prototype. And that's okay. You are doing 95% of the work in order to inspire someone else to do the remaining 5%. The trick of it is that that remaining 5% takes just as long as the 95% and costs 200x more. And really, if that last 5% is fun for you, why are you pitching? Just make your game. 

For me, the fun part of pitching is finding a collaborator who sees my design work and gets excited. Finding someone who believes in the project and commits to doing the parts I don't enjoy. But I confess, I also like the dance of showing what a game can be without actually producing the game myself. It's a form of communication, and it's an art. It's a skill I'm still developing. 

ShippBoard Games is a board game design blog that updates most Mondays.