The Ultimate Guide to Board Game Design Services

Services list last updated: April 17, 2023

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Creating a game takes many different skills and very few people possess them all. Maybe you’re like me and you’re good with getting your game mechanics to work but you can’t draw to save your life. Perhaps you have friends well-versed in Kickstarter marketing but what you really need is someone who can put together a gameplay video. It’s also possible you consider yourself a decent writer but you really need someone more familiar with the current standards and practices for rulebook writing. At some point, moving forward with your game design will probably mean hiring someone to help you with specific tasks. The purpose of this article is to help you find the person you need.

What You Should Ask Before Hiring

For each pro you contact, you will likely want to know most or all of the items below. In my experience, most people will voluntarily provide this information but if they don’t, you should feel free to ask.

• Education/training – Ask what kind of formal education or training the candidate has had. Keep in mind there are a lot of skilled people out there who don’t have any formal education in the subject matter area.
• Experience – Ask the pro how much experience they have in the general field as well as specific experience as it pertains to board games. For example, you may find someone who has a lot of experience in general marketing but not specifically board game marketing. Keep in mind there are many people who are just starting out in the board game industry. If they don’t have a lot of experience, their rate/cost will likely be lower than most.
• Typical rate – Ask the pro if they have a specific pay rate in mind. The rate may be with respect to time, word length, page length, complexity of game, etc. Or it might be a flat rate for a project.
• Estimated cost for project – Most pros will need detailed information on your task/project in order to provide an overall estimated cost. The estimated overall cost is something you’ll likely want to know before hiring a candidate.
• References – Ask what other people the pro has worked with or projects/games they’ve worked on. I highly recommend you contact those people or check out those games.

Ensuring an Efficient Working Relationship

Once you hire your pro, you’ll want to avoid confusion or misunderstanding that may cause delays. Below is a list of items you want to make sure you understand. Some pros will provide an email or some other document that outlines these items. But if you’re not sure of something, you should ask.

• Materials supplied by you – Sometimes you will need to supply materials. For example, if you hire a product photographer, you will need to send them a copy of your game. You will need to understand what you are expected to provide and when.
• Method of payment – These days there’s many ways to transfer funds. You can write a check or even use a service like PayPal. Some people have a way to pay them through their website. Make sure you know their preferred method.
• Preferred method of communication – There are various ways to contact or collaborate with each other. Some people use email while others like text messages. Make sure you understand the best way to get in contact with your pro.

Recommendations and Feedback

If your pro did a fantastic job, be sure to recommend them to other designers. Many pros depend on word of mouth to grow their business.

If your pro fell short of expectations be sure to provide feedback (tactfully, of course). Be sure to tell people what they did right as well. In my experience, I’ve only had minor difficulties like delays in communication. Most people are open to feedback especially if they are just starting a new business.

Board Game Design and Marketing Services List

The list of services that a board game designer needs these days is dizzying: photography, editing, sculpting, graphic design, legal, marketing, and more. We’ve compiled a list of individuals and companies who can help you bring your game to market.

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Disclaimer: This list of individuals and companies has been collected from individual submissions and our own research. Inclusion in this list does not constitute endorsement by Meeple Mountain. If you’ve worked with someone you feel should be removed from this list, please contact us directly.

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