Hello residents of Scoville! I’m taking this opportunity to step away from the Designer’s Blog to take on a publisher’s perspective (As I write this, I’m trying to figure out where on the site to put this…). I just want to take a minute to share a bit on the game design and development process that we use at Sibling Revelry, and where in that process Doomsday Peppers: The Corrupting is. I’ll periodically jump over here to update you on the game’s progress as it moves along.
First, let me give you a quick rundown of how we generally see the game design process.
(If you’re familiar with game design, feel free to skip ahead, or forgive my long-winded description)
Making a game is an iterative process, not a simple linear timeline. Before it ever sees the light of day, a game must go through three phases: “Idea,” “Design & Development,” and “Production.” Now… I’m a visual person, so if I were to put it in that context, it would look like this:
When a designer has the initial Idea for a game, they have a rough concept. The best thing to do with that idea is to make it real. They should make a prototype as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter if it’s perfect (it won’t be), it just needs to be a “real thing” that can be played around with, adjusted, and experienced.
Once it’s a “real thing,” the prototype moves into the Design & Development phase. The designer’s prototype needs to be played to test it out, or playtested. After a few run-throughs, there will likely be parts that need to be revised, maybe a whole new prototype made (depending on how big the changes are). You’ll notice that this part of the process is illustrated above as a whirlpool. This is the “iterative” part I referred to earlier. A game will have to be tested, revised, tested, and revised multiple times before it finds itself and is ready to move forward. It needs to be balanced, it should be easy to understand, and it should be fun! This whirlpool can be a dangerous place to be for new designers (like us), since the game’s end state isn’t always clear, and the playtesting process could go on and on.
When a game is tightened up, makes sense, and fun to play, we start the concurrent process of launching the crowdfunding campaign that will fund its production. Playtesting and revisions can continue, but now art and design can begin as well.
After the game is funded, it can move into its Production phase, starting with post-campaign development. This can consist of anything the game still needs to be print ready. Finishing the game’s art, layout and polish on the rulebook, and balancing game mechanisms (meaning more playtesting!), are just a few examples of things that can be taken care of at this point. Throughout this phase, we should be in regular communication with the game’s manufacturer, and getting them all the assets they need to start making the game. After everything is finished at our end, the manufacturer takes the lead in production. This can be a lengthy process, but communication between us and the manufacturer will be key. Oversight on pre-production proofs, Clarification/correction of any errors, etc. will all be prioritized.
After the game is mass produced, it will head out to a distributer, who will handle packing and shipping to customers. While this stage has its own challenges and stressors involved, we look forward to getting to this point.
So after all that (again, please forgive my long-windedness), where in this process is Doomsday peppers: The Corrupting? I can report that we have been in playtesting and revisions for some time now, and there have been many, many revisions along the way. It’s been tightened up, simplified, and the theme has been more prominently featured (for more detail, check out my Designer’s Blog). It’s now to the point where changes are minor and the playtesting pool is widening, both being signs of forward progress and a nearing of its readiness for crowdfunding and art. We are SO excited for our first crowdfunding campaign and for production of Doomsday Peppers: The Corrupting. Until we get there, we continue to playtest and improve the game. As a follower of Sibling Revelry and this launch page, you’ll be among the first to know when it’s time for our baby to move out on its own and get funded. So thank you for your support, and stay tuned!
דירות דיסקרטיות בטבריה says:
I want to to thank you for this very good read!! I certainly enjoyed every little bit of it. I have got you book-marked to check out new stuff you postÖ