We're are working on a Deckbuilding game called Inner Demons.
You fight against your own cards. They transform into enemies and you can overcome and befriend them.
We are super early in development. So if anyone wants to give it a try, let me know!
We are working on a game called Inner Demons, which is about demons and overcoming them.
A 2D Deckbuilding game.
We've decided against any AI art, but it takes a long time to make this vision come true.
Do you think it is worth it and we should continue with it?
I've just started a whole lot accounts for social media for my games studio.
Instead of actually working on the game, I'm doing social media posts. Which is fine.
But the worst part: I never had any of those accounts before. Now I'm consuming it as well.
I'm also checking my results every other minute.
Do you have any tips or advice how to not waste my time there? Or is it even necessary to see what others are doing and keep my accounts "alive"?
I’ve reviewed thousands of board game pitches from a publisher perspective over the years, and I keep seeing the same questions come up. So here’s a practical breakdown of what actually matters.
For context, I’ve also had some video game pitches (on both ends), even though its a different world for video games, I think things can be learned here as well, but I will focus on boardgames.
Here its much more about the actual game, and less about the doability. Because the prototype should already be fully playable. Not just a "demo".
First more material is generally better, but not in the sense of longer documents. What you want is accessibility. A publisher should be able to get everything they need with minimal effort, ideally one click away.
If I had to rank what matters most:
Approach publishers directly and offer a meeting, either online or in person, just reach out via mail and ask them. Compared to video games, this part is much easier.
If you are at conventions, bring at least one physical prototype, preferably more, plus a stack of sales sheets. That is enough.
Your prototype does not need to look pretty. Sleeves, paper, and something like Magic cards as backing is completely fine. No one cares about production quality at this stage, as long as the game is playable. It is cheap to make, just time consuming.
The biggest misconception I see is people overvaluing presentation. The actual mechanics matter far more. You need to communicate your core idea quickly and clearly. What makes your game interesting or different should be obvious within minutes.
You can mention expansions in one sentence, but most publishers do not care at this stage.
Also, do not try to overexplain production. Your rulebook should list all components, and that is enough. Publishers are better at estimating costs than you are.
One key thing to keep in mind: publishers go through a massive number of submissions. Keep everything tight and precise. Cut anything that is not essential.
And finally, this is not about you. It is not about your company or your background. You are not pitching yourself. You are pitching the game.
If that part is strong, everything else becomes much easier.
I’ve reviewed thousands of board game pitches from a publisher perspective over the years, and I keep seeing the same questions come up. So here’s a practical breakdown of what actually matters.
For context, I’ve also had some video game pitches (on both ends), even though its a different world for video games, I think things can be learned here as well, but I will focus on boardgames.
Here its much more about the actual game, and less about the doability. Because the prototype should already be fully playable. Not just a "demo".
First more material is generally better, but not in the sense of longer documents. What you want is accessibility. A publisher should be able to get everything they need with minimal effort, ideally one click away.
If I had to rank what matters most:
Approach publishers directly and offer a meeting, either online or in person, just reach out via mail and ask them. Compared to video games, this part is much easier.
If you are at conventions, bring at least one physical prototype, preferably more, plus a stack of sales sheets. That is enough.
Your prototype does not need to look pretty. Sleeves, paper, and something like Magic cards as backing is completely fine. No one cares about production quality at this stage, as long as the game is playable. It is cheap to make, just time consuming.
The biggest misconception I see is people overvaluing presentation. The actual mechanics matter far more. You need to communicate your core idea quickly and clearly. What makes your game interesting or different should be obvious within minutes.
You can mention expansions in one sentence, but most publishers do not care at this stage.
Also, do not try to overexplain production. Your rulebook should list all components, and that is enough. Publishers are better at estimating costs than you are.
One key thing to keep in mind: publishers go through a massive number of submissions. Keep everything tight and precise. Cut anything that is not essential.
And finally, this is not about you. It is not about your company or your background. You are not pitching yourself. You are pitching the game.
If that part is strong, everything else becomes much easier.
I’ve reviewed thousands of board game pitches from a publisher perspective over the years, and I keep seeing the same questions come up. So here’s a practical breakdown of what actually matters.
For context, I’ve also had some video game pitches (on both ends), even though its a different world for video games, I think things can be learned here as well, but I will focus on boardgames.
Here its much more about the actual game, and less about the doability. Because the prototype should already be fully playable. Not just a "demo".
First more material is generally better, but not in the sense of longer documents. What you want is accessibility. A publisher should be able to get everything they need with minimal effort, ideally one click away.
If I had to rank what matters most:
Approach publishers directly and offer a meeting, either online or in person, just reach out via mail and ask them. Compared to video games, this part is much easier.
If you are at conventions, bring at least one physical prototype, preferably more, plus a stack of sales sheets. That is enough.
Your prototype does not need to look pretty. Sleeves, paper, and something like Magic cards as backing is completely fine. No one cares about production quality at this stage, as long as the game is playable. It is cheap to make, just time consuming.
The biggest misconception I see is people overvaluing presentation. The actual mechanics matter far more. You need to communicate your core idea quickly and clearly. What makes your game interesting or different should be obvious within minutes.
You can mention expansions in one sentence, but most publishers do not care at this stage.
Also, do not try to overexplain production. Your rulebook should list all components, and that is enough. Publishers are better at estimating costs than you are.
One key thing to keep in mind: publishers go through a massive number of submissions. Keep everything tight and precise. Cut anything that is not essential.
And finally, this is not about you. It is not about your company or your background. You are not pitching yourself. You are pitching the game.
If that part is strong, everything else becomes much easier.
A few weeks ago I gave a talk at a small fair, since I did the work anyways, why not share it here. I've adjusted it to focus only on my board and tabletop game development.
My background:
Studied Game Design at Games Academy in Germany for 1 year (Thats the standard time) back in 2014.
Then worked as a Editor for Hans im Glück and eventually became the Head/Lead of Development.
I worked on over 25 different projects that sold over 1 million copies in total.
We even won Kennerspiel des Jahres (game of the year) for Paleo.
Then after 9 years I decided to switch to video games, which resulted in founding my own studio. We work on boardgame related video games.
How is a boardgame made. (Most probably know this, but I want to share it anyways)
Actual learnings:
1. Prototyping
Prototype either physically at a table or digitally (e.g. Tabletopia) to remove friction and iterate fast. In board games, you can build and test ideas within hours. Start by modifying existing games to make it easier. Most importantly: get it on the table early and test as much as possible.
2. Mechanics First
In board games, gameplay is almost entirely systems. Mechanics alone already carry the experience. Visuals can enhance it, but they’re usually not the focus. You can’t hide weak design behind polish, so decisions are driven purely by playability. This is especially valuable for small studios that need to create strong gameplay with minimal content.
3. System Design
Board games heavily focus on systems like economy, progression, and leveling often enough to carry the entire experience. Board games show how far you can go by combining and refining existing ones. These systems must always stay understandable, transparent, and fair, enabling clear and meaningful decisions for players.
4. Elegance & Emergence
Great board games rely on elegant systems simple rules that create deep gameplay. The challenge isn’t adding features, but cutting them down to the minimum that still produces meaningful depth. Emergence comes from systems interacting with each other, creating outcomes that aren’t explicitly designed but naturally arise through play.
5. Interaction
Board games thrive on player interaction that are sitting across from each other already creates tension. With very little, you can generate a lot of gameplay through deduction, negotiation, and scarcity. Players discuss, bluff, trade, and compete, creating a “meta game” of politics on top of the actual rules.
6. Balancing
Balancing in board games is harder due to limited data and slower testing cycles. Even if something is mathematically fair, it doesn’t matter if it feels frustrating. Player perception beats numbers. This is very different from competitive video games, where win rates and data matter more. Since you can’t patch a board game, balance decisions need to be much more deliberate.
7. Digital & Analog Adaptations
The learnings aren’t separate. There’s strong overlap between board games and video games in both directions. Adapting a game becomes especially interesting once it’s already successful in one medium, as you can transfer the fanbase and reach new audiences. Today, many successful board games get digital versions, and vice versa.
Conclusion
There’s something to learn everywhere, especially from other games, not matter the medium. They offer a different perspective on systems, clarity, and player interaction. Most importantly: test early and often, and don’t hesitate to use simple paper prototypes.
If there is anything you want to know, or if you need feedback / first steps into that industry, just let me know, always happy to help!
I'm currently working on a deckbuilding game for PC right now, so I can make use of all those things every day.
Hey everyone,
recently I gave a talk at a small fair, since I did the work anyways, why not share it here. Maybe it helps :)
My background:
Studied Game Design at Games Academy in Germany for 1 year (Thats the standard time) back in 2014.
Then worked as a Editor for Hans im Glück and eventually became the Head/Lead of Development.
I worked on over 25 different projects that sold over 1 million copies in total.
We even won Kennerspiel des Jahres (game of the year) for Paleo.
Then after 9 years I decided to switch to video games, which resulted in founding my own studio. We work on boardgame related video games.
How is a boardgame made:
Reaching out to boardgame publishers is also super easy, you just write them a mail and they answer. Different story with video games in my experience.
3. The publisher works on illustrations, develops the game further (that really depends, but we did that) and works on production.
4. Game is released. A network of distributors make sure that the box is where it can actually be sold. The boxes are relativley big and heavy, this makes it quite hard.
Actual learnings that can be transfered to video games:
1. Prototyping
Prototype either physically at a table or digitally (e.g. Tabletopia) to remove friction and iterate fast. In board games, you can build and test ideas within hours since there’s no programming blocking you. Start by modifying existing games to make it easier. Even for video games, you can abstract systems and test them this way. Most importantly: get it on the table early and test as much as possible.
2. Mechanics First
In board games, gameplay is almost entirely systems—mechanics alone already carry the experience. Visuals can enhance it, but they’re not the focus. You can’t hide weak design behind polish, so decisions are driven purely by playability. This is especially valuable for small studios that need to create strong gameplay with minimal content.
3. System Design
Board games heavily focus on systems like economy, progression, and leveling—often enough to carry the entire experience. While video games can introduce completely new systems, board games show how far you can go by combining and refining existing ones. These systems must always stay understandable, transparent, and fair, enabling clear and meaningful decisions for players.
4. Elegance & Emergence
Great board games rely on elegant systems—simple rules that create deep gameplay. The challenge isn’t adding features, but cutting them down to the minimum that still produces meaningful depth. Emergence comes from systems interacting with each other, creating outcomes that aren’t explicitly designed but naturally arise through play.
5. Interaction
Board games thrive on player interaction—sitting across from each other already creates tension. With very little, you can generate a lot of gameplay through deduction, negotiation, and scarcity. Players discuss, bluff, trade, and compete, creating a “meta game” of politics on top of the actual rules.
6. Balancing
Balancing in board games is harder due to limited data and slower testing cycles. Even if something is mathematically fair, it doesn’t matter if it feels frustrating—player perception beats numbers. This is very different from competitive video games, where win rates and data matter more. Since you can’t patch a board game, balance decisions need to be much more deliberate.
7. Digital & Analog Adaptations
The learnings aren’t separate—there’s strong overlap between board games and video games in both directions. Adapting a game becomes especially interesting once it’s already successful in one medium, as you can transfer the fanbase and reach new audiences. Today, many successful board games get digital versions, and vice versa.
Conclusion
There’s something to learn everywhere—especially from board games. They offer a different perspective on systems, clarity, and player interaction that translates well into video games. Most importantly: test early and often, and don’t hesitate to use paper prototypes.
If there is anything you want to know, or if you need feedback / first steps into that industry, just let me know, always happy to help!