How to Build a Board Game

When designing a board game, it is important to determine whether you want it to be open-ended or a race to the finish. If the latter, constructing the game is quite straightforward as all one needs is to plot out the spaces between start and finish. Rules for such a game are often simple and printed directly on the spaces, unless symbols are used or a deck of cards is used to vary the rules that could appear on a space (e.g. lose a turn, go back 2 spaces, etc.). Typically this style of game uses one six-sided die so that the game does not end too quickly. Beyond this, the only directives that should guide the design are any thematic components that help tell the story of the journey undertaken by the players.

Open-ended games are more complex, can use multiple types of dice.

Circular boards have start positions, but some other sort of victory conditions are needed as the board has no finish line except for (horse or vehicle) racing games, but such a board is a variation on the concept previously described. Circular games are used for quest, real estate, trivia and other games where the goal is a process of elimination so that the winner is the last player remaining. To construct this type of game, one needs to have components which help to escalate the stakes, making it harder for a player to keep going. Typically, these are tokens that represent resources and either the first player to acquire a full set or everyone else loses their tokens determines the winner. Achieving a balance so that anyone can win takes trial-and-error. Having others play the prototype can help fix this faster than playing it alone.

Modular games combine multiple resources and often are used to simulate wars. These are some of the most complex games to make and play, but they have the highest replayability. By randomizing the landscape of the game, designers can introduce several random systems that encourages strategic thinking. The board tiles do not have to match up with every other tile, which frees a game maker from having to stress over whether every piece fits perfectly. More time is required to create this type of game as every random system has to be checked for balance, especially how conflict resolution works.

Achieving a balance so that anyone can win takes trial-and-error