There was an interesting discussion on BGG about the cost of creating a professional quality board game prototype.

Here are some suggestions to help you create a nice looking sample of your board game design for under $200:

Cards



Blank flash cards from the school supply store are excellent. The cards measure 2" x 3" and I use Avery 06117 labels placed on the back to contain all of the written information. A colorful sticker can be placed on the front of the card.

Stickers



Stickers make great instant art and they come in all shapes and sizes. You can buy animals, space ships, Native American symbols, fantasy creatures, dinosaurs, flags, etc.

Tokens & Counters



These sample markers are from my Empires in the New World exploration game. You'll need a pack of Avery #05408 3/4" round white labels from the office supply store. I use Axis & Allies style round counters; almost any other circular counters will work. You can write, draw, or even print from your computer on these stickers... then simply attach the label to your counter. If you change your mind, want to edit the information, or just need to fix an illustration you simply peel the label off and stick another one on there! You never actually throw away the counter so you save time and money.

Dice



Need special dice for your game? No problem! Buy some Avery 05412 labels that measure just 5/16" x 1/2" and use them on the sides of your cubes. If you need to modify a number or want to change an illustration you just peel off the label.

Graphics



Don't use a Sharpie or a Magic Marker to draw your artwork: they smear and they are hard to control. I use Prismacolor markers from the art supply store. They have two points; one broad tip and one fine point for detail work. They are not cheap (about $4 each) but they are worth the price.

The Game Board



Buy good quality poster board from the art supply place, not the cheap junk sold at the grocery store. Get a T-Square to keep your lettering even. I use Pigma Micron pens with archival ink... don't use a ball point or other piece of garbage pen because the ink will smear and fade.

Templates



Templates like these are sold at office supply houses or art supply stores. They feature various shapes and patterns which are extremely useful to any game designer. Buy some.

Playing Pieces



The local thrift store is a great source for a wide variety of plastic playing pieces. Used games that cost just a buck or two can yield hundreds of "bits" for your game. Don't hesitate to mix-n-match stuff from different games. Use your imagination!

Spinners



Many children's games use a spinner. Check the used games at the thrift store and buy one with a spinner in it for $1. Simply turn that spinner over to the blank side and you're in business.

Tiles





Terrain tiles are a common feature of many games... I took a Settlers of Catan tile and carefully traced the edge on some heavy cardboard. I then used that pattern to make new tiles using white poster board. You can draw on them (or use stickers/labels) and make more anytime.

The Finished Prototype



This is the latest edition of my Civil War strategy game. Most of the techniques mentioned in this article were used to create this prototype.



Good Luck!

Where do I buy talent?

I'll have to look for those flash cards, I ran out of blank playing cards.

Good article Pete. We closet game designers salute you

Excellent!

BTW, what do you actually use for the (round) counters? I know about covering them with stickers, but what do you use for the actual counter?

I use Axis & Allies counters. They are 3/4" and just the right size to match the Avery labels. I buy old Axis & Allies games at every thrift shop in town.

Great post. Apart from Axis & Allies games, does anyone know of any other source of card or plastic flat round counters?

Another example using a 1" token from the antique auction game Sold! -- you can obtain a nice border effect with a 3/4" label. A one inch label works just as well, but the color rim on the edge of the counter can bring clarity to a "busy" game board.

How about bingo chips? Should only costs a few bucks for a few hundred chips.

I also find it's possible to run blank white index cards straight through a desktop inkjet with no ill effects. That'll save you money on labels.

Bingo chips with labels attached are a useful alternative but in some cases they don't stack very well.

However, you don't have to be Michelangelo to create a board game prototype.



This is a section of the map from my Empires In Ancient America empire building game.

Don't get too fancy, keep your borders crisp and clear, and use uncomplicated symbols. Anybody with some good quality markers and a T-Square can create a decent board.

I'm a BIG fan of Redmond Simonsen, the brilliant art director from the glory days of SPI. He used a classic "less is more" approach, and so do I.

Where can you buy talent?

It is usually found in the aisle with thumb drives at Staples.

For counters...

Try this place...

http://www.eaieducation.com/532107.html

They have lots of options and not too expensive.

Peace,
Jason

How about pennies for the counters? They tend to be pretty cheap running about a $1.00 for 100. They stack well, but they are a bit thick.

Thanks for the link, they've got a lot of nice stuff!

BTW, I went immediately to Staples for the talent - they were out and didn't know when it would be back in stock.

Very well put together and may even spark others to try their hand at a game they have been dreaming about for some time.

I use 1" chipboard circles for tokens. You can get them at most major craft stores. Also I can begin to tell you how useful a sticker maker is! Very inexpensive as well!

I need 3 things- blocks (CG or GMT style blocks and stickers to go with them)! Where do I find those things.

Also I want a map on Wikipedia blown up in color and on nice sturdy paper- I thought there was a way to send it somewhere to be printed- but I am not sure if this allowed due to the fact it is on wikipedia and also has writing above it and below it that I do not want. Any suggestions?

Labels that measure 5/8" x 7/8" will work with blocks from Columbia Games. I trim the bottom slightly. Here are some examples of units I created for Gettysburg: Badges of Courage --





You might be able to order wooden blocks directly from Columbia Games.

Legal Dept. -- Some copy shops frown on their customers using material under copyright.

Technical Dept. -- Enlarging a small map to board game size will create a great deal of distortion. Finding an original source for the map shown on wiki is one option. Another option is to transfer the information you need (assuming it is a campaign map or a battlefield map) onto another map of the same area which is closer to the correct size for your game board.

Cool antique maps:
http://www.davidrumsey.com/

When creating maps on a computer or other pieces it is best to save them as a vector base image with a program like Adobe illustrator. Vector images are scalable without distorting the image or causing lots of pixelation. It also helps give your design a nice crisp and clean look. If your going to take them to a print shop be sure to convert your image over to a pdf file which most print shops can use easily. If you don't have access to a copy of illustrator there are several open source programs available that can work with vector based images.

Ah- that's what vector images are! I've been using Paint Shop Pro for a while, and wondered what that save option was for. Great tip!

Respectfully,

Falloutfan

Thanks very much to everyone for all of these great comments!

It might be safe to assume that almost every Geek has at least one game design concept rolling around inside that highly active Geek brain... I hope this article and the many excellent contributions by these other game designers will provide some inspiration and ideas.

If you click on them, all images on Wikipedia have a statement below them saying whether they're in the public domain or otherwise OK to copy.