How should you use print-and-plays as a designer, publisher, or indie creator? We discuss some options!
- Advantages
- Early Feedback
- Kickstarter
- Limited or Full Version?
- What do players use them for?
- Shopping Ahead
- Evaluating Gameplay
- Evaluating Art
- Why a P&P isn’t giving the game away.
- Translations
- Other components
- PnPs at Cons
Audio/Podcast Version: http://traffic.libsyn.com/theforbiddenlimb/BGBP042.mp3
Board Game Business 
What about putting a watermark over the PnP material? Or would that be tacky/ineffective? If people paid $1 for the PnP and it had a watermark would they be upset?
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That’s a good idea and I think it would be the right call for some situations. A surprising (to me) amount of people look at print-and-plays, at least on Kickstarter, as a way to evaluate the illustrations, graphic design, and overall presentation, and I think watermarks would detract from it if it’s out there for free to anyone looking at the page. But there may be a way to make it subtle so that someone looking at it knows it’s not original, but it isn’t very noticeable at a glance. I think anyone paying any amount of money for a print-and-play would potentially be upset if there was a watermark on it, but I may be wrong about that. So in general, I would personally stay away from watermarks on KS campaigns, but I’m sure there are cases where it would work smashingly. -Brian
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I realize that this may not fit the subject of the video posted, however, can either of you three recommend a good book on the subject of making board games?
I love your videos and posts but I feel a book may be helpful as well.
Thank you for you time and hard work.
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Thanks for listening! When Richard started designing for the Star Trek collectible card game, A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative by Roger von Oech was “required” reading, so you could try that one. I personally have learned by doing and watching how players respond to the games I design rather than reading up on it, since that’s just my learning style. I’ve read some good books on software engineering usability that helped with my game design, but I don’t think that would translate to board games for other people as much as for me.
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