It’s Okay…People Can Like Your Game

Sam “King of the Hilltop”

We have officially been in manufacturing for a few weeks now for our very first board game, Cult of the Deep. It’s been a journey and a dream. However, that does not mean it’s without pitfalls and low points. Anything worth pursuing takes time and effort. So here is just a few thoughts I have had along the way so that you know you are not alone.

Imposter Syndrome

This is so real and prevalent for many board game designers and publishers, I count myself among them. Many of us treat this foray into the board gaming world as a dream or end goal. By doing so, we are going after those dreams and actually accomplishing them! That’s awesome! However, because we are doing those things, we can feel doubt, confusion, fear, and an inability to attribute success to ourselves, or setting ourselves up for failure by making ridiculously challenging goals. Strange, right? I am here to tell you though, or even us…STOP IT!

People can like our games, it’s okay.

People want to help and support you, that’s a good thing.

Be reasonable and try to look at our progress objectively. Look at where we came from and what we have accomplished. It’s a ton of work to publish or even design a game to a point where it is playable. A lot of hours, a lot of tedious work, a whole lot to be proud of.

Celebrate

Make sure to look back at where we came from and celebrate the small milestones. I keep a journal of my game designs and my failed games and look at them every once in a while. It helps me to remember all of the failures I have gone through and learned from. That is great! I can now see where those failures lead to a success.

Celebrate those small moments: first time someone says your game is fun, first time you make a decent looking prototype or even the first time you make a full prototype (rough edges and all), first Kickstarter campaign, first meeting with a publisher (no matter the size of the publisher). These are all things to look at and celebrate.Enjoy those moments.

Share with others

We need to learn to share our victories more and celebrate those achievements. There are people out there waiting for your next game design or idea. There are people who want to see you succeed. So, make sure you are sharing those successes with the community. Your success is our success.

That being said, I would be remiss if I didn’t show some of these pictures of our first time in manufacturing! So excited!

Manufactured Feelings

Ed “Duke of BAzlandia”

At the moment, I am feeling a bit thoughtful about what this process has been like since the Kickstarter ended earlier this year. Being in a reflective mood, I have had some thoughts on the progress. Not just progress on Cult of the Deep or B.A. Games, but also just in life in general.

These past several months, there has been a ton of work (mostly done by Sam, I have the advantage that my job is basically background noise). Most of this work has been digital or nonphysical in nature. I am used to going out working and then at least having something physical to show for it. Even if the work isn’t complete, I can point to a physical object and say, “That’s what I have done today.” That hasn’t always been the case with this process so far.

Yes, we have some pre-printed copies and made two demo copies but we don’t have the complete manufactured print run in our hands. We are close, but it’s not here. Once we have it, the work and goal still isn’t done until it is fulfilled and on game store shelves. At times it has been daunting and it will continue to be so. However, once the game is on a boat from China to the fulfillment centers, that will be a good day.

As I ramble on, I realize the point here is this process has been a lot like life. There is work and even more work to get to where you want to go and to be who you want to be. It is a daunting journey. However, there are milestones along the way. These need to be recognized and celebrated. They provide a wonderful opportunity to look back and see where you have been and an important place to re-engage and make sure you are on the correct course to where you want to be.