How To Start Board Games Business
Many people all over the world keep themselves busy and happy by playing different types of board games. Board games range from Scrabble, Draught, Monopoly, Chess Clue, etc. Some people just play a board game for the fun of it, others bet money and even others play it in a well-organized competition in which winners go home with thousands or even millions of dollars. An example of the game people win money in chess, and even monopoly.
A board game is simply a tabletop game that has pieces placed on pre-determined board locations and being guided by a set of rules. A board game can be played by two or more people depending on the type of board game. There is always a goal a player wishes to accomplish and defeating the opponent in terms of winning position, gaining more points as well as on counters. There are different types of board game today; most are contained on a physical board, some games are based on pure strategy, while others are online. Other games may be won by chance, some still require skill but some are won by chance with some element of skill.
The skill required to learn and be proficient in a particular game depends greatly on the type of board game. The point is that a game that is complex and difficult to master may be unrelated to the number or sophistication of rules that define the game: for instance, a game of chess has a simple rule but to win the game requires you to plan strategically and do some calculations.
Board Games provide entertainment for everyone including young children. You can show your passion for board games by starting and running your board games business. Consider every aspect of classic board games and with the right combination of business insight and board gaming knowledge, you can establish a profitable business and have a rewarding experience..Study the board gaming industry and look for ways to market your products and maximize profits.
I am a board game enthusiast but not in the business of making and selling board games. If you have the interest of going into the business, we shall work together since this article is going to show you the process of setting up the board game business, the designing of a board game, the process of production, and the marketing of the finished product.
As has been earlier mentioned, there are varieties of board games, it doesn’t make sense to jump into production without proper research on which one/s to produce, and indeed the feasibility and viability of the board games business should be researched and evaluated before starting your business proper.
Industry Overview
The board game industry is still strong notwithstanding the presence of online platforms. The industry recorded some growth in 2013 and 2016 had the overall sales broke the record to hit $10 billion in the US. Ever since the industry is still growing. This is the time it will pay you to go into board game business and make sure you apply due diligence, you will realize your goal.
How To Start Board Games Business
To start your game business and succeed, it is important to dig into the board games industry and by extension, market to look into the viability of different types of games’ business. It is easy to name some of the well-known board games, but the economic viability of them can’t be determined with every amount of certainty. So let us look at some of the board games available in the market today.
- Different types of board games
- Creating a broad game
- Who then is your target market?
- Prepare your business plan
- What are the on-going expenses for a board game business?
- How does a board game company make money?
- How much profit can a board game company make?
- Marketing and Sales Strategy
- Tips before you launch your board games business
- Quick reminder
Different types of board games
- Chess
Chess is seen as one of the oldest and most popular board games today. Chess is played by two people on a board of black and white colors with corresponding counters. However, it is the most played, and crafting a game like chess won’t guarantee your business success.
- Scrabble
Scrabble was invented in the 30s during America’s great depression in an attempt by the inventor Alfred Mosher Butts to bring smiles to people. The game is simple to play but requires a lot of mental calculation. It is still played by a great number of people.
- Monopoly
Monopoly is the most played board game all over the world. Since its creation in 1935, over 350 of the game have been sold and an estimated 1 billion people play the game. The game aims to encourage the players to pursue investments that make them financially stable. If you cannot meet up, you will be forced into bankruptcy. Monopoly teaches people the capitalist system of running the economy and is still relevant in today’s economic system.
- Stratego
Stratego is a board game played by two opponents using pieces of opposing colors. The aim is to eliminate an opponent whose number of pieces is lower so when the piece is moved to the opponent square, and the number is revealed, a quick comparison is made and the piece that is the lower number is knocked off. The game is played with the piece faced down and the number is only revealed when flipped and moved to the opponent’s square.
- Risks
Risks were created in French in 1957 but came to the US much later. The game aims to defeat your opponent and take control of the board’s entire territory. The game has gained popularity among both college and university students.
These are just a few of the board games available today, you are encouraged to study the reasons behind their creation and work out how to craft yours. If you can create a game that people will enjoy playing, promote it well, it is a question of time, you will achieve your goals and gain popularity.
As an aspiring entrepreneur, it is necessary if you learn a few things concerning the design and production of a board game. Here we are going to show you how to go about creating a board game.
Creating a board game
The following are some of the processes you have to go through before you can create a board game.
Step 1 Write down your ideas.
You can brainstorm on the ideas of the ideal board game you want. Write down every idea that comes into your mind since you don’t know when you are going to hit the idea that will later become the perfect idea. Keep a notebook of all ideas gathered, or keep it on your computer or a note-taking app on your phone.
Step 2 Use mechanics to develop your game and create a theme
Mechanics are the ways the players and the game interact. The interaction may be centered on the dice-rolling or cards shuffling. For instance, in Monopoly, it is all about dice-rolling, trading on the property, and earning money.
Some game creators craft a mechanic and then use it to create a theme, while others come up with a theme and then shape it around the mechanics. Carry out some experiments to find which one suits your purpose.
Step 3 Determine the target age range of your players.
Determine the target age range of the players because that will impact on the complexity and the rules of the game. But keep the board game rule simple, fun, and easy to understand if the game is meant for children. If it is meant for adults, you could make it more exciting, complex, and competitive. Don’t forget your theme when developing the age range of your board game.
Step 4 Set player time, and size limits for your game.
Determine the number of players your board game will cater to since some board games are limited by the size of the board, the number of player tokens, as well as the number of cards. So be sure you determine from the outset the number of players for the game, the average length of the game, and the size of your board game.
Step 5 Decide how players will win
As soon as you are through with the basic ideas on how the game should be, decide on the winning conditions. Figure out different ways winners should win and keep it in view throughout the process. As you know, different games have different winning conditions, so keep it in mind.
Step 6 Write out the basic rules
The rules will be written down but as time progresses, the set of rules will change. As you move to the next stage, you will be testing your work. Some factors will influence how the rules are created and they include the player that starts the game and what decides the outcome resolution.
Step 7 Make a model or prototype of the board game
Make a model of what your game will look like and test it by playing it around. It doesn’t have to look nice but at least you can hold it in your hand and play it to your view and hearing.
The model is important because it is a replica of how the board game is going to look like. You can test with a sample of your target audience so that they can have a feel of what your new game will be like.
Step 8 Sketch a rough draft of your board design.
With the rough design, you will have a feel of how big or small is your board and may assess whether to include or not to include the following elements: a playing field and landing positions.
Step 9 Assemble prototype game pieces.
Prototype pieces may include checkers, buttons, chess pieces, poker chips, knickknacks, etc. Use game pieces that fit your prototype, to make information written on the board seen and read. Your game pieces are likely to change as time progresses in the course of developing the board game. Only keep the pieces simple so that you don’t invest all your time designing something that can change.
Step 10 Testing the Prototype
As soon as you are satisfied with the way the prototype is assembled, you can begin to test the game to feel how it plays; then you can play it in the presence of a sample of your target audience. Make sure the listeners note what they hear and make their contributions. In the end, you can make adjustments to your game as necessary.
Step 11 Test the game with friends and family.
After you have played the game over and over again and make some changes as necessary, playtest it among family members and friends and see whether they can discover some flaws that will improve the quality of the game. Assemble some people from your family and friends and explain that you would like to test your game in progress and that feedback will be appreciated.
Once the play test begins, listen attentively and don’t add further explanations or trying to clarify the rules. Pay attention and take note of what is going on whether testers are having fun or are getting confused with the rules. Toward the end of the game, pay attention to how the test game is ended.
Step 12 Switch up the test players to the other side of your game
Different people see things in different ways. So getting a new set of people to test play the game will enable you to see things from a different perspective. You will learn more and more when new people playtest the game and you will have more opportunities to discover flaws and fine-tune the board game as necessary.
Step 13 Refine your prototype and create the final product
Every time the game is play tested, make necessary changes as necessary. Once testing is complete, you can begin work on the final stage of the game. Make a list of all the materials needed to complete the board game. Use an old board as a base to help you do it the right way:
You are almost there but it is not over until it is over. The remaining part can be summarized as follows; all the core pieces for making your own board game are as follows:
– The Rules
– The Board
– Player Pieces
– Dice
– Playing Cards
Note that not every board game uses all of these pieces.
Create the game pieces
Create your dice and write out your game cards.
Make your game look professional by having a professional printer create game pieces, laminating your game board, and using a template when cutting your cards.
Once you have completed the board game, you can test market it for its attractiveness, and marketability among the sample of the target market.
Who then is your target market?
Depending on what you finally choose as your board games, your target market should be broad-based especially if you are going to set up a group and board game cafés, your market will cut across people of different walks of life. However, these are the category of people that use board games to have fun, compete, and win prizes.
- Professional gamers
- Adults and teenagers
- Students of high schools
- Sportspeople
- University Students
What are the costs involved in opening a board game company?
The cost of starting up a board game business is relatively low. If you decide to make the game on your own, it takes about $22,000 to create and come up with a board game and start a business, even though it depends on the type of game. But at the same time, it is possible to produce and start your board game business with up to $30,000.
You are going to spend money on the following as you go through the process of manufacturing the game.
- Register Trademark and copyright of the board game
- Engaging an artist to make the board game artwork
- Manufacture the game
The other area of the production process you are likely to spend money is on hiring testers to play test the board game for you unless you can get family members and friends to do it for you for free.
What are the on-going expenses for a board game business?
The recurrent expenditure for your board game business includes storage costs for the unsold stock of board games, the raw materials, and the work in progress.
How does a board game company make money?
A board game business makes money when they sell the finished board games to the wholesalers and retailers, and in fact to anyone who wants to buy. So it means that Games can be sold directly to customers at retail prices or to resellers at wholesale prices.
How much profit can a board game company make?
A board game company that is successful can make substantial profit up to thousands of dollars. A board game company that makes and sells board games for $26.00, assuming the manufacturing cost is $20.00 makes $6 for each unit sold. And assuming the company sells 5,000 units of the board game in 3 months, it is making $30.000 in 3 months..
How can you make your business more profitable?
- A board game company can boost sales by opening a café for people to play games. You can also lobby high schools and colleges to open game centers in the school lounge. You can also create a blog on board games.
- You can make online board games and market them to boost sales. This is particularly important in the current time because most people in the world have access to the internet and can use the computer and smartphone too.
- In the medium and long term, you may decide to invest in video games and game apps, but this might require external funding to become a reality.
- You can also open a retail store to sell a wide range of board games from board games companies such as Chess, Checkers, Scrabble Backgammon, Clue / Cluedo, Othello, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Ludo, Candy Land, Draught, Snakes, and Ladders, etc.
- You can start renting Board games
- You can also sell board games accessories.
Marketing and Sales Strategy
Your marketing and sales strategies will be defined in broad terms since the nature of your board games is also defined in broad terms. Whatever the areas of business you choose to concentrate your efforts is entirely up to you. You should select which strategy suits your purpose. All that is important is that the strategy you adopt will support the creating of new market channels, increase sales, and expand your market share.
Product:
You can produce a variety of products for different players such as students, family, group of friends, competition, etc. package your products professionally, brand them with your unique selling proposition (USP)
Promotion
- Advertise your brands of board games and café (if you have one) on community newspapers, local TV and radio stations
- Promote your board games online via your official blog or website and all available social media platforms
- Introduce your board game business by sending introductory letters together with flyers or brochures to sports clubs, households, and schools.
- Drop your flyers and business cards at strategic places such as offices, libraries, public facilities, and train stations.
- Deliver consistent customer experiences to all your customers; making your first impression count positively to those playing your board game for the first time
- Adopt a direct mailing coupon marketing approach to those likely to use your products.
- Create a loyalty plan that will enable you to reward consistent wholesalers and retailers
- Engage in roadshows within your neighborhood to create awareness for your board games.
Tips before you launch your board games business
- Obtain the opinions and ideas of experts in this business before you wrap up.
- When you begin receiving critique, try not to get defensive because it will help you in improving your game.
- Reduce your game board so you can play as you progress
- Try not to be involved when group testing a game; this will help you see how a group that is unfamiliar with the game will follow the rules.
- If your board game design is about squares, the use of a ruler when laying out on the pattern on board will make it look neat.
But before the work is done, this is a quick reminder of important documents!
- Register your Business Name with the appropriate authority.
- Open a Business Bank Accounts to differentia it from your bank account.
- Apply and get a Point of Sales (POS) machine for your business.
- Open an Online Payment Platforms:
- Apply and Obtain Tax Payer’s ID:
- Apply for business license and permit:
- Procure Insurance for the Business:
- Conduct market research for your board game business.
- Write a Business Plan:
- Draft an Employee’s Handbook:
- Purchase the needed board games and accessories, electronic appliances, office appliances, etc:
- Create an Official Website or blog for your business.