DToW #4 (Prototype Conventions)

This week I get into Conventions.  Sometimes these are even conventions within conventions.  If you can only make one or two conventions a year, as a game designer, you should make one of these.  I don't know them all, I will list a two here with their websites: Unpub (unpub.net) and Protospiel (protospiel.org).  Both of these organizations have many events throughout the year.  Some are there own conventions, some are at local game shops, and others are at other conventions.  For example, Unpub will be at GrandCon this year.  They also had Unpub 4 in Deleware this past January.  And they have an upcoming event at The Game Parlor (a local game shop in VA) that I will be attending in June.  The focus of this article will be what you can get out of these events, I will have a strong bias toward Unpub since those are the events I have attended.

Why go to a convention with a bunch of unpublished games?

It's funny, yesterday someone asked in the comments of DToW #2 about trying to break your game.  I think this is the number one reason to attend one of these events.  If there is a chink in the armor of your game, putting it in front of a bunch of other designers will test it's limits.  These people are your peers and they know how hard it is to do what you are doing.  They aren't there to shatter your dreams, they have a lot of great ideas how to make your project better.  One of my future articles is going to be about working with a publisher and these conventions are a first step to that.  You will get very similar feedback that you would get from a publisher from your fellow designers.  While they are playing your game and in the feedback time after, their whole focus is breaking down the mechanics of what you have and trying to make it better.  Bring paper.  Take lots of notes.  Sometimes they are right, sometimes they aren't, but don't make that decision on the spot.  Take it home with you and give consideration to each of them.  Sometimes I thought something was a terrible idea upon first hearing it.  Then after stewing on it a while I realized that it was exactly what the game needed.  This isn't always the case, and don't go making wholesale changes unless your game needs it, but certainly consider every possibility.

Another benefit of Unpub (I am pretty sure this is true for the others too) is that there are publishers there.  If your game can stand up you may have people contact you, or even get a contract on the spot.  That is where we first made our contact with AJ from Van Ryder Games who will be publishing Salvation Road.  Even if they aren't interested right away, word spreads in this industry and we have had several publishers reach out to us about The Last Bastion even though we only showed it twice there.  And the game wasn't ready for publishing then, but one person talked to another, people heard about it, and we will be sending prototypes out soon.  So don't be discouraged if things don't work out right away.

Even if your game doesn't get signed, the feedback from publishers is amazing.  They will tell you what they are looking for, and ways to make your game more commercially viable.  They may not be interested, due to the theme or mechanics not matching what they do, but may know another publisher that is looking for exactly what you have.  For example, Chris from Dice Hate Me actually introduced us to AJ.  Publishers provide another stream of feedback that is invaluable to making your game better.

Another group that is great are the people that come without a game.  They are literally coming to see your game.  They have no agenda.  They don't have fixes to their games running through their minds. They are just there to see the next big game, or mechanism.  They are there to help.  And their feedback is just as valuable.  We have had people from Unpub 4 stay in contact with us after the convention asking about the progress of the games because they are such big fans.  This is a great source of outside playtesters for you when you need to test the rules.

The last benefit may not seem like it at first, but it is huge for me.  Playing other designers games.  Being taught a game by the designer, and seeing their passion is priceless.  It helps with your process too, because you can challenge them on a mechanic and they will tell you why they put it in there.  It gets you thinking differently.  In fact we almost didn't get a table for Unpub 4 this year.  Darrell Louder (designer of Compounded, great game) who runs Unpub asked me if I would have come anyway even if I didn't get a table.  I laughed and said no.  But my answer has definitely changed.  I would go back anytime.  The learning that goes on there, even if it isn't about your game is amazing.  And the best part is, even if you don't have a table, people are playing all morning and night.  Before the hall opens people are playing in the hotels near by.  At night people are playing in the hotel.  You will find time to play your prototype if you put in the effort.  If you play someone's design during the day, and really respect the game, ask them to give you feedback on your design.  They may even let you use their table to play it during the day (don't expect this, although most people I have met are super nice, they are there to test their game and may have people waiting to play).

I played someone else's game and it was much better/ prettier than mine.  I don't want to bring it out now.

This is a big fear at these conventions.  Some games are more finished than others.  Don't sweat it.  Bring what you have.  Make sure it is a game first.  Playtest it before you bring it, but even early prototypes are welcome.  You will get feedback that makes your game better no matter what stage of development you are in.  Pretty art and graphics aren't required either.  We didn't have either for our games, just text on cards with some clip art.

Taking that leap to show your game to someone else is very hard.  Especially when the group is as savvy as the group that comes to these conventions.  It is worth taking the leap.  You may even be surprised how well people like it.  The pressure to succeed will also drive you in the days, weeks and months leading up to the event to make the game the best it can be even before you get there.  It is a great way to put a deadline on yourself.  Which gives you motivation to work on the game when you may have watched TV or gone to bed otherwise.

That went really long.

Yes it did.  I tend to ramble a lot.  The bottom line is, if you want to make your game the best it can be these groups design great events for you to attend.  Take advantage of it.  Who knows you may even find a design partner to gain all the benefits I discussed in DToW #3.  You will certainly meet some great people that you look forward to seeing again in the future. 

Next week I will be talking about my top games of 2013 and what they taught me.   Until then, I am Peter, keep designing great games.