How to Develop Board Games

How to make a board game.

• 1

  Pick a theme. Pick a game theme that will help you develop intriguing characters and fun playing pieces.

• 2

  Determine the object of the game. Write a description of the object of the game using these guidelines.
  • What is the game about?
  • How do you win?
  • What ages are recommended?
  • How many players are needed?

• 3

  Establish the rules of the game. Write a set of rules for moving around the board. Describe the penalties, bonuses and traps that will be encountered during play.

• 4

  Create the game instructions. Combine the object of the game document from step 2 with the rules from step 3 into one document. Include an intriguing introduction about the theme of the game and describe the main players and their quest to win.

• 5

  Make playing pieces. Pieces can be as simple as using colored buttons or items made that depict the characters in the game. Incorporate cards, spins, dice and timers to assist movement around the board. Cards could have questions that tell you how many spaces to move if you answer correctly, and what to do if you do not. Dice could determine how many spaces to move if you land on a particular space or turns you miss due to penalties.

• 6

  Construct the game board. The game board should be constructed on a hard surface such as a project board and colorfully demonstrate the theme of the game. Difficulty can be incorporated along the path that takes you from start to finish. Colors on the board can be used with colored cards to add bonuses to the game. You are only limited by your imagination.