Scott Rogers has been a professional game designer for thirty years. He has designed many tabletop games including Rayguns and Rocketships, Pantone: The Game, ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo, and was featured in the 2020 documentary Gamemaster. He is the author of the best selling book Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design. Scott has taught at USC and the New York Film Academy and now he's ready to teach YOU!

Hi There! xxi
 
Chapter 1 Let's Make a Board Game! 1
 
The Game Board 2
 
A Brief Note About Components 3
 
Getting Started 4
 
How to Make a Game Board 5
 
Let's Make Improve the Game! 11
 
Change a Number 12
 
Change a Component 13
 
Change a Rule 15
 
Change the Theme: An Introduction to Theme and Genre 16
 
Chapter 2 Writing Rule Books Is Hard 21
 
The Problem with Rule Books 23
 
Problem #1: There Can Be Only One (Reader) 23
 
Problem #2: Front-End Information Overload 24
 
Problem #3: Rule Book Length 25
 
Problem #4: Edge Cases 26
 
Tricks to Writing Rule Books 27
 
Trick #1: Rules Are Stories 27
 
Trick #2: Use The Six Zones of Play 28
 
Trick #3: I Am Talking to "You" 34
 
Trick #4: Use Command Statements 34
 
Trick #5: Include Pictures 34
 
Trick #6: Add Callouts 35
 
What Every Good Rule Book Needs 36
 
Creating an Introduction 36
 
List of Components 37
 
Game Setup 38
 
The Goal of the Game 38
 
General Sequence of Play 40
 
Detailed Sequence of Play 47
 
End of Game 47
 
Everyone Deserves Credit 48
 
But Wait, There's More 48
 
Say What? Translating the Rules 51
 
Chapter 3 The Chapter About Play Testing 53
 
The Great Worry 54
 
Let's Start Starting 56
 
Is This a Thing? 56
 
Going Solo 59
 
Do It by Design 62
 
Gamers Game Games 63
 
Friends and Family 73
 
Blind Play Testing 73
 
Publisher Play Testing 74
 
Chapter 4 Let's Make a Dice Game! 75
 
Dice Basics 75
 
Dice Mechanisms 78
 
Rolling 79
 
Rerolling 80
 
Dice Determine Movement 81
 
Dice Determine Combat Results 82
 
Dice Placement 82
 
Banking Dice 82
 
Dice for Targeting 83
 
Dice Builder 84
 
Concealing Dice 84
 
Dice Determine Actions 85
 
Dice Determine Resources 85
 
Dice of Different Colors 86
 
Combination Matching 87
 
Real-Time Rolling 87
 
Roll and Write 87
 
Dice Stacking 89
 
Dice Crafting 89
 
Dice as Counters 89
 
Dice as Units 90
 
Bluffing with Dice 90
 
Pop-O-Matic 91
 
Choosing the Right Dice Tools 91
 
It's Probably Due to Probability 91
 
I Still Don't Believe in Luck, But 96
 
Let's Design a Dice Game 98
 
Step 1: Create the Rules 99
 
Step 2: Play Test the Game 100
 
Step 3: Change the Rules 100
 
Step 4: Change a Number 101
 
Step 5: Change the Objective 102
 
Step 6: Add a Mechanism 103
 
Step 7: Change the Theme 104
 
Creating Your Own Custom Dice 106
 
Dice Games to Play 106
 
Chapter 5 Let's Make a Card Game! 109
 
Let's Create a Card! 110
 
One Way to Make Cards 110
 
Another Way to Make Cards 111
 
Yet Another Way to Make a Card 112
 
Here's One More Way to Make a Card 112
 
Even More Ways to Make a Card 113
 
Print and Play 113
 
Size Matters 115
 
Clear Cards 116
 
Pentagonal and Hexagonal Cards 117
 
Circular Cards 117
 
A Very Short History of Card Games 118
 
An Order of Sides 121
 
Card Mechanisms 125
 
Components 142
 
A Note About Probability and Cards 143
 
Let's Design a Card Game 144
 
Step 1: Setting Up the Game 144
 
Step

Whether you are a novice or experienced pro, this easy-to-follow guide to designing board games is for you!
 
In Your Turn! The Guide to Great Tabletop Game Design, veteran game designer Scott Rogers--creator of tabletop games including Rayguns and Rocketships, Pantone the Game and ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo--delivers a practical walkthrough to help YOU create over a half-dozen game prototypes, including dice, card, euro, miniature, and party games. The book is packed with easy-to-follow instructions, charming illustrations, and hands-on lessons based on the author's proven knowledge and experience.
 
And once you've made your game, Your Turn! will teach you how to prepare, pitch and sell it whether through crowdfunding or a publisher. You'll also learn how to:
* Write and create elegant and crystal-clear rules of play
* Playtest your games to improve quality, fix problems, and gather feedback
* Learn what players want and how to design for it
* Learn the secrets of the Six Zones of Play and why they are so important to your game design!
 
Your Turn! is the essential guide for practicing and aspiring tabletop game designers everywhere! Why wait to make the tabletop game of your dreams? Grab this book and prepare to take Your Turn!