The Board Game Design Course

There are a number of great people in the board game industry who are so giving of their time and who are willing to share their expertise and experience in the board game industry. Sure, many of us know Jamey Stegmaier, James Hudson, and the late James Mathe, who have all made tremendous contributions to the industry, but there are many other wonderful people that you should know about as well.

One of those people is Brandon Rollins.

Brandon runs the publishing company Pangea Games and actively shares his expertise and experiences on his site, Brandon the Game Dev.

He was also one of the first people I thought of when I was planning the Board Game Design Virtual Summit, which ran last September. I was so glad that he accepted my invite and took part in the event.

During the interview, Brandon discussed the most effective ways to build a following, including the methods he used to build an email list of over 2,000 game designers and other industry people. We talked about different platforms, like Instagram and Discord, how the pandemic has impacted his business, and the advice he would give to an aspiring game designer.

It was an incredibly insightful interview and I wanted to return the favour by sharing with you everything that Brandon has available to help you in designing and marketing your own game.

Brandon has an amazing wealth of resources on his site, including a ton of articles ranging from creating a rulebook to running a Kickstarter to setting up your game on Tabletop Simulator (this is how I learned how to make the first digital version of my game).

But the series I really want to bring your attention to is his Start to Finish series.

This is an essential read for anyone looking to create and promote their own game.

The series is divided into 5 key sections:

• Board Game Development 101
• How to Design and Develop Your Board Game
• Board Game Marketing & Promotion
• How to Recover from Failure in Business
• How to Run & Fulfill a Board Game Kickstarter

You’re sure to find a lot of killer insights in this series, no matter what stage you are at with your game.

Also, be sure to sign up for Brandon’s weekly newsletter. I’ve been receiving Brandon’s helpful articles since 2017 and they’ve helped me to understand many different aspects of game design and the industry I previously knew little about.

His articles are always filled with amazing game design tips, board game marketing advice, and so much more. You’ll be glad you joined!