Board Game Design Expert Needed
A new tabletop project is seeking a seasoned design mind to architect the mechanical core and rulebook of an original board game. The ambition is clear: build an experience that teaches quickly, plays smoothly, and rewards repeat sessions without sacrificing depth. If translating ideas into elegant systems is your specialty, this brief is for you.
The Mission
Partner closely on a from-scratch concept, shaping its core loop, player interactions, pacing, and victory conditions. This role focuses on designing balanced systems, crafting an intuitive ruleset, and injecting inventive twists that make the game feel both fresh and approachable.
What You’ll Tackle
- Transform a high-level vision into clear, engaging mechanics that are easy to learn yet strategically rewarding.
- Develop a rules framework that teaches cleanly, anticipates edge cases, and minimizes ambiguity at the table.
- Propose bold variations on classic frameworks—think drafting, area control, engine-building, dice mitigation, asymmetry, or co-op/competitive hybrids—where they elevate the experience.
- Iterate through structured playtesting, diagnose friction points, tune balance, and refine the flow from setup to endgame.
- Document components, setup, player aids, and optional variants (including a potential solo mode) with clarity.
Ideal Profile
- Proven board game design chops, whether through shipped titles, award-recognized prototypes, or notable design contributions.
- Deep grasp of probability, tempo, economy, and risk/reward—capable of balancing systems without dulling player agency.
- Exceptional rules writing and information design; you know how to onboard players in minutes, not hours.
- Collaborative communicator who thrives on feedback loops and open iteration.
- Awareness of accessibility and inclusivity, from component ergonomics to colorblind-safe palettes and cognitive load.
Collaboration Style
This is a hands-on, iterative partnership. Expect whiteboard sessions, rapid prototyping, and regular playtest cycles. The working cadence prioritizes transparent milestones and tangible artifacts. Deliverables include a living design document, a polished rules draft, component list and counts, sample player aids, and structured test scenarios.
What Success Looks Like
- Onboarding in roughly 10 minutes with a rules reference that answers 95% of table questions at a glance.
- Consistent balance across player counts, with viable multiple paths to victory and meaningful interaction.
- Mechanics that create memorable tension spikes and satisfying resolution without excessive downtime.
- Replayability built through variants, modular elements, or dynamic setup—no two sessions feel identical.
- A coherent aesthetic and component economy that supports the design rather than inflating it.
Bonus Points
- Experience with digital prototyping or remote playtests (e.g., Tabletop Simulator, Tabletopia, or custom tools).
- Statistical analysis for tuning, including data-driven iteration from playtest logs.
- UX sensibility for player aids, iconography, and turn structure reminders.
- Light art direction instincts to align components and theme with the mechanical identity.
Why This Project
The concept targets that sweet spot where tabletop enthusiasts and newcomers overlap: quick to teach, hard to master, and impossible to play just once. It’s a chance to help craft a standout design that respects players’ time, rewards clever decisions, and brings something genuinely distinctive to the table.
If designing systems that sing—and rulebooks that get out of the way—sounds like your craft, this collaboration aims to turn a promising spark into a polished, replay-worthy experience.
