Should Designers Publish?
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- Опубликовано: 11 янв 2025
- Tom Vasel talks about whether or not you, as a designer, should self-publish your game.
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Honestly, I didn't even know it was common for Game Designers to go to Publishers. I'd thought that publishing companies used their own in house team only. It was only when I saw the Top 10 video for Designers that I realized it could be a problem.
It lead me down a huge path of research as I realized I might not have to do the distribution and fulfillment center and logistics managing and all the other stuff that is just beyond one small fish starting out in a very big pond.
Unfortunately, I've already begun funding what I think is some very nice art for the parts of the game that are already finalized. Although that's only like 5% of what is still a hurricane of changing game mechanics and such, it's still money invested. I'm going to try going to a publisher, but I do hope they agree to keep the art, and I'm probably going to finish having most of the art commissioned since I'm already down that rabbit hole. I'm hoping that their seeing the amount of playtesting and money invested that's gone into it will help get the game the green light since it will save them money on producing art.
It feels like a gamble, but every example I had seen of a successful indie game had been kickstarter self published, a group of guys I know did the same thing, and everything I'd researched was all about that to the point I never even considered the alternative. So being as deep as I am in to it now, I'm sort of stuck on this hybrid path.
So, I want to thank The Dice Tower for helping me see alternatives. It's so easy to get tunnel vision when you have the avalanche of "How to Publish a Kickstarter Game" information already drowning you as a newbie. No one in ANYTHING I had looked at had even mentioned that it was a possibility to have a company publish your game for you. That is.. up until I found the Dice Tower.
I do both, and actually i make enough money out of it to sustain my whole family, and it is my only work/income.
I would be so happy to focus only on design, but i can not, because i live in argentina. And there is not a single big publishing company making local games, we have like 4-5 making only all time classics (chess, monopoly, pictionary, jenga...) and one company that only publish really big international hits (munchking, king of tokyo, etc).
My dream is it to one day i can olny do designs. Perhaps someday i can reach other countrys publishing company and get them to make my games. As it now, i have to do it all... yes it is a LOT of work, it is way harder to publish than to design, and i know i am good doing so, hence im actually making a living out of it....
The world is much bigger than america and europ.
there is nothing wrong with doing both if you can do it well --- there are enough successful examples ---- if you work for yourself you will make more money in the end I am pretty sure if you don't publish it yourself you are making very very little money unless it is the very rare exception of a runaway hit but in that case you will still make less money for yourself
Tom, when you talk about becoming a publisher, do you mean specifically self publishing like so many Kickstarter game designers do, or is this more about designers who decide to publish full time - other peoples games as well as their own?
Steve Davies publishing on kickstarter is also very time consuming. It's not just done in 1,2, 3. But I don't think he is talking about publishing just through kickstarter?
In an interview done in Polish about a week ago, Ignacy Trzewiczek was asked whether he agrees with Tom on that matter or not. He said that definitely yes - you should choose whether you want to be a publisher OR a designer, not both, and that he became both "by accident" and he's going to stop designing games sooner or later and focus solely on publishing. I think it's a really interesting point of view, since he is a great designer AND he's running a successful publishing company, so you might think he would be contradicting Tom's argument...
His games do have a lot of time in between because he does both though.
Maria B Ha :) I was just about to post that :) Thanks ;)
I would consider both Ignacy Trzewickez and Ryan Lauket exceptions that prove the rule however. In general there aren't too many designers who both design games and publish them with the same level of quality in both aspects.
"Far out-dwarf." I'm using that.
As a one time kickstarter I agree, publishing or designing. Both isn't possible unless you are a time management genius. But self publishing will open doors that otherwise stay closed. As a new designer don't underestimate the time required pitching your game. It isn't effortless and may take years. I have fun at the publishing meta game even if I suck but at least I know what is happening. That was the frustrating part at pitching. It also probably makes me a better designer too.
A good video, puts some things in prespective. I think the main reason people want to open their own publishing company is that they want no one to make too many changes in their own game. Or they just don't know where to find a good publisher. On the other hand i guess its more important to get the game out than to give a the controll a little bit.
I wish I had a counselor who shared this much. Thanks Tom.
Or, 'Tom Vasel talks about whether or not you should be a publisher.' Being a designer doesn't really flavour the arguments either way.
Tom says, 'If your game is amazing, it will happen'. I say, but most likely, it won't. I have playtested many 'amazing' games and some awesome games but very few have happened. They have all been pitched widely to large and small publishers and most don't even get a reply or an acknowledgement. Why? Well I'm guessing that most if not all publishers have an in box for new prototypes sent in by hopeful designers and those boxes have a recycling symbol on the side. Even a large publisher only releases a handful of games each year, they must receive 100's of new designs from first time designers. Even if you do manage to pitch to a real life publisher at a convention, few will get back in touch, fewer will return your mails, and don't expect to get your 'review copy' back. It seems to be identical to the book and record industry, a new name is a risk and a risk that few publishers are willing to take even with a first rate design. A great game design is not an automatic passport to main stream publication, it's not a bad start but it's no golden ticket.
However the accessibility of photoshop and high quality printing makes 'semi-pro' prototype production easier than it ever has been. Readily available card printing services allow professional quality cards to be produced equal to most retail games. I say if you keep your aspirations modest, say with a simple card game, go for it. It will at the very least be a steep learning curve but is that a bad thing? If you clear your costs from sales then good for you. If that inspires you to try something more complex, all power to your elbow.
It won't be your main income and won't be your primary job, but I know a dozen designer-publishers who produce fun, engaging, clever games as an aside to their day job and I'm glad that they do. Playing games is supposed to be fun, there is no reason why designing and publishing a game can't be fun as well. It doesn't have to be your soul focus to life, but if the idea appeals, have a go. Don't let anyone tell you that your dream is the wrong dream.
What in the world does it mean that in math, it doesn't matter if you get the right answer. I was a chemist, and it matters a heck of a lot. Also, I think it is faulty to think "well, if you screw up, just do a second or third edition." False. Shop your game to a publisher, and they can work out the kinks with you, so there is no need for a second edition.
Ian Kissell There being exceptions doesn't at all weaken the argument though. You certainly CAN be both, but you're far more likely to succeed by focussing on one role.
with math he means it's one of those things it usually takes a lot of practice before you get it right. Maybe not the best example, but it's fine I think.
I thought that is what I said? Maybe I wasn't clear.
Great commentary! It's easy to point to people who've done it all (like Ryan Laukat) but people do need to understand that for every Laukat who succeeds, there are probably hundreds or thousands of others who failed. The failures are there, we just don't see them for the very reason that they did fail. The best way to succeed is to play to your strengths and try over and over until you get it.
Remember Ryan also started out as a board game artist (and continues to do so with his own stuff now), and learned through the years how to publish by speaking to those doing it. Also, he has a great team and friends to help him through it all. Also, he had some bumps along the way in the publishing end of things.
"If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one" (Russian Proverb).
Out of curiosity what was the 1 game that you said managed to go against the rule? (around 8.20)
peelyon maybe red raven games
The game in question is Tribond, I believe.
Search for "How to Sell A Million Board Games" for the Tribond publishing story.
Guys... it's MONOPOLY! lol
This is such an excellent video. What Tom is saying is great: there are people who love the business aspect as much as others love the designing aspect, and they should work together, and designers should find those people in the industry. (And yeah, small teams are publishing great games on Kickstarter every month now), so know your limits, work with others. Creating a boardgame is a group effort no matter what. Play testing, getting artwork, the manufacturing aspect. There will be those designers who also publish, but there's also many of our favorite designers who work with great companies.
Solid advice Tom! I can definitely back that up.
I self published a very small game on Kickstarter and I completely agree with Tom here. But hey, people sometimes make mistakes.Then there's me, I make them often 😉
Daniele Mazzoni that's the spirit!
TheGhostComputer it's called Monster Chef, please don't look it up! :)
wow thank you very much. i've just posted on bgg should i publish and design or sell my design. so they sent me here and i respect the tom lol. SO i would like to thank you again and i guess i'll start emailing some publishers .
The comment he read was very misleading about the purpose of mathematics. Yes, it is an art and it is very beautiful, but it's ABSOLUTELY about getting the right answer. The proof is necessary ("showing your work"), but ultimately it's the theorem that gets used, not the proof.
curiosity has been triggered. I would love to know what game Tom is talking about that succeed after being rejected several times.
And me!
Trivial pursuit for example.
Kickstarter is the biggest example of this. How many times have the kickstarter games been rules and balance messes. Or delayed years.
It is difficult to master many things perfectly. Yes it is true that we have many examples of publishers and designers who have achieved a great level of production, presentation of playful material and continuity in their work well done. Now, I really like to have these premises for new designers who want to offer their creations. It is not enough to stop at a certain time to review your work, to know what you lack, to know how to look in the long term and finally to know how to expand what is necessary to achieve your excellence. @ludinarius @terrormolins
Great video, it clarified many things for me.
I think also the reasons for a publisher not publishing a game is more than just that game must not be good. I am starting into the designing game and have played some good/great prototypes that I have never seen published based on theme or this that or the other thing there is actually one game I played a prototype don't remember the name may have change that I keep looking for just I really wanted to play it and not published. It was from a Protospiel event. Some published games I play that are not good and I don't know how it happened. Not sure how the this over that happens in the industry but probably a lot of who you know.
Very well said, Tom! Great advice!
I think the last point is the biggest and most important point. That people want to be designers and not publishers.
What about self-publishing instead of starting a company?
Hmm, I thought that Tom was a teacher, if he was not a guidance counselor, he may have missed his calling. I can imagine him taking young minds and dreams and slapping them upside the head with a big stick of reality...
If you're a Ryan Laukat than you probably know you're a Ryan Laukat and this video isn't for you. If you're not a total genius who excels at everything, maybe just go for the one dream.
Tom if a designer wants to publish they should. Why is this even a question. If they fail they fail. Failure is part of success. I really don't even know why he is sticking his knows into such a question. There are several designers who created publishing companies and became the design director for the company they began.
synopsis: are you good at running a business? no? don't go into publishing
I sometimes disagree with Tom, but not in this case. I discussed this more briefly a few years ago: Are you a game designer or a game publisher? ruclips.net/video/qG6dKzvj3Hw/видео.html
Dropping knowledge
Can YOU publish my game?
Tom, have you lost weight? Looking healthy, my friend.
Surely a former pastor would know that dust is shaken off, not wiped.
Good video but this just reminds me of a dad breaking it down to his kids who have a crazy idea haha. Real talk!