For my final post of 2021, I’d like to encourage you to create something meaningful to you in 2022.
I’ve worded that call to action carefully, so let me break it down into its parts:
- create something: If you’ve always wanted to make something, start actually making it. You might have an idea, but an idea is not a creation. You become creative the moment you take your idea for a game, book, blog, video, painting, etc and actually start creating something where there was previously nothing. I know from personal experience how easy it is to get caught up in an idea and delay the creative process, but I always feel so much more satisfied with how I’ve spent my time when I can go to bed knowing I’ve created something new.
- meaningful: This specific word is directed towards those who are already actively creating, whether you’re a designer, publisher, writer, content creator, etc. When you create anything this year, please ask yourself if it’s a meaningful creation for you and for those you hope will consume it. I try to do the same, but I will pledge to continually ask myself that question as I encourage you to do the same. Quality over quantity. Innovative and unique over prolific. It’s okay to create for the sake of creation, but it’s equally okay to be highly selective about the things you choose to put out into the world.
- to you: Do this for yourself. That is, don’t worry about making it the best of its kind or whether its publishable or even if other people will like it. Those are important concerns, but my specific challenge to you is to simply create something for yourself. The only measure of success is whether or not you actually create it. This will take time, but on a day-to-day basis, if you’ve created more than when the day began, that’s a successful day of creation. And it’s perfectly okay if you discover that the thing you were originally excited to create evolves into something completely different–if you’re consistently not enjoying the creative process, you might consider switching gears and creating something else instead.
I’m incredibly fortunate and grateful that I get to create for a living. I once thought my dream was to design games all the time, but as it turns out, I’m glad that game design and development occupy only a few hours each day. I greatly enjoy that some of my time is also spent writing blog posts and filming videos about game design, and a lot of my time is spent running the biggest creation I’m involved with, Stonemaier Games itself.
I recently filmed a short video with Cami Ostman of The Narrative Project and Lisa Dailey of Sidekick Press that they’ll showcase during their upcoming free virtual conference, the title of which I adore: “Write That Book Already.” Whether it’s a book you’re looking to create or something else, the conference (January 3-7) is an opportunity to jumpstart your year. Check it out here.
Last, if today’s challenge is helpful for you, one last call to action: Write in the comments what you’re hoping to create in 2022, then add a few reminders to your calendar to check in here throughout the year to update me about your progress. I’d love to hear about what you’re creating, and hopefully that will provide you with some personal accountability. If you created something in 2021 you’re particularly proud of, I’d love to hear about that too!
Good luck and have fun!
***
Also read:
- What Should You Do?
- You Are Your Own Gatekeeper
- Kickstarter Lesson #204: Your Idea Is Brilliant, Your Idea Is Worthless
- The 5-Minute Business Plan (and a Confession About Ours)
If you gain value from the 100 articles Jamey publishes on this blog each year, please consider championing this content!
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[…] Create Something Meaningful to You in 2022 […]
Im hoping to create a board game publishing company myself with my friends and publish my first game
Our family had a very Final Destination-esque holiday in summer. It was extremely stressful, but we all became so delirious that everyone started saying ridiculous things. I wrote them down on WhatsApp thinking they would be good in a comic, and listed all the crazy things that happened to us in the first 24 hours alone. Everyone felt miserable about the trip after, but looked back on that first day with laughter. We filled 28 pages with almost all the crazy events (honestly, we were all convinced we would die near the end, so much happened). My husband and I spent 2 months writing and drawing the comic to give to the family for Christmas. It was lovely to work on something big together, and all the family loved it. We have a video of our uncle in hysterics reading the comic. Family commented they hadn’t seen him laugh so much in years. It’s the best souvenir we could have from the trip (other than our lives!), and keeps making people laugh when they read it. It has given my husband and I the confidence and desire to do more creative mega projects together. The family all want to be creative this year, too. Hopefully with less dangerous inspiration next time, though it does make a good story!
That’s such a cool way to turn around a tough experience! It’s inspiring.
I created an Instagram account so I can better share my photography of birds and wildlife. I am very much an amateur photographer but I’m really enjoying the hobby.
[…] year ago, I encouraged you (and me) to create something meaningful to you in 2022. I suggested that you share your creation in the comments of that post; over 40 people replied. […]
This is amazing! Thank you for the extra boost in motivation. I’m working on a set of games I am currently calling flipcard games under my umbrella “Flexi-games” company. Just finished some very early prototypes utilizing tabletop simulator but I hope to be developing some more engaging and fully functional prototypes of my first two game ideas (Already starting to become something but hopefully become something more tangible in 2023).
So keep your eyes peeled for Valhalla: The Flipcard game (Viking themed/attack defense game) and Home: the flipcard game (About lost pets finding their way home).I’m a year late to find this but posting here so you can keep me accountable, even just in my own head/calendar! Going in with the goal of designing, playtesting or editing at least one card each day.
Thanks again for all your advice, I especially found your other article ‘Your Idea Is Brilliant, Your Idea Is Worthless (KS Lesson #204)’ very helpful for my creative process and getting some of my ‘brilliant’ but ‘worthless’ ideas into actual creations.
Tim: Thanks for joining this discussion. It’s great that you’re already working on some early prototypes and getting these games to the (virtual) table. :)
Your videos and blogs have turned that hope into much more than that. I am actively working towards the creation becoming reality with the pedal to the metal. Ever since the short while that I came into board games from the world of video games, I have been looking into finding the blind spots of old habbits created by the board game industry, to use lessons learned by the medium which was inspired by it. I am currently working on a game, which uses the “dreaded” and terribly overused mechanic of roll’n’move. It is absolutely uninspired by itself, with the only advantage being simply that it’s intuitive due to older designs and their mass market success. However the introduction of the design of Changable Dice, patented by the late Dirk Laureyssens, I believe creates opportunity for this “outdated” mechanic to merge with one of the most beloved mechanics, deck-building. I believe Thomas Lehmann was up to something with the creation of Dice Realms, however I feel it fell short, when it came to engaging players in anything other than pure game mechanisms. Insofar as Dice Realms was Dice Dominion, I am in the process of creating The Quest for DiceDorado, albeit in a completely unique theme. It’s first blind playtest has already been planned and I cannot be more excited to actually make this game a physical reality laying it on the same shelf where my other games are, turning it into the shelf of pride.
Krisztián: That’s wonderful! I hope the playtest goes well. For roll-and-move, I’d recommend looking at the most recent version of Key to the Kingdom–they put a great twist on the roll-and-move mechanism.
[…] Also read: Create Something Meaningful to You in 2022 […]
We opened our cafe in December, but it will come into its own in 2022! The creativity is manifested by the menu which we carefully curated based on the skills of our chef, who worked for 15 years as an Executive Sous Chef at the Steven Starr Restaurants in Philadelphia. Additionally, our menu is a compilation of creative names which we adore. The only names which by my estimation are sub-par are our smoothies, which are aptly named, but not particularly creative: green, pink, purple, and yellow. To fix this, I’m inviting kids into the cafe on the 29th of Jan to rename our smoothies!
Meaningful: Having serve in the Air Force for nearly three decades at this point and nearly 20 years with the FBI, I have a history of service which led me to make something meaningful by opening a cafe in a place in need of a friendly location where people can meet, talk, share memories, and enjoy delicious food and drink.
Finally, with only three years util retirement, I wanted to have something up-and-running so I can enjoy my time in retirement…with people, teaching them games and bringing joy.
Cheers,
Joe
Congrats on the upcoming grand opening of your cafe! That’s wonderful. Hopefully we’ll get past the omicron surge by then.
Hi Jamie, I’ve been following your blog a while now and have learned a lot. Thank you for being always so encouraging, helpful, and transparent.
This post resonates because my husband and I are about to start a Kickstarter campaign for our passion project. We are so proud that we’ve created something meaningful to us and for those we hope will consume it. We believe that we’ve succeeded in incorporating sustainability principles in our board game design. I will let you know how it goes :)
That’s wonderful! I’m excited to see what you create, and feel free to post about it here when your project page is ready.
Thank you, Jamey. We will be ready to share our project page in a couple of weeks for feedback. Would you be able to take a look and give us your thoughts? We trust your invaluable insights and appreciate all the help you can give (I can only imagine how busy you are with everything going on!)
I appreciate you asking that. While I’m not available for private consultation, I’m always happy to answer questions in the comments of this blog. For example, if you’re wondering if you picked the right price for the rewards, just find a related blog post I’ve written about reward pricing and ask the question in its comments (with the preview link). :)
I really appreciate you taking the time to response. Will do as instructed :) Have a great week!
Just wanted to let you know that thanks to your advice, our project page is now ready https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/travelus/travelus/. Jack and I are extremely grateful for your insights.
What is your board game called, V. Cam?
I’d be interested in seeing your Kickstarter page, once it is ready!
Hi Howie, thank you for your interest!
TRAVELUS is the name of our board game design that lets 2 to 8 players play 8 unique fun strategy games. I will certainly share our project page once it is ready. For now we have a KS pre-launch page at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/travelus/travelus. Our website has more details about the games and interested backers may sign up there too :)
PS. TI’tains looks interesting. What is the best way to connect with you TI’tains?
Looks fun, V. Cam!
Clicked your “Notify me on launch” button, on your KS pre-launch page.
Will check out your website soon, too…
Thanks!
For TI’TAINS, it is a very simple, yet versatile product that we are discovering new/different uses/applications for.
Our original thought was to use it specifically for “card stacking”—that is, helping to support/assist the construction of spectacular horizontal/vertical structures of cards; …it has worked really well, though (in my humble, but slightly biased opinion), however, as a unique component to use with tabletop board games.
We tried it recently with the Red Rising tabletop board game—a game designed/published by Stonemaier Games.
Over the past few weeks, we tried it to hold character cards for games we play with our (3) x kiddos—Don’t Wake Daddy, Peppa Pig Chutes & Ladders, Pokemon Monopoly…
I did a post, with pictures, on the Red Rising board game Facebook group.
…we are seeing the potential to possible leverage/take advantage of the unique IP (we filed a PPA-Provisional Patent Application- for it last August, so far), and design/develop our own tabletop board game(s), using it as a core focal piece/component to the game.
Thanks, Howie. Really excited to have you! I will contact you through your FB page.
Like many commenters, I’m going to finish a game design. It’ll be my second one, technically, but the first one never went further than the first playtest a decade ago. I brainstorm while I swim laps, and I started making a prototype over the holiday break. Next step is to finish the rules and the prototype! Figuring out the best way to score is absolutely the hardest part so far.
That’s great, Ryan! Congrats on starting the prototype. It’s okay to play for the first time without knowing how scoring, winning, or ending the game will work.
Updating earlier than I thought—did 2 play tests last night without really having a good idea for scoring and it worked! We discussed and figured out some scoring options that seemed fun so I’m writing up a rule set now to implement for the next test 🙂
Congrats, Ryan—that’s wonderful!
Well done! “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
I’m probably just updating for myself but I’m fine with that. BGG tweeted a link to Ravensburger Game Inventor Days, and their submission form was so simple that I felt comfortable submitting my game. Doesn’t mean I’m done with it though. Still testing, and printed out some updated components last week :)
Thanks for the update, Ryan! Congrats on submitting your game to Ravensburger.
Hi Ryan! That’s so cool. What an exciting time for you. Look forward to hearing how you get on.
March update! I had a video call with a Ravensburger employee to review my game. I talked about my inspiration, showed her a PowerPoint presentation that went through stages of the game, and answered questions. When the time was up, she said she’d like to learn more and asked me to send her the full rules. Sounds promising and I’m very pleased!
Congrats, Ryan! I’m glad the call went well.
Hi Ryan, just seen your update about pitching to Ravensburger and it is thrilling!!!! I’m terrible, I always get my hope up straight away, but whatever happens next you have done an amazing thing. Incredible. I’m so pleased for you. Well done and keep on!
Are you on Instagram? I’d like to keep up to date with your designing and I often check in there.
Thank you Lydia, that’s very kind. I’m not on Instagram. I use Twitter often, where I’m @boardgamequotes, but I post (infrequently) about a variety of topics other than board games :)
Of the many helpful posts you’ve created, this topped the list for me, since I’ve devoted my professional life to trying to catalyze creativity in others and in myself.
COVID caused postponement of my fetal CRISPR* board game, which meanwhile spun off into an almost-finished picture book, about to be seeking a suitable publisher
I still plan to create the CRISPR board game, designed with educational use as a main goal. That means FUN and accessibility kept foremost, aimed at inspiring players’ creative thinking and doing rather than improved classroom test performance.
Since my biological clock is running down (I’ll hit 92 in March), I plan to seek a collaborator to ensure the game’s completion and future survival.
* CRISPR is the revolutionary biology tool used to change DNA in humans, animals, and plants; it is the basis of the fast recently-released COVID test available at drug stores for at-home use.
Thanks for sharing, Dorothy! I love that you’re still creating into your 90s. :)
This year I hope to get one of my games published. I’ve been designing games as my hobby and passion for up to 20 years now, not to get published, but because I love it. I’ve only sent in a handful of submission letters to companies. Even if I never do get published I’ll still create games, but this year my goal is to send in more submission letters than I have before. I’d rather go through a developed company than Kickstart, but that’s just me.
P.S. Jamey, just did a Charterstone campaign with my family this Christmas break and loved it.
I’m glad you’ve had fun with the design process without hinging your passion on being published, though I absolutely applaud your goal of submitting your games to publishers that might be a good fit. Good luck! (and I’m happy you and your family enjoyed Charterstone. :) )
I will finally muster the backbone to publish one of my abstract games. They’re my greatest passion but I’m a professional board game maker and I don’t trust them to make money. This is the year I ignore that and make one anyway. Probably this one: https://www.nickbentley.games/circle-of-life-an-ecosystem-simulation-with-rules-that-fit-on-a-napkin/
Circle of Life looks great – definitely keep it flowing, the kudos and credibility for designing a relevant abstract game will feedback into commercial gains…. through your reputation as a ´cerebral’ game designer!
Thanks for the encouragement Hardcastle. That means a lot.
That’s great, Nick! I like that you’re going to ignore a barrier that may have previously held you back–these games are meaningful to you, and that’s what’s important.
Thanks Jamie! I’m actually going to try reporting back here regularly, per your suggestion, to keep me accountable. Added to calendar. Thanks for this good idea.
I accept the challenge!
I will help Create an awesome successful Conklin Con for May 2022.
I’ll help to make Conklin Con an event worthy of being meaningful, by bringing in local talent, authors, artist, illustrators and vendors so that we can enjoy each other through an event like this, while giving back to our local community. The fund raisers will help out a local nonprofit as well as for the American Cancer Society. As for doing it for me or myself. I am as I am one who gives back to the community through volunteering and working with those in need. This is what makes Me truly happy.
I love it! A convention is quite a creation, and I’m glad it brings you joy. Feel free to check back in May (or before) to let us know how it’s going. Where is it?
Challenge accepted! Just to make it harder on myself, I have 2 goals.
I will create a game this year (either one of my current designs in progress or a whole new design) and get it to the point where I feel confident Kickstarting.
I will also finish writing that book already, and get it to a point where I believe it is publishable.
Thanks for the motivation.
Happy New Year!
2 goals! That’s ambitious of you, Trevor. I look forward to you checking in after a few months to let me know how both goals are progressing. I often like working on 2 games at a time so I can focus on the project that’s more exciting to me at that moment–it keeps me from burning out on either one.
Hi Jamey, that was so helpful, thank you!
Last year I had a few game ideas, got going on two of them, really got going on one of those and…then….came to a halt. It’s super kind of you to provide somewhere to check in, I think it will help me to maintain long term momentum.
Thanks to your post I’ve returned to my game and played through a few times. I’m trying to decide between two different ways of scoring. During January I will try and get as many people as I can to play it, comparing the two methods and getting other feedback. See you January 30th!
Lydia
Thanks for sharing this, Lydia. I can definitely relate to that “halt” you mention, and I think it’s great that you’re sharing some goals for January–I look forward to hearing about your progress then!
Dear Jamey and other Game Chums,
All Hail The Galvanizing Power Of Public Goals!
Naturally, I spent the first 29 days of January doing nothing but listening to the rising brain hysteria of “GET SOMEONE TO PLAY YOUR GAME!!!!”
Sunday, I wrote a note (PLEASE play my game TODAY) and stuck it on our dining table. Friends came over, saw the note, played the game. Thoughtfully.
My game (which I believed was so simple, as to be only suitable for alleviating boredom in slow witted, zoo-housed chimpanzees) entertained human adults!
Steve spotted a flaw and we all discussed solutions. Claire came up with a cool way of giving bonus points. I was happy.
February’s goal: to implement these changes!
Thank you for this very pleasant accountability.
Lydia
Thanks for checking in, Lydia! Congrats on getting your game to the table. I’m glad everyone had fun and gave you some helpful feedback. :)
Hi Jamey and other chums, I’ve made the changes to the game my friends suggested and then playtested with rectangular cards instead of square, with my eye on ButtonShy. The changes are great and popped into my head the idea of making it into a two player game which I am sooo pleased about. Rectangular cards don’t work. 50% less choice ( in placement on the grid as they only for vertically) feels like 50% less fun. Back to squares. This month will be more playtesting, including a little tweak at the game end that I’m pleased with. Also I’ll investigate making a bunch of prototypes. Thank for the interest and see you at the end of March!
That’s great, Lydia! Thanks for the update. :) Pillars of the Earth and Among the Stars do some cool things with square cards too.
It won’t let me reply in the right spot either. The card sleeves are a great point, thanks. My daughter Verity wants to say she REALLY loves Among the Stars. It’s one of our favourites. Take care! We’ll be in touch!
Congrats Lydia! (It wouldn’t let me reply to your recent update, so I’m replying to this one). I recently had the square card dilemma as well, but in my case, I was talked out of it by a friend who said it’s easier for people who sleeve to use rectangular cards, since that’s what they likely already have. But Among the Stars, which is my favorite game, uses square cards, so I’ve definitely got no problem with them.
I’m learning to knit. My first project is making one of our cats a scarf. :P
Knitting! I look forward to seeing the cat scarf, Joe. :)
“Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” For I have finished knitting a scarf for Fonz.
https://stonemaiergames.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/IMG_0909-scaled.jpeg
That’s amazing, Joe! Well done. :)
In 2021, I have been exploring new culinary creations and honing the end product of those I have made previously.
I focused on beef jerky (made 2 different batches that were amazing) and also made my first hot sauce (it was decent, but I’m excited to improve upon it the next batch in 2022).
The best part was getting my boys to help with the jerky. They loved making it and they love eating it. So we found a new family activity as a result. :)
That’s really cool, Kirk! I love the idea of food as an act of creation, and it’s neat that you’ve had some quality time with your family while making the jerky.
Thanks for the challenge – my game is on the creative lower slopes of the mountain. I have secured a good guide, some companions, rope and crampons, and some good brandy. The weather is looking good and so I’m taking the first steps to the summit … turning the idea into reality.
For now the game is called « Matterhorn » and it is set in the golden age of mountaineering in 19th Century Europe.
Players are aspiring mountaineers who travel to the Alps to conquer new summits. Through the game they compete to be the first to ascend the majestic and glacial Matterhorn.
In an age of innovation and ingenuity the players must build their skill, experience, and renown to give themselves the best chance to reach the icy summit – before their rivals can get there.
I’m based in Switzerland and have a lot of support for the idea – I’ll give some updates on progress … I hope early 2022 will see some milestones achieved and start to gain altitude.
Congrats on how Matterhorn is coming along! I look forward to you sharing news about your progress here. :)
Hey Jamey,
Great post!
Very timely and relevant, especially for you to write/publish this blog post entry on the ‘eve’ (almost) of a New Year.
I would also say/add—and some may be in a better position/circumstance to do this, than others—but don’t be hesitant to ‘invest’ in your idea (ie yourself) by hiring those, with the skills/expertise (surrounding yourself by/with those people) you need to help you execute—to move your idea from ‘just’ an idea to a reality. This starts, I found/learned, with doing a real, honest inventory/assessment of yourself and your own strengths/weakness related to your own skills/expertise.
In addition, whether a tabletop board game, or a product (other than a tabletop board game, as in my case), I would say that it is incredibly important to do research.
Lots of it.
I would say that I likely did at least 50-100 hours of research.
For me, research alone has become really a continual daily endeavor just to stay abreast of current trends/new and innovative/emerging IP/patents in the market/industry I am working to establish a company in.
Also, everyone has the same access to the same internet/web, where they can freely research everything from other, similar, ‘competing’ games themes/mechanics (for games) to existing products, IP (Intellectual Property)/patents, etc. All from the comfort of their own homes. So, there really is no excuse for not conducting at least somewhat, thorough research before deciding to pursue/invest resources (money, time, effort, etc) in any endeavor or pursuit.
For those interested in taking an idea they had to a reality (not necessarily a tabletop board game)—I learned this early on in my research—but, every Tuesday morning, the USPTO (US Patent and Trademark Office) actually publishes a weekly official gazette (OG)/journal. This includes “bibliographic information and a representative drawing for each patent granted or trademark published on that issue date”.
There is actually a separate Official Gazette for Patents and Official Gazette for Trademarks.
For my own venture/product—even though I had filed a PPA (Provisional Patent Application) for it last/this past August—for the better part of this past year, I made it a habit to continually check their official gazette, every Tuesday, researching/studying any newly issued, emerging, IP/patents.
Doing this can also give people a general idea of new and emerging inventions/innovations, especially in context of the challenges (thereby, warranting solutions) humanity collectively faces (ie with COVID-19, I’ve stumbled on a number of new/novel, interesting, and innovative IP/patents that, as one would expect, would emerge during a time such as this).
…When I had my product idea last December (2020)—a simple kids building and construction device toy/tool—I had the ‘idea’ but I had to figure out a way to execute on that idea. Ideas are a dime a dozen; the real/true value is in the execution, right?
Granted, everyone has the same access to the same instructional/educational content readily available online—much of it FREE (YouTube videos, blog posts, etc). Where people are lacking in skill/experience, IF they don’t necessarily have the cash/capital available to hire someone, self-educating is always an option.
For myself, after doing an honest inventory/assessment of my own strengths/weaknesses, I can say (for me, given my own personal circumstances), it made the most sense to research and engage/hire a company—a a 3rd party consultancy firm (a team of product designers/developers)—to do that ‘down-in the-trenches’ product design/development engineering legwork for me.
In 2022, I look to continue to work on/building on my product development and creation efforts which I had begun early this year (February 2021; had the idea in December 2020). And, try to share some of what I’ve learned with others—lessons learned, best practices, etc—along the way, as well.
Howie: There are so many great insights here! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on partnerships, research, and self-examination.
Near the beginning of 2021, I stepped away from a previous career to start making my first professional board game and it’s been an incredible journey. I’m still play testing and refining the game in anticipation of coming to KS later this year but even now, seeing a group of people sit down to play test my game and have a blast is incredibly rewarding! I’ve even been filming the whole process and posting on YouTube to share the journey.
And while there are all kinds of ways to approach creating something new, giving up a job and putting many of my financial eggs in this one basket has been also incredibly motivating! =) … though I have done that before in other creative industries, so it’s not a new experience for me and I’ve found its an approach I personally like; the added pressure seems to bring out the best work for me. But really, for any creator, it’s about finding the right kind of approach and balance that feels good to you so you keep creating.
Mike: I’m glad you’re enjoying the journey, and it’s clever of you to film the process. It’s great that you found a powerful motivator to push you forward.
I had finished the first draft of a novel early in 2021, and I’ve let it sit untouched for months. This post is the push I need to revisit that and write the second draft.
Yes, Marko! That’s perfect. Can you follow up in February to let us know how it’s going?
Can do. I’ll put a reminder on my calendar because it’s easy to let things slip if you don’t have to be accountable.
It took longer than I expected but I’ve gone through the entire first draft in detail to summarize it all chapter by chapter. This has helped identify major story beats, as well as some key plot points that may need further attention and sections that can be reduced, rewritten, or removed entirely. Now on to the actual writing of the second draft.
Congrats on finishing the first draft, Marko! That’s great.
Great post. I feel like I could really use some accountability 😛
I’m always much more motivated to start a new game design that to actually finish one. Often I’ll abandon a project because it’s just not that good and I’m wearing of spending more time on it to see if I can make it great. But other times, I just lose momentum for one reason or another and I don’t complete the last 10% that would allow me to show it to a publisher.
So that’s what I’m going to pledge to do: finish and submit Mars X, retheme, make a new prototype, and submit High Rollers, reexamine Disordered Dinosaurs including making a new prototype then submitting it, and finishing the initial design and first test of Fox to see if it’s worth pursuing.
Al: I definitely hear you about the excitement of starting a new project instead of revising and completing another. Those are ambitious goals, and I hope you’ll check in here from time to time with a progress update.
Another inspiring text Jamey. Thank you for creating meaningful post all year long.
In 2022 I’ll finalize the development of some games that will be published in 2023: Adamastor (2nd edition) and Viriato. I’ve published my first game (Porto) in 2019 and your texts were always an inspiration during those years, especially your amazing text “Your idea is brilliant, your idea is worthless”.
Thanks for being a beacon of light in our community.
Thanks Orlando! It’s great to hear that you already know those games will be published, and I hope you have fun with the development process.
Hi Jamey,
Great post and challenge accepted! Being an enthusiastic boardgamer I always wanted to create a blog about board games, but I think I will push it below in the to-do list and create instead a blog about having a baby in Switzerland. We are expats in Switzerland and we had our first baby in April this year. There are many things to learn about every aspect of this beautiful journey of parenthood, even more when you are a foreigner, and I’d like to share what we learn on the way, to help others, and also to have my own journal to always remember this wonderful time.
In the meanwhile, when I show the shelves with the board games to my baby girl, she always goes directly to reach for Euphoria. She has already good taste :-)
Ruben: That’s so exciting! Congrats on the incoming baby, and please post a link here when you make your first post. :)
Hi Jamey,
I finally managed to publish the website and make a couple of posts in a very basic (free) service. I’m happy doing this like a hobby and to help others, so it is not fancy and there are many things to improve, but at least I have a skeleton to share my thoughts. A few friends are expecting and I hope this will help them a bit.
https://infobabyswiss.wixsite.com/babyswiss
Exactly, it is all about the action! I will hopefully finish and publish two games for 2022 that I have been working on. I did a game in 2019, a second in 2020 but covid delayd the 3rd in the series so I will finish it 2022. Games related to Icrelandic heritage and nature. It has only been offered in my local market but hopefully it will reach others as well. Excited!
Svavar: I agree, it’s all about the action. :) Have fun with your game design in 2022, and feel free to drop by with an update here from time to time. :)
Hey Jamie
Great post ty.
I have a request – could you do a video where you walk through how a game changes from when it is submitted to you to final design?
The reason i ask is that this is one of the really hard parts of design, and it would be interesting to see how you ‘sculpt’ the raw design into something great (eg Wingspam!)
Ty and happy new year
Thanks for the idea! I’d recommend checking out my written design diary series (I have one for most of our games, starting with Charterstone)–that’ll cover what you’re looking for in detail. :)
This is a really cool post, thanks for posing the question. It’s certainly stirred me to think again about game design and progressing some ideas to an actual basic prototype game. Let’s see if I can do something this year!
So I guess my process is; review ideas, pick one to progress, play around with mechanisms and themes that fit and create a basic playable version by the end of 2022.
Thanks Ian! I’d invite you to check back at the end of January to share the idea you’ve selected, and then in February you could dive deep into the brainstorming process for that specific idea. I look forward to hearing what you decide!
Thanks for creating some personal accountability 👍. I deffo need that. Hard when (like most) a very busy full time job, family, kids etc. and the thing you wanted to try for you gets deprioritised. Needs a kick up the priority order at times.
This is a different spin on a New Year’s resolution. I want to finish creating the game I’m designing, finish the book I’m writing, and finish interviewing relatives who won’t be around much longer. I just have to keep going and my creations will be finished. Thanks, Jamey.
That’s great, Kirk! Lots of different creations. What’s your next step for each of those projects?
I’m about to test my prototype and see how it flows and work out any balance issues. My book is half-written. I have two relatives in their late 80’s that I need to finish my list of questions for. I would like to think I can finish all projects in the first half of 2022.
This is a beautiful and inspiring way to close 2021. This year has been a challenge, and creation was put on hold for so many, but that doesn’t mean 2022 will be the same. We can all thrive to create something meaningful and make it happen.
Thanks Gon! I agree 100%.