It has many names: The mid-campaign slump, doldrums, slog, etc. If you’ve run a crowdfunding campaign, you know what I’m talking about: Most projects attract backers during the first 48 hours and the last 48 hours. Everything else in between is a major challenge. Yet the middle of the campaign is its heart. Those 20 […]
In today’s flashback post, we’ll look at articles about becoming a publisher, giving backers a voice, commenting on the internet, naming a project, and shipping. Everything a Kickstarter Creator Needs to Know About Trademark Law (#131): The Board Game Lawyer, Zachary Strebeck, joins us for a lesson on tradmark law! In short, trademark law […]
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to express my gratitude for various types of people who have had a positive impact on me and Stonemaier Games this year. Perhaps some of these people will be good resources for you as well. I’m incredibly thankful for… Backers, Fans, and Followers (Facebook, enewsletter, YouTube, Instagram, Discord): None of this would […]
I am incredibly grateful for anyone who has ever playtested a Stonemaier game or expansion. Whether it’s a local playtest with me or a blind playtest somewhere in the world, every playtest makes a positive difference in developing the best possible version of a product. Every few years I send a test to Stonemaier Ambassadors […]
Have you ever used a new app, software, or technology for the first time and realized things could have been so much better if you had adapted it years ago? That’s how I felt when I recently tried StreamYard for the first time. A few weeks ago I shared the excellent feedback I received about […]
Some of the greatest surprises and delights over the last 11 years at Stonemaier Games have come from various forms of creative fan engagement. Even dating back to Viticulture’s Kickstarter project in 2012, I was amazed that some backers wanted to playtest the game and offer feedback during the campaign. One of those early backers […]
If you write a novel and are seeking publication, you basically have two choices: Find a literary agent or self-publish. In the tabletop game industry, though–particularly for hobby games–there is no intermediary between designers and publishers. If you want to find a publisher for your game, you need to research publishers and their unique submission […]
If you’re a game designer, I highly recommend Pam Walls’ YouTube channel. I don’t know Pam personally, but I’ve gotten a lot of value from her channel both as a designer and as a publisher (so I can learn how to better serve designers). This weekend Pam posted a great video titled “6 Truths About […]
Yesterday we launched our annual, 48-hour charity auction. I invited 10 tabletop content creators I admire to select a charity of their choice, and we put together a package of recent (and upcoming) Stonemaier products to send to the winning bidder of each of the 10 auctions. The entire winning bid is then doubled by […]
Yesterday I posted a “State of the Channel” video on our game design YouTube channel, sharing my thoughts about the channel and opening the forums for constructive feedback. I received some excellent feedback when I did this in 2021–a list including things to keep and things to improve/test–and I reported on the status of that […]
