“Load-and-Plays”: The Next Generation of “Print-and-Plays” – Stonemaier Games

“Load-and-Plays”: The Next Generation of “Print-and-Plays”

Today I have a special guest post from new creator Liz Kazandzhy, who will soon be launching her first Kickstarter campaign for a tabletop game. Liz delves into a topic I still think about quite often for our new product releases: How can people test out your product to see if it’s for them before they commit to a pledge or purchase? Thanks for sharing your insights, Liz! She’ll take it from here.

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As I was preparing for my Kickstarter campaign of Endangered World, I knew I wanted to offer a print-and-play (PnP) of it, as many campaigns do. But I also started thinking of ways that potential backers could try the game in a way that was even more convenient and accessible.

That’s when I got the idea of a “load-and-play”—a virtual version of my board game.

Jamey has long been an advocate of PnPs as a way to offer potential backers a “taste test,” and he has also debunked the fear “What if someone steals my idea?” After reading those posts, I felt comfortable moving forward with this idea.

But the problem was, how exactly do I do it? For example, what platform should I use? Would the benefits outweigh the costs? And how could I best integrate it with my Kickstarter campaign?

After much research and hard work, this is what I learned and ended up doing for my campaign.

Choosing the Right Platform

I quickly found out that there are several ways to offer a virtual rendering of your tabletop game.

One popular option is to use a simulator program, such as Tabletopia or Tabletop Simulator (see a comparison of these platforms here). These digital sandboxes let creators upload their games, making them available for the platform’s users to play in a multiplayer format.

I thought about uploading Endangered World to one of these simulator programs, but I wasn’t very familiar with their mechanics. I also didn’t want people to have to wait for other players in order to try the game.

Something I was familiar with, however, was web development and app development. So I started considering ways that I could program the game myself.

For example, some campaigns advertised an online solo play experience, such as Cascadia. I also saw card-based party games that used pass-and-play mobile apps to feature a selection of cards, giving players a quick feel for the game’s content.

My board game’s mechanics were simple enough that I felt comfortable creating an AI-driven experience—where any person, at any time, could compete against a virtual opponent. They could play from the comfort of their own internet browser, whether that be on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

The Pros and Cons of “Load-and-Plays”

Now that I knew how to create a virtual version of my game, I had to step back and ask myself, “Should I do it?”

The downsides to “load-and-plays” are, like most things in business, time and cost. Game creators should consider that they’ll either need to spend a lot of time (doing it themselves) or money (hiring someone else to do it) to implement this.

In my case, I had both the skills and time to program Endangered World, so I decided to go for it. I was consistently motivated by the benefits I know it would bring, such as the following:

  • A “load-and-play” can be used for easy playtesting as the game is being designed and developed.
  • It quickly teaches people how to play the game, and when people understand a game, they’re more likely to buy it.
  • Advertising it shows that you have confidence in the quality of your game.

Perhaps the greatest benefit is simply that it gives people the opportunity to “try before you buy.” But that made me wonder, “What if they don’t like it? What if my virtual version drives them away from backing the game?”

After considering that for a while, I asked myself a more important question: “Do I really want to create a game that my backers end up not enjoying?” I realized that, for one, I could use negative feedback to make my game even better. And second, even if a virtual version deters some backers, I would be left with the ones who’d know exactly what they’re getting—and like it!

How Best to Implement Your Virtual Game

A final thing I had to consider was how best to integrate the virtual game into my Kickstarter campaign. Do I require anything of people in order to play it? Do I charge for access as part of my Kickstarter campaign, perhaps as a low-cost pledge tier?

The short answer I came up with is no. The reason is simple, and it’s something Jamey has wrote about before: stay focused.

Think about it. Our goal as game creators is to sell a physical board game, and people come to Kickstarter to buy physical board games. So these “load-and-plays” should just be seen as a valuable tool instead of something to profit from or hold back from people—they’re a means to the end, not the end itself. I decided to offer my virtual game free to anyone and everyone and advertise it both on my Kickstarter page and my game’s website.

Originally, I offered a “trial version” on my site, allowing anyone to play the first half of the game, and a “full version” that was limited to those who subscribed to our newsletter (pre-campaign) or backed our project (during the campaign). My hope was that this would help us build our mailing list and drive pledges.

However, after getting feedback from the (extremely useful) Kickstarter Facebook group, I decided to make the full game available to everyone—no strings attached—with a constant invitation to support our project. Again, the idea is to make it as easy as possible for people to try your game, trusting in the benefits listed above—trusting that, ultimately, people will like it enough to back it.

Final Thoughts

Even though it was a lot of work to create the online experience of Endangered World, ultimately I believe it was worth it. It helped me receive valuable feedback from plenty of playtesters, it exposed my game to a lot of people in a creative way, and now that my Kickstarter is live, I hope it will encourage backers to make a pledge.

So if you’re a tabletop game creator, I highly recommend you consider how a virtual version of your game can benefit both you and your backers. If you’ve got the time and/or money to fit it into your campaign plans, a “load-and-play” can be an extremely valuable asset as you design and market your game!

***

Thanks again, Liz! This is great, and best of luck with your project! I’m curious to hear what backers and creators think about this topic. Do you like to test out a game before backing it? I recently saw this with Carnegie on Board Game Arena, and we’re planning to offer our new game on Tabletopia before the preorder begins.

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11 Comments on ““Load-and-Plays”: The Next Generation of “Print-and-Plays”

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  1. Just thought I’d mention that the digital edition of Scythe was my entry point into the 1920+ universe. Like many people, I was immediately captivated the moment I ran across Jakob’s stunning artwork. Instantly, knew I wanted to play this game, but was disappointed that I probably wouldn’t be able to. While I’ll happily meet Scythe’s price point for a game I know I love, it’s too steep for my budget unless I’m absolutely positive it’s something I’ll be passionate about, and reviews only take you so far.

    When the Digital Edition hit Steam for the very affordable price of $19.99, I purchased it without hesitation! There were several benefits in having the DE, including the well done tutorials, AI player options, and a much gentler learning curve since so many of the details are handled for you.

    Fast forward a bit, and now I not only own the physical game and all of the expansions, I also have the full Broken Token set of inserts along with the Legendary box and the upgraded resource tokens and metal coins. I’lol be picking up the the few small accessories that remain such as the modular board once I’ve completed Fenris*. Now I play the physical game far more than the digital, because it’s obviously the real deal, and the DE served it’s purpose as a gateway drug.

    From my perspective, digital versions, even if they are only in mock-up form, are an incredible way to get people on board with your project. The digital medium significantly reduces the barrier for entry in addition to eliminating the logistical concerns involved in physical deployment.

    Perhaps overlooked is an even greater benefit to the designer: data! Digital adaptions offer an invaluable opportunity to understand how people are interacting with your game.
    Want to know how often players use a particular mechanic? How long does the average game take? Are games abandoned before being finished? Did anyone ever figure out the strategy you had in mind for certain scenarios? Is Rusviet overpowered when compared to the rest of the factions based on win rates? How about popping little “emoji reaction” buttons when a certain phase or event occurs, to see if the player enjoyed that mechanic. Trend ALL of these things as you make improvements, to understand how your changes have affected the gameplay. The possibilities here are immense, and the more also provide the benefit of developing a different kind of relationship with the players, one in which they feel like they’ve been a part of something, watched it grow, and witnessed it come to fruition.

    ** – I can’t resist putting this little aside in – I’m playing Rise of Fenris with the Automa, and all I can say is that I didn’t think such an experience was possible. I’m in awe at the brilliance of it, and every single episode has been pure joy and nail bitingly close in terms of score, including a tie breaker in episode 4 in which I won by virtue of having only a single unit more than Automa. This game is amazing singer player, and I love it so much I’ve begun development on an application that will helps run the Automa, in what I hope will be an incredibly user friendly way, and offer more features than what is currently available.

    1. Thanks for sharing this, Gene! You make some great points about the data a publisher can learn from the digital version. I’m glad you’re having fun on the tabletop version with The Rise of Fenris and Automa! :)

  2. I loved when I saw Carnegie put their game up on BGA. I was hesitant to back because it seemed too complicated. But then I played a game on BGA and was hooked. Mid-way through the first game, I went to the Kickstarter page and backed it. I hope we see more BGA implementations like this. I understand Tabletopia and TTS and easier and more cost-effective for game creators, but for a brand new game that you’re learning, it’s super helpful to have full rule implementation and tool tips. Helped me learn and enjoy the game much quicker.

    1. I really appreciate BGA and the opportunity to try out games with a little guidance, especially when I am learning

  3. Being able to play before you pledge is a huge benefit to the consumer and developing it on an independent web site is in my opinion the best way to do it. Tabletop Sim and Tabletopia have barriers such as paying for the software or learning how to navigate and use the interface. Plus not everyone has a desktop or laptop. Many people just rely on their phones. If I’m browsing Kickstarter it’s for sure on my phone and to be able to load a demo of your game right there and then is the best way to reach the most people. What they did with Cascadia was brilliant. I understand that is not easy to do but I wish every Kickstarter had this.

  4. With covid impacting opportunities to test your game in person (ie. individual gatherings, cons, etc), I think the other big reason to bring your game to a digital platform is for testing. As a designer, my play-test group is much smaller due to covid restrictions where I live and so getting my current game I’m designing onto a digital platform is happening far sooner than it might have normally. And even without covid, having your game on a digital platform can open up other testing and feedback opportunities you might otherwise miss out on.

  5. I love this idea, currently there is a Kickstarter running for Carnegie and they offered the game (in Beta form) on Board Game Arena for free. I had read the rule book and though that it looked interesting, but maybe there was too much going on and I wouldn’t have any space on my shelf for a game like that. Then a friend invited me to play it and after the 2nd turn my mind was completely changed! I could see how all the actions flowed together and that it really wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. And the endless possibility of combos/paths in the game clouded my mind for days! I realized I needed to back it and 3-4 of my friends that I’ve invited to play it with me on BGA have now backed it as well… So, I think this is a GREAT strategy and will gain you many backers! Good luck!

  6. I have bought two games via Kickstarter.

    One, Progress, has turned out to be a bit too much of a specialist interest game. I got exactly what I was expecting, but nobody else is particularly interested in the game mechanics which inspired it so it only ever comes out in solo mode. Had there been a browser based version it would have made no difference to my decision to purchase.

    The other is the Deluxe version of Snowdonia. I had long wanted the game and the release of the Deluxe version made me reach for my wallet. It was the website which sold it to me, but what I was after was the quality components, not the game itself – so again a playable version of the game would not have made any difference.

    I have also bought the mobile phone versions of tabletop games as a way of limiting my risk.

    Ticket to Ride: saved myself a lot of money there as I discovered the game is actually a fairly abstract card game with not a lot to do with railways. It’s ok as games go, but not the best place for my limited budget. It no longer takes up valuable memory on my iPhone.

    Tigris and Euphrates: concluded the expensive game would not have been played enough in real life. The game is no longer active on my iPhone, but I’m not feeling unhappy about that.

    Steam (the boardgame not the distribution system): found out this rather expensive game would have been played once and never again when the AI won the single game I ever played by behaving in a way that no real railway company ever would. Wallet ache in the iPhone games budget, but at least I didn’t buy the real one.

    Le Harvre: very glad I bought the iPhone version, but decided the game itself isn’t worth the price of the table-top edition to me. Suppose this were a Kickstarter situation: my decision to buy would have depended on the pricepoint of the game, but I would have been well disposed towards the developers either way that decision had gone and more likley to conisder their next offering.

    Splendor: I bought the iPhone version of this game and would have played it more if it hadn’t turned out to be a mains only power-hog – visibly draining my battery. It’s been pulled now due to some mystery bug they can’t fix. Will I buy the real version to make up? Only if I can get it at a significant discount as I don’t suppose I will find many slots to play it.

    So do I suggest making a playable on-line demo? Yes, but you need to make sure you accurately reflect the game, or make it obvious what the bits you are omitting are. Make that version good enough and you can turn it into a saleable product too. But don’t fumble it or you will do your project more harm than good.

    1. Great suggestion Michael. I was thinking the same thing. If the online demo is not as good as the actual board game then it will hurt the sale of the actual board game. Same thing if the demo is far better than what the actual board is(overdoing it), then customers will complain why it lacks what they loved about the demo.

  7. That’s great! And I think it highlights something that the board gaming space severely lacks, digital companions/helpers. So many games would benefit from having part of their implementation available as a small web app, most automas for example.

  8. oh my god making a board game was hard enough but you went the extra 1000 miles and made a virtual version. i tried something similar for my other game and gave up half way. and for my current game i just resorted to TTS.

    just followed you on KS, Liz! good luck :)

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