Industry Culture

This page is a collection of pointers to articles, videos and other content that other people have written about the ethics, morality and culture of the tabletop gaming industry. Since I became a professional game designer in 2020, I’ve seen quite a bit of variance among designers, publishers, marketers and other members of our industry in terms of their level of professionalism and integrity. I don’t explicitly endorse any of the opinions shared in the content linked below. Nonetheless, I share many of the concerns expressed by these content creators and, like them, hope to see our industry thrive.

The Biggest Problem With The Board Gaming Industry – According to Bryan (Game Brigade)

Bryan argues for more timely communication, proactiveness, and quality control among Kickstarter creators.

Things need to change – King of Average

Michael wants better KS updates (summarize work-item milestones including shipping, address concerns, and mention retail deals).

Nuts & Bolts – Querying Content Creators – Pine Island Games

Jasper shares how to professionally solicit interest in a game from reviewers and other content creators.

A Public Letter – Sam McDavitt (BGG)

Sam discusses, as a designer, his epiphany about the importance of giving more to community than he takes.

Your Best Work, Mediocrity, and Creating for Creation’s Sake – Jamey Stegmaier

Jamey considers whether it’s overly judgmental to discourage others from creating “mediocre” games.

Enough is enough – minimum board game review requirements – Oliver Kinne

Oliver argues that reviewers should play a game enough to actually understand it before writing about it.