Table Presence: How a game attracts attention
This blog explores all aspects of table presence, especially the beauty, the I-want-to-touch-it, the you-cant-ignore-how-loud-we-are, and the “I have to own that” of tabletop games.
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Games with Unusual Table Layouts
Dear designers, consider this easy way to grab attention: don’t mindlessly emulate the Monopoly layout, with a board and a few rows of other components nearby.
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Objectively Investigating Investment in Objective Cards
I observe that publishers rarely invest much in art for objective cards, and I see a few justifications for this choice. There are, of course, exceptions.
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Horror, Sex and Puns: The Humor of Munchkin
Get those players laughing. How? Push the boundaries. Which boundaries? How far? In what directions? Munchkin illustrates a few angles to approach the issue.
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The Making of an Amazing Tabletop-Game Box: An Age Contrived
An Age Contrived illustrates the journey of a tabletop game’s primary box illustration, including some challenges along the way.
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On AI-Generated Art and Humans’ Competitive Advantage
Will the game industry will replace human artists with AI artists? I put my computer scientist cap on to explore where humans have a competitive advantage.
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Furthering Table Presence with Funny Flavor Text
Flavor text can trigger laughter. And when I hear a bunch of gamers laughing at the local pizza parlor, I wonder: What are they playing? And WHY is it so funny?
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Fresh, Engaging, Fun, and Interactive: Scenario Booklets as a Tool for Keeping a Game Interesting
Scenarios keep a game fresh–and the Kickstarter campaign just unlocked scenarios for Gnomadic Gardeners. Here’s a quick look at three other games present scenarios.
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Acknowledging Excellent Advice About Crowdfunding
The launch of Gnomadic Gardeners creates an occasion to acknowledge excellent advice of colleagues–and to draw attention to these people. Thanks to you all!
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The ‘Best’ Ways to Represent Tech Tracks
Visualizing a tech track/tree is easier said than done. You must make the mechanic learnable, flexible, and replayable, all while maintaining player agency.
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Gnomes Brighten Gardens: A Colorful Lesson about Happy Places
Taking my own advice about palettes, but not understanding how to apply it, led to a useful lesson.
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Let’s Face It: A Compelling Character Irresistibly Hooks the Viewer
Although artists often can avoid it, rendering facial details can increase the emotional content of a card or box — making it more compelling and memorable.
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Chipboard Cards: Are They Something Thrilling or Over-killing?
Using chipboard instead of cardstock for cards increases environmental and economic costs. Yet chipboard has advantages over cardstock. How much is too much?
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Great Examples of Mini Box Layout and Design
Great examples of boxes (card-sized or smaller), in terms of aesthetics, graphic design, layout and illustration/art. Includes tips on box sides.
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Chipboard Structures: An Affordable Way to Grab Attention
Chipboard is a versatile tool for drawing attention.
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Nut Hunt’s Useful and Interesting Example of How to Amplify Attention
The publisher of Nut Hunt took intentional steps to draw attention to key aspects of the game.
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How do Publishers Present Games on Websites? Wingspan as an Example
How do publishers showcase their creations?
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How do Publishers Present Small Card Games on Kickstarter?
When you present a game to the market, how do you do it?
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Drinking Fluxx: Get the Players to Amplify Your Game’s Table Presence
You don’t have to like a drinking game to learn from it.
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Comparing the Scythe and Tapestry Rulebooks
Reading a rulebook doesn’t attract attention to the table.
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An Informal Exploration of What Bloggers Mean by “Table Presence”
“Go big or go home” is just the start.
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An Aesthetic Taxonomy of Tapestry’s Excellent Edifices
Stonemaier’s Tapestry has the best building miniatures of any Euro that I’ve ever played.
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Seascapes, Urbanscapes, and Facescapes: Gothic Taverns Sets the Table on Fire
It glows, precious it does!
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Birds of a Feather Ascends with a Fresh Graphic Design
Updating the graphic design helped raise this game’s BGG rating from 6.7 to 7.5
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Back Handed Compliments: What We Can Learn from the Back of Cards
Trends and practices in the design of card backs
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Beyond Beauteous Birds: Wingspan Shows How to Appeal to a Big Audience
Ornithological-quality illustrations at your fingertips.
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How to Discern 14 Suits? Red Rising’s Borders Delight and Differentiate
A handy help when holding a hand.
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Kudos to Arkham for Its Marvelous, Messed Up Level of Insanity
The art is disgusting. In a good way.
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The Glass Beads in Viticulture Inspired 10 Ideas for a Glamorous Glisten in Games
Sparkles are the new cubes.
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Let’s Compare the Classic Catan to This Fairly Fresh Family Version
Catan gets a usability face-lift.
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I Love to Touch These Terrific Treasures in Merchants of the Dark Road
Make them want to touch your game.
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How Does Valeria Grab Attention Through Awesome Card Art?
The Miko demonstrates techniques for grabbing and holding attention in a cards-only game.
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Join Me in a Quick Tour Through Middle Earth (LOTR Journeys)
LOTR’s map illustrates the ups and downs of isomorphic projection.
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Wingspan’s Bird Feeder Links Theme to Table Presence
Have you ever seen a dice tower that so nicely integrates with a game’s theme?
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The Big Game Board in Scythe Is Concept Art Writ Large
Scythe looks like concept art. That’s a good thing.
