Introduction to Tabletop Game Design
Introduction to Tabletop Game Design
Classes: Classes are every Thursday starting January 18, 2023. They run from 6:00 pm - 7:15 pm. There are four sessions.
Consume/Create: Each week you’ll get a assignment related to the class. Part of it will be to consume (read/watch) and part will be to create (write/make/try). We’ll take a few moments at the start of the next class to review what you did!
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Questions: Any questions, email games@exeunt.press!
Week 1: Different types of players & games
Consume: Read about the different player types at Skeleton Code Machine:
Create: Think about your favorite tabletop or video game, and answer the following questions:
What player type is it designed for?
Why do you find the game to be fun?
Which one of the 8 Kinds of Fun is the game an example of!
We will start Week 2 with a review of which game you chose and which kind of fun it best represents!
Week 2: Game themes & mechanisms
Related Skeleton Code Machine articles:
Consume: Download and check out these free, hackable TTRPGs and SRDs. They give the mechanisms and rules for a game, but in a way that other themes can be applied.
Create: Let’s make a new TTRPG:
Choose one of the TTRPGs listed in Consume above.
Use the table of theme ideas that we used during the activity to generate a new theme.
Create a short pitch for the new game: (1) title, (2) premise/hook, (3) a few basics like stats or categories. Consider the 8 Kinds of Fun in your pitch.
Don’t worry about designing a working game. Just get some basic ideas together! But if you want to finish the design, go ahead!
We’ll start Week 3 with some pitches for your new TTRPG!
Week 3: Crafting engaging player experiences
Related Skeleton Code Machine articles:
Consume:
Read The Power of Choice: Player Agency in Tabletop Role-playing Games
Listen to GameTek 183 - Input Output Randomness
Watch White, Brown, and Pink: The Flavors of Tabletop Game Randomness
Watch MINI ROGUE in 5 Minutes or Less for some inspiration!
Create:
After watching the MINI ROGUE video above, improve the game we worked on in class this week:
Try to add player agency (choice + control + influence)
Try to implement input and/or output randomness
Enhance the theme (feel free to change it)
Add more cards, dice, components
We’ll take a moment to share a few of your creations at the start of Week 4!
Week 4: Bringing your game to life
Related articles:
Consume:
Check out the top physical games on itch.io.
Use the Affinity discount and grab the CMYK Palette.
Download some print templates from Mixam.
Create:
Make an account at itch.io so you can publish games!
Watch for the upcoming One-Page RPG Jam sometime in July or August. If you create something, please share! Check out last year’s jam for reference.
Take the post-class survey:
Intro to Tabletop Game Design Class Survey before February 11, 2024.
Thank you so much for participating in the class! I hope to see you again in the future!
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