I have a new personal goal.
The last time I showed off a prototype and got it signed, the publisher remarked that, “This is really polished. We never see work this polished from freelance designers.” Getting that compliment felt like a huge win. And while I do know other freelancers who like to polish, I understand the sentiment. It’s more efficient for a designer to work on a concept until it is ‘pitch-ready’, and deliver a mostly-baked design to publishers. After all, a publisher is very likely to make changes in development, so why bother polishing when the game will be altered? That’s wise practice, and it means you can be more prolific.
Yet I want to hit that feeling again. I’ve always preferred quality over quantity. And I want to work with publishers who appreciate good work. I want to make their decision to say ‘yes’ much easier—and, if there are any reasons to say ‘no’, I don’t want them to come from my end!
So, my new personal goal (which is not a SMART goal), is to win that respect again. That means these two prototypes are very polished. That means the designs are tight, streamlined, and relentlessly tested. That means the rulebooks are up to my editing standards. That means I’m ready with slogans for the box, so the publisher doesn’t need to invent one when they pitch to distributors. These designs are ready for the next steps: final development, wide, unguided testing, real graphic design, art…effectively, everything a great publisher is good at.
Have you ever cooked with your ears? This mass market kids/family game, made with the inimitable Gabe Godoi, is a cooperative game of listening. Players add a crafty ingredient to the cauldron, then pass it to their neighbor—who shakes the cauldron to deduce its contents, before they add another ingredient. Fuzz balls are fairy dust! Crushed glass is frozen blood! Fulfill three tricky recipes together for a mysterious, delightful and clever time.
SLAM QUEST is a raucous cooperative dungeon crawl campaign for the hobby market. A co-design with Jay Bucciarelli, the core game is a playful riff on blackjack. You’ll play cards face-down together, aiming for their sum to reach a target goal—but the only way to communicate the cards’ value is how hard you slam them on the table. We’ve created a dozen dungeons for this system, each one a new, exciting, and often gut-bustingly hilarious challenge. Playtest responses have been through the roof, and we can’t wait to share the fun.
If we met at PAXU (or any convention!) and you want to say hey, please Contact Me. I am so looking forward to reconnecting with friends, meeting new publishers and designers, and eating great food in Philly.
Phil Gross, Game Designer 