Links: Co-operative Designs, Small-Scale Card Production & Games for Dates

Maybe I'm just too indie at heart, but I'm very happy with these numbers. I went into this experiment with a brand new game, an inordinately fast dev cycle, modest potential audience, and zero-to-minimal expenses. My investment of time and capital into this project has been quite met, I think. Anything more will contribute to further self-published card games.

Having the experience of Kickstarting three projects already, DriveThruCards offers me an appealing alternative. Yes, I have fewer sales over a longer period of time, but I also don't have the stress of stretch goals, income taxes, and fulfillment hassles occupying my time for the next year. Instead, I can keep blowing on this little ember until it lights another fire.

The primary challenge is keeping the players in a good state of flow. That is, keeping them in that sweet spot where they're doing creative problem-solving that is neither boring and tedious (when the game isn't hard enough) nor overcome with anxiety or helplessness (when the game is too hard). I've found that players get the most enjoyment when things are just out of reach — that they can almost, very nearly, taste victory each time. And of course, you've got to let them win some from time to time or the game will be declared broken. So that said, I generally hope the players will lose their first round or two of the game but — here's the important part — they must both blame themselves and have some good ideas for what they'll try next.

It's hard to overemphasize this: Don't tell the player how to win. I roll my eyes when I see "helpful hints" in rules. You're stealing the game from the player! That's a good tip for teaching, too. Present an environment where the player or student is able to succeed or learn given the environment you've constructed for them. Telling a player how to win a cooperative game is like telling a student how to solve a problem and then telling them to solve it for you.

A game night held in December [2012] in Chicago sold out quickly, prompting [Luke Zaientz, vice president for events at Match.com] to attend the American International Toy Fair held in New York in February to meet with game makers about forging partnerships.

The goal was to find games that could be learned quickly and enjoyed in short rounds, which ruled out long-lasting games like Monopoly and Risk. The coming events will feature about a dozen different games made by six companies, which have agreed to supply games to be played and given away.