How much can you make from inventing a board game?

Hmm, sobering. So even a successful game is unlikely to make over 20,000$?

How hard is it to get a board game published?

You will only get about 3-5\% royalties, which doesn’t amount to a lot, but it also means that your game will be in good hands and will more likely see the light of day and become a reality. But keep in mind that it is hard for games to get picked up since companies get lots of submissions.

Can you make money inventing a board game?

A board game designer with less than 1 year’s experience makes between $42,000-$87,000. With 7-14 year’s experience, a board game designer can expect to earn between $51,000-$113,000. However, board game designer jobs are not very common and there will be stiff competition for every vacancy.

How do I sell a game idea to a company?

Now, if you do want to get your idea made into a game, there are a few things you can do:

1. Inquire with the company first. Ask them if they want to hear your idea and offer to sign an NDA (nondisclosure agreement).
2. Get a job at a game company.
3. Get a team together and make the game yourself.

How much does it cost to patent a board game?

A patent can cost about $900 if you do it yourself without legal help. This includes the filing fee, search fee and review fee. With legal help, it can cost $7000+ to file a patent for a board game.

What is the margin on board games?

The profit margin on board games is pretty small. The price you see in your local shop is not how much the publisher sold it for. The wholesale price of a board game was probably 40\% of the retail price. The price the publisher sold it to the distributor will have been lower still.

How do I trademark my board game?

How to copyright a board game in the US

1. Go to the Copyright Office registration webpage.
2. Complete your application online or on paper.
3. Pay the non-refundable filing fee of $35, $55 or $85 (depending on your application)
4. Give the Copyright Office copies of the board game you want to register for them to keep.

How do I break into the board game design industry?

Breaking into the game design industry cannot be accomplished overnight and there are no shortcuts proven to help first time board game designers. Anyone can query a game publisher over mail or email, and some companies may even grant a pitch meeting with new designers.

Should you self-publish board games?

Self-publishing board games can kill the magic of game development for you, depending on what drew you to it in the first place. So should you self-publish? Let’s say I’m a new board game dev. Hardly know a thing about making games. I ask you how long it’ll take to publish my first game. What would you tell me?

How do I pitch a board game idea to a publisher?

Anyone can query a game publisher over mail or email, and some companies may even grant a pitch meeting with new designers. Each publishing company has their own practices on accepting pitches from outside individuals, but they do not typically purchase board games based solely on an idea.

What skills do you need to sell board games?

Time management skills make a HUGE difference! The weird feeling of selling stems from selling bad stuff or selling to the wrong people. You have to come to peace with it to ride the Hype Machine. Rules provide directions on how to execute activities within a board game. They explain, limit, and clarify so our game mechanics work.