Tags
Related Posts
Share This
Sage Reads Games
Last week there was some discussion on Story Games about contests for games already in development. As much as I love contests in general, I’m unhappy with the way contests muddle together so many goals: encouragement, publicity, feedback, deadlines, ranking. That’s fine for a few idea, just out of the gate, but for a game in development, you have to be willing and able to provide some of those yourself.
I’m lucky. I have a regular meetup with some brilliant gamers who help me flesh out my ideas. When you’re reading Powers For Good or Dungeon World, there’s a little of them on every page. Not everyone has that kind of peer feedback available to them, so they rely on contests to get it.
So let’s take all that good stuff and forget about winners and losers and all that junk. Starting now, I’m launching a new project to help fill that gap in contests for games in progress.
Each month from March until I get tired of it, I’ll choose one game in development, read it, and give it as many of the upsides of a contest as I can, without winners or losers or any of that.
If your game gets selected, you’ll get:
- One or more posts on this site about the game. I can understand the need for publicity, and while this isn’t exactly BoingBoing, I’ll do what I can to let people know about your game. That doesn’t mean hype or lies. I’ll post about it honestly and openly. No insults or hate, but not empty praise either. At least one post will be similar to the feedback you’d get from a judge in a game design contest.
- Emails with more thoughts. Not every thought has to go in public, so I’ll also email with you about my thoughts, ideas, and so on. I can’t claim to be some kind of awesome game design master, but I’ll do what I can to share my thoughts with you.
If your game gets selected, you might get:
- Indirect feedback from my friends. If it happens to come up, I’ll discuss your game with the other game designers I know, and bring you their feedback to.
- Actual play. If your game really strikes me, and I have the time (which is probably the bigger constraint), I’ll play it and let you know how it goes.
- Layout and editing help. Not sure how qualified I am to hand these out, but I’ll do what I can.
No matter what, you won’t get:
- A score or ranking against any other game. This isn’t a contest.
I’m calling this Sage Reads Games. The only reason I have my name in there is because I’m hoping other people will adopt this model and use it with their own name: Jonathan Reads Games or Daniel Reads Games or whatever. Help the gaming community by helping your fellow designers make better games.
If you’re a designer with a game in progress that you’d like me to look out, send it to sage at latorra.org. My first pick will be for the month of March. You only have to submit once, if I choose your game for a later month, I’ll send you an email first to ask if there’s a more recent version.
So, that’s it. Send me your games, and think about starting your own Reads Games.
This is a really cool idea, Sage, and pretty close to what I was thinking, as far as trying to give other folks dedicated help.
One question:
How are you planning on selecting games? Do folks contact you and say, hey Sage check out my game? Or are you just selecting one that you’re interested in supporting and giving it all kinds of feedback.
I’d like folks to tell me about their games, so I know I’m helping someone who wants help. But, if people don’t offer, or if there’s something I really want to point out, I may choose something that isn’t submitted.
By “in development” do you mean the rules are still being worked on? Or do you mean still in transition between design and publication? I have a game, but I’m pretty much done with playtesting and design. Right now I’m working on editing, layout, etc.
I think I’m probably most useful providing feedback on rules and the general direction of the text. I’m not details-oriented enough when reading to be much use as an editor, and layout is something I’m growing into but I’m not a Walton or a Harper.
That said, I’ll do what I can.
Cool project, Sage. I’m definitely in favor of a more supportive design community. Although I probably have a much smaller audience, I’m going to try doing Dan Reads Games:
http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/2011/02/14/dan-reads-games/
Dan, that pretty much makes my day. I love the idea that a few people just taking some time to read and think about games can really help the community as a whole sustainably produce cool stuff.
Nicely done Sage; but, don’t let it go to your head