Coming soon · Book Profile
The Board Game Designers Guide to Careers in the Industry
A practical field guide revealing the many overlooked careers in the board game industry beyond game design, and how to break into them using your existing skills.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Everyone who loves board games dreams of becoming a game designer, but that role is only one of dozens that make a great game possible. Drawing on interviews with over 40 industry professionals—publishers, developers, artists, graphic designers, rulebook editors, marketers, manufacturers, content creators, and more—plus the author's own years as a full-time designer and instructor, this book maps out the real, in-demand opportunities in the tabletop industry. It explains what each role actually involves, what skills and experience are needed, and how nearly everyone got their foot in the door: by being helpful, volunteering, building a portfolio, networking relentlessly, and being willing to work part-time or for little pay at first. If you value creativity, flexibility, and doing what you love over easy money, this book shows you exactly where you can fit in and how to fill the industry's hardest-to-fill gaps.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- An aspiring board game professional who loves tabletop games and wants to build a career or livelihood in the industry.
- The problem
- They don't know what jobs exist in the board game industry or how to land one. They feel uncertain, intimidated, and afraid they lack the right degree, experience, or connections.
- The plan
- Learn the full range of roles in the industry and identify which match your skills.
- Start on the side—volunteer, playtest, work convention booths, or do free/low-paid work.
- Build a portfolio and reputation by being helpful and delivering great results.
- Network relentlessly, in person and online, to become known and trusted.
- Diversify into multiple income streams and transition toward full-time only when it fits.
- The payoff
- You find a niche only you can fill, do work you love with flexibility and creativity, and build lasting friendships in a welcoming community.
See our guide
Additional reading
- Start with Why · Simon Sinek
The book's core idea—'People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it'—is central to crafting a compelling crowdfunding narrative that connects with backers on an emotional level.
- To Sell Is Human · Daniel Pink
Provides insights into the psychology of pitching and influence, such as the importance of making the audience (backers) feel like collaborators, which is a key strategy for engagement.
- Funding the Dream Podcast · Richard Bliss
A recommended resource for creators, offering interviews and specific insights into crowdfunding tactics and strategies.
- jamesmathe.com (blog) · James Mathe
A creator's blog recommended by the author for its detailed, list-based entries full of practical information for crowdfunders.
- Ready Player One · Ernest Cline
Recommended as an enjoyable alternative read for those who decide crowdfunding isn't for them, showing the author's engagement with geek culture.
- Homo Ludens · Johan Huizinga
Referenced for its foundational concept of the 'magic circle,' which defines play as a separate, protected space outside of ordinary life. This contextualizes the author's own theory.
- Man, Play and Games · Roger Caillois
Cited for its academic definition and categorization of games, providing a counterpoint to the more practical definitions offered by game designers.
- Rules of Play · Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman
Mentioned as a key contemporary text offering a precise, systemic definition of a game, which the author uses as part of his survey of existing definitions.
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience · Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
The concept of 'flow' is discussed as a state of deep immersion that is often associated with fun, but the author distinguishes his theory by focusing on learning rather than mastery.
- The Essential Difference · Simon Baron-Cohen
The theory of 'systematizing' versus 'empathizing' brains is used to explain why different types of games may appeal to different people, particularly along gender lines.