I know a lot of amazing designers, and I wanted to highlight some of them, which is why I have guest posts! Each post will be a question about design or publishing and will hopefully give you a variety of perspectives to learn from.
What’s the most impactful thing you’ve learned in 2021?
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“The most impactful thing I’ve learned in 2021 is that my opinion has value, and that I should advocate for myself. It’s easy to use dismissive language on yourself, because you don’t worry about hurting your own feelings, you just say things without considering how much you absorb them.
My inner voice often made me hesitate on whether it was worth getting people’s attention to give my opinion. It made me question if I was wasting people’s time. So me acknowledging that my inner voice is unkind, irrational, and confronting the thoughts it put out put me in a much healthier mental space. I still hesitate, but I do it less.
If I struggle learning a game, I don’t allow myself to wallow in feeling less than because everyone else seems to pick things up better. I acknowledge where I struggle and use that energy toward doing what I can or finding fun in other ways. If I come up with a game design idea that breaks , I don’t allow myself to say, well that was a stupid idea. It wasn’t. It was just an idea I managed to quickly iterate through.
I spent all of 2021 concentrating on my mental health, and my happiness has flourished because of it. That effects everything I do and all the people I interact with, so I felt it was relevant for this question.” – Fertessa Allyse, @fertessa
“I think what I’ve learned most in 2021 is how much relationships matter in our industry. I attended three conventions, and was amazed at the opportunities that came from genuinely connecting with people as a person, instead of as a game designer.” – Jadyne (Jay) Bell, @thejaybell
“Stuff happens. No one could have predicted exactly how the pandemic would have affected and continued to affect the tabletop world, and a major game that I worked on that was originally supposed to be released for the holidays last year was instead pushed to mid-2022. A children’s book and RPG that I worked on also got stuck in the Port of LA for several months.
“It’s important to take a deep breath, step back, look at the things you can control and make a difference where you can, and try not to stress about the things that are totally outside of your control. Even more importantly, people have also really struggled in various ways with their own lives from the resulting impact of the pandemic. It’s important to realize that a lot of people are going through the wringer right now. I hope that the games I work on can help provide some joy and solace, but real-world issues take precedence before what is essentially a luxury hobby at the end of the day.” – Nicholas Yu, @yutingxiang
“I learned that you need to pace yourself and not overload yourself with work. Things take time, and you need time to rest too.” – Estefania Rodriguez, @estefaniar88
“People will surprise you. Any model you’ve built in your head for other people’s behavior whether you’re close to them or not likely has wildly profound inaccuracies. Sometimes those differences are delightful, oftentimes not, but it certainly keeps the days interesting.
I learned this most when a second year of social lockdowns gave many folks the impetus to take control of anything else in their lives they could. I’m closer to my friends, but the circle has tightened in some places, widened in others.” – Marcus Ross, @waterbeargames
“In terms of game design, the idea of using resources to create goals has unified a lot of different design patterns for me. When you give a player a resource, especially one they did not seek out, you challenge them to exploit it, creating a goal that drives the game forward. This ties into other ideas like compensating players for losses and adding side effects to every choice.” – Ananda Guneratne, @AnandaGuneratne
“‘Community is essential.’ Last year was really rough, and that really affected my motivation and confidence. I couldn’t create anything for a while.
Then I met with a few friends to playtest a game. Being among other designers and friends reminded me how playful and wonderful the process of designing could be. Creating for me is life and I am so thankful for this giving and uplifting community.” – Amelie Le-Roche, @zeruagames
“I learned that I am enough. Too often I’d tell myself I couldn’t do something and would give up without even trying, and I’ve discovered that I do have the ability to create artistic assets and to even publish a game myself. It may not look like the way other established folx have done it, but it’s enough for me. You’re a lot more capable than you think.” – Xoe Allred, @XoeAllred
“No matter what you do or don’t get done, you’re fine. Life has too many pressures that you don’t need to add to it. Setting goals is good. Keep yourself on track. But if you veer off the path or slow down or stop, it’s okay. You can give it a go another time.” – Sarah Reed, @RollingWithTwo
“I learned to embrace who I am. Doing that means being my most genuine self, expressing myself through my creations, and (hopefully) helping others who face similar struggles (bullying, self-confidence, gender exploration, motivational challenges, etc) as well.
It also means being honest and forthright with others in my interactions, which has led to deeper friendships and learning from others so much easier than in the past.” – Beth Jackson, @BethMakesGames
“I learned how limited my view of game design has been and I’m going to be working hard to expand that in 2022” – Omari Akil, @akilaverse
“I have really come into my own as a designer this year (after designing for 6 years now). In years past I’d basically hide behind Matt at conventions or playtest sessions because I didn’t think I was good enough. I didn’t have much confidence in myself or our designs (especially my own), even though Matt always told me I was amazing. I told people that I designed games but didn’t call myself a “game designer.”
Something changed this year. I had my first game ready to pitch. I got it ready for the Cardboard Edison contest and asked Matt to do the video portion while I worked on the writing for the video and rules and more game development. I decided to just go for it. I discovered that I LOVE writing rules and sell sheets as they help me understand the games better. And I had my first pitching session ever (speed pitch) and thoroughly enjoyed it! The confidence just grew as I put myself out there. I can now lead playtesting sessions on my own. Now I feel like Matt and I are equal contributors when playtesting, carrying the load of it together. I don’t doubt myself as much anymore. Exploring Galapagos, our 18-card game, (not one that I speed pitched) came about so quickly because of that confidence, which helped Matt and I work together more in sync than ever before. COVID causing everything to be mostly online probably helped me gradually move into that confidence too.” – Corinne Yeager, @CoffeeLghtWght
“Seek your local community and put yourself out there! Showing up is 80% of the battle – I would never have met the friends and codesigners I work with, if I had never gone to a Protospiel MN or stumbled into the many online board game communities that foster growth and collaboration.” – Peter Yang, @ZettoVyker
“Experiencing what I imagine introverts must deal with all the time. As an extrovert human interaction, especially in person, feeds me. In the before times I always had options, even something as simple as sitting in a coffee shop while I worked. The relief I felt upon things reopening overwhelmed me.
I suspect it’s the mirror of what introverts feel when they can finally get time to themselves at gatherings or events.” – Nicole Fende
“I learned that, as fun as it sounds, I should probably NOT go to three sizeable conventions in a row! I definitely enjoyed Gen Con, Origins, and Geekway to the West, and am glad I was able to do attend them while doing my best to stay safe and keep others safe. However, three conventions in a row is definitely my new limit.
On a more serious note, I learned how important patience is. Working in board games is fun and rewarding, but definitely hard work, especially during conventions. Throw the stress of a pandemic on top of all of that, and you’ve got a recipe for disasters. Staying patient with everyone goes a long way in dealing with that.” – David Bruglia, @DavidBruglia
Did you enjoy this entry? Which designers would you want to hear from next? Please let me know! I’d love to hear what you think and what kind of things you’d like to see from this blog. Feel free to send me an email or comment with your thoughts!
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