The Dark Imp Blog
Why do some people hate party games?
Party games are loosely defined as light games for larger groups that encourage social interaction. This is a broad category and it’s easy to see how many different types of games could be described like this - but the mere mention of a ‘party game’ is enough to send...
Self-publishing checklist
This is the 5th and final part in the blog series: So you’ve designed a game… now what? If you’ve not yet done so, please read Part 1: What’s your motivation?, Part 2: Testing and development, Part 3: Pitch or Publish and Part 4: How to Find a Publisher. Though I’ve...
How to find a publisher
This is Part 4 in the blog series: So you’ve designed a game… now what? If you’ve not yet done so, please read Part 1: What’s your motivation?, Part 2: Testing and development and Part 3: Pitch or Publish. A link to the final part will appear in due course. In the...
Pitch or publish?
This is Part 3 in the blog series: So you’ve designed a game… now what? If you’ve not yet done so, please read Part 1: What’s your motivation? and Part 2: Testing and development. Links to future parts will appear here over the coming weeks. In those posts, I will...
Testing and development
This is Part 2 in the blog series: So you’ve designed a game… now what? If you've not yet done so, please read Part 1: What's your motivation? Links to future parts will appear here over the coming weeks. In those posts, I will cover: To find or to be a publisher?...
What’s your motivation?
This is Part 1 in the blog series: So you’ve designed a game… now what? Links to future parts will appear here over the coming weeks. In those posts, I will cover: Testing and development To find or to be a publisher? How to find a publisher First steps in...
Designing the ‘Teach’ into the game
I have a theory that we are ‘dumbing down’ family games for adults, rather than children. I think that a child’s ability to cope with complexity far outweighs a parent’s ability to learn and teach the game. Reading a rulebook seems to be the real hurdle in making a...
2023 Roundup
In traditional style, in this post I’m reflecting on the last year and looking forward to the next.Top highlights from 2023 Winning the inaugural Hasbro Women Innovators of Play challenge. Signing 8 games to publishers: Laurence King Publishing x 2, Ginger Fox x 2,...
Dealing with rejection
If you’re not getting rejections, you’re not pitching. Even if your game is the most innovative and brilliant design the world has ever seen, You will still get rejections. Here are a non-exhaustive list of reasons why publishers might reject your game (that’s nothing...
Can icons make or break your game?
Icons wield incredible power in communicating complex messages about your game. By principle, the simpler your icon, the better. But achieving this can be a challenging task – especially if your game incorporates complex mechanisms. Just like the messages in games...
21 ways to make the most of playtesting
Playtesting can be difficult to arrange, so when you manage to get a prototype in front of people, how do you make the most of the opportunity? Here are 21 tips to help you prepare for your next playtest (featuring photos from recent playtests):1. Define your aim for...
Collector
Collector is a strategic pen and paper game for 2 players by Walter Joris. How to Play Draw a 6 x 6 grid on a piece of paper and randomly decide which player will start. Each player will need a different colour pen. On your turn, mark one box with a dot of your...