Board Games
How to Write a Good Board Game Rulebook
Nothing is more frustrating than wanting to a play a game, only to be bogged down by the rules.
Every time you open up the box, how often do you remember the rules for the board game without referring to the manual? For more complicated games, that’s ok, it’s expected. We then start flipping through page by page, trying to figure out what different terms refer to, what specific components even look like, and even worse, not finding the information we need: we just want to play the game! In this article, I’ll show you a step-by-step layout of how I think rulebooks should be structured, information that should be included in various sections, and general thoughts to consider when writing rulebooks. Moreover, I hope to provide a better way for understanding and tackling rulebooks overall.
Table of Contents
The table of contents gives new players an overview of the game and keeps the layout of game mechanics organized. For returning players, it allows them to quickly refer to different sections, find solutions to common questions, and jolt their memory of how the game is played. For those looking to back the game on kickstarter or purchase the game, this section gives a general introduction to the game’s layout…
