Is it worth taking an unfinished game to conventions?

This blog post will discuss my experiences with taking my unfinished board games to conventions over the last couple of years and briefly mention my observations when watching others do the same. 

​You may be one of those who struggle with showing someone something you have worked very hard on unless you think it is 100% finished, polished and perfect. And that's fine. However, today I am here to try and give you an abundance of reasons why you might want to reconsider your strategy when making games. 

Only up until very recently have conventions been a source of income for myself and my company. Previously, and especially at the first couple of conventions that I went to, they were to meet people, get them to play my games, and hear their thoughts. Here are some of my top reasons why you should take your games to conventions, even if you haven't finished them:

• Test, Feedback, Iteration - this is the core of what makes any good game great, and if you set up your stall so people can come and play your game, you can get a wealth of information regarding feedback that could improve your game. 
• Exposure - build your audience BEFORE your game is ready for publishing or Kickstarter, and conventions are one of the best ways to get exposure. People don't only get to meet your game, they get to meet you, and that is a great tactic to get people invested in you and your game. ​

• Gauging the Audience - if you are unsure of whom your target audience might be, or maybe even if you are, then conventions are an excellent way to get information or confirmation about who wants your game! You can observe this well by just watching who looks at your stall, who slows down whilst looking, and who comes up to talk about/play your game. 
• Finding out What Sells Your Game - is an extension of the point above but is vital. Trying different phrases, buzz words and focus points when describing your game is essential for determining what sells your game. For example, with one of my games called Food Time Battle in Space, I went through development, a Kickstarter, and selling the game for months before I realised that mentioning the asymmetrical and unique player decks was one of the main selling points for the game! This was through one of the more recent conventions I went to, where I made triple the sales on FTBS by just talking about the unique decks. Looking back, the game could have reached so many more people, especially during the crowdfunding phase, if I had that customer feedback beforehand. ​

• Connections - I genuinely believe that the most valuable aspect of taking your game, finished or unfinished, to conventions is meeting new people. These could be your customers, fans, playtesters. Still, some of the long-lasting relationships I have developed with other publishers and developers are some of the most valuable experiences I have had in this business. Meeting people like Stone Sword Games, Zatu and Escape Plan Board Games has changed how I think, act, and pursue my dreams in the board game industry. Concerning this scenario, I would treat your game as an ice breaker, a talking point, but at the same time, make sure not to undervalue the feedback you will receive from these people as it could be life-changing!
• Pre-Orders - If your game is being manufactured, or the Kickstarter has ended, but you have a pledge manager up, then bringing a prototype version of the game to get people to sign up to newsletters, Etsy stores, whatever, is very powerful for launch day.

​
Hopefully, you enjoyed this short post; if it's given you even one reason to consider taking your unfinished games to cons, then I'm happy!
​
Consider signing up to the newsletter for more board game industry-related blog posts, as well as a few video game ones too!