The Advantages of Making Board Games (that isn't money).

I have been selling games for four years now and I have never made any money. I’ve generated income to pay for manufacturing, distribution, conventions and marketing material. I have even generated enough income to support five amazing and talented freelancers at various points in time over the last four years of my board game development journey. Still, my board game development company has yet to turn a profit. 

Now I’m not saying that you can’t make money from board games, or even that I can’t make money from board games, I’m sure that I will in the next couple of years just due to compounding effects. However, the point is that this is coming from the perspective of someone who has been working flat out full time for the last four years, developing three games and growing a business from the ground up, and hasn’t been rewarded monetarily for their efforts. 

Here’s 5 reasons why you should definitely make board games:

1. It makes you more employable. Whilst you are building these games, you are building yourself. Much like when you are working on any long term project by yourself, you really change as a person by the end of it. You develop so many skills you wouldn’t have in a conventional job, and you grow such a wide net of abilities that are transferable in many lines of work.
   
2. You create connections. This is both for friends and for business contacts. In this industry in particular, you are so welcomed and encouraged and there is always help offered around every corner. I have so many friends all over the world that I would never have had the chance to meet, all because of my board game development company. James and Paul from Stone Sword Games, Dina from… pretty much every Kickstarter ever, the Hairy Game Lords, Chris from Clever Unicorn games. There are too many to list but you get the idea. 
   
3. It’s a creative outlet! I think that a lot of people undervalue this once it becomes a full time source of income, we get to make games full time! Luckily I am still a university student on a very creative course, so I never really lack a way to express my creative needs. However, I can imagine a full time labourer needs that outlet, to come home and work on something that’s fulfilling. Board games are a great way to do that. 
   
4. You are growing an industry that you love! In 12 Months to $1 Million, a book by Ryan Daniel Moran, the author talks a lot about helping bake the pie rather than taking from it prematurely. What he means by that in the context of what we are talking about is instead of going in with the mindset that you want to take a piece of the board game market share, you should actively attempt to grow the market, and take your own piece of the pie later, when it’s much bigger and more valuable. If you love board games, then it’s only positive for the market to grow. Maybe your games get two people into the board game community that had never played board games before. This has a knock on effect if done enough by a bunch of people to really grow the board game industry, which means more board games, and more high quality board games too, which you love!
   
5. It’s really something special to make a board game. Now this is a bit of a personal one, but I do really love just making board games. One of my favourite things to do is sit down with a player, teach them one of my games, and have them have a blast whilst playing them. I couldn’t care less if they make the purchase or not, so long as I get a laugh, smile, a tad bit of frustration from them then I am happy, because from that I know that they are emotionally invested in something that I am also emotionally invested in. It’s like having someone to talk to about your favourite book or movie, but you made it! 
   

If you were on the edge about making a board game, but you were worried you weren’t going to make a profit, then hopefully this blog post gave you an alternate perspective from others out there. People say you need to be a big company to make substantial profits from board games, and they are right, but you can still make substantial improvements to your life, wellbeing and your mental health with some good ol’ board game making!

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