20 - The Prototype and the Rulebook

Even though the rulebook is usually ignored after the first few games, it is an extremely important part of any game.

Unfortunately, it’s also a part that requires a lot of work — especially if you don’t particularly enjoy writing … and if you plan to publish the game in two languages.

The earlier you write down a meaningful rulebook, the better. On the one hand, the game can then be tested without a personal explanation. On the other hand, it’s not only the game that needs testing, but also the rules themselves. If the rules are interpreted incorrectly, the game will be played incorrectly, and the playtest becomes only partially useful.

A written rulebook is often much longer than the usual verbal explanation of the rules. The quick clarifications you can answer with a simple “yes” or “no” during an explanation also need to be addressed in the written version.

There are several helpful tips online about how to write board game rulebooks, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to look through them.

It’s definitely useful to study rulebooks from games where you personally feel the rules are well explained. But going through the rules of very well‑known games isn’t a bad idea either. You’ll notice a common structure that board gamers are already familiar with.

It’s also helpful to think about the structure of your rulebook — in what order should the game be explained? Sometimes it’s beneficial to repeat certain rules. For example, it doesn’t hurt to mention the game’s objective early on, but it’s also useful to repeat it again during the final scoring section at the end of the rules.

After the first few plays, the rulebook is mostly used for reference. Can players find information easily? Are all questions answered?

These are questions only testers can answer for me. Since all of this is not easy, it’s also difficult to reach a point where you can say: “Okay, this version of the rules is good/pretty enough to share.” Too many errors mean the rules aren’t very helpful and can frustrate testers. But without testers, you won’t discover many mistakes or opportunities for improvement. And when do you hand everything over to an editor? There will be many versions of the rulebook.

The rulebook for Magical Friends has already gone through many revisions, but now you can finally view it online. On the landing page, you can download the PDF if you like. I’m very happy about any feedback — but I’ll warn you in advance: there will probably be many more adjustments before it goes to an editor, and of course many images will still be replaced.

Are you also working on a rulebook? What problems have you encountered? If you take a look at the rules, your feedback will definitely help me improve them. Every tip is appreciated!

Update: Now that the game has been published, the rulebook is definitely the number one thing I want to improve for a second edition. ;-)