Things to consider when making and marketing your own game:
TEN ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD GAME.
1) Good packaging: attractive illustrations on the box cover; good colors and design.
2) Interesting components: nicely designed gameboard, cards, and playing pieces.
3) Good balance: the opening, the mid game, and the end game contribute equally to the game’s outcome.
4) Good blend of skill vs. luck: the outcome of the game depends mostly on skill, partially on luck (this is said to mirror real life).
5) Simplicity of play: the play of the game is not complex; strategies are easy to understand, though they may be challenging or even difficult to master.
6) Options during play: the game continually gives you choices and requires decisions.
7) Repeat play value: the game is different and interesting each time you play.
Clear instructions: the rules are easy to understand, and are comprehensive enough to cover all situations that may occur.
9) Interesting theme: the theme (unless an abstract game) is of interest or has some social significance.
10) Purposeful: playing the game provides mental stimulation, provokes laughter, or enhances social interaction.
TEN THINGS THAT LARGE (American) GAME COMPANIES LOOK FOR IN A GAME
1) A license: game play that can lend itself to a popular character, theme, or event.
2) A gimmick: something unusual; a doodad that moves or does something.
3) Dimension: three dimensional game board or playing pieces, suitable for a plastic mold.
4) Simple rules: very simple, very brief.
5) Short playing time: the game should end in about twenty minutes.
6) Advertisability: you should be able to explain and sell the game in a fifteen-second television commercial.
7) Good visual theme: a concept that lends itself to sparkling illustrations for the cover.
Minimal development costs: a game that’s inexpensive to make.
9) A proven track record: knowledge that the basic concept of the game has worked before.
10) Wide acceptance range: a game that will appeal to the most people, regardless of age or sex.
