12 Tenets of Game Design for Stonemaier Games

In today’s video I will discuss the 12 tenets of game design for Stonemaier Games: What they are, why we selected them, examples of how we’ve implemented these in our games.

1. Quick setup and start: We appreciate a streamlined setup with (at most) minimal pre-game choices. – Between Two Castles and Between Two Cities
2. Intuitive to learn and retain. The design of the game takes into account the accessibility and learning experience–ideally, new players can be presented with a few core rules and start to take turns due to the presentation and order of operations. Retention is also a factor, enabled by few to no rule exceptions. –Libertalia and Smitten
3. Ability to plan ahead before taking your turn (you shouldn’t have to wait for the previous player to complete their turn to be able to decide what you’re doing on your turn). --Charterstone
4. Limited analysis paralysis with choices displayed on player mats, game board, etc. There is a reasonable amount of information on display, not dozens of cards and tiles with detailed text that players need to read from across the table. --Viticulture
5. Tension and positive player interaction, not hostility. We like to limit the potential for spite while still encouraging various forms of interaction and tension. –My Little Scythe
6. Interesting choices and strong agency (with only a dose of luck). We love agency in games; it means that players have control over their fate. Random elements are largely there for variability; if there is luck involved, players are opting into it or are at least able to make decisions based on random input (e.g., instead of rolling dice to determine an outcome). --Euphoria
7. Rewards and forward momentum, not punishment and backwards movement. Our games help players feel like they’ve progressed during the game to a superior position than at the beginning (i.e., engine building). --Wingspan
8. Strong connection between theme and mechanisms. Mechanisms are designed to around a theme to keep players immersed in the experience instead of the structure of the game constantly reminding players that they’re playing a game (e.g., we avoid phases and action checklists). --Scythe
9. The potential for dramatic, memorable moments in a game is difficult to achieve, but it’s a huge plus when the game allows and encourages them to happen. --Tapestry
10. Distinctly tactile experience. We love games with appealing, exciting components, ideally accomplished in an eco-friendly manner. It can be as simple as the cardboard Tetris-style pieces in Patchwork or as complex (yet important) as the wheels in Tzolk’in. --Pendulum
11. Variable factors that create replayability–you can’t play the same exact game twice, even if you try. –Rolling Realms
12. Multiple paths to victory. Various game subsystems are balanced through playtesting and data analysis to be equal in their ability to reach the winning criteria. –Red Rising

[djbobilicious]

I love the replayability of Scythe. The factions, the mats, the objectives... You can't just follow a premade plan, you always have to improvise!

[MH-dnjz]

I appreciate how articulate you are about what you value in your products. I've know SMG have a certain "feel" but. This is so much more precise.

[Altaurus]

I've been binging your videos lately and love how much great information you share, especially in the design related ones. Thanks for all you do for the community!

[kiffscholl]

Such a great video. Amazingly helpful. I'm a first-time game designer, but after years of playing Stonemaier games, it's almost not surprising that my game fits your mold so well. After a few more blind tests, I'll be in touch.

[ddobrien]

Thanks for the updated list!
Combining these tenets with your submission guidelines while designing has boosted me so much! Even though I may never actually submit a design to Stonemaier Games, I feel that one of my games has become something I can really be proud of.
I'll be playtesting this design at Emerald City Comic Con in March- it's first public debut. (edit: grammar)

[bluefire]

That's so funny, that video comes at the right time! I'm gonna submit a game soon to you guys :) Hopefully you guys likes it!

[Punkve]

These are great! Especially number 5 in my opinion, which was my first, second and third most important consideration throughout the process of designing Come Together!

[jnewman]

Love this and thank you for pasting the text into the video description!

I'll add a couple of my own design thought/tenets that I've compiled over time:
- The best way to play should be the funnest way to play
- The first time someone plays the game is usually the only time
- Gamers will put up with long setup times, down time between turns, and fiddly gameplay but that doesn't make it ok
- If you ever say to a player "remember to...", you have a design problem
- Optimize game design for maximum number of total plays
- The less interesting a choice is mechanically, the more interesting that choice should be narratively

[musicforall]

This channel has become my go-to source of information and enjoyment. Love what you do Jamie. My admiration 💯 to your work and passion for the Board Game hobby and community.

[orbesteanutsa]

Nice video, Jamey. Always good to recap those 12 tenets. Lately, I have been keen to play more "ameritrash" games where there is more luck and randomness involved to create those tense moments (like in John Company) than I was to play classic euro games which my group of friends are already starting to name them "Excel Simulations", where optimization is the key word. However, I like the idea you've touch upon about giving players randomness as inputs to gain agency and think about how to implement all kind of biased / un-biased randomness through smart mechanisms. It's hard to make a game, I'm trying now to bring up at the table a first prototype, but man, it's a lot of hard work and constant dedication. But I think it's worth the time and effort. Take care!

[andybroomhead]

Really great video Jamey - thanks! I suppose the only thing I'd say is that while it's great to hear you say these, what stands out the most is that this feels so natural when you sit down to play one of your games. There's something implicit about how those things all come through to varying degrees (depending on the game of course) that just makes it a al-round great experience, regardless of whether you win or lose. My favourite publisher by a long way (for a lot of reasons) so thanks for the enjoyment your games (and the time that you put into them) has given me 🙂

[SparkyHelper]

Such a remarkable value in what you are sharing with everyone. Thank you so much!

[TFreckle]

I love your commitment to these tenets. It provides clear borders for where your games can and cannot go. Some of my favorite games violate several of your tenets, but those games have different ambitions and ideas than yous. Excellent video!

[guandjs]

Theses are really great principles and align well with the kinds of games I like. I like some randomness, eg deck building with dynamic market, as it can add excitement, as long as I have agency in shaping the probabilities of outcomes. I also love positive or minimal direct interaction so the feelings around a table during a game are fairly positive. Love your videos!

[rovingmauler]

I love tenet number 1. I’m currently working on a game with as little setup as possible. Ideally you would just set a board or a card on the table and that would be it. The game will teach you as you go. I’m not sure how minimal you could go with this but it’s fun to play around with. Thanks for these videos, Jamey.

I have a topic suggestion. Have you ever done a video for essential tips or essential equipment for budding game designers? A list of tools and/or tricks you use frequently when designing your games.

Thanks again!

[MohamadSobh]

This was an awesome video, thanks Jamey for the effort you put into those!

[TheVeriOra]

Great video. This got me thinking and improving the game I'm making

[zacdredge]

Rather than exception I think there is a basis for emphasis on some rules more than others. I really believe that if a game pairs the mechanisms with the theme effectively that the gameplay will be most of the way to being an enjoyable experience. Often games that fail to excite players or get them invested are jarring in their consideration of theme, or things feel pasted on. Some gamers are likely to care more about mechanisms than theme, certainly, but if you're producing something you want to broaden its appeal where possible and thinking this way can lead to more inspiration.

[teestarbird]

#11 is the most important to me... I find myself coming back to games that have variable setup where each game maintains the core mechanics, but the board state is different each time. Some that come to mind are Champions of Midgard, First Rat, Rats of Wistar, Voyages of Marco Polo 1 and 2, and plenty more...

[donaldkehler]

Great video Jamie! Stonemaier games always have amazing presentation and are easy to teach!