Historical Strategy Board Game Design
Budget: $1,500 – $3,000 USD
I’m looking for a creative partner to help me take a brand-new historical strategy board game from a rough idea to a playable prototype that excites teenage players.
The concept
• Game style: deep, decision-driven strategy
• Theme: grounded in real historical events, figures, and locations (I have a few periods in mind but am open to your suggestions).
• Audience: teens—so the rules can be layered and challenging, yet still easy enough to learn in a single sitting.
What I need from you
1. Core mechanics and victory conditions that feel fresh while staying true to the chosen era.
2. A complete, clearly written rulebook with examples, player aids, and setup diagrams.
3. Component list and initial graphic layout—cards, board, tokens, or minis—with basic iconography guidelines.
4. Printable prototype files (PnP) ready for blind-playtesting.
5. A brief playtesting plan outlining test goals, session structure, and feedback capture.
6. Iteration round based on testers’ feedback to tighten balance and flow.
Ideal skill set
Game design theory, historical research, balanced mechanic development, clear rulebook writing, and familiarity with standard prototyping tools (Tabletop Simulator, InDesign, or similar). Artwork is not required at this stage, but a good visual sense for component layout will help.
How we’ll work
We’ll kick off with a brainstorming call, lock the historical setting, agree on core mechanics, then move through milestones: draft rules → prototype → playtesting → revisions. Regular check-ins keep everything on track.
If you have shipped or self-published strategy games before, especially with a historical slant, I’d love to see them. Let’s craft something that history buffs and budding strategists will want on their shelves.
The concept
• Game style: deep, decision-driven strategy
• Theme: grounded in real historical events, figures, and locations (I have a few periods in mind but am open to your suggestions).
• Audience: teens—so the rules can be layered and challenging, yet still easy enough to learn in a single sitting.
What I need from you
1. Core mechanics and victory conditions that feel fresh while staying true to the chosen era.
2. A complete, clearly written rulebook with examples, player aids, and setup diagrams.
3. Component list and initial graphic layout—cards, board, tokens, or minis—with basic iconography guidelines.
4. Printable prototype files (PnP) ready for blind-playtesting.
5. A brief playtesting plan outlining test goals, session structure, and feedback capture.
6. Iteration round based on testers’ feedback to tighten balance and flow.
Ideal skill set
Game design theory, historical research, balanced mechanic development, clear rulebook writing, and familiarity with standard prototyping tools (Tabletop Simulator, InDesign, or similar). Artwork is not required at this stage, but a good visual sense for component layout will help.
How we’ll work
We’ll kick off with a brainstorming call, lock the historical setting, agree on core mechanics, then move through milestones: draft rules → prototype → playtesting → revisions. Regular check-ins keep everything on track.
If you have shipped or self-published strategy games before, especially with a historical slant, I’d love to see them. Let’s craft something that history buffs and budding strategists will want on their shelves.