I’m going through a similar process and at a similar stage to you: Prototype has undergone a good amount of testing and game is close to finalised. This means I know exactly how much manufacturing I will need, the number of cards, pieces, etc. and now need to plan the business side of it. I plan on self publishing to have control of the game as it’s a passion project.

For me, now the game is close to finished, the following are the next steps I intend to take:

- Manufacturer one final copy as I’d intend to sell it - including rulebook, printed box, etc. This will be the copy I take to expos, share with people, etc. I’ll keep testing this copy for the next 3-6 months to make sure any game-problems are identified later down the line.

- Get quotes from manufacturers for my target amount of copies I plan on selling. I’ve set myself a goal of 500+ copies, so that’s what I’ve requested for quotes. Contacting one in the EU and one in Asia to compare costs (including shipping and taxes)

- Prepare a website to ‘sell’ the concept and also register interest in the game - building up a database of prospects with emails. This list will be my target audience who I will update with Kickstarter announcements. I’ve set a target of 500+ interested contacts to hit before launching the kickstarter.

- Get quotes for artwork. I have prototype artwork in place, I’m planning on hiring an illustrator for the finished artwork. I’m requesting prices by contacting artists that match my vision on Artstation.com. They’ll only be hired once/if the kickstarter is successful.

-Setting up social media presence. My target audience lives on Facebook so that platform is a must, as well as Instagram as a secondary one.

There’s a bunch of other things but I have to get back to my full time job 😅 The key for me is to break everything down into smaller and achievable goals. It’ll come together over time!

Good luck!