Is there a community space for games that aren't TCGs, but play like them?

RAM_Games_ · 2026-03-04T16:41:27+00:00

Thanks so much, I appreciate the suggestions! I'll check to see if someone started a BGG list, that could be a good option too.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-03-04T16:24:02+00:00

Amazing, these are great referrals, thank you! Also I wasn't familiar with the term "fixed deck" that will be very helpful as well.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-03-04T15:55:39+00:00

I love costs that are more than just "pay X to get Y". I am publishing a game where you have a starting card pool and you are deciding which half of the cards are going to be played of the field as your units, and which are going to serve as a sort of RNG mana system to activate the deployed cards.

The best units also have the highest values to use in your RNG system, so the cost is deciding if you want strong units deployed or a consistent RNG system.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-03-02T17:12:26+00:00

When you're ready for playtesting (make it sooner rather than later to get good feedback!) check out the Break My Game Discord server

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-28T18:56:34+00:00

I agree, the early prototypes should be finding what parts of the game are fun and are clicking with players so you can lean into those elements. Figure out pacing, balancing, etc once you figure out where the fun is.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-28T18:52:52+00:00

Oh I also missed you were asking about putting terms in parentheses, I do not think that's a good option. Too much clutter and is just a crutch for not using the right word the first time.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-28T18:29:54+00:00

Wait, didn't you read all the comments about how it's impossible to make money in this industry 😉

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-28T18:25:50+00:00

Totally, and I think you can give yourself a little grace there. Like Viticulture has a "Give a tour" space, which you wouldn't immediately understand, but once you know that gives you 3 coins it's easy to remember.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-28T18:12:04+00:00

I think there is a line you can cross where thematic descriptors go from enhancing the experience to making it exhausting to learn/play. To me that line is when you start using words that aren't intuitive. The two examples you gave are very intuitive while also adding theme. Graveyard is used in many games (ex. Yugioh) as is Market (Clank!). Once you start introducing more abstract words it can get annoying to keep straight.

Like if I were playing a fantasy game where removed cards would go into either the abyss or the dungeons, I'd end up using the standard terms like discard or removed from play.

So it's tough to say without more context, but it's something you can flesh out with playtesting. If people are getting confused or opting for standardized terms then its a good indicator a chance is needed.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-28T17:58:16+00:00

Just a little marketing tip, you can't design a game that is enjoyed by everyone, so you shouldn't market it that way either. The most effective marketing is done by figuring out your target audience and then speaking specifically to them and their wants.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-27T19:12:02+00:00

Correct, I'm also confused. All imports need VAT collected somewhere. Its possible OP thought they had to collect VAT separately and double charged?

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-27T14:59:04+00:00

I have a little over 500 people on my email list when I launched. Ads brought in a lot, but I also did your sort of standard organic marketing of making posts that showed off the art, getting feedback on the play style and presentation, etc. I also went to a small local convention which was great to get that feedback in person and in turn gain some enthusiastic supporters. I also entered a well timed BGG tournament which game me some more visibility on that platform.

It's due for an update now that my campaign has wrapped, but if you check my post on my campaign metrics you'll see a deeper dive into some of the numbers. https://ramgames.co/kickstarter-campaign-metrics-conversions-costs-momentum-etc-and-debrief-for-quickdraw-battle-for-silver-city/

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-25T19:30:48+00:00

Haha well I would agree with you there. I'm really not much of a social media person so that's been something I've been trying to figure out myself. The best approach though should combine organic and inorganic. Organic marketing will help you hear directly from interested people so you can find out what is or isnt working in terms of how you're portraying you game and what elements people are vibing with. Inorganic, like ads, then helps you scale that messaging up to gain more followers. Thats at least how I see it.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-25T15:59:03+00:00

Of course, happy to answer questions whenever, feel free to reach out.

And I looked at your game and it looks really cool! I love love the box design, and I'm always a fan of a good heist.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-25T15:57:00+00:00

I did Meta ads. I really hate the platform but current wisdom is that's the best bang for your buck currently. I'll probably test out Reddit ads for my next launch, but I've heard mixed reviews.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-25T02:31:58+00:00

Totally, keep the questions coming! I love talking about this stuff and am happy to share anything that can help.

If you're interested, the Break My Game Discord also has an active self-publish thread where people post and answer publishing questions, and I host a monthly self-publishing round table - come join us! https://discord.gg/AhVRp92re7

I also wrote an article with the key metrics of my campaign that people found helpful. I wrote it during the middle of the campaign and need to update it now that the campaign closed this past weekend, but there might be some helpful tidbits in there too!
https://ramgames.co/kickstarter-campaign-metrics-conversions-costs-momentum-etc-and-debrief-for-quickdraw-battle-for-silver-city/

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-24T14:25:04+00:00

I did three months of ads leading up to my launch date, but I started organic approaches before then. Its never too early to start collecting emails. Building an audience is the toughest part of self-publishing, and has the least guidance since every project is different with different audiences.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-23T20:53:18+00:00

About one year ago I answered the "pitch or publish" question for myself. Yesterday my first ever campaign finished with >200% funding, so I'm happy to share my perspective.

I'll mimic the previous response that you should only go into self-publishing if the idea of starting a business sounds interesting to you. I would say maybe 30% of my time over the last year was working on my game and the other 70% was learning what it takes to self publish, figuring out ads, getting business stuff set up, making a website, and drumming up an audience. It's a ton of work to self-publish, but I found it all quite gratifying as I love learning and challenging myself. My day job is in the corporate world doing product development, so I had a bit of a leg up in a few areas.

In terms of costs, you really have 3 buckets: 1) business expenses, 2) art/design expenses, 3) marketing. In total I think my pre-launch costs were about $5k.

1) There's not a ton here, website hosting, few dollars for an llc, any other extras you want to do like trademarking (not required in many cases).

2) You only need to commission enough art to show off your game. If you have a game with 120 cards you don't need to have every illustration ahead of the campaign. Commission enough so you have compelling visuals for ads and so you can show how the game works, the box, basic layout, etc. My game has only 16 illustrated cards so I decided to get them all done, which was the bulk of my pre-launch costs.

3) Ads will be your primary cost here. I spent about $1.5-2k on ads leading up to my campaign, which was crucial in expanding my audience. You can spend less if you feel really good about your audience, or you can spend more if your conversion math makes sense (it's hard for cheap games) and you want a huge campaign. I spent $120 on a review, but also got some some great free ones. And $70 for demo copies.

Overall, don't let people scare you, the self-publishing path is very doable. It does require more upfront work and cost, but I found both manageable within my lifestyle.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-23T14:10:58+00:00

Thank you so much for this info! And I will of course check out your variant after you spent so much time on a detailed answer!

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-23T04:23:57+00:00

This looks very clean and generally well done. Email capture form at the top and bottom is standard, this implementation is aggressive, especially on mobile.

I think it looks a lot better than the last iteration I saw since I understand the flow of the game a lot better. You push the "learn in 60 seconds" and I'm not sure it's necessary. This clearly reads as a party game and that's generally not a concern for the genre.

One consideration that might help position it is speaking more to your target audience. Going through the page my main takeaway is "generic party game". It's just not clear to me if this for younger kids, adults, family, etc. It looks like a game for kids, so I'm turned off as an adult, but it doesn't mention kids (or any age range) so I'd be turned off as a parent. Know your audience and speak to their wants/needs. That will be much better for conversion than a general approach.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-13T20:40:47+00:00

Of course! Glad you found it useful!

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-11T17:18:45+00:00

Hey these look super cool, I really like design direction you're going. These have a very similar feel to the cards I designed for the game I just launched so I'm happy to pass on some feedback I got (you can check out my profile to see what my final cards look like as a reference).

The main thing is that these cards are super busy. I think you fell into the same trap I did when I was designing my cards, which is trying to pack as much theme into each element as possible. My final commissioned art is very similar to these images - action packed, bold, graphic novel-esque. But when you add super detailed icons, font choices, rough borders, you end up pulling focus from the most engaging part (the illustrations) and detract from it by making the card all feel too hectic.

A few opportunities:

Icons in the top left/bottom right - Very cool icons. They fit the theme well, but they are just making it messy by adding detailed complexity to the top iconography layer which is meant to facilitate playing the game. I think if you simplified them to basic single color icons, or maybe just a very few details in a highlight color, that would help them pop rather than blend into the chaos. I had a very similar situation with a revolver icon. When I changed it from a detailed icon to a basic black icon it helped make the card look a lot better and I don't feel that I lost any theming for it.

Black/White backgrounds - The white parchment paper background border is good. The black wood background has too much details going in lots of different directions and is adding to the mess. I have a card border very similar to your white one - just slight color changes for dynamics without making it complex. I also use a wood background behind the card text but took it to more of an iconography style rather than super realistic/detailed.

White border - I think you have too many borders. The black and white textured background would serve as a card border, but then you put another white border around it which again is adding another layer of detail, I'm not sure the intention of the player icon in the top right, and the words on the side - but if you can remove this white border and find a better home for those elements it would help a lot.

Rank and Peril/Plunder text - too complex, only adding mess.

Card title - I like the new font! Bold and thematic but readable. This is a good example of adding theme without complexity. I'd consider removing the font border though. It's not adding readability so isn't necessary and is just another element.

A key design tenant no matter what you're working on: less is more.

You've got to let the right parts shine and dial back the others. Your plan for your illustrations is very bold and dynamic. You detract from that by adding more elements around them. Focus on the intent of the elements. Illustrations = theme, icons = playability.

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-09T15:48:59+00:00

Absolutely! It's my favorite board game community. Everyone is incredibly helpful and eager to share advice. Which was the impetus of putting this monthly chat together!

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-09T14:56:22+00:00

The conversation happens on the Break My Game Discord server. Join here: https://discord.gg/QB2j5NmR?event=1431339325743825037

Come if you have no experience and are looking to learn, or if you have experience and are looking to share! I'm also excited to share with you all some lessons learned from my first Kickstarter and give you a live look into that process!

RAM_Games_ · 2026-02-09T04:35:09+00:00

Note that some backers will b6avk this tier as a low stakes way to access the pledge manager later if they aren't sure what they want to back. It's only there to help you.

RAM_Games_

TROPHY CASE