How to Pitch A Board Game To A Publisher

June 5, 2022, Evergreen Tabletop Expo
Ryan S. Dancey

Opens with discussion of the movie "Margin call", similar to Big Short

James Earnest in audience.

How to pitch to a publisher

Ryan Dancey is the creator of Legend of the 5 Rings IP, big designer of 3.5, responsible for Wizards buying TSR, and the COO of AEG, the board game publisher behind Smash Up, Romance of the Nine Empires, and more.

Can self publish!

Right now in the board game community there's a flight to Quality.
Partially because games are more expensive
And people lived through the golden age of cheap + good
And pandemic means there's a backlog of fine games sitting unplayed

Quality bar is RISING
A game that would have been good 5 years ago is just…. Fine now

How submit a pitch?

• Look for official website submission page / form / rules
• Look for point of contact email or twitter
• Watch for announcements on public channels

KNOW THE PUBLISHER

# of unique art pieces. 200 is  much harder sell than 30.

• Non standard components
• Box with cards are the easiest to produce, but there's lots of these
• Any non standard components or trays
  • Any considerations to make this a great experience for the player from set up to tear down?
• ⭐ A unique widget? This is a BIG PLUS --- IF the game depends on it.
  • This is also the kind of thing you need a publisher for, and they like it.

Sell Sheets

• One page
• Picture of game
• # of players
• How to win
• Core mechanic
• Why is this game awesome
• Just make this sheet good enough, don't perfect. Seriously don't spend hours on it.
  • Quality of this sheet is never a consideration
• Give them a reason to say yes

Make a 5 minute video of you pitching.
The RUNDOWN (see below)
This video will get you a lot of "no"s
But the yeses you get are stronger, it's a great filter
No production value, just you explaining what's going on and what the game is.

Website

• Clever small explainer site
• With pitch
• This is unusual, but very compelling
• Only do this if you can make it in house, don't spend money hiring someone

THE RUNDOWN

Or elevator pitch
NO presentation
Just, <2 minutes
No lore
Who are you?
You're a train baron in the 1800s
Primary game mechanic
Deck builder plus….
How win?
Not have the most VP, but what triggers the end game etc.
⭐ What's the coolest thing that happens in your game?
This is the most important. What's the cool moment!

Playing your prototype (during a pitch)

Probably not happening during a pitch
Maybe simulate a turn or two
Might do a demo for some time (e.g. 20 minutes)
MAY be a full play
⭐ Package the board game for quick setup and play. Seriously.

POST PITCH FOLLOW UP

• Email 2 weeks after
  • + sell sheet
  • Thank for time + taking pitch
  • Wait
  • Please get back when you have time thanks
• Could take ~3 months
• Getting a YES is hard. Very hard.
• Getting a maybe is easier.
• Can sit in limbo indefinitely

BUY vs HOLD

HOLD is giving you money to maintain the right to stew exclusively.
Usually a year to stew. Can be negotiated down (6 months)
OR BUY
Means they want to publish
Usually a license to publish, not buying the game outright
Gives an advance
Usually ~$5k
Can negotiate to keep the trademark
(otherwise if they pick the name they get to keep it and you don't have much just mechanics)