Miniature Game Design Thoughts:

Game balance isn’t a thin line that every element in a game needs to hit. It’s a wide area that everything in the game needs to fall within.

Done right, balance helps to make a game fun and interesting. Too much or not enough (above or below the ‘balance area‘) results in a less fun game.

Let’s be honest: by itself, pure RNG (random number generation) isn’t fun. However, a well-designed game will make use of RNG to create controlled chaos in a way all players can enjoy.

Line of sight mechanics are often pointless. I’ve yet to see a line of sight mechanic that adds something positive and fun to a game experience without having major drawbacks.

The best miniatures games require players to both defend themselves (protect their commander) and push forward (a scenario). The fun and tactics come in during the ‘muddy’ area in the middle, where players need to advance but must do so cleverly to succeed. 1/2

2/2 One caveat being games where ‘standing still’ is impossible (see X-Wing). A game with constant motion can be fun without a scenario to pull the players together.

Organised play needs to be aimed at both community building and maintaining the interest of veterans. Too much emphasis on one or the other will result in a small (or ever decreasing) player base.

It’s fine for a game community to run independent large events. However, the game owners should be running large events of their own.

Consistent and impactful releases are needed to hold an audience’s attention, but there’s a balance. Too little impact and the game feels stagnant; too much impact and positive elements of the game could be lost.

Because of the need for consistent releases, all miniatures games hit a point of ‘critical mass’ where there’s simply too much information for new players to learn. This shuts off the game to new blood and marks the beginning of community decline. 1/2

2/2 When this happens, drastic action must be taken to avoid that slow decline. Age of Sigmar is a controversial but valid method of reigniting a game. As is X-Wing 2nd Edition, with the Hyperspace OP format and streamlining of the game overall.

Errata and FAQ are a necessary evil of miniatures games. Because of the need for regular new releases, unforeseen combinations or play styles (which aren’t fun) might occasionally crop up. These need to be corrected to avoid community decline. 1/2

2/2 However, releasing Errata and FAQ documents too regularly or too large in scale can cause more casual players to feel overwhelmed by change.

As alluded to in a lot of these tweets, effective and regular community management is needed to make sure your audience feels valued. It also helps game designers stay in touch with how their community feels about the game.

Because of the huge amount of effort needed to launch and maintain a miniatures game, making one that’s financially viable is a challenge. That said, those games often become the ‘public face’ of the company and are extremely marketable. 1/2

2/2 That’s why all miniatures game companies supplement their miniatures games with standalone board game releases, which can be less marketable long term but are often far more profitable.