I'm just going to vent for a minute.

We talk about barriers, gatekeeping, and titles in the board game community from time to time.

I remember hearing, "If you're creating a game, whether it's done or just a prototype, then you ARE a board game designer." That was encouraging.

I'm thankful for those words, but then comes the dreaded conversation w/ non-bg-community folks. "Oh, you're a board game designer? That's cool! What games have you made?" I smile softly and explain, "Well... my games are not published yet." It leaves me feeling deflated.

So then I set that goal, that bar to reach. "Once I get a game published into a tangible, sellable product then those questions won't be discouraging."

In hindsight it's easy to see how this could set a person up for a lot of grief. But there I was, being my own gatekeeper.

And goals are important, when set well (short, medium, long term). I don't think I'm alone in making this mistake.

Even with encouragement, and the thought that we are already designers, I think that us new designers sometimes doubt and measure ourselves against the greats.

It's unreasonable, I know.

It's a struggle sometimes, though. I know I'm good at this, but I'm good at a lot of things. I want to show myself I can be gre... no, incredible at this. And then I wonder if that mean I'm doing this for the wrong reason? Is there even a right reason?

Then there's BGG, an incredible resource and data hub. Sometimes it feels like the Hollywood of board games. "If you don't exist there, then do you really exist?"

And people have asked, "Why doesn't your game have a BGG page? Why don't you have one?" So I try to explain it.

Sometimes it's said differently. "You NEED to have a BBG page so that people can find you." So I hear them out, and consider it.

Sometimes I look at the network I'm building w/o it and I brush it off, telling myself that BGG isn't paramount to success.

And I get it... BBG being the info hub that it is, has a strict approval system. I actually really appreciate that.

I also love that they've expanded their crediting system to game contributors outside of designers/publishers/artists/etc.

That recognition of others who contribute to a game is important. And the efforts they've made show that they understand the importance of representing those creators.

That's kind of the root of this, right? Recognition? Exposure?

So what can I do?

I tell myself to be less critical and more patient. I try to remember that this isn't meant to be easy, and because of all of the hard work, achieving "success" will feel that much more rewarding.

So... yeah. I needed to put some these feelings out there. For me, and for others.

This thread isn't meant to be a downer, or to criticize the community. I'm hoping it resonates with a lot of my bg friends.

I think we all create our own barriers sometimes. Getting a BGG page approved definitely felt like a barrier, but... what was I before that?

I was a board game designer, and I still am. I'm excited to be listed on BGG, but I shouldn't have put unreasonable validation in having a page.

I can't let myself be defined by recognition.

...but this is still really cool to see!