The article contains a list of possible components for games where they can be applied. Each component contains an example while some contain a "good" and "bad" example which I found to be very useful.
The list of components includes, making tiles smaller than the spaces they're placed upon - This means that they can be either moved or bumped slightly but without disturbing the other spaces.
Use highly contrasting/distinguishable colours for player pieces explores how it's important to consider people with impaired vision or people who have some form of colour blind therefore it's crucial to find what colours work together. It also states how you should never use red and orange as player colours.
It also teaches us to use shape as well as colour to distinguish pieces by adding different graphics and shapes. A good example is 'TransAmerica' which creates a unique shape corresponding to five different colours. Graphics are important to use to help differentiate colours. An example of poor design is 'Schotten-Totten' which placed 9 cards in 6 colours. The suggested superior method is to pair the picture to the suit. This allows colourblind people to distinguish the suits from each other.
Another suggested component is to use different components for different functions. Different forms are easier to separate different functions. An example of this is Monopoly where the money and the property cards are different so it's easier to know that they've two different functions.
It's also vital to make sure that indices/icons are distinct from each other. Icons are great for showing and quickly summarizing important information however if you use a lot of them they'll be indistinguishable from each other. An example of this is Dahon where it's icons for coins are similar to the magical vortex both in colour and shape.
The components list also suggests that the starting tiles should be backprinted in different colours so that they can be separated at the conclusion of the playing. Using a legible and distinguishable font is vital within a game. It's better if the font is simple and clear however the 6 and 9's should use a bar/dot to improve their distinction.
It's necessary to create a clean game and avoid any clutter. This component suggests that you shouldn't crowd too much visual information into one small area. If a decoration makes signs or worse difficult to read then the design is classified as an automatic failure.
Next the article talks about the box and what components you should consider when designing the box. You should first list the game name on the side of the box. A buyer should be able to read the title from around 7 feet away so it's vital to have a distinct title that's easy to read. Attracting the attention of the buyer is a must. You should also make sure any photo on the back of the box shows the legal game position. Players are always looking for clues in a game so when they see the photo on the back of the box they're likely going to determine that that's the proper way to play. This can be misleading as the photographer will arrange the photo despite not knowing how the game is played.
Printing the opposite sides of the box horizontally and vertically means that a store owner has the option of displaying the game on it's side or edge. The greater the visibility in the store creates a more definite advantage as the buyer is more likely to see it.
The next part of the article is about cards and how to design them correctly. A component of this is placing index cards on all four corners. This means that having indices on both sides ensures that they'll be visible either way. The designer should place the indices as close to the corners as possible.
Using large indices means balancing the indices have to be small enough that the cards only need a moderate fan to be visible and big enough to be labeled as 'clear'. Each card size depends on how many cards the player will be holding at a time. White borders help hide any imperfections and reduce the chance that the deck will become scratched or damaged. Card replacements should also be available incase one specific card goes missing.
Theme is the next category in the list of suggested components. You should have the theme work with the rules rather than against them. An example of this is the game Fantasy Fright Cave Troll. In this game monsters are placed occasionally on the board and follow certain patterns. Starting out in the centre, they travel from room to room and interact with the player pieces. The Cave Troll is different as he enters anywhere on the board and once he's placed in a room he's unable to move which bans the player from entering that room for the rest of the game.
Another section of the components is the rules. The first suggested step here is to blind test the rules which means that the game is sent to a group of people who are made learn how to play the game just by reading the rules and nothing else. When creating a game the rules are an important and vital aspect therefore you shouldn't intentionally write vague rules. A game that has the player come up with the rules shows that the game wasn't fully developed. You should include a detailed list of components and include many examples. Diligence is necessary to make sure that the examples agree with written rules.
The last part of this article shows some common questions that many games fail to answer. Some examples of these questions include Are fractions rounded up or down? This is stated as obvious yet often missed. Are money/victory points public or private? If they're private it should be stated. What if a player has no legal move? Is that player allowed to pass or is a special action allowed?
To conclude. I enjoyed reading this article and found it very useful with it's suggestions. I'll definitely take these into consideration when creating my own game as I found them to be interesting and clear to read.
Items of interest:
The Art Career Project
WikiBooks
Unity
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