WELL WRITTEN BOARD GAME RULES
August 31, 2019
Where to Start?
Early on in your game design, you should jot down simple notes on the basic rules of your game. Depending on your own style, this may be before or after a first playtest with other people. Put things in the order that they occur during gameplay. Imagine you are teaching the game and explain as you would during a playtest. This can serve as a rough draft for your first playtests. You may want to keep these notes handy during playtest sessions, either printed or maybe on a handheld device for quick reference and perhaps edits during tests. Start tracking the terms that you and others tend to use, especially if they fit with a theme.
Formatting
Next you need a good format for your rules. Without organization, your rules may wander all over the place. Something will get repeated too many times, and something else will get left out. Gamers want a logical progression when learning a new game, so be careful choosing your format. I use a template that I adjust as needed for specific games. Your rules should be organized into sections, including:
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Components
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Setup
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Gameplay
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Game End
Introduction Section
This section sets the tone, defines the theme, and introduces the reader to the world of the game. It can appear on the cover page of the rules or on the back of the box. If you have a long backstory, consider including it as a separate document from the rules, and only include a short summary within the rules. It should include:
Who: who are the players?
What: what are players trying to accomplish (not mechanics, but thematically.)
Where and When: Especially important for a fantasy or historic setting.
Why: The reason the goal is important, including the thematic reward for the victor and/or the threat that will hurt players who fail.
Objective Section
Now you can introduce primary mechanics, including game end trigger, how to win, and flow of the game. Keep this at a high level, without details.
Components Section
List every item that comes in the box, with thematic names and counts of each type of item. Include pictures, especially important if there are several types of similar items, such as several different decks of cards. Players will use this section to make sure the game is complete with all required bits. Do not include details on how the bits are used, that will come later in the rules. For cards, show the back side that is the same for all cards in the deck.
You may also show an example of the front side of a card, identifying items such as cost, powers, etc. with callouts and arrows.
Setup Section
Unless your setup is extremely simple (eg; deal 5 cards per player and set the deck in the center,) you must include a picture of the full setup. Near or surrounding the picture, itemize each step of the setup, doing things in a logical numbered order. You may be able to combine this section with the Components section by showing all of the components (with names and counts) in the setup. Clarify whether bits such as cards or tiles should be placed face-up or face-down.
Start with the items that go in the center of the table. This may be a good place to include a start player selection rule, especially if bits handed out to players vary by player order.
Include both text and picture for each item.
Game Play Section
This will probably be the largest section of your rules and may be divided into several sub-sections.
Start with information about the flow of the game, such as phases that repeat or a summary of the steps of a turn. Then move on to specifics, explaining in the order that things happen, but try to avoid cross-referencing.
Everything should be an instruction: “you do this” rather than 3rd person “the player does this.” Clarify whether each rules is optional or mandatory by using words like “must” and “may.” Clarify whether a condition is temporary or lasts for the rest of the game.
Every rule must be explained in the text, not just within an example. Possibly confusing rules should be explained, then clarified with examples.
Bullets or numbers
When listing steps, don’t just give separate sentences. Use numbers when the steps must be taken in a particular order. Use bullets when the order doesn’t matter. And be very, very clear on whether a step is optional or required. Be careful with words like “should” when you really mean “must.” Also use numbers for phases of the game, so rather than simply referring to “during the Explore phase” you can say “during Phase 2: Explore.”
Order
Try to explain things in the same order that players will experience when playing the game. But as you introduce terms and ideas, try not to jump around. If you need X and Z to use A, try to explain X and Z before you explain the use of A.
Be careful with words like “it” or “them,” making sure you are clear on what is referenced. Be clear on when a limit applies (eg; hand limit at end of your turn or immediate whenever you get cards) and whether a special power is used one time or ongoing. Clarify whether pieces are limited or can be substituted if pieces run out. Do not make players assume that your rules are the same as some other game (eg; some deckbuilders let you look through your discards but others do not.) But some assumptions may be made for things that are common in most games (eg; when the draw piles runs out, most gamers will assume you can shuffle the discard pile to restart the draw pile unless specified otherwise.) Rule of thumb: If target audience playtesters ask about it, include it in your rules.
Game End
Even though you mentioned game end trigger in the Objective section, you still need a Game End section near the end of your rules. This is where you clarify the details of what will trigger game end, how to determine the winner(s), scoring, and tie-breaking rules.
Optional Sections
Depending on the game, your rules may include additional sections as needed, such as:
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Glossary, icon definitions, card descriptions. If long, consider separating these as separate documents from the rules. Any reference materials that may interrupt the flow of “how to play” should be separate from the main rulebook.
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FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions (try to avoid by including everything within other sections)
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Example of a full round of play for a complicated game
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Strategy hints – useful for heavy games and gateway games
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Side bar – useful for flavor text that corresponds to rules, or for a brief reminder of rules for experienced players
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Variants – there are different schools of thought on whether to include variants. Your primary ruleset should be the optimal way to play the game. It’s easy to get carried away adding variants to please more playtesters. A couple of variants may be helpful, such as ways to shorten or lengthen the game, but additional variants may be better posted on BoardGameGeek.com or the publisher’s website.
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Credits - Although designer name and perhaps illustrator may be listed on the outside of the box, you may include a section with a few names of those responsible for the success of the game. But don’t go overboard listing every playtester; a simple “thanks to those who playtested” should suffice.
Fonts and Style
A surprising error I see often is tiny or fancy fonts on rules and/or text on cards. If you are self-publishing, be sure to use easy to read fonts, large text, and do not put text over similar colored backgrounds and/or images. Do not sacrifice readability by using a thematic font except perhaps on flavor text. But do match the style of your rules to the style of the game. For example, for a heavy, serious game, humor within the rules would be inappropriate, but for a silly game, humorous rules add to the fun.
Avoid problems with “he/she/they” and “player” by simply telling “you” to do things wherever possible. When referring to other player(s), “they” and “them” are acceptable for either singular or plural (better than she or him, but use “others” or “another player” when possible.) Don’t describe what should be done, just tell them what to do.
Example: “The first player shuffles the A deck, and he passes out 5 A cards to everyone.” Better: “Shuffle the A Deck and deal 5 cards to each player.”
Thematic Terms
For thematic reasons, you’ve named your dice “explorers” and your cards are “monsters.” But when someone is looking for rule clarification on page 3 of the rules, they don’t want to waste time going back to the components section to get the definitions of your terms when they read “roll 2explorers, and for each explorer with experience of 3 or more, fight a monster.” It is much clearer to say “roll 2 dice, and for each result of 3 or higher, draw and resolve a card.” Some thematic terms may be fine if simple and consistent. But be sure to define each term the first time it is used, noting capitalization and if applicable, abbreviation, then use it the same way throughout the rules. Capitalize only proper nouns and terms that have special meaning.
Examples and pictures
Although examples can be very important to demonstrate a rule, that rule must also be in the text of the rules, not just in the example. While some people need the examples, others simply skip over them completely. Label the elements in your diagrams, with names and steps in order and/or arrows.
Examples are essential, showing both positive “this is correct” and negative “this is not allowed.”
Until you finalize your rules, use Placeholders (example here.) But don’t forget to replace them before blind testing starts.
Length Versus Clarity
First you write it all out with all the details you can think of. But then you remember that a long rulebook may intimidate players from even trying the game. So you edit it down to the essentials. Then you realize that keeping it too short can lead to ambiguity. Try to find that happy medium that explains all of the essential rules clearly and completely, with good examples, but leave the unusual and rare situations for an FAQ. If you end up with a long FAQ, your rulebook is too short. When deciding how granular to get, try to use the “reasonable man” test: Would a typical reader actually need to be told to place the board in the center of the table? If it’s obvious to even a non-gamer, then leave it out. Also consider your target audience. Some common gaming terms may make sense and not need explanation to experienced gamers, but might need extra clarification for families. If your game is likely to be played by highly competitive rules lawyers who may say “show me where it says that I can’t,” you may need to include more detail and work harder to avoid any possible misinterpretations. A complicated game may need an FAQ, glossary, “learn to play” guide, index, icon guide, card descriptions, separate reference guide, or other materials that are not need for simpler games.
Try to keep a section together on the same page if possible, avoiding the need to turn the page for a quick lookup. If a section takes up more than a single page itself, try to break it up into logical subsections for easy reference. And if there is too much text on a page, use bolding, highlighting, icons, callouts, pictures, examples, or whatever it takes to make important points stand out.
If a particular rule is difficult to explain in writing, consider your target audience and whether the rule is really needed. If it resonates well when explained during testing, think about how you explain it. Ask an experienced playtester to explain it in their own words and take notes on how they say it. If moving the pieces around clarifies it, then it may require multiple pictures to explain how it works.
Keep in mind that your rules will be used both for learning the game and also as a reference for experienced players. The full rules should handle the former, but you may make separate tools, such as a quick reference page or player aids, for the latter.
Consider how rules may be misinterpreted and change wording accordingly. Competitive players will always try to interpret rules in their favor, so playtest with such players and ask they to try to find loopholes that you can eliminate.
Player Aids
I am a huge fan of player aids, and often create them for games that don’t have them. If there are rules, steps, or other details that players may forget, why not remind them with well-designed player aids? Make sure there are enough so that every player can have their own. This way the rules won’t get passed around as much. But never include a rule on a player aid that is not also explained in the full rules. The player aid may have a short name or icon, but the full rules must still give the details needed to play correctly.
If your playtesters tend to forget a particular rule, then find ways to emphasize it within the rules and/or in the player aids. Use Bold font, highlighted background, and/or repetition. If there are several rules that tend to get missed, consider including a section at the end for “overlooked rules” with reminders.
If a rule is often played incorrectly, consider changing the rules to the way that players assumed.
Tools
It may seem obvious, but don’t forget spellcheck and grammar check. It’s amazing how many otherwise great games are tarnished by typos, and how much confusion can be caused by bad grammar. But don’t stop with just technically proficient text. Even if a language expert pronounces your rules perfect, that doesn’t mean that players can understand them enough to play the game. So don’t rely only on computer programs like Grammerly. You need actual people to read your rules, and they should be gamers. Ideally, gamers with good editing skills, like ProofMySpec.com, who not only has low prices but also has experience editing game rules.
Find and Replace is also a great tool to help you as you edit your rules.
Testing your Rules
Game rules are not set in stone, at least not until the game is actually published. So keep editing, clarifying, and changing as needed to improve your rules. Even after a game is published, watch the comments on BoardGameGeek.com and post answers and clarifications when applicable.
Once you get to the point where playtests are no longer leading to major changes, solidify your rules as much as possible. Use the tools mentioned above to get the rules as clean as you can.
Blind testing will concentrate on whether players can learn directly from your written rules. Before your first blind test, go back and verify that all the current rules are fully updated. As the rules evolve, you may still have an old rule or two hidden in an example or picture. Fill in the placeholders.
Then pass the prototype to a target audience group who has never seen the game before. Make them learn the game directly from the written rules. For your first blind test, you may wish to sit and watch, but try to sit on your hands and keep a gag on your mouth. Take notes on a separate copy of the rules, noting where you may need to clarify things. Do not interrupt unless they are about to play something in a way that breaks the game. If they ask you questions directly, only answer if you know that the answer is not already in the written rules. But also listen to the questions they ask each other, and make sure they are covered in the rules. Make note of even the most minor misunderstandings.
For later blind tests, you should not be in the room at all. Request that feedback concentrate on the written rules, since your game should now be solid enough that other feedback is no longer helpful. Give them a form for feedback, or record the feedback or even the entire playtest if possible. Continue blind testing, using different groups from your target audience, until you have had several tests that generate little or no changes.
Written rule testing is similar to basic playtesting, in that you don’t need to incorporate every change that may be suggested. I always try to make note of all suggestions and show appreciation for the ideas, but I use my own judgement on which ideas to implement. My rule of thumb is that if a suggestion is made by several people from different playtests, then I should address it. But if several people in the same playtest group agree on something, it may simply be groupthink. And if a suggestion comes from someone who is not part of your target audience, make a note of it, but don’t change it unless someone in your target audience agrees with it.
Overlooked or Misunderstood Rules
Rules about Rules
Most of this advice is guidelines, not hard and fast rules. You may find examples of well-written rules that go against these suggestions. As you may notice while writing up your rules, there tend to be exceptions to almost every rule. So apply the above advice when applicable, but remember the best advice usually comes from those who are trying to use your written rules to learn your game. Blind testing is essential, and you should get as many people in your target audience to blind test and share their feedback regarding the rules, not just whether they enjoyed the game.
For additional ideas on writing board game rules, I recommend: https://www.kathleenmercury.com/writing-rules.html and http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/rules/?fbclid=IwAR2vl42nE1WniOg8zapwjfvpG9ZR37bGYVb8TMlDSSe_ifV0oZHdCTIgtto.
Candy Weber is the designer of BoardGameGeek: The Card Game, Universal Victory Point Cards, and Trios (coming soon from Flying Lemur Games.)