Protospiel North FAQ

What is it?

Protospiel North is a Hammercon III event track that will bring amateur and established game designers together to test and promote nearly-finished game prototypes. It will be organized similarly to the original Protospiel event.

What is Protospiel?

Protospiel is an annual event held in Ann Arbor, Michigan since 2001. It is specifically geared towards board game designers who bring their prototypes to be played and critiqued by the other designers who attend. Many of those who attended Protospiel in past years have become successful, either as published designers or through publishing their own games. For more information, check out the Protospiel website. http://www.protospiel.org/

How is Friday organized?

On Friday night, all registered designers are invited to meet for an evening of open play-testing. This event will be in keeping with the original Protospiel way of doing things: the atmosphere is casual, designers will break into groups to play each other's games, and give feedback by discussing the play experience afterwards.

How is Saturday organized?

All day Saturday, the open-table session continues with the addition of non-designer attendees who are interested in being play-testers. Also, designers can run their games as scheduled events. This will help attendees coordinate playing prototypes with other scheduled games they are interested in.

Are there any special events planned?

It is anticipated that there will be an informal round-table discussion about the hobby game industry. This will cover all aspects of the game business, from game development to self-publishing, manufacturing, distribution and retail sales. All questions will be answered by several well-known authorities, including William Niebling, CEO of ElfinWerks, and Ross Fleming, president of Lion Rampant Imports.

Can non-designers be play-testers?

Yes. Any attendee can become a play-tester by signing up to play a Protospiel North prototype on Saturday. It will be expected of them to give feedback to the designer after playing.

I just designed my first game. Why should I attend?

There is no such thing as too much play-testing! Do you really know how good your game is? Playing it with friends and family is a good start, but having experienced designers give you their opinion is invaluable. You should also consider attending the round-table discussion dealing with the hobby game industry.

I am an experienced designer with a number of published games. Why should I attend?

Chances are you already know the value of play-testing games with your peers. Additionally, HammerCon III will give you an opportunity to present your latest work-in-progress to the general public for their consideration. It is also an opportunity to promote a self-published game, or a published game that is about to be released.

Will play-testers be signing non-disclosure agreements?

No. If you are paranoid about discussing game ideas or reluctant to have someone see your work-in-progress, Protospiel North is probably not the right place for you. However, if you want to become acquainted with other game designers and establish meaningful business relationships, then you should expect to be open and involved. Who knows - that magical collaboration could start here.

What is involved in registering a prototype?

First, you will need to pre-register for HammerCon III via this registration link. If you're able to do so, it's highly advisable you attend the Protospiel North closed designer session on Friday night, so try to grab one of the Friday + Saturday passes before they sell out.
Then, register the game with HammerCon III using this link. Ensure you include the Protospiel category in the game category options available.
You will also need to include information about the game. This is important so that play-testers can choose a game that they might be interested in. (You don't want a bunch of players, who thought they signed up for an apocalyptic war game, trying to get through a game about dating in junior high). The important information should include:

  • Name of the game
  • In addition to type (e.g. board game, card game, role-playing game etc), what style of game it is: dungeon crawl, party game, deck building, Euro-style, roll and move etc.
  • Number of players
  • Player age range
  • A description of the game. What can the players expect if they play it.
  • Include a photograph if possible

What is involved in running a play-test?

  • You need to bring a playable prototype. It doesn't have to be the prettiest thing in the world, but it does need to be functional.
  • You should have the game set up and ready to play before the play-testers arrive.
  • Have all the pieces. Each player should have whatever they need to play.
  • Make sure any game information is easy to read. This includes text on cards, game-boards, player-aids and rules sheets.
  • Make sure the players are clear on what the game involves and what the rules are.
  • Tell the players what you are trying to accomplish by running this particular play-test.
  • If there are specific strategies that need testing, tell the players.
  • If the end of the game has some issues, tell the players. If you can set up the game to begin play halfway through the game to get to the ending sooner, consider doing this.
  • Let the players know what to focus on, what kind of feedback you will be asking for after the playing is done.
  • It's a good idea to hand out feedback sheets to the players so that they can write down notes about the game while they are playing, instead of having to remember everything later.
  • Wrap up the game well before the scheduled end time to allow for player feedback.
  • Have the players write their answers to your feedback questions. Having data to review days later is invaluable.

I have a question, ideas, or feedback not covered in this FAQ. Who do I talk to?

The discussion forum for Protospiel North is maintained on Hammer Games. Go there and check if your question has been answered; if not, you can sign up for an account and contribute your comment in the discussion forum part of the group. Protospiel North is here for you, so if you have ideas for what you want to see then let us know!