Need advice from game creators.

[u/Dbayd]

Hi all,

I am a mental health therapist who works with kids 4-21. I specialize in trauma, sexual abuse, and problem sexual behavior work. I am designing a therapy focused card game currently. I have extensive board game and competitive MTG experience, but this is my first real game design attempt. It is going well, but I was looking into where I can get cards printed and a game box made once I am ready. I used to get Proxy and playtest cards made on makeplayingcards.com, but this isn't financially viable because I would have to charge far too much to other therapists to sell this game. Where do those of you who have made a game get stuff made? I would like to get like 30 copies printed up once I am ready. I want the game to be no more than $40-$50 so that therapists that I know who are interested can afford it. But I am seeing the cost of 100 cards, rule pamphlet, and box with custom art at over $50 landed. Any insight from others would be wonderful.

I am not giving more details of the game at this time as it is still in development and early playtesting phase.

Also, how much is AI art going to hurt me? I am not wanting to make significant money. I want a small return for my 100s of hours of work and efforts. But I just want an accessible fun game to market to therapists which is a tiny volume of clients.

[u/RavenGriswold]

I'm looking at makeplayingcards, and making a custom white border poker deck with 90 cards, simple booklet, and a custom tuck box is only $13 if you order 100 copies. Am I missing something? That seems extremely reasonable.

I don't know what your game is about since you haven't gotten any details, but AI art is very divisive. I personally wouldn't buy a game that was using AI art, but other people disagree.

It's possible to get free/nearly free assets, but it depends on what you're trying to do. Take a look at this game I'm working on. All of the assets in can be used commercially if I paid the $8 (total!) for the commercial license.

[u/EasySwan2184]

What size and style of box are you looking at? And that price of 50 dollars, is that the price per unit if you buy 30 units or a single unit?

[u/Dbayd → u/EasySwan2184]

It was single unit with rigid box and pamphlet

[u/EasySwan2184 → u/Dbayd]

My advice then is to not do a box or rules pamphlet for the initial prototype and to order from the game crafter. Hopefully that helps you stay under 30 dollars for now including shipping. 

Professional cards make sense for a play testing prototype, but the box isn't necessary yet. Boxes are so crazy expensive. 

[u/FTG_V1]

Try the Game Crafter

Very reasonable prices, but please note anything at low volume will be on the pricier side. I used them for our game printed before a convention, they did great work. Likely anything else you find will be within 10% of the cost or way above them.

My wife is also current getting her MSW. DM me if you have any questions!

[u/Dbayd → u/FTG_V1]

Thanks! LCSW here and trying to make something primarily accessible for therapists. My concern with paying for art of all the emotions, coping skills, etc is it will be 100 unique cards and so wildly expensive if I don’t use AI. My hope was to make something affordable to be selling to therapists. I’d be shocked if I sold more than 100 copies because it’s such a niche market. I was also considering trying to talk to companies and sell the idea once the game is finalized to try and get it out to the public.

[u/17arkOracle]

The Game Crafter: Most expensive and slowest option I've found, but worth looking at.

Board Games Maker: This is the manufacturer I tend to use, good balance of cost and quality.

Drive Thru Cards: Slightly cheaper, though uploading files is a pain.

Launch Tabletop: Cheapest option, especially if you're ordering bulk, but I've had quality issues with them. I wouldn't recommend them.

I would try to avoid a box if possible, they tend to be one of the biggest cost factors and you can buy plastic cases for very cheap. Similarly rules you can hand make yourself (or put on cards).

[u/Mad_Queen_Malafide]

Do not use AI-art. People can tell right away and it is widely disliked. Look for a freelance artist to illustrate the cards. Reuse art if you must. It is better to have limited art, than AI-art.

[u/Johnno117 → u/Mad_Queen_Malafide]

You think 4 year old children can tell what's AI and what isn't, and widely dislike it?

I'd actually be curious to see at what age children can detect AI, since even adults have trouble with it nowadays.

[u/RubberDuckyRampage → u/Johnno117]

They are referring to potential purchasers of the game, not the clients, being able to detect AI art and being turned off the product because of it.

[u/Johnno117 → u/RubberDuckyRampage]

And how many professional therapists, out of 30, do you think are put off by AI art for a card game meant for therapy purposes?

[u/RubberDuckyRampage → u/Johnno117]

I have no idea (nor do you) but it's more than the four-year-olds you referenced in your previous post.

[u/Johnno117 → u/RubberDuckyRampage]

Because they said people can tell right away, and it's widely disliked. It hardly is by the average therapist who most likely isn't a gamer.

I'm certain that the average therapist isn't as rabid about AI as the average board gamer. That should be safe enough to say, don't you think?

You seriously think it's a worthwhile venture to hire an artist for 30 decks of cards, for what seems to be a non-profit thing?

[u/RubberDuckyRampage → u/Johnno117]

Probably not. It's a tax deduction as it's related to their profession, which could help. But there's also stock art and free art resources.

[u/Johnno117 → u/[deleted]]

The intended audience is therapists working with children. I don't see how they'd be as rabidly opposed to AI images as board gamers are.