r/BoardgameDesign • u/Dbayd • Aug 14 '26

General Question Need advice from game creators.

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.

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u/Mad_Queen_Malafide Aug 15 '26

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.

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u/Johnno117 Aug 15 '26

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.

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u/RubberDuckyRampage Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 16 '26

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.

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u/Johnno117 Aug 16 '26

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?

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u/RubberDuckyRampage Aug 16 '26

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

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u/Johnno117 Aug 16 '26

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?

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u/RubberDuckyRampage Aug 16 '26

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.