Working with Game Designers: How We See It

This short article exists because we keep getting the same questions from designers over and over again.

Over the past few years, our small publishing house—focused on tiny games—has been in contact with more than a hundred designers. All of them, of course, truly believe in their games, work hard on them, and want to share them with the world as soon as possible. But not everyone understands how the process actually works.

So let me explain how we see collaboration with designers—and what kind of projects make sense to bring to us.

1. Publisher Catalog

Before reaching out to a publisher, take the time to study what they actually publish.

We still live in a global world where contacting a publisher is just one email away. Even more importantly, publishers are incredibly diverse—covering almost every type of player and interest.

If our publishing house currently focuses only on small, simple games, it doesn’t make sense to pitch us a 3+ hour wargame. The same goes for heavy eurogames or projects with dozens of different components.

Right now, we focus on compact games—usually card-based, with minimal components.

Before contacting any publisher:

• Study their catalog

• Buy a few of their games and play them

• Understand their audience and positioning

If your game fits—great. Let’s move on.

2. Prototype

We live in a fast-paced world, so it’s important to reach out when your game already has a playable form.

Your prototype doesn’t need to be perfect. It definitely doesn’t need polished graphics—don’t waste time on that. What matters is that the game is understandable and playable. An idea alone has no value.

You also don’t need to design an entire universe, expansions, or a full product line right away. Your job as a designer is to create the mechanics and rules—how the game works and what makes it tick. Turning it into a marketable product is the publisher’s responsibility.

When submitting a prototype:

• Ideally provide print-and-play (PnP) files ready to use

• Or send a physical prototype that can be opened and played immediately

If your prototype requires cutting cards, assembling tokens, printing on special materials, etc.—there’s a good chance it will never be played.

Also, if your game doesn’t work yet—or has major balance issues—the first impression will suffer, and the conversation will likely end there.

When emailing your prototype:

• Include your name and the game title in the subject line

• Attach rules, photos, or component mockups

• A short video explaining the game is extremely helpful

Also include:

• Age range, playtime, and player count

• A short pitch (e.g., “Megapolis is a cooperative crisis-management game about building a city, with a solo mode”)

• Core gameplay and any unique mechanics

Today, games without unique mechanics—or at least a unique combination—rarely get published.

3. Playtesting

We are absolutely open to testing your game—but these should be final-stage tests.

Before sending your game to a publisher:

• It should be played dozens of times

• Tested with different groups

• Validated by people beyond your close circle

If only your friends or family like the game, that’s not enough. You need feedback from neutral players.

If your prototype still requires:

• Full balancing

• Recalculating values

• Dozens of hours of development

—then it’s not ready.

In today’s fast-paced industry, publishers will simply choose a more polished prototype—or commission a game from an experienced designer.

4. The Product

We understand that every designer is a creator—an artist.

But no matter how brilliant your game is, changes will likely be made during development.

These could include:

• Mechanical adjustments after internal testing

• Theme changes (yes, your colonial war game might become something completely different—like microbes fighting under a toilet lid)

Both sides must be open to dialogue and collaboration.

If a designer is not willing to compromise, self-publishing might be a better path—especially now that crowdfunding platforms are more accessible than ever.

Only those who try self-publishing truly understand how complex and demanding the process is.

In all other cases, flexibility is key. Both the publisher and the designer share the same goal: to make the game successful.

5. Terms

If both sides reach an agreement, a publishing contract is signed.

The contract includes:

• Rights and duration

• Royalty percentage

• Other conditions

If the contract term ends and the game is no longer selling well—or other factors arise—the rights return to the designer, who can seek a new publisher. Artwork rights typically remain with the publisher.

If the game performs well, the publisher may offer a reprint and extend the contract.

Royalty percentages and terms vary widely depending on many factors.

However, if you want to make a living as a board game designer, you’ll need to either:

• Design dozens of games per year (like Reiner Knizia)

• Or manage multiple large projects with different publishers (like Adam Kwapiński or Matthew Dunstan)

Why I’m Writing This

I even created a small Discord community, and this year we’re publishing another game from an external designer.

I truly believe anyone can create games. But the number of professional designers—those who make a living from it—is very small. Most of them either:

• Work directly with publishers

• Design games on commission

• Or combine both with some level of self-publishing

Everyone else has a primary job, and game design is their passion.

And that’s okay. Because if someone is willing to invest their time, experiment, fail, and test hundreds of times—they will eventually find that one idea that works. Through iteration, mistakes, and persistence, a designer reaches a version of the game where nothing more needs to be added or removed. And that’s where we come in—to publish something great together.

📩 Reach out: kozakgamespublishing(at)gmail.com

Read more

Sign up for the newsletter!

Sign up for the newsletter and receive more information about our games.