Board Games

How to Write a Good Board Game Rulebook

Nothing is more frustrating than wanting to a play a game, only to be bogged down by the rules.

Every time you open up the box, how often do you remember the rules for the board game without referring to the manual? For more complicated games, that’s ok, it’s expected. We then start flipping through page by page, trying to figure out what different terms refer to, what specific components even look like, and even worse, not finding the information we need: we just want to play the game! In this article, I’ll show you a step-by-step layout of how I think rulebooks should be structured, information that should be included in various sections, and general thoughts to consider when writing rulebooks. Moreover, I hope to provide a better way for understanding and tackling rulebooks overall.

Yami, a miniature from Skytear, cleaves through a wave of fire as her minions tread behind her.

The table of contents gives new players an overview of the game and keeps the layout of game mechanics organized. For returning players, it allows them to quickly refer to different sections, find solutions to common questions, and jolt their memory of how the game is played. For those looking to back the game on kickstarter or purchase the game, this section gives a general introduction to the game’s layout and provides a scan of overall mechanics that they may be interested in. When writing a table of contents, keep in mind the following points:

Avoid creative section titles. You’re introducing a ton of new information for players, and the goal is to have them understand the rules quickly. Adding a creative flair to section titles instead of a simple “Phase 1, Phase 2” detracts from understanding the game, and you’re giving them information that does not add value to gameplay. Linearity and simplicity is key.
Include page numbers for all sections. Without an indication of where information is located, it defeats the purpose of a table of contents to begin with.
Use subheadings. Organizing sections via a tree of interconnected concepts allows players to link information together.

Setup

First, include a components list. This serves as a double check to ensure players have everything that is supposed to be included with the game. A components list also helps players organize pieces for their first game, as well as a check for inventory afterwards. The list also allows players to visualize all of the components so they’re aware of the components you refer to when detailing the rules. Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind:

Show the front and the back of cards, especially if there are multiple types of cards in the game. What may be familiar to you after the entire design and production process of the game will instead be completely new to players entering the world you have created. Reduce the time they have to hunt for different types of cards by showing all of the different kinds included in the game.
Scale the sizes of miniatures (if any are included) appropriately and position them so they’re easy to recognize. Some games will include hundreds of these figurines of all kinds of sizes; showing a clear, labeled picture of the miniatures included will make it easier for players to recognize and differentiate between them.
Include the number of each component. If there are 40 tokens included in the game, make sure players are aware of the total number they need to have for each component.

Ideally, simplify the directions in the setup to tell players what goes on the table, and what goes in front of each player.

Avoid how-to-play concepts here and only include how the game is set up.
If there are any expansions or variants to the game, put that section at the end or in a separate book. Limit the setup instructions to only the base game.
Clearly state whether cards should or should not be shuffled. Maintain awareness of all the small actions that are involved in the game, and keep that transparent in the rulebook.
If there are any models to be assembled in the game, show a diagram detailing how to put it together.

Introduction

Story and theme is showcased in the introduction section. Keep it relatively short, unless it is a campaign or story-driven board game. However, the length of the story you’re introducing is largely dependent on the gaming group. Some groups prefer a quick, one-line story describing what their roles are in the game. Other groups prefer a long, immersive story to surround themselves in the world you’ve created. Regardless, gauge whether or not the game is dependent on the story and adjust accordingly. Most players would choose to learn game mechanics as quickly as possible.

The Legend of Korra: Pro-Bending Arena miniatures face off.

Objective

The objective is separate from the introduction because it answers the following questions:

What’s the whole point of the game?
What is/are the victory condition(s)?
What actions are players performing on their turn?

This section serves to provide the purpose for the game and explicitly tells players how to achieve the end goal.

Overview

It’s important to note that the overview is often mixed with the introduction and objective. I think it’s important to differentiate between these terms because an overview establishes time and order. This section clarifies how time works in the game, e.g., does it last for four rounds or twelve? It also tells players what they’re doing on their turn, e.g., do they take one action and then move on to the next player or do they perform all four of their actions at once prior to moving on?

How to Play

Arguably, this is the most difficult and controversial part of any rulebook. Effective and clear writing has to be emphasized because if clarity is reached through the written discussion alone, pictures that accompany those details will only accent what has already been written. When writing the how-to-play section, keep in mind that as you introduce one concept, it needs to premise what is sequentially stated. In other words, connect information. If you’re telling players how a “movement” action works, then list everything related to movement in the same section. Furthermore, page numbers should be heavily referenced and included for important terms, concepts, and mechanics. Here is a 3-step list for how I would propose instructions to be improved:

Use bulleted points and avoid full sentences. Breaking down concepts will only clarify what has already been written, and players scanning through the rules will grasp concepts easier if they’re broken down in smaller chunks.
Show examples of all available options. With more complex board games, concepts can only be broken down so much but a list of rules remain to bear in mind while performing specific actions. For instance, if you’re telling players how to move in the game, there could be a million restrictions regarding the direction, whether you can move through other players, how many spaces you can move, etc. If you include a diagram with arrows showing all the available options a player can take, it would help remedy the constant rereading, referencing, and headaches.
Provide a checklist for players. Being someone who constantly teaches board games, I realized that a checklist would be extremely helpful for ensuring actions are performed correctly. Not only does a checklist allow players to double-check their actions, but it also helps them remember how actions are performed; after all, constantly being reminded of how to perform an action invites muscle memory.

Victory Conditions

Although it would be perfectly acceptable for victory conditions to be placed at the beginning, it would be worthwhile to include it in the end since chronologically, this is the direction the game leads players to. To keep it plain and simple, just list how the game would end. What conditions trigger the endgame? If players are finishing at separate times, explain what each player is still working on while waiting for others. If a “round end” is triggered, clearly explain who has the right to complete their turn and how time is dictated in the final turn.

Mounted Perseus, a hero you can play as from Lords of Hellas.

Index

Board game rulebooks are full of jargon. This section allows players to rapidly pinpoint the terms they need clarification on. It is important to include all page numbers those terms and concepts are located on, especially if they are scattered throughout the rulebook. The index serves as a more detailed listing than the table of contents and is arranged alphabetically.

Final Thoughts

After asking many others across social media, I thought it would be worthwhile to also include a few reminders of overall concerns players have concerning rulebooks:

Include player aids. These help accent the rule book and distill them down so they’re easier to understand
Avoid repetition of rules. If there must be repeated concepts, consider using a side bar to present the information in a different way.
Rulebooks should include all the rules. As redundant as that may sound, there have been instances where rulebooks are separated into a Reference Book, leading to rules being presented elsewhere away from the manual itself.
To add on to the previous point, there are many mixed opinions on whether rulebooks should be separated from references and other booklets. This may be a personal preference for each person, but I enjoy having just one rulebook with everything you need in one package.
Try to write rulebooks in a concrete perspective. It is inevitable for players to discuss and put their own interpretation on rules; if you can limit interpretation to a single viewpoint, it’ll ease general understanding. For example, instead of writing “gain a card on your turn,” rewrite it so it includes time and specificity: Gain a construct card immediately when your battle phase has concluded.

Overall, the goal of this article is to distill down rulebooks, and I aim to provide a better template for future board game rulebooks. We all love to enjoy our games with friends and families, and rulebooks are actually a big part in helping us reach that. They can invite frustration, long-winded discussions, and confusion that may take away from our gaming experiences. By simplifying rulebooks as much as possible and clearing up as many questions as we can, we can enjoy more board games and immerse ourselves in the stories you have created.

If you would like to see a video discussion of board game rulebooks with examples from specific games, I have included the video link below. Thank you for your support!