Glossary

If you are working on a particularly complex set of rules for a game (anything over 20-30 pages), then seriously consider adding a glossary of terms to the document.

A good glossary will quickly define the major terms that are repeated throughout the rules. It’ll let you get on with writing the rules as coherently as possible, leaving these definitions to the glossary.

It’ll also be a handy reference point. Instead of hunting through all the rulebook to find out what something means, they players can look in one place, it’ll speed up game play, and hopefully reduce time pent discussing the rules (rather than playing the game).

A good glossary of terms will make you complex game play better, and the rest of the rules shorter and easier to work with. Adding a glossary will improve the quality of your game, you should do it unless there is a pressing reason not to.

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One page of Rules

I’ve written before about how it’s important to communicate your ideas quickly and as simply as possible, but then it was general advice, nothing specific. There was nothing to aim for and measure against.

This time I want to see commitment to something useful. Games are often too complicated to be fun. Focus on achieving simplicity by forcing yourself into a constraint. Reduce the space you have to work with and great things can be done when designing in these limitations.

Write the rules for a game in one page of A4. They can be shorter if you want, but no more. Stick to at least font size 10, 12 is better. Force yourself to be clear and concise.

I’m thinking of ideas that can be encapsulated fully within a few hundred words and a couple of pictures, why don’t you try the same, and see where it takes you?