How to get started in board game industry?

Quite simply, I like playing board games. It's what I did growing up. It's what I do with my friends now. I'd like to work on designing board games / card games / party games. How can I find an entry level position in the board game/toy industry, working on concept, development, and overall game designe (or working toward that end)?

I graduated in 2005 with Journalism and Philosophy bachelor's degrees. I currently work in televison, with no professional board game design experience. Please note: I'm not asking about video game design or software development, unless that's a path to board game work.

A great place to ask this question would be Boardgamegeek.com. That is, hands down, the place to go if you are in to boardgames.

Let me tell you though, being a boardgame designer is a little like wanting to be an artist. It might make you happy, but it's unlikely to earn you a living.

Not that you can't do it, but there are a lot of talented boardgame designers out there who are barely making a living at it, or doing it as a hobby and still have a real job as well.

Still, if this is something that you're passionate about, give it a a shot. You might be able to do something with it.

First, you would have to figure out where games are made, since for an entry-level position, you would need to live near where you want to work. Try writing a letter or email to the corporate headquarters of Milton Bradley or other game manufacturers. I think a lot of new games are being developed in Germany but I'm sure there are several manufacturers in the US.
Another tactic you could try is doing an internet search on board game designers and see if you can find any bios on them. See what kind of education they have. You might even be able to find an email address for one of them and try corresponding with them. It can be suprising how willing people are to talk to you when you show an interest in the topic they are passionate about.

If you want to become successful in the field of game creation, you should try to contact people who are already successes in the creation of new games. Go to gaming conventions and similar venues and see if game creators will share their secrets with you. Even if you have to treat them to a $50 per plate meal to get their one-on-one input, that is the best way to go. Getting the straight talk from the horse's mouth, so to speak, is far better input than you will ever get from anyone else. Be prepared with a list of questions, and get right to the point. Important people usually don't like to waste their time in idle chit-chat.

After you know what game design involves, you need to sit down and decide for yourself whether making a living creating new board games and card games is really right for you. It is very hard work, and involves a lot of time and effort. You will need to not only create unique games, but playtest them, get input from your playtesters, tweak your games to get rid of their quirks, playtest them again, and so on. Many hundreds of hours of work will have to be devoted to every single game before you can market it, and only after going through the marketing process will you ever see a dime of profit from your creations. Do you love creating games so much that this kind of lifestyle is right for you? Only you can answer this question.

If you still decide game creation is your destiny, you will need to create and playtest several games, and get them ready for marketing. You don't necessarily have to print up full-color game boards and implements, but it helps. Be prepared to pitch some of your more mediocre creations to different game companies, making sure you keep the best of your creations for later.

Once you are ready, make contact with the game manufacturers to whom you want to pitch your games. You may need some input and assistance from the successful game creators you talked to previously, or maybe they need to hand-carry your games to different companies. (Asking the game creators for input on your games, and offering them a portion of your profits for their time might not hurt anything either.) Give the companies two or three different examples of your handiwork, free of charge. This may sound like charity, but it's the best way to get your foot in the door. Let them know there are plenty more ideas where these came from, and that you are interested in working with them to the benefits of all involved.

Make sure all of the game companies to whom you pitch your games all get the same two or three games from you, and at about the same time, if possible. If they think your games are good ones, it is quite likely that they will manufacture your exact games or facsimiles under their company logos, not give you any credit, and not pay you a red cent for your efforts. This happens all the time, so be prepared for it. But if they know you have more, even better, games in your workshop, they are much more likely to deal with you afterwards, and then you can hold out for big money for your better creations.

I hope this helps you somewhat. Have fun doing what you love, but until you get accepted by a real-life game company, you might want to keep your day job. - LJS