Modern technology makes it easy to design your own card games.It is hard to come up with something new and fun.The process will become simpler once you understand what makes a game fun.The better your designs get the more you experiment with new design.
Step 1: You should get a set of cards.
You can either use a standard deck of 52 cards or use something more experimental, like a tarot card set.You can make your own cards.If you want to draw your own designs, you can purchase a sturdy, firm paper.Free design software can be found online.
Step 2: Determine how to win.
A clear objective is the most important thing a game requires, like winning a certain number of hands, collecting all the chips, matching pairs, or getting cards with a numerical value in your hand.If you are creating a deck of cards, you can make each card a representation of a character.When choosing a goal, it's important to ask how hard it is to achieve.People won't want a single hand to last several hours if the game is not engaging.
Step 3: Think about how they interact.
The real fun in a game is how it makes you interact with other people.Sometimes players can cooperate in card games.Some games, like rook, require teams so that you can compete against each other.Consider the social skills that the card game requires.Poker requires that you be able to read other people's emotions and disguise your own.You need to be able to communicate with your partner using non-verbal signals.Is it possible to design a game that makes you interact with the other players in interesting ways?If you want to make things interesting in a game, ask yourself if there is a way you can impact your competitors.When one person is falling behind, it can be fun to ruin their opponent's hand.Solitaire is a game that you can play alone.To make this game interesting, you need to design a system of rules that make it difficult for you to get your end.
Step 4: The rules should be designed.
It is one of the most difficult parts of designing a game.The rules should make it difficult to get the winning conditions.The game needs a system of rules that are easy to understand.You have to ask yourself what you want the challenge to be at this point.Is it a good idea for players to memorize cards that have already been played?Is it a good idea to figure out the probability of a particular card coming up?The game might reward the player who can slap a pair the fastest.The rules of games are a good place to start.If you mix and modify rules from other games, you can make them new and interesting.Sometimes getting a full understanding of a complex set of rules can be engaging, even if you want the rules to be easy to understand.If mastering a complex set of rules is the challenge of the game, consider starting with a basic design that is easy to understand, but then adding special situations and maneuvers where you have an advantage.
Step 5: All players should be in the game.
If a person takes the lead and is destined to win, your game will be dull.A player who is down and out can get back in the game.A player may be able to trade his worst card with the other player after a certain point.A lot of good games become harder as you get closer to the end.In the first round, you might only need a pair, but in the final round you will need three of a kind.This allows players to catch up.It's a good idea to have the player ahead of him dispose of all of his cards during the course of the game.It will be harder for him to match his card with the other card he needs if he only has one card in his hand.
Step 6: Write a rule-book.
It can be hard to remember the rules of a game when you are still working them out.To make sure you have a record of what you've come up with, write them down.
Step 7: Have fun!
It is part of the creative process to play.You will be able to understand what works and what doesn't if you play more.You can either make the game better over time or bring what you have learned to make your next game.
Step 8: Try a lot of games.
Understanding what has worked before is a good place to start when designing a game.You can play a lot of different games to see how they work.Determine which ones you like and what you enjoy about them.If you want to know what your options are, try different categories of games.Card games don't need to be about cards at all.There are dice and a board to be thrown.
Step 9: Try some strategy games.
"Risk" and "Settlers of Catan" are examples of strategy games.Intelligence is tested in strategy games.They last for an hour or more and involve slowly accumulating an advantage over your opponent by making astute choices.Strategy games are usually about gathering strength over time, but you should have a method of winning that is quick and unpredictable.In chess, you can gain a huge strategic advantage by taking your opponent's pieces.It is possible for a player to come from behind to win if they make one wrong move.
Step 10: Try to place bets.
You don't have much control over whether you win or lose in many betting games.To calculate how high your probability of winning is, you have to bet.Sometimes you can scare your opponent into giving up their hand by betting more than they are willing to pay, which will allow you to win on the basis of your interactions with the other player.
Step 11: You can try fishing games.
Fishing games, like dominoes or casino, give each player a set of cards that they need to lay down.Sometimes a deck is pulled from out of nowhere.If you find a card that matches one that has already been laid down, you can either get rid of or add to the cards in your hand.
Step 12: There are common variations on games.
Small changes in rule systems can make a big difference in a game.There are many games that are based on small variations.Making certain cards wild, taking some cards out of the deck, and adding or subtracting cards from your hand are some ways to change games.
Step 13: You can experiment with your game.
A dud is usually the start of a game maker's career.Don't think about publishing a game until you play it a lot.Ask other people what their strengths and weaknesses are.You might think that it's better than it is.Make sure the rules are clear when you are experimenting.It is important that games don't go on for a long time or that they are competitive before the game is over.If people can understand the rules, they should play the game.Rules might be too complicated if it takes more than one game to understand them.
Step 14: Use design software.
A simple drawing isn't enough if you want to mass produce your cards.jpeg image files can be sent to publishers for easy and affordable production with the help of free software programs online.
Step 15: You can find a publisher.
You can send images to www.gamecrafter.com and they will make card sets from them.The process costs around $7-$25 for a single card set.If you order in large quantities, it will cost less.There is a list of board game convention online.There are some major publishers who might be interested in picking up your game.You need to approach them with a very professional looking game in hand and a good pitch about what makes your game special.