Skip to content
  • Home Home Home, current page.
  • Moments Moments Moments, current page.

Saved searches

  • Remove
  • In this conversation
    Verified accountProtected Tweets @
Suggested users
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Language: English
    • Bahasa Indonesia
    • Bahasa Melayu
    • Català
    • Čeština
    • Dansk
    • Deutsch
    • English UK
    • Español
    • Filipino
    • Français
    • Hrvatski
    • Italiano
    • Magyar
    • Nederlands
    • Norsk
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Română
    • Slovenčina
    • Suomi
    • Svenska
    • Tiếng Việt
    • Türkçe
    • Ελληνικά
    • Български език
    • Русский
    • Српски
    • Українська мова
    • עִבְרִית
    • العربية
    • فارسی
    • मराठी
    • हिन्दी
    • বাংলা
    • ગુજરાતી
    • தமிழ்
    • ಕನ್ನಡ
    • ภาษาไทย
    • 한국어
    • 日本語
    • 简体中文
    • 繁體中文
  • Have an account? Log in
    Have an account?
    · Forgot password?

    New to Twitter?
    Sign up
KevinWilson42's profile
Kevin Wilson
Kevin Wilson
Kevin Wilson
@KevinWilson42

Tweets

Kevin Wilson

@KevinWilson42

He/Him. Freelance Game Inventor (Arkham Horror, Descent, Android, TMNT, and many others). Feel free to buy me a cup of tea at http://ko-fi.com/kevinwilson .

Minnesota
wilsoncreativellc.com
Joined October 2012

Tweets

  • © 2021 Twitter
  • About
  • Help Center
  • Terms
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies
  • Ads info
Dismiss
Previous
Next

Go to a person's profile

Saved searches

  • Remove
  • In this conversation
    Verified accountProtected Tweets @
Suggested users
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @

Promote this Tweet

Block

  • Tweet with a location

    You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more

    Your lists

    Create a new list


    Under 100 characters, optional

    Privacy

    Copy link to Tweet

    Embed this Tweet

    Embed this Video

    Add this Tweet to your website by copying the code below. Learn more

    Add this video to your website by copying the code below. Learn more

    Hmm, there was a problem reaching the server.

    By embedding Twitter content in your website or app, you are agreeing to the Twitter Developer Agreement and Developer Policy.

    Preview

    Why you're seeing this ad

    Log in to Twitter

    · Forgot password?
    Don't have an account? Sign up »

    Sign up for Twitter

    Not on Twitter? Sign up, tune into the things you care about, and get updates as they happen.

    Sign up
    Have an account? Log in »

    Two-way (sending and receiving) short codes:

    Country Code For customers of
    United States 40404 (any)
    Canada 21212 (any)
    United Kingdom 86444 Vodafone, Orange, 3, O2
    Brazil 40404 Nextel, TIM
    Haiti 40404 Digicel, Voila
    Ireland 51210 Vodafone, O2
    India 53000 Bharti Airtel, Videocon, Reliance
    Indonesia 89887 AXIS, 3, Telkomsel, Indosat, XL Axiata
    Italy 4880804 Wind
    3424486444 Vodafone
    » See SMS short codes for other countries

    Confirmation

     

    Welcome home!

    This timeline is where you’ll spend most of your time, getting instant updates about what matters to you.

    Tweets not working for you?

    Hover over the profile pic and click the Following button to unfollow any account.

    Say a lot with a little

    When you see a Tweet you love, tap the heart — it lets the person who wrote it know you shared the love.

    Spread the word

    The fastest way to share someone else’s Tweet with your followers is with a Retweet. Tap the icon to send it instantly.

    Join the conversation

    Add your thoughts about any Tweet with a Reply. Find a topic you’re passionate about, and jump right in.

    Learn the latest

    Get instant insight into what people are talking about now.

    Get more of what you love

    Follow more accounts to get instant updates about topics you care about.

    Find what's happening

    See the latest conversations about any topic instantly.

    Never miss a Moment

    Catch up instantly on the best stories happening as they unfold.

    Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

    So, I've probably talked about this before, but it's one of the things I get asked the most about, because it's the thing I'm probably best known for (and maybe I'll say something new this time!). How do you take a licensed property and turn it into a board game?

    11:10 PM - 22 May 2018
    • 17 Retweets
    • 42 Likes
    • Blogger Tribe Scott Starkey (he/him) Chris Kingdon Norkle Larfin-Snarf 🇦🇺 Matt Brown Matthew Dunstan Matt Golec SuperRussellMan Burke Drew
    7 replies 17 retweets 42 likes
      1. New conversation
      2. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        First of all, I try to only take projects based on IPs that I actually like. This sounds obvious, but sometimes rent money is rent money, and sometimes I'm unfamiliar with an IP initially, but really like it when I do my research on it.

        1 reply 0 retweets 7 likes
        Show this thread
      3. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        I always begin with rigorous research into the IP. A lot of times, when I'm a casual fan of something, I don't remember all the little details of it. However (and this is important), I make a note of what stuff I knew without having to do any research.

        1 reply 0 retweets 9 likes
        Show this thread
      4. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        That stuff that I casually knew often will line up with what other people casually know about the IP. "They're ninjas, they're turtles, they're brothers. Donnie is smart, Raph is cranky, Master Splinter is their father." etc. These things become what I call "touchstones".

        1 reply 0 retweets 11 likes
        Show this thread
      5. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        The touchstones are the most important things to communicate through the game. If they are met, then most casual fans will be satisfied that the game "feels right". That's not the entire audience you need to get on board, but it's a good chunk of it.

        1 reply 0 retweets 10 likes
        Show this thread
      6. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        Next, I look at what activities take place in the IP. What are the characters always doing? Now, the very best licensed games will make you feel like you're doing those things, but honestly, some IPs convert easier than others. And sometimes the publisher's goals will fight that.

        1 reply 0 retweets 8 likes
        Show this thread
      7. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        When an IP doesn't convert well or your publisher's goal conflict, you have to abstract things or try for a bit of a twist on the basic formula. You're always going to get some pushback on that from fans, but you don't always have a choice.

        1 reply 0 retweets 7 likes
        Show this thread
      8. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        I'll often fill up notebook pages with lists early on in a game design. Important characters and their traits, common IP activities, recurring locations, important objects, etc. Anything I can think of, really.

        1 reply 0 retweets 6 likes
        Show this thread
      9. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        Once I've deeply familiarized myself and made my lists, I choose a goal for the players. What do they want to accomplish in the game? Sometimes it's simple ("Reach the end of the level" for Doom) other times it has to be a bit more flexible ("Usually win fights." for TMNT).

        1 reply 0 retweets 6 likes
        Show this thread
      10. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        Once I have the endgoal for the game, I start looking at play patterns. What is it that that the characters do over and over again? There's usually a fairly small set of activities that they return to all the time. This is your ideal play structure, ultimately.

        1 reply 0 retweets 8 likes
        Show this thread
      11. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        I call the things that the characters keep doing over and over their "routines".(super original, right?) And like I was saying, having the players act out these routines is pretty much the purest form of a licensed game you can make. It will ring the most "true" to fans.

        1 reply 0 retweets 11 likes
        Show this thread
      12. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        So, here's the hard part/where the craft comes in. Now I take their routines, and I start converting them into game mechanics, referring back to my list of touchstones over and over again. I think about fans of the show and decide what kind of mechanics they would best enjoy.

        1 reply 0 retweets 7 likes
        Show this thread
      13. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        If you followed my recent tweetstorm on playing, this is where I take a bunch of game components somewhere and play with a slinky while I try to brainstorm what the most fun version of the game would be. I also usually try to track down a friend of mine who's a fan of the IP.

        1 reply 0 retweets 5 likes
        Show this thread
      14. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        I run my initial plans past them and make sure it all rings true to them. Now, often a hardcore fan will have some very specific thing that "must" be in the game, and I'll usually try to slip that in as a reference or an easter egg rather than a mechanic.

        1 reply 0 retweets 9 likes
        Show this thread
      15. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        A word of caution though: Don't build a game design out of "deep knowledge" of the IP - stuff that only a few people would recognize. You'll really impress a small group of people who play the game and confuse the rest. That's why I make those things easter eggs.

        2 replies 0 retweets 13 likes
        Show this thread
      16. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        Those super specific bits of info are great for establishing your "street cred" as a fan of the IP, but building mechanics off of them are going to lead you down the rabbit hole. Where do you stop including detail? And the answer is, focus on the touchstones.

        2 replies 1 retweet 8 likes
        Show this thread
      17. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        And really, that's the bulk of my process for creating a licensed game. Boil it down to the most important stuff, and make a game that simulates that. Making it fun and novel takes another layer of skills, and that's not really something I can teach in a single tweetstorm.

        1 reply 0 retweets 10 likes
        Show this thread
      18. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        Oh, one last caution. You don't approach publishers with licensed games. They approach you and ask you to design a game based on a license they have. Don't randomly send a Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. boardgame to a publisher, because it's going to get bounced HARD.

        5 replies 0 retweets 9 likes
        Show this thread
      19. Kevin Wilson‏ @KevinWilson42 22 May 2018

        It's not easy to acquire licensing deals. So publishers aren't going to run out and acquire a license to go with your design all special-like. I know, it sucks, but that's how it works.

        2 replies 0 retweets 10 likes
        Show this thread
      20. End of conversation

    Loading seems to be taking a while.

    Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.

      Promoted Tweet

      false

      • © 2021 Twitter
      • About
      • Help Center
      • Terms
      • Privacy policy
      • Cookies
      • Ads info