There is a grey area in boardgames that I don't hear much about: games that are very easy to reproduce, either by using common components or by recreating a small amount of cards. Is this piracy? It's not that simple. Thread. 1/7
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First, why would someone recreate a copy of a game? - Maybe they can't afford it - Maybe the game is hard to get - Maybe they dislike the theme - Maybe it's not out yet What we know for sure is they really want to play it. 2/7
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For that they'll likely have to invite other people to play with. If they do like it and want a copy for themselves, the most hassle-free way will still be to buy the published version. 3/7
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Some publishers embrace this. One notable example was Tak, by
@cheapassgames . They published the beta rules online and invited players to make their own sets. This showed a lot of confidence and it was really fun to follow. 4/71 reply 0 retweets 1 likeShow this thread -
Instead of "piracy" it was a creative outlet. By the time they launched the crowdfunding campaign the game already had a lot of fans that were willing to support it and get the "real thing". A lot more effective than word of mouth. 5/7
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To my designer friends: is this a concern? Have you deliberately designed a game just so it couldn't be easily reproduced? Ex: More suits/numbers than a standard deck of cards, very specific components, etc. 6/7
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If designers and publishers are aware they can turn it in their favor, and there is a real chance players would still be able to play it long after it's out of print. 7/7
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That sounds like a healthy approach, as long as you get them when you have a chance. 1889 is a bit different since you have formal permission to assemble your own copy.
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