Part 1 : Designing for Rules Is Harder Than It Seems
Here’s a pivot(al) question: if I’m not designing software, where do I go? Games! I love them. Especially the board game and tabletop community—some of the best nerds on the planet. And as I’ve jumped in, one thing struck me right away: the rulebooks and sell-sheets. Most of them look like what engineers might create if no one invited a designer to the team.
And honestly, that makes sense. Making a game is expensive and often a solo effort. So I get it. But I also see a huge opportunity. What if more creators had simple, accessible ways to improve the design of their rulebooks and sell-sheets? Better games would follow.
Now, back to those rulebooks and sell-sheets. I’ve noticed some fascinating overlaps between UX design and print design. Who’d have thought? Turns out print and UX go way back—print came first, after all. Graphic design birthed UI. Digital tools gave us interaction design and UX. The only real difference? You can’t Cmd+Z your way through print.
That’s why rulebook creation feels tough. It’s a different beast than game design itself. And it requires a different skillset. Game design is its own art—one I deeply respect. But after combing through Reddit threads and Discord discussions, I found ten themes that come up over and over. And they’re totally fixable.
So I’m kicking off a 10-part series. Each post will be a short observation and a clear recommendation—designed to help creators of all levels level up their rulebooks and sell-sheets. No design degree required.
Rhyme: Designing for Rules ≠ Writing Games
Many folks describe rulebook writing as its own craft. Think of it like a chef writing a recipe for someone who’s never cooked. What feels obvious to you—the game’s creator—can be totally opaque to a newcomer. That’s why even experienced designers struggle to write clear rules.
Reason: You’re Too Close to It
As the creator, you understand every nuance of your game. The mechanics, the edge cases, the clever twists that make it unique. But that expertise can make it hard to explain clearly. And when board game creation feels like a solo mission, it’s easy to forget: like any great product, your game needs more than just one skillset.
Also, I think we lean on “we’ll just test it” a little too hard. Testing is essential—do it early, do it often—but it’s not a replacement for good design. And yes, hiring help can be expensive. But I also believe skilled people shouldn’t work for free—not even for friends.
So yeah. Writing a great rulebook? Not easy.
Solution: Design Isn’t Optional
Don’t just ask your fellow game designers to tweak your rulebook. That’s like a software team building an app without a designer (sorry engineers). Design is a different discipline, and your rules need it.
But here’s the good news: you can learn enough design to make a big difference.
Start with color theory. YouTube has great primers. Learn to use neutral colors to improve readability and save those primaries for emphasis. Too many colors = chaos.
Pick up a reference book. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People is full of science-backed insights—how humans read, remember, notice color, and more. Every page is useful.
Learn the Gestalt principles. These design basics help you organize content in ways that make sense to the brain. Great for rulebooks. Bonus: they’ll probably help you design better components, too.
Part 2 : Game Design vs. Rulebook Writing coming next week.