Today is the official launch day for Sapper Studio, a new tabletop game studio. The studio is there to help clients - particularly from the ‘professional’ field - to design, develop and deliver tabletop games.
So, why Sapper?
A Sapper is a combat engineer, a frontline soldier who fixes, clears, demolishes and repairs. They are unsung but invaluable on the battlefield. In a tabletop gaming context, Sapper Studio intends to fulfil a similar role.
Professional games are becoming increasingly important as learning and analytical tools for corporations, governments, academia and the military.
While conceptually some of the games made are fantastic, many ‘professional’ games do not meet professional standards of game design and production, at least not as I know them. I’m talking about game flow and presentation, the user interface and the player experience.
I understand why. The games may be one-off use; or made quickly in response to a particular need. Often they are made by a subject matter expert, not a game designer. Making a game to professional standards requires time spent on development and playtesting, expertise in graphic design, knowledge of printing and production techniques. Basically, it can be difficult to do, and is not always practical.
That said, we are the cusp of much wider use of professional tabletop gaming, and my view is now is the time to start upping standards. This should be a virtuous circle. The challenge faced by many professional games is the target audience has neither the time nor interest. There’s just a small window to grab their attention, teach them the basics, and let them play. Better made games achieve better outcomes in this regard, in turn driving greater interest in tabletop gaming for professional purposes.
Sapper Studio can provide a full spectrum of support to deliver this. From working with you on early design concepts, to writing clear and easy to use rule sets and player aids, to delivering graphic design and component solutions, to umpiring and presenting games, to finding and managing the right printing house. Board games, mega games, one-off tabletop exercises, bespoke roleplay games, crisis simulations; Sapper Studio can help.
In the longer term I would like to start publishing games under the Sapper Studio brand. I am interested in games that bridge the ‘professional’ and ‘hobby’ space. Games that can be played for fun, but for the right audience also provide learning and even analytical decision-making support. Littoral Commander and We Are Coming Nineveh are two recently published games that would meet such criteria. The Next War series would be another example, as would Churchill. So if you are reading this and have designed such a game, please drop me a line.
I’ll be at Connections UK next week, demoing Battlegroup Wargame System, a game I’m developing on behalf of Vedette Consulting for the British Army. So pop by and say hi if you are going there. Otherwise please email me to find out more about how Sapper Studio can help: james@sapperstudio.com.
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