In the late nineties, I discovered the exciting and colorful world of modern boardgames. As I scoured the Internet, looking for any information I could find about my new obsession, I came across Rick Heli's description of the game Tutanchamun:
Unusual collection game by Knizia offers a level of elegance which has rarely been matched. Line up the tiles in any order you like. On your turn you can move your token as far forward as you like. There are so few rules I initially wondered if it was even a game.
Those words still ring in my mind. I'm completely captivated by the idea that interesting games can emerge from these ridiculously simple rule-sets. I love to play such games. But even more so, I love trying to design them. I've spent many years trying to come up with my own perfect little gems of game-design. My goal in these pages is to describe what I've learned so far.
I've divided my writings here into two sections. In the first section, I outline my design style, which is defined by the qualities that I'm shooting for in my designs. In the second section, I discuss the process that I use to try to create games that have these qualities.