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Rephath
2013-12-09, 08:04 PM
I'm working on a card-based roleplaying game called Derbalan Shuffle (http://www.puppycatproductions.com/derbalan-shuffle.html). Check out that link for more info. My question is, who would publish this for the game market? I can self-publish at the Game Crafter, but I would rather submit to a publisher.

The game is a goofy RPG that uses cards for character abilities and also in place of dice for chance. It's a set of 180 cards with a small manual.

Again, I'm looking for a professional publisher that I could submit this to who might be interested in publishing it.

Some artwork:
http://nebula.wsimg.com/330c3640181fc2382d27acede4e492d7?AccessKeyId=FBCF8 E832831B446C1F6&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

Oracle_Hunter
2013-12-09, 09:57 PM
First, I'd say hook up with whatever local collective of game designers you can find. If you're in Chicago, I recommend this Meet-Up (http://www.meetup.com/chicagogames/events/150783482/).

If you can't find any such group and you want a publisher, I'd say start going to gaming conventions with your prototype. Find a publisher in the Merch Section and say "hey, here's a game I developed. Would you like to try it out tonight and tell me what you think of it?" Be sure to put your contact info on the rules too. Even if they don't buy it, the publishers might give you advice on how to make the game more attractive to publishers.

Good luck!

CarpeGuitarrem
2013-12-09, 10:58 PM
I'm a bit puzzled...what stage is your game at? It looks like it's at semi-prototype stage, but you have a Kickstarter up to fund it. And if you're printing through The Game Crafter, isn't that a Print on Demand publisher? So you don't need to raise Kickstarter funds to print via it.

Rephath
2013-12-09, 11:35 PM
It's explained in more detail on my Kickstarter, but basically, I need to pay an artist for artwork. He's given me some, but I need to pay him for somewhere between 100 and 150 drawings. Hence, Kickstart.

I plan to be done in 2-3 months, so I've written up and rewritten the rules then playtested them and changed them. Now I'm going through my manual and polishing the text to be tight and clear. I'm also writing the last 50-odd cards of 180 and formatting them.

CarpeGuitarrem
2013-12-10, 11:28 AM
Ah, that makes sense.

What I've heard is that a professional publisher usually doesn't want games that have been designed and polished, especially with art; they'll want to use their own designs. So, in this case, you're probably better off marketing the game at conventions and gaming shops.

It's not going to be easy, but it's certainly possible. (I don't know large amounts about the business, though.)

Rephath
2013-12-10, 05:56 PM
Yeah. I've always got self-publishing. That game group in Chicago: do publishers actually show up or is it almost all people like me who want to break in?

Though I don't live anywhere nearby so it's kind of a moot point.

Oracle_Hunter
2013-12-10, 06:44 PM
Yeah. I've always got self-publishing. That game group in Chicago: do publishers actually show up or is it almost all people like me who want to break in?

Though I don't live anywhere nearby so it's kind of a moot point.
Publishers do show up, but the main issue is you want to be absolutely sure you have a game worth publishing before you start spending time & money showing it off at conventions. Having a group of other Game Designers (ranging from Novice to Professional) is a good way to help you make as good a game as possible before you start shelling out capital.

Additionally, having other people who have tried (or are trying) the same thing you have helps you avoid making mistakes. At the last Meet-Up we had someone who had gone through the work of selling the game through Amazon before realizing she couldn't break even with it. It was too cheap for specialty retailers to pick up, but too expensive for Big Boxes to carry. As a result we all learned from her mistakes and will be keeping price-point in mind ourselves.