Guide for authors
Have you developed a game and are now keen to offer it to us? As we are always interested in new game ideas, we’ve put together a few tips here to make your work and ours easier.
• Before you send us a game, you should have a look at what kind of games
we have published so far. You can already get a detailed insight here on
the homepage. The spectrum ranges from simple, brisk card game to the
sophisticated family game to the complex, full-length game. But all games
have one thing in common: a certain pizzazz.
So please don’t send us the hundredth Monopoly variant or the thousandth
clone of Mensch ärgere Dich nicht. Even pure children’s games, games of skill,
quizzes and communication games are not our speciality and therefore have
very little chance of success.
• Please first send us the rules of the game and a photo of the game setup by email
to spielidee(at)hans-im-glueck.de.
The optimal rule is in PDF file format and smaller than 5MB. Black font
without a background is the easiest to read. Also consider the page numbers.
We only accept 2 game rule submissions per author per month.
• We usually respond to game rule submissions within a few days.
If we like the game, we will request a prototype. You will receive a
confirmation of receipt when you send us your game. For the testing of prototypes
we need 3-6 months. After processing, we will send the prototype back to you.
• Requirements for the prototype: It must be completely playable. In other words,
it must contain all the material. The material must also be functional.
Please use material that does not frustrate our test players. Example: Do not use
material such as scraps of paper that cannot be grasped or recognised and
shifts easily.
The game plan should not be rolled or creased.We would rather put it together from
several pieces than having it curl on the table and everything on it
slips.
However, the prototype does not have to be professionally illustrated and produced.
Of course, we do not accept prototypes that show misanthropy, racism, sexism,
homophobia, capital offences or similar themes.
Topics that are historically sensitive should also be considered carefully.
For example, colonisation, crusades or wars rarely convey “good things”.
Likewise, we do not publish games whose authors have racist, misanthropic or similar ideas.
You may also present your games to other publishers in parallel. But please keep us
up to date if other publishers show more interest.An important topic is the protection of
game ideas. Although we are not aware of any cases of idea theft in recent years, it is of course
understandable if an author wants to protect an idea. The Bavarian Games Archive offers
a fairly inexpensive service where your game idea is stored in the archive for 3 years.
Game designers can also benefit from the experience of the Game Designers’ Guild (SAZ).
Variants, expansions and Carcassonne
We also welcome ideas for extensions. However, ideas for extensions are not
always unique. Sometimes we receive similar expansion ideas several times.
Often the original author already had similar ideas for an expansion. We want
to treat everyone who shares their ideas with us fairly. However, we must point out
that you are not necessarily the author of a game idea just because you send us an idea with a
similar title or game mechanics. This is especially true for expansions and especially
for Carcassonne.
It is sometimes impossible for us to trace Carcassonne expansion ideas back to a single idea provider
because most of the suggestions have already been presented to us several times. Therefore
we have decided not to look at ideas for Carcassonne in future.
Anyone who has designed a Carcassonne expansion is welcome to share it with the forums
www.carcassonnecentral.com, www.carcassonne-forum.de or other communities.
Occasionally, an expansion from these communities will also come to us, as we co-operate with these
forums.
It is not permitted to use the Carcassonne brand commercially without our authorisation.
Infringement will be prosecuted.