Sauder Elementary

All those incredible mechanisms you’ve created are useless if players can’t figure out how to actually play the game. And the truth of the matter is that the clarity of your rules will make or break your game. Unfortunately, you can’t sit at every table and explain your game, so you’ll need to create a ruleset that makes sense. 

The following links will help you write a rulebook that’s easy to understand and will guide players to enjoy the game you’ve put so much time into.

Contents

• Start Here
• Writing Rules
• More Reading

Start Here

Intro to Rulebook Writing

Rules 1: Induction

Rules 2: Under/Over Specification

Rules 3: Terminology

Rules 4: Use Your Words

Instructions: A Game’s Gateway

Why You Should Write Your Rules Early

Playtest from the Rulebook

Rulebook Writing: The Good and The Bad

Making Your Rulebook Easy to Teach

The Limitations of Rules

What Makes a Good Rule Book? (Audio)

Rulebook Pitfalls for Indie Designers

Writing Rulebook Examples

Writing Rules

11 Rules for Board Game Rules Writing

Rule Writing Tip: Cross Referencing

Include “How to Start” In Your Rules

Top 7 Tips For Editing Your Rulebook

Rules for making Rules

Writing for Skim Readers

Expressing Rules Clearly

Great Tips for Rules Writing

Making Good Rules (Video)

FAQs, Fiddliness, Redundancy, and Hierarchy; Musings on Writing Game Rules

10 Ways to Make Your Rulebook Awesome (Audio)

How to Write a Board Game Rulebook

Tell Your Rules with a Story

Rules Are Meant to Be Broken

Top 6 Rules for Rulebook Writing