Yesterday, the Tabletop Game Designers Association (TTGDA) released a scoring rubric they created to help designers evaluate contracts from publishers.
This document can be viewed on the Contracts page of the TTGDA website where there are other equally helpful documents for designers.
This is one of the most helpful documents I have seen for board game designers. It gives a score for a range of items that could be included in a contract. The better the item, the higher the score.
There are even some not so great items that give negative points like if the publisher requires you to agree to only pitch games to them or give them the first right of refusal for any new ideas you have.
The TTGDA has used this rubric to score publishers based off their contracts and if you are a TTGDA member, you can get access to this list of publishers and view each of their scores.
But, the rubric is public information and is accessible for all designers.
It is a great resource, but it is still a good idea to have the TTGDA review any contracts you receive from publishers. This is probably the greatest benefit to being a TTGDA member and I have personally sent in two contracts for review and got great feedback from the TTGDA that helped me negotiate.
The TTGDA also host in person meetups as well as online seminars for members. Members pay an annual fee of $100 USD but I think the cost is definitely worth it.
(This newsletter is not sponsored by the TTGDA by the way, I’m just a huge fan).
But, let’s go over some of the items included on the scoring rubric for publishing contracts, in order of highest score to lowest score:
Non-refundable advance of at least $1000 (10 points)
Designer has final approval on art and design (7 points)
Publish-by date specified, and contract terminated if not met (5 points)
Clearly states all licensed rights revert to designer (5 points)
Name will be on box or cover and/or rules (5 points)
Royalty is at least 5% of revenue or 2.5% of MSRP (5 points)
Royalty report contents defined and include quantity, channel, and revenue (3 points)
Designer can charge late fees or interest for late payments (3 points)
Designer receives at least 1 case (about 6) of base game, 1 copy of expansions and foreign language versions (2 points)
Publisher may charge penalties or other fees to designer (-3 points)
See the full scoring rubric on the TTGDA website.
Are you surprised by any of the items on this list? And what do YOU think is the most important thing to include in a contract with a publisher?
Thanks and speak soon.
Your pen pal,
Pam
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I send a full digest of publishers accepting submissions to my Youtube members via Discord and to my paid subscribers in a separate newsletter. Become a paid subscriber or Youtube member to receive the full list. In this newsletter, I will highlight one publisher a week.
Notable games: Status: A Victorian Affair
They are looking for:
Medium-weight games in the 60 to 90 minute range for up to 5 players; a solo mode is a plus.
Table presence. Games that look incredible on the table and make people walk over and ask what you’re playing. Status has 11-inch tall 3D houses. We like big, bold, outside-the-box production.
History. Games built on real historical periods, events, or settings. If your game makes a moment in history playable, we’re interested. Our taste runs to social and cultural history, how people lived, schemed, and climbed, more than to war and conquest. A game that hits both is even better.
They say their terms include:
10% of publisher revenue
A $2,500 advance at signing, recoupable from royalties but never paid back by the designer
A response to every submission within two weeks, whether the answer is yes or no
Note: Paragon Games’ first game Trade and Triumph included generative AI images, but the publisher has said that no gen AI was used in their latest title Status: A Victorian Affair and that they pledge to not use gen AI at all moving forward.
Read the full Reddit thread here.
Submit your game via Paragon’s submission form.
Thank you to William and TisButAScratch666 for letting me know that Paragon Games is accepting game submissions!
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I hope you have a great week and best of luck with your designs.
Until next week,
Pam
PS: You can view past newsletters here.
No generative AI was used in the creation of this newsletter.
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