by Alberto Camaño Pascual

Paddy — Diario del Diseñador (Español)

Dear community, I’d like to share with you the design journey of Paddy, both as a thank you to all the players who made this exciting world possible and as a source of inspiration for new and experienced designers alike.

I’ve been designing board games for over seven years, and I’ve created five games so far. Paddy is the first one being published; the others I’ve been pitching to publishers and contests for years. You can find more about me by checking out my designer profile.

Here are features of the games I create, and what defines Paddy:

• Simple rules.

• With strategic depth.

• Quick set-up.

• Easy to remember how to play.

• With direct interaction between players.

• Better player decisions than sheer luck.

• Suitable for all types of players: new, casual, and experienced.

• Language-independent components.

But today, let’s focus on the creation of Paddy.

June 2019: Background

I had spent a year working on my first game, a dungeon crawler, with rules and a prototype ready to take to events and pitch to publishers.

I wanted to develop a mechanism that would allow me to use a modular board in any game, starting with my dungeon crawler, so I focused on that purpose and laid out a work plan.

▪️ Tip:

I approach one project at a time, focusing my attention and resources on it, dedicating the time it needs. If I get ideas (themes or mechanisms for other games), I write them down and file them in a folder called “Inspiration”, which allows me to stay focused.

The first thing I always do is research. For this mechanism, I studied geometry (points, lines, angles, shapes, planes, space, patterns…) and how these appear in nature and art. I’m sure I “discovered the wheel” when I concluded that the hexagon was perfect since it could be divided into rhombuses or equal triangles, combined in different ways. I made the first components by cutting a 1 mm cardboard folder, and I could arrange them however I wanted, creating a modular board without gaps.

July 2019: Inspiration strike

I was happy with my cardboard tiles and had no intention of creating a new game — but one day after work, I walked past a travel agency that had a huge photo of the “Temple of the Red Queen”.

I stopped in front of the photo, but my mind saw something else. Eureka! Suddenly, fragments of information began to come together in my mind in a flood of ideas. Where the Mayan pyramid’s steps had been, I saw my tiles stacked; each step was a rice paddy terrace. I imagined a beautiful landscape of rice fields. I took photos, took out my notebook, wrote down the first ideas, and kept writing until I got home.

▪️ Tip:

Always carry a notebook and write down ideas as soon as they come to you.

▪️ Quote:

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” – Pablo Picasso, painter and sculptor

▪️ Quote:

“Those who want to design games should play games. Lots of games.” – Richard Garfield, mathematics professor and game designer

▪️ Reference:

“Kobold Guide to Board Game Design” by Mike Selinker, Richard Garfield, Steve Jackson, and others. Open Design (978-1936781041)

August 2019: Research

I set out to design a game about rice paddies: I had a theme and a basic mechanism. The first step in my work plan was research.

I studied rice varieties, cultivation methods, production, pests and diseases, techniques, the role of rice in different cultures, festivals and deities around rice, etc., and I also researched how the rice theme had been used in board games. My goal is always to design original games, so what better place to start than looking at BGG?

▪️ Tip:

It’s very productive to be well-educated, to do a lot of research, to try everything and play everything: board games, sports, cultural experiences, etc. In a cooking course, they told me, “Everything adds flavor to make a good broth.”

▪️ Reference:

Whatever your experience as a designer, you’ll find many resources at Board Game Design Lab.

September 2019: Developing first ideas

I had tiles but nowhere to place them, so I sorted through my ideas and focused on those related to the board.

#Prototype v1:

• The first version of the board was hexagonal, with a triangular grid for placing tiles, divided into three zones: white, gray, black. Simple enough.

• The idea was to condition tile placement by zones.

• I printed the first prototype board on two A3 sheets taped together.

▪️ Tip:

Optimize your time, don’t over-prototype. For first prototypes, use paper, pencil, and components from other games. Focus on mechanisms first: make it work, then make it pretty.

November 2019: First playtests

▪️ Tip:

It’s important to have a work plan and to develop ideas, but you won’t get real results until you build the first physical prototype and test it.

Alongside the first prototype, I wrote the first version of the rules, basic but easy to evolve.

#Rules v1

#Prototype v2:

• Same paper board.

• 4mm chipboard tiles.

• A customizable die with colors to indicate which zone to place the tile.

I tested the first prototypes alone, refining the core mechanisms and overall flow. At this stage, I didn’t call what I had a board game.

▪️ Tip:

All results are valuable, both good and bad. I write down results, data, feelings, and especially what I discard and why, so I don’t go back to them.

December 2019: Lots of crazy ideas for a goal

The next step was to define the game’s objective. I had tons of ideas: bridges, temples, tiles with different content, double-sided tiles, tokens of different types and functions, rice varieties, character types, tools, cards, dice, and so on. I analyzed them all but discarded most because they only added complexity and made the game confusing.

▪️ Tip:

Simplify. Depth is not the same as complexity. Adding elements always increases complexity. When you think your game is ready, break it down into elements and analyze what each one contributes. Try playing by removing an element, if it still works, remove it. Personally, whenever I find elements that could be an expansion, I try to remove them from the game.

The initial objective of the game was to create terraced rice fields and produce rice. The player who produced the most rice won.

January 2020: Taking shape

In the early stages of a project, a lot of fieldwork must be done to make the prototype and the rules because there are many loose ends to be resolve.

#Prototype v3:

• 90 tiles (4 types) on 4mm chipboard

• 54 cards (3 types: field, farming, environment)

• 32 farmers (8 of each color)

• 1 board with 3 regions (white, gray, black)

• 1 colored die to indicate which zone to place the tile

#Rules v2:

• Objective: Produce as much rice as possible.

• A game lasts three production phases. It’s scored after each phase.

• Actions per turn: place tile and place farmers.

I did more fieldwork:

• #Prototype v4

• #Rules v3.1

• #Rules v3.2

I named the game “Rice Race”.

▪️ Tip:

To choose a name, I look for one related to the theme and mechanisms, short, universal, and original. (I always check BGG to see whether it’s taken.) But don’t worry too much about the name, publishers often change the name.

February 2020: Being dolled up

In my case, I was clear that I wanted to place the game with a publisher. For that, it was essential to create a sell sheet, network, meet people in the community, be known, and be generous by playtesting other designers’ prototypes and giving constructive feedback.

But the priority then was to improve my game.

#Prototype v5:

• Simplified and reduced randomness by changing it for players’ decisions.

• Removed the die that determined tile-placement regions.

• Replaced 54 cards (3 types: field, farming, environment) with 24 cards of one type (each card indicates both the region and tile type).

#Rules v3.3

▪️ Curiosity:

The first prototype I took to events was over-prototyped, too pretty, but functionally improvable. I used a green marker to hand-draw 22,560 tiny rice plants on the tiles. We learn from our mistakes.

March 2020: Let me introduce my child

▪️ Tip:

The relationship between designer and publisher is based on mutual trust. Both parties’ time is valuable. Each publisher is different: get to know them before approaching them and prepare a good sell sheet. Publishers receive tons of proposals, so they filter quickly by looking at the first moment at: target audience, playtime, game type, core mechanisms, viability, and production costs.

As a member of LUDO, I attended “Protos y Tipos”, an event in March where designers, illustrators, publishers, and prototype enthusiasts gather for a weekend of intensive prototype testing. I presented my prototype to some publishers, and one took home a copy.

▪️ Reference:

LUDO is the Spanish association of board game creators. It’s a hub for networking and collaboration, supporting creators and strengthening the Spanish board game industry.

July 2020: The necessary turning point

I got my prototype back with this feedback: “Mechanically it works well, but the fun factor isn’t there, something is missing, I can’t tell you what or how. Fun is the hardest thing to implement in a game because it’s completely subjective. If you think about adding something, it won’t necessarily be better.”

That feedback was the spark that led Paddy to become what it is today.

After the publisher’s rejection, I faced the challenge of starting over, going back to the origin. With a blank canvas, I looked at what I had, keeping the core elements that worked well.

I set mechanisms aside for a bit and researched more intangible, psychological, and subjective aspects: fun, what keeps players hooked…

▪️ Reference:

“A Theory of Fun for Game Design” (2nd Edition) by Raph Koster, O’Reilly (978-1449363215)

I discovered, studied, and implemented the theory of “flow” (the balance between game challenges and player skills). I will explain it later.

#Prototype v6:

• Reduced number of components: from 90 to 75 tiles, from 32 farmers to 24 species.

• Divided cards into two decks: regions and tile types.

• New blank 4mm chipboard tiles.

• Added a new element: waterfalls (8).

• And added another pinch of salt and pepper: 16 cards that allow for occasional exceptions to the rules.

September 2020: Flow theory in action

Why do some people like a game and others don’t?

Why do some games hook you?

And why do other games immediately bore us so that we put them aside?

Apart from the theme and aesthetics, there are two factors that influence all this:

• Player skills

• Game challenges

The relationship between these two determines how we experience a game, our feelings and reactions playing. The graph below shows that relationship, and to understand it you have to apply it to each person and to a specific game:

1) If a game is too challenging for your skills, you feel anxious.

2) If a game’s challenges are far below your skills, you feel bored.

3) But when skills and challenges are balanced then you feel a pleasant sensation, you have an optimal experience and you flow with the game, you are in the “flow zone”.

Applied to all people, each game will cover a certain “zone” that determines the appropriate audience for it.

▪️ Tip:

To reach the widest audience, your game should cover the largest “flow zone” possible, making it deep with simple rules.

▪️ Tip:

If your game isn’t in the “flow zone”, it won’t be fun.

▪️ Tip:

1) Analyze the challenges your game poses and the skills it requires.

2) When playtesting, observe player reactions according to their age, experience, knowledge, etc.

3) Combine both and you will know which area of the graph your game covers, and if that aligns with your design goals.

▪️ Reference:

“Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. HarperPerennial (978-0061339202)

October–December 2020: New theme

For the new version of the game, I had to find a suitable theme that fit the mechanisms and made the game immersive. Time to research again. After doing so, I found the right theme, the tepuis, which also gave the game the new name “Tepuy”.

▪️ Reference:

Tepuis are the oldest mountains on Earth, home to the world’s tallest waterfalls, like Angel Falls. They’re in South America, and inspired Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Lost World” and films like “Up” and “Avatar”. According to local legend, tepuis were the abode of the gods and the origin of life.

I kept working, taking small and firm steps. Each ruleset or prototype meant more playtests:

• #Prototype v7: Improved species and waterfall components.

• #Rules v6.1: Adapted rules with the new components.

• #Rules v6.2: Increased to five production phases per game.

• #Rules v6.3: Reduced species to twenty.

• #Prototype v8: Upgraded component appearance (color laser-printed cards, 4mm chipboard tiles).

For me, testing is the most important stage. Ultimately, a board game is made by its players. There are as many types of players as there are people. Designers just shape and structure what they enjoy.

▪️ Tip:

My testing approach:

• Each session has one clear objective. I test one thing at a time.

• Always test physically, with real people, because you can see and feel their emotions, attention, when they lose focus, what actions or mechanics they enjoy the most, how they handle components…

• Include varied groups and profiles.

• Types of players I test with, and in this order: me alone, family and friends, other designers, experienced players, strangers, publishers.

• Use a simple template to log feedback: version used, context, goal, timings…

January–May 2021: International contests

▪️ Reference:

To find out which contests are taking place, check the BGG Design Contests forum.

In January, I submitted my game to the Boulogne-Billancourt, but I didn’t even pass the first round.

In February I entered the Ciutat de Granollers:

• The registration was anonymous. There were 84 prototypes, and mine was number 13 (lucky me).

• In March, I moved on to the second round and sent a copy of the prototype.

• By late April, I was told that my game was one of the five finalists.

• And in May I went to the final ceremony: they announced the winner and…I won!

▪️ Quote:

The jury’s words about my game: “Tepuy is a fast-paced, engaging, and grounded game, with a lot of interaction, increasing tension with each turn, and a high demand for concentration and monitoring of the game. The game generates a “stop and think” effect, stimulating a wide variety of strategies thanks to its deep depth based on simple rules. Tepuy is a game where every decision is key, and with the necessary point of chance to enjoy the risk.” “Tepuy” is now inside Paddy.

June–November 2021: That’s one small step for designer, one giant leap for game

▪️ Quote:

“Every time you climb a step of triumph, climb two of humility.” – Anonymous

I thought winning the contest would get my game published, but that wasn’t the case. I had to keep working. Winning the contest allowed me to improve my relationships, meet more people, but above all, it helped me improve Paddy.

I kept attending events with my prototype and contacting interested publishers, but the publisher feedback was unanimous: “It’s a great game and deserves to be published, it works brilliantly, but it’s expensive to produce.”

I have a good relationship with all the publishers, so much so that one of them gave me an idea that completely transformed Paddy: “Triangular tiles are pointy and can be unpleasant for some players. Why don’t you try square tiles?”

WOW! Change the tiles I’ve been using since day one?

I never dismiss an idea without studying and testing it first, and I began to analyze it. I immediately saw the advantages of squared tiles: four sides instead of three, more connectivity, more interaction, more replayability, easier builds…so I developed it.

#Prototype v9:

• Square grid board with just two regions (white = day, black = night).

• Same number of tiles, but squared, 6mm chipboard.

#Rules v7.1

December 2021: Cheap and cheerful

As a designer, I don’t set limits on the game itself. I develop ideas, but it’s good to know, understand and consider the publishing and production processes to facilitate them and reduce costs.

▪️ Reference:

“Game Production: Prototyping and Producing Your Board Game” by Geoffrey Engelstein. CRC Press (978-0367527747)

Before approaching publishers again, I decided to turn my game into a viable product, applying these principles:

• Unify component types: fewer types means cheaper production.

• Reduce component count.

• Consider overall prototype size.

#Prototype v10:

• Everything smaller.

• Fewer components.

• Only three tile types.

• 5mm foamboard tiles.

With the new prototype built, it was time for heavy testing again, testing and retesting. The result: it was still a great game and now also viable. Paddy has strong personality, in 3D, and with thick tiles.

With the certainty that I was moving forward, I continued working.

#Rules v8.2:

• Adapted for fewer components.

• Reduced game length to four phases.

#Prototype v11:

• Improved component appearance.

• 4mm chipboard tiles.

January–February 2022: Beta prototype

I set myself the goal of having the game as good as possible and bringing it to Protos y Tipos in March. I reviewed and improved the rules with pictures and examples.

▪️ Tip:

For the prototype you’re going to test with strangers or publishers, it’s good that the prototype art makes the game immersive, intuitive, simple, and functional, but don’t worry too much about art, publishers often change art.

#Prototype v12

March–November 2022: The publisher

Now that no one is listening, I confess: 2Tomatoes Games has always been one of my favorite Spanish publishers. I met them in 2019 at the Córdoba International Games Festival, but I had never pitched a game to them. Now I had a good proposal, and the time had come.

I’ve already talked about the “Protos y Tipos” event (48 hours of nonstop prototype testing, publishers constantly busy). On Friday I arranged a meeting with 2Tomatoes Games, and on Sunday, the moment arrived: It was like a duel, me versus the editor, separated by a table and my game. I was a little nervous, but that made me more alert. The game was quick and flowed well. I answered a couple of simple questions, and the editor took my prototype. I was happy; I’d taken another small step forward. It was time to wait patiently, and may the planets align.

28 September 2022: 2Tomatoes Games messaged me on WhatsApp: “Hi Alberto. We’ve been playing the game, and we’d like to sign it.” BOOM!

19 November 2022: After many friendly conversations and mutual trust, I signed the publishing contract for Paddy at DAU Barcelona Festival.

The process of “selling” Paddy to a publisher was very long and required a lot of effort and encouragement.

January–April 2023: Online prototype

It was time to create a digital prototype for remote testing. To do so, I decided to use one of the most popular tools, Tabletop Simulator (TTS). I’d never used it to play, let alone create a game in it. I learned and created the TTS module for Paddy.

▪️ Tip:

I don’t use TTS often, but it’s a great tool to share your game and play with people worldwide.

May–December 2023: Release candidate prototype

I worked closely with the 2Tomatoes Games team. The first step was to thoroughly test the game, review everything, and make adjustments and corrections. To do this, we used the TTS module I had created, which allowed us to incorporate people from different backgrounds and with different profiles into the testing team.

The prototype had already been used extensively and remained virtually intact. We added only one more tile type card to keep some uncertainty about which tiles remain in play in each phase. We refined the rules, and finally, we had a well-tuned game that was running like clockwork:

• #Rules v8.3

• #Rules v8.4

• #Rules v9.1

• #Rules v9.2

January–September 2024: Patience

The publisher had their business plan and schedule. It was time to be patient and wait.

▪️ Tip:

Know your publisher, know who you’re working with, be flexible, adapt to their process, share your ideas, and add value.

October 2024: The publishing process begins

I compare creating a board game to creating a movie because there are so many work areas and aspects to take care of. The first thing to do is decide on the theme since many elements of the game depend on it.

After a lot of research, two finalist themes emerged: tepuis and rice paddies. Thinking of players, rice fields were more familiar and flexible. Coincidentally, the publisher chose to return to my project’s original theme: rice paddies. The name “Paddy” came quickly.

January–April 2025: Pushing forward

With theme chosen, work began on many fronts:

• Box art.

• Thematic rulebook.

• Mechanisms adjusted to the new rules.

• Translations (initially into four languages).

• Component types, materials, quality, dimensions, …

• Manufacturer quotes.

• Cost calculations and final decisions.

• Layout and send files to the manufacturer.

As board game designer, I couldn’t be happier or more proud that 2Tomatoes Games has published Paddy. The whole team is doing an excellent job, using top-quality components like wooden tiles, choosing a great illustrator like Tatiana Boyko, for the care and affection they put into the theming, illustration, and layout, for the respect for the author and his original mechanisms.

But it’s better to discover Paddy and enjoy it by playing the game yourself.

May–September 2025: Manufacturing and shipping

• May 2025: Manufacturer sent the “blank copy”.

• June 2025: Production finished.

• July 2025: A few copies air-shipped for early promotion.

• August 2025: Main shipment loaded in a container, due late September.

September–October 2025: Promotion and launch

Paddy now has its BGG entry, so I updated my designer profile. I personally respond to your questions and comments about Paddy. The 2Tomatoes Games marketing team elaborates and implements the promo plan: reviews, videos, social media…

My first public appearance as designer: recording a Paddy playthrough on the Análisis Parálisis channel. Phew, how nervous! It’s my first time in front of the cameras.

▪️ Reference:

Análisis Parálisis is a media specialized in promoting board games.

The culmination of the whole process is when Paddy‘s official presentation takes place at SPIEL Essen 25.

Paddy is yours, players have been shaping it, and now you can enjoy it and share the experience.

▪️ Curiosity:

The six-year project to create Paddy in numbers:

• 14 ruleset versions.

• 12 prototypes.

• 12 board game events.

• 100+ playtests.

• 300+ playtesters.

• 2 contests entries, 1 prize.

November 2025: Looking ahead

The future of Paddy includes a solo mode and an expansion that I’m already working on:

• Rules and prototype completed.

• Next step: create a Tabletop Simulator module.

• Playtesting and refinement with the publisher.

• Publishing process.

• Manufacturing and shipping.

• And have it ready for 2026.

Paddy‘s solo mode is about challenges, not beating your own score. I drew on BGG forums about solo design, as well as community preferences, to craft a fun, deep, and engaging solo experience. I’ve also been careful to ensure that solo mode feels just like playing multiplayer.

Paddy expansion focuses on climate, with different conditions affecting paddies, waterfalls, and animals. The expansion works in both multiplayer and solo modes.

▪️ Tip:

Although I put it last, my first advice is that as an author you should have a lot, a lot, a lot of patience, courage and perseverance. Nothing and no one guarantees success, but the harder you work, the closer you get to achieving it. Paddy became reality after 6+ years of effort, with ups and downs, but each step has led me to today and it has been worth it.

▪️ Quote:

“A dog that doesn’t wander won’t find a bone.” – My grandfather

With all my gratitude, I hope you enjoy Paddy.

Alberto Camaño

P.S.

• Rules available in English, Spanish, German y French.

• Paddy’s fan microbadge [microbadge=58215]

• Feel free to share this diary however you like.

• Follow me:

https://x.com/acamanopas

https://www.instagram.com/acamanopas/

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