Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Rosset.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have been designing board games for about 10 years. I started designing purely as a hobby – I always enjoyed playing board games, had some ideas for games of my own, and started designing them for fun. This is very similar, I imagine, to how someone who loves to read might come up with an idea for a novel and then begin writing it. Anyway, it turned out that I was pretty good at game design. I started attending board game conventions, getting more involved in the industry, learning more about board game design and then, started seeking out publishers for some of my games (again, similar to how a novelist would seek out a publisher for their novel). In 2012, my first game was signed by a publisher. It was released in 2013 (called “Mars Needs Mechanics”, released by Nevermore Games: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/125854/mars-needs-mechanics). Since then, I have had 5 other games published (so 6 total as of June 2018), with two more releasing in late 2018, bringing the total number of published board games to 8 by the end of this year. One of my games will also be on Kickstarter in September 2018, and if it is funded, it will be released in 2019 (that would be my 9th). Of the 8 that will have been released by the end of the year, 4 of those were funded through Kickstarter, and together they raised about $365,000).
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest obstacle was networking – meeting enough people in the board game industry to be able to get meetings with publishers at conventions. Once I got my foot in the door and got my first game published (Mars Needs Mechanics), it was much easier to get new games published as well.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with I am an independent Board Game Designer. No business name. People just know me by my name. – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I likely covered most of this in previous questions. But here’s a little more information: I specialize as a board game designer in the “hobby” board game market. In board games, we differentiate “hobby” games from “mass market” games, similar to the way you might differentiate “craft” beer from Budweiser and Miller-Coors. And like the craft beer market, the “hobby” board game market has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years. The game I’m most well known for designing to date is Between Two Cities by Stonemaier Games (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/168435/between-two-cities). I’m also honored and thrilled to be able to say that I have contributed (and continue to contribute) to the hobby board game industry, an industry that I fell in love with 10 years ago and continue to love more and more every year. Outside of board game design, I’m also proud that I’ve been able to contribute to the industry in other ways as well. I co-founded “WashingCon”, a board game convention in Washington, DC, and grew it to a convention of over 1000 attendees in just two years. I also now work full time for Panda Game Manufacturing, where I’ve been able to help other publishers and designers realize their dreams of publishing their own games. Finally, I’ve been able to give back to the industry in other ways, such as by giving talks about board game design (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qly3p0bqY4).
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I plan to continue to design and develop hobby board games and to continue to look for opportunities to contribute to the hobby board game industry in other ways. A goal of mine is to one day win the Spiel des Jahres (translated from German as “Game of the Year”, the most prestigious annual board game design.
Contact Info:
- Email: rosset37@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ben.rosset
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenRosset
- Other: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/60749/ben-rosset
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
