• Step 1: Create a list of important keywords from your design brief. These keywords should describe the type of game, the theme, the mood, the audience. Filter out all the keywords and stick to the essential ones that describe the game in one sentence, for example:
  Game A is a fast-paced fantasy adventure for narrative players.
• Step 2: Based on these keywords, collect images of colors, fonts, illustrations, films, video games, architecture, art movements, art books. Anything that relates to these keywords. Notice how I didn’t mention other similar games. The best thing you can do at the beginning is to get inspiration from the most unexpected sources. Even fantasy is grounded in reality and players will gravitate towards the familiar, even if it comes with a thematic flavor.
• Step 3: Look at the competition and learn from what they have done. Now that you have a library of images full of visual references. You can check out what other similar books designs do to solve graphic challenges. (I want to use this cool texture I have but look how this book uses something similar.) Combine what has inspired you with the techniques the industry does. Take screenshots of things you think you might need to also do in your own book that you might want to learn how to do.
• Step 4: Whatever you need to learn how to do, go online on places like youtube and you’ll find a free tutorial on how to create it. Chances are you are going to find 99% of what you are looking for. Use the research you have done and the keywords you have created to assist you in your search.

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Collecting Basic Information (Design Brief)

When you embark on the journey of creating a tabletop rulebook, you need to know what you’re building. Is it an RPG Ruleset? A Wargame’s Army Rulebook? Or perhaps something else entirely? Whatever it is, the first thing to do is to make a list with the following details:

1. Game Name: The name that will go on the cover of the book. It sometimes has a Title and a Subtitle. It depends on the author.
2. Game Type/Format: Is it a board game, an RPG or a miniatures’ game/wargame.
3. Game Genre/Theme: Depending on the type of game you will get a plethora of genres and themes. If you are not familiar with the genre or themes. I recommend as requesting a brief summary from the game’s author and checking websites like boardgamegeek.com for some additional information or just play one or two games from the genre to get more acquainted with it.
4. Game’s audience: Board gamers, RPG (Role-Playing Game) gamers, and wargamers often have distinct preferences and engagement styles, despite some overlap in these communities. Board gamers typically appreciate games that provide a complete play experience within a single box. In contrast, wargamers and RPG gamers engage with their games in a more intricate manner. Wargamers frequently engage in craft-related activities such as assembling, building, and painting miniatures and terrain sets before actual gameplay begins. RPG gamers also invest considerable time and effort in sourcing or creating game assets to enhance narrative immersion. Wargamers often seek tactile, hands-on interactions as part of their gaming experience. RPG gamers, however, increasingly utilize digital assets, particularly with the rise of Virtual Tabletops. Certain themes within games, such as historical themes in miniature games, resonate differently across diverse audience segments. Understanding these nuances is crucial for emphasizing aspects like readability and accessibility, to cater to the broadest range of players. By recognizing these differences and considerations, one can tailor game design and marketing strategies more effectively.
5. Book Binding: There are different types of book binding techniques, however the following are the ones I recommend for professionally made rulebooks:
   1. Perfect Binding: Used in softcovers books. These have a glued spine with a flat surface. These can last long if treated with care but are not ideal for heavy use however they are light and easy to carry with you.
   2. Case Binding: Used in hardcover books. These have a sewn or glued spine encased in a hard cover. These are the most durable of the most used types of binding. They are ideal for heavy use but are very heavy to carry around.
   3. Sewn Binding: Used in softcover books. These are sewn in sections and then glued together to the spine of the book. This binding method is more durable than Perfect Binding. This type offers the best of both worlds. They are lighter than the Hard cover books while are light to carry around.
6. Trim size: Trim size is the dimensions of the book width x height. The most common trim sizes for rulebooks are 8.5in x 11 in or A4 outside of the US, however, these will vary depending on the length of the book or the art direction.
7. Page count/Paper type: Another important factor is the page count and the paper type. This will determine the margins of the book as well as the thickness of the book’s spine. The paper type depends on the printer that is going to be used but keep in mind that coated papers are thicker therefore the book’s spine will increase also because of it. When dealing with the printer pick the desired paper type and send them the page quantity to get the proper thickness dimensions for the book spine.
   These basic elements serve as the foundation upon which your rulebook is built. So, before moving ahead, take some time to collect these core aspects of your project. You will get these from the game designer, publisher or from your own research if you are making the whole project yourself. This document will be called the design brief.

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Formatting Tips for Authors’ Manuscripts

1. Use a standard word processing program like Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or LibreOffice. Google Docs is preferred for easy sharing and collaboration.
2. Save the file in a standard format like .doc, .docx or Google Docs format. Avoid formats like .pages that limit accessibility.
3. Compile the full manuscript in one single file for easier handling.
4. Use a standard, easy-to-read font like Times New Roman or Cambria in 12pt size. Avoid fancy or display fonts.
5. Left-align all text.
6. Format all text in black and set the page background to white.
7. Use 1.15 – 1.5 line spacing. Avoid single spacing.
8. Separate paragraphs with a single line break, not multiple returns. Let the app handle proper spacing.
9. Use page break formatting, not multiple returns, to divide chapters.
10. Format headings using the app’s style tools, e.g. Heading 1, Heading 2.
11. Create the following pages before the main content:
    • Title page with title, subtitle, and author name
    • Edition notice, disclaimers, dedications
    • Table of contents
12. Follow the main rules content with back matter like:
    • Glossary
    • Appendices
    • Index
    • Bibliography
13. Avoid adjusting margins – use the app’s defaults.
    Following these basic formatting guidelines will give editors and designers a clean, consistently styled manuscript to work with. The students in the game design course should pass these tips on to the writers creating manuscripts for their games in order to streamline the production process. Proper formatting ultimately allows everyone to focus on polishing the content itself.

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Contents:

1. Printed Rulebooks
2. Digital Rulebooks
3. Best Practices for Each Format

Printed Rulebooks

For decades, printed rulebooks have been the standard format for tabletop games. These physical books typically feature high-quality printing and artwork that looks attractive on a gamer’s shelf. Printed books come in different trim sizes – letter size (8.5 in x 11 in) is common in the US while A4 is widely used in Europe and other regions. The trim size may also vary based on the book’s length or artistic design.
One major advantage of printed rulebooks is that they feel tangible and collectible for gamers. The cover design and physicality of a printed book make it aesthetically pleasing in a way that digital formats cannot replicate. Flipping through the pages of a printed rulebook also feels more natural for some gamers than scrolling through a PDF.
However, printed books have some limitations. They can be cumbersome to transport, especially for thick, multi-hundred page RPG manuals. Finding specific rules or terms quickly can also be difficult without an index or search function. And unlike digital formats, printed books do not allow annotations.

Digital Rulebooks

Digital rulebooks have risen in popularity along with the growth of computer and mobile device usage. PDF is by far the most common format for digital rulebooks. Major tabletop game publishers often sell official PDF versions through their online stores. There are also websites like Wargamevault.com and Drivethroughrpg.com that offer PDF rulebooks, both official and fan-made.
The key advantage of PDF and ePUB digital formats is portability. Players can easily view these rulebooks on laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. This makes referencing rules during gameplay much more convenient compared to a thick printed manual.
Digital rulebooks also enable quick navigation and search. Players can rapidly jump between sections using bookmarks and find specific terms by searching the document. Some PDF apps also allow highlighting and annotations within the rulebook. This can be helpful for learning complex game systems.
The main drawback of digital formats is that they lack the aesthetic and collectible nature of printed books. Some gamers also find reading long sections on a screen to be straining. However, with the continued growth of digital device usage, digital rulebooks will likely keep rising in popularity.

Best Practices for Each Format

Both printed and digital rulebooks have their pros and cons. For maximum usability, publishers should utilize the unique advantages of each format.
For printed rulebooks, high page quality and beautiful cover art are ideal to enhance the aesthetic value. Using binding that allows the book to lay flat makes referencing in-game easier as well. Publishers should also offer a digital version for portability and searchability.
With digital rulebooks, optimization for mobile screens and tablets is key. Publishers should ensure bookmarks and hyperlinks work properly for easy navigation. Enabling highlighting and annotations is also recommended for complex game systems.
By leveraging the strengths of both printed and digital formats, publishers can offer tabletop gamers the best possible rulebook experience. This multiformat approach will provide players with an immersive, usable game manual in their preferred medium.

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Contents:

1. RPG Formats
2. Wargame Formats
3. Conclusion

RPG Formats

Roleplaying games allow players to create characters and immerse themselves in fictional worlds. The core RPG rules come in hardcover or softcover books ranging from 100-400 pages on average. These include all the main rules, character creation guidelines, equipment lists, and other references that both game masters and players need to run the game.
Popular RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons often release their core rules in a Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual. The Player’s Handbook has all the main rules, while the DM Guide provides guidance on running games, and the Monster Manual profiles major creatures.
Beyond the core rules, RPGs frequently have supplementary books like campaign settings, adventures, and expansions that introduce new character options, spells, equipment, and storylines. Campaign setting books detail an entire world for adventures. Adventures provide pre-made scenarios and plots for game masters. Expansions add player options through new classes, races, spells, gear, and more. These supplements usually range from 64-256 pages.

Wargame Formats

Wargames focus on strategic, tactical, or historically-inspired battlefield combat. As with RPGs, the core rules come in a 100-400 page printed book outlining unit stats, battlefield rules, army construction, and other systems. These are often labeled as the game’s 2nd, 3rd, or 4th “edition” as new versions release.
Popular wargames like Warhammer 40,000 also have a wide range of supplemental army books, campaign books, and expansions. Army books contain unit descriptions, stats, special rules, and background lore for specific factions. Campaign books provide linked scenarios, storylines, and terrain building guides. Expansions introduce new units, rules, and abilities. Printed page counts for these supplements vary widely based on scope.

Conclusion

While tabletop games have many genres and formats, RPGs, wargames, and board games have well-established layouts for delivering their core rules and additional content. Following the standards for each game type makes the rules and components easy for players to reference and learn. With practice, creators can produce professional looking products so that the games inside shine through.

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Contents:

1. Video Game and Film Art Books
2. Reference and Coffee Table Books
3. Films and TV Shows
4. RPG and Wargame Rulebooks

Video Game and Film Art Books

First up, have you ever flipped through an art book for a video game or film? Think Artists, Film Studios or Video Game art books. These are goldmines for design ideas, especially when it comes to visuals!
Artbooks from studios like Studio Ghibli, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series, The Matrix films, and more provide excellent examples of concept art, color palettes, fonts, and visual styles that could inspire your own rulebook.

Reference and Coffee Table Books

Next, let’s talk about coffee table books. You know, those big, beautiful books that are almost too pretty to touch? These books often have layouts that are quite similar to rulebooks and also a lot of them collect a lot of visual information about themes you will use in your books. Science and History coffee table books specially. So, if you’re new to the world of tabletop rulebooks, start here to get your creative juices flowing.
The oversized pages, intricate details, and lavish illustrations can spark ideas for your own rulebook’s presentation.

Films and TV Shows

This is probably one of my favorite sources of inspiration. It’s a bit of an inspiration loop since film and tv shows art directors get a lot of references from the same media you have access to as well but they are brilliant at creating a cohesive visual language for the projects that they work on. They too have to pick the right fonts, colors, and graphics to communicate the right mood of a scene. Just look at how brilliant some title intros are with their use of FX and dynamic typography or even movie props. It’s a gold mine of visual references.

RPG and Wargame Rulebooks

And for the true fans among us, there are the RPG and wargame rulebooks. Companies like Free League, Modiphius, and Firelock Games (wink) have some exceptional examples. There’s also the DnD books which are a standard of RPGs. These rulebooks are the real deal and can provide a ton of inspiration for your project.
Pouring over the pages of these classic tabletop rulebooks allows you to see how the pros handle formatting, illustrations, typography, and overall graphical flavor.

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Contents:

1. What Makes a Rulebook unique
2. Getting Inspired: References and Examples
3. Adobe InDesign: The Essential Tool
4. Alternative Software Options
5. Exporting Your Rulebook
6. Who is This Guide For?
7. Conclusion

What Makes a Rulebook Unique

So what makes a rulebook unique? Think of it as a mix between a school textbook (full of rules and guides to play a game) and an art book (great thematic images and illustrations that tell a story in an engaging way). It’s got to be informative, but it also needs what I like to call thematic flavor.

Getting Inspired: References and Examples

Before diving into the intricacies of layout design and typesetting, it’s essential to gather some inspiration and understand the different styles of rulebooks and reference materials available. During the course, we explore a variety of examples to help you get a better sense of what you want to create. We also showcase previous projects to provide real-world context and demonstrate what is achievable.

Adobe InDesign: The Essential Tool

The core of this guide, is Adobe InDesign—a software that has become the industry standard in the publishing world. InDesign offers a plethora of tools designed to make the layout and typesetting process efficient and professional. As we progress through the course, we will delve into handling large-format texts, complex layouts, and essential tips to optimize page layout for accessibility and legibility.

Key Features in Adobe InDesign

1. Grids and Layout Blocks: Learn how to establish a grid system and strategically place your text and images.
2. Page Masters and Styles: Understand how to utilize page masters and styles to streamline the typesetting process.
3. Data Merge: Learn how to make use of spreadsheets to create tables of stats for books and even cards.

Alternative Software Options

While Adobe InDesign is the go-to software for many, it’s worth noting that some of its features can also be found in alternative publishing software like Affinity Publisher, Scribus, and QuarkXpress. If you’re using one of these alternatives, you can still benefit from the course by looking for similar tools and features.

Exporting Your Rulebook

Once the design is complete, the next steps involve exporting your Rulebook for further editing, proofreading, and eventually, publication. Whether you’re looking to print physical copies or publish digitally, the course covers the best practices for each format.

Who is This Guide For?

The guide is designed for two types of students:

• Graphic Designers: Especially those who already have some experience with Adobe InDesign and want to specialize in Rulebook design, the course offers advanced tips and techniques to enhance your existing skills.
• Self-Publish Game Authors: If you are a one-person studio, a tinkerer, a self-published game designer and want to improve your Rulebook’s quality.

Conclusion

Designing a tabletop Rulebook is a complex but rewarding endeavor. With Adobe InDesign and the guidance offered in this course, you can navigate through the process with greater confidence and efficiency. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience in publishing, this course offers valuable insights into the world of Rulebook design.

So, are you ready to create your own tabletop Rulebook? Join us in this comprehensive course and turn that dream into a reality.

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Adobe InDesign

A professional desktop publishing application used for typesetting, layout, and design. Essential for creating the style guide and layout of the rulebook.

B

Book File

A collection of documents that can share styles, swatches, master pages, and other items, in Adobe InDesign. Often used for managing long documents like rulebooks.

C

Chapters

Divisions within the book file that help in organizing different sections of the rulebook.

D

Data Merge

An InDesign feature used to automate the placement of text or graphics from a data source.

Digital Rulebook

A rulebook formatted and optimized for viewing on digital platforms like tablets or computers.

E

Ebook

A digital version of a rulebook, optimized for electronic reading devices.

Editor Workflows

The set of processes followed by editors when working on the rulebook, often involving software like Adobe InCopy.

Exporting

The process of creating a final output file, usually in PDF or other formats, for printing or digital distribution.

F

Figures/Images

Graphical elements, such as illustrations or diagrams, used within the rulebook.

Front Matter/Back Matter

The preliminary and closing sections of a book, separate from the main content. Includes elements like the title page, table of contents, index, etc.

G

Grid

A framework of lines used for aligning and organizing design elements in InDesign.

I

InCopy

A professional writing and editing software that integrates with Adobe InDesign for collaborative workflows.

Index

An alphabetical list of topics, terms, and their corresponding page numbers in the rulebook.

L

Layout

The arrangement of text, images, and other design elements on a page.

M

Master Pages

Templates within Adobe InDesign used to apply consistent layout and design across multiple pages.

Manuscript

The original, unformatted text document that serves as the basis for rulebook design.

N

Numbering and Section

InDesign feature for automatically numbering pages, chapters, and sections within a book file.

O

Object Styles

Predetermined sets of formatting options in InDesign that can be applied to graphics or frames.

P

PDF Proofs

Preliminary versions of the rulebook exported as PDF files for review and editing.

Preflight Checks

Quality control steps performed in InDesign to identify errors or issues before exporting the final version.

Print Rulebook

A rulebook formatted and optimized for physical printing.

R

RPG (Role-Playing Game)

A type of game characterized by players assuming the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Has its own specific rulebook formats.

S

Sections

Sub-divisions within a chapter or part of the book file.

Style Guide

A set of guidelines that dictate the visual and textual elements of the rulebook, including fonts, colors, and layout options.

Styles

Specific sets of formatting attributes that can be applied to text or objects in InDesign.

Synchronization

The process of ensuring that styles and other elements are consistently applied across different parts of the book file in InDesign.

T

Templates

Predesigned page layouts in InDesign, used for creating new pages that share the same design and attributes.

Text Styles

Predefined sets of formatting options for text in InDesign.

Text Variables

Elements in master pages that dynamically display information like page numbers, dates, or section titles.

Text Wrap

An InDesign feature that controls how text flows around objects or images on a page.

Typesetting

The process of arranging text and graphics on the printed page in a visually appealing way.

W

Wargame

A type of strategy game that simulates warfare scenarios. Has its own specific rulebook formats.

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This is the first introductory post for my Rulebook design guide. I’ve decided to published my rough writing on my blog post for free since I’ve never created an actual course of manual before. This will be a test and also a resource for those seeking help in a blog post format. I’m also adding a couple of posts for References and a Glossary for those who need some extra information.

Create a Tabletop Rulebook with InDesign: ToC

1. Introduction

1.1 Guide Summary

1.2 Finding the Right Inspiration

1.3 Print or Digital Books

1.4 Game Types

1.5 Formatting Text for Layout

2. Design Guidelines

3. Mastering Layouts

4. Text Styles

5. Creating Templates and Book files

6. Getting Feedback

7. Print Preparation

Glossary

References

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