The most important lesson from this video is that we can make elements out of anything and it's worth buying a set of thingies if we spot them at a good price in some random shop which we were just passing by.

7:35 was exactly how The Condemned was first tested! We printed up the whole set, slipped it into sleeves, and then played with those cards. We even made a mock booster draft by slipping cards into small envelopes that were made beforehand. It's a great way to test and try out a game. And if you need to make changes, adjust a number and print out a new card.

You can get blank neoprene mats for cheap if you search for "mouse pads" online, especially if solid black is okay. You can draw on them with metallic markers. I saw a listing in the UK for 60cmx30cm for £3.75. Also, for coins, just use a real penny, you won't find anything cheaper.

Adam, an idea for your board material dilemma: Smooth vinyl flooring planks. They could easily be cut to size (cut and snap with a razor). When snapped/locked together, it would make a seamless solid surface. Then easily disassembled to fit in smaller packaging. Also, i think they would be easy to draw/design on. Here in the US, they are readily available at any home improvement store and not too pricey (for the limited quantity needed).

I would be a difficult patient for you because I would have a constant urge of talking to you about board games while you try to work on my teeth. What a fantastic component collection, absolutely bigger than what I have accumulated and thank you for the sharing, many times, the "I hope to have a Purpose for these someday" components. I don't have regrets now about mine because I'm always question myself why I keep it. You know as soon as you thrown them out, you'll need them and the struggle to find it again will be there.

I find your videos inspirational - this one particularly so. I have at least one idea that I'm ready to take baby steps into soon, and I can see myself crawling the charity shops to find games with reusable pieces in them for my own prototype.

I am game designer + artist and I always tend to put so much work into the graphic design and art while early in development. It definitely slows down my progress, but I find that to be what I am most comfortable with.

I love this video. When you want to look through and fondle the components of all your games. But really that's way too much work. You can just watch this video.

Thank you for sharing your ideas.

Loving these videos Adam. Thank you for so generously sharing your experiences and knowledge so widely. Your videography and graphics are superb. Do you ever make short videos that accompany your prototypes, that provide an overview or explain how the game works? I know a number of publishers prefer these. I'd love to see some examples or perhaps the process you follow when producing your videos? Oh... Another great prototyping item is paperclips, especially coloured ones. I've used them in a number of my prototypes to mark values along the edge of playing cards. Very useful because it means you can change values easily but move the card without inadvertently changing the values. The only downside is, they can mark or damage the cards.

You're a dentist, too?! Good on you, man. Keep up the great work. I'm working on a few prototypes at the moment and love all of this.

Here's a few more: - Bathroom tiles - Easy square/hexagon pieces in several sizes at a cheap price, ($10-15/sq ft - 42-100+ pieces depending on size[7-25 cents per piece]) if a bit heavy (not great for mailing, but an awesome feel for playing). Easily detachable, or you can leave some of the attached connections to make easy shapes. - Lego pieces - Some can get a bit pricy, but searching second hand websites yield a number of pieces that only cost a few pennies per piece. They have a definite premium feel to them, and can also be premium upgrades to some games. Gems, flames, daggers, magnifying glasses, and hearts are decently cheap, between 2-9 cents per item, and are great pieces. Garage sales are a mixed bag, but keep an eye out for them. Lego minifigs are pricy online, but get a haul at a yard sale and you have some player pieces that are customizable. - Lego also released a series of boardgames 10 years ago. A number of pieces are available used at low prices. Among them are the lego dice at about 30-50 cents per dice. Pair with some blank tiles (2-10cents per) and you have customizable dice you can draw on and reconfigure at will. Several existing lego dice faces or printed tiles are also very cheap. - Chinese New Years coins. You can get a pack of them on Amazon for very cheap Easily 5 cents per, or even lower in bulk. While they definitely have a lighter weight, they are metal and have a nice feel for games. Certainly better than cardboard. - Blank neoprene playmats ($9-10) can be drawn on with sharpie. Takes some skill to avoid bleed. You can also get blank neoprene coasters in circles or squares (35cents per piece), which can make modular boards, or easier to stack in a box. They are intended for sublimation printing, which can make for a way to get sharp graphics onto them easily. - Bathroom/door mats - Not the heavy rubberized ones - I picked up a thick cloth rug/door mat for $4 at the hardware store that served as an excellent playmat for card games for years. Best part - easily washable in the machine. - You can get cubes much cheaper. Several chinese warehouse stores have wood or plastic cubes at 3cents per piece (8mm)

For the bevelled edges on a board you could get a picture mount board cutter that cuts the edge to 45 degrees. Not sure if it would work but it’s an idea 🤷‍♀️

Amazing video!

Great video just in time for my new years resolution of actually starting my game 😅

I love the thrift store for old games (especially some of those games that I'm showing mercy to others by taking out of distribution.) I use simple tackle boxes for a majority of my components. For larger ones, craft stores often have sales on picture cases that hold 14+ containers. These are also great for storing smaller prototypes. Audio is great in this video! Keep Creating! Lach

One Idea I would think could work on a traditional board would be to push a ball stylus over the edges. You'd most likely need to make a track with two pieces of words clamped over the board on either side to make sure when you do roll the edges down, you have a straight line.

I love your small box organiser! If it was in a shed it would be full of screws. How decadent to have a drawer full of small wooden dogs!

Hello - really enjoy your videos and like other comments find them both inspirational and useful - re your question about a flicking playing surface maybe some form of silicon (baking) mat might be a solution or perhaps it might not be frictionless enough - Amazon and others sell large mats but most supermarkets will sell smaller versions if you wanted to test - thank you for your videos

Circle Cutter - can you recommend me where I can find them with holes (you keep one in your right hand). Normally I can't see exactly what I'm cutting. thx

I have a bunch of those silver robot dudes too! @9:07 …I have no idea what game they're from. So many bits in my prototype collection currently- I wonder how much they all weigh?

How about a collection of puzzle cut boards for your flicking game prototypes? The puzzle "connector" can be simple.

Boards. How to boards!

Could you use asa tape or whatever it is called, you know that large sheet of tape? Mabye put it on cardboard? Or you could use a wooden bourd! That would work wouldn't it?

Where does one purchase mount board?

I love the presentation but I don't see how scavenging a bunch of pieces from other purchased games is 'on a budget' -- this remains unexplained. All the stuff gathered can't possibly have come into possession without substantial cost! Maybe you have another video on how to manufacture prototype cards and 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch cardboard counters I can print images on. I'll have to have a look. thanks for the vid.

4:04 That type of “coin” drives me crazy. Those aren’t coins. They are very boring numbered tokens. Coins have portraits & eagles & shields & a different front & back as well as a number.

Man, get some hand lotion.