{"id":52163,"date":"2017-03-29T12:06:47","date_gmt":"2017-03-29T19:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ponoko.com\/blog\/?p=51969"},"modified":"2018-03-11T21:07:57","modified_gmt":"2018-03-12T04:07:57","slug":"board-game-prototyping-sayre-brothers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ponoko.com\/blog\/maker-success-stories\/board-game-prototyping-sayre-brothers\/","title":{"rendered":"Board Game Prototyping: Getting The Pieces To Fit"},"content":{"rendered":"

How Sayre Brothers Games Perfected The PentaHex Gaming Platform Design<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Prototyping isn\u2019t a game\u2026unless you\u2019re talking about how Sayre Brothers Games<\/a> is using it to build the PentaHex Gaming Platform.<\/p>\n

As the name suggests, the PentaHex Gaming Platform is geometry board game based upon nine pentagons forming two hexagons. Then you connect as many PentaHex Board Units as you like. You can use just a few or create a massive board. Tier them. Even add RPG figurines. Play is only limited by the imagination. Check it out:<\/p>\n

While the beauty of the game is in its simplicity, getting all the pieces to fit wasn\u2019t easy. And that\u2019s why prototyping has been an integral part of the board game building process.<\/p>\n

Inventing A New Gaming Platform<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While Jeff Sayre and Michael Sayre are often mistaken as a father\/son duo because of their 31-year age difference, they are indeed brothers. And they love playing games\u2014anything from board games to disc golf to games they invent on the fly.<\/p>\n

While neither one can quite recall how the PentaHex Game idea began, there was a point during a Catan<\/a> board game where they started creating additional rules and proposing ways in which the game play could be improved and enhanced.<\/p>\n

This led to discussions on different configurations for a game board. \u201cEventually we realized that we could create individual board game units that would allow players and game designers to leverage their own imagination and creativity,\u201d Jeff says. \u201cPlayers could assemble boards in many shapes and sizes by connecting identical units.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sayre<\/p>\n

And so the research began. The brothers explored various tiling geometries to find a board unit design that itself was comprised of even smaller atomic tiled units. \u201cWe found a hexagonal shape that is formed by the precise tiling of nine identical, irregular pentagons,\u201d Jeff explains. \u201cAnd this is how we came up with the name of PentaHex.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s cool about this arrangement is that it creates two hexagons. A larger hexagon is formed by the perimeter of the game board unit, and a smaller interior hexagon is shaped by three of the irregular pentagons.<\/p>\n

\"Sayre<\/p>\n

Next the brothers had an idea that would really turn the traditional two-dimensional nature of game boards on its head. \u201cWe decided that our board game units would offer playable space in the z-axis,\u201d Jeff says. \u201cIn other words, it would allow for three dimensional play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, they decided that simply building a new type of physical game board and a unique game utilizing that board wasn\u2019t quite enough. They wanted to expand the idea to design a gaming system that would benefit other makers and creators. And the PentaHex Gaming Platform was born.<\/p>\n

Perfecting Product Design With Prototyping<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Sayre Brothers knew they had a lot of details to work out before even considering mass manufacturing the game pieces via injection molding. So they did what any other inventor does when starting out: Grab paper and pencil.<\/p>\n

They began by building cardboard mockups for testing of the first board game prototype. Once they worked out the initial designs and developed the corresponding computer files, they 3D printed<\/a> a handful of the more complex game pieces.<\/p>\n

\"Sayre<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when we reached the stage of a more advanced board game prototype, we needed a hundred or so game pieces for testing,\u201d Jeff says. \u201c3D printing that many game pieces was way too expensive, and creating that many cardboard pieces by hand was too mind-numbing of a project. So, laser cutting<\/a>\u00a0sheet materials<\/a> was the obvious choice!\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeff notes the brothers found Ponoko when working on the third PentaHex prototype. The reason they chose Ponoko\u2019s services over other laser cutting offerings? Jeff says it was simple: Makers\u2019 recommendations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe information on the Ponoko website helped attract our initial interest, but it was what people were saying about Ponoko that made us feel comfortable with the choice,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Working With Ponoko<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Jeff says the primary benefit gained from using Ponoko\u2019s laser cutting service is validation of the board game prototype designs. \u201cWith past prototypes, we used handmade cardboard game pieces,\u201d he says. \u201cNot only are they not dimensional accurate, they are also a poor substitute for testing gaming dynamics. Having proper-sized, uniform game pieces makes testing significantly better\u2014not to mention that the laser cut acrylic<\/a> pieces look awesome in our PentaHex board game units!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sayre<\/p>\n

When the brothers placed their first order, there were some questions about the design files. \u201cThe Ponoko customer service team reached out to make sure that the size of the game pieces in our design file was accurate,\u201d Jeff says. \u201cInstead of not caring and simply loading the design into the queue for cutting, they took the step to make sure it was right before wasting time, materials<\/a> and our money. We really appreciated that.\u201d<\/p>\n

What keeps the brothers coming back to Ponoko? The results. \u201cNot only did Ponoko over deliver in terms of the very proactive quality assurance\/quality control, they also got the game pieces into our hands sooner than had been promised,\u201d Jeff says. \u201cThe quality was great, the service was fantastic and the order shipped sooner than we had been told. That is a BIG win!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sayre<\/a><\/p>\n

For makers that are new to laser cutting, Jeff recommends taking advantage of some of the useful tools to help maximise returns and drive down costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce such tool is the Adobe Illustrator Starter Kit<\/a>,\u201d Jeff says. \u201cIt provides a number of details on how to obtain good results. Details such as what are the best stroke widths for lines, how to most effectively prototype, how to convert fonts for laser output and many more.\u201d<\/p>\n

For initial prototyping, laser cutting cardstock<\/a> or cardboard<\/a> is a great way to test product designs. This helps you check the size and feel of your product before investing more to get it made.<\/p>\n

Using modular pieces within product design, especially board games such as PentaHex, is a smart move. Modular pieces mean you\u2019ll need fewer parts to achieve multiple tasks within the game\u2014saving you money.<\/p>\n

Speaking of money, Jeff is also a big fan of the helpful Cost Savings Guide<\/a>. \u201cOne seemingly obvious suggestion, but often missed by many, it the technique of tiling your designs to get as many pieces on a single sheet as possible,\u201d he says. \u201cIf your design lends itself to close tiling, fine tuning the design layout can make a big difference in the cost per piece. The more pieces you can get out of one sheet, the lower the price per piece.\u201d<\/p>\n

Completing The Board Game Design<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The brothers are fans of a number of board games\u2014from classics such as Clue and Monopoly to new civilization-building games like Catan and a few role playing games. So they have used these concepts as inspiration for the PentaHex Gaming Platform.<\/p>\n

When the brothers set out to develop their new board game system, they knew it had to meet certain requirements in order for it to gain early adoption. \u201cWe would have to offer a full-fledged game or two that can be played right out of the box using the PentaHex board units and default game pieces,\u201d Jeff says. \u201cWe\u2019re currently creating two unique games that will be included with the initial box set. So not only are we conceptualizing and designing a new in-board game system, we\u2019re also creating a few games using that new system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking The Next Step With Crowdfunding<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Before the PentaHex Gaming Platform is ready to launch, the brothers must finalize the prototype design. Prototyping occurs in three different areas: The board game units (the white 3D printed PentaHex pieces), the board game pieces (the multi colored parts<\/a> laser cut with Ponoko), and designing and testing the gaming mechanics of the first games.<\/p>\n

So far, they\u2019ve been through three iterations and are currently in the final prototyping phase. Once this step is complete, they can launch via a crowdfunding campaign (probably Kickstarter) sometime later this summer.<\/p>\n

\"Sayre<\/p>\n

\u201cUnlike a number of crowdfunding campaigns for games, we decided early on that we wanted to already have the prototyping complete and an actual physical product in our hands before we launched,\u201d Jeff explains. \u201cThis way, people who support us will know that this is not a pipe dream, that the product has been in development for some time and is actually ready to be manufactured. What\u2019s needed are the initial funds to buy the plastic injection molds and place our first-run order. We should be able to provide quite accurate projections of those costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Using Lessons From Sayre Brothers For Your Own Board Game Prototyping<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ever had ideas to expand on your favorite game? Are you inspired by the Sayre Brothers and have dreams to make your own board games? Use these lessons as a foundation for building your own games:<\/p>\n

\"Sayre<\/p>\n