(c) Black Cat Studio
That was an awesome 1-week spent in Poland and taking part in this event. I recently had the privilege of attending the Game Designer Camp in Puszczykowo, Poland, and I have to say it was an absolutely amazing experience! Just to be clear: Poland has a thriving board game community, with a dedicated group of publishers, designers, and players who are passionate about the hobby. In recent years, the industry has grown significantly, with more and more games being published each year. One of the most well-known publishers in Poland is Rebel. Founded in 2007, Rebel has published a number of popular games, including K2, Sweet Home, and Meadow, and is one of the biggest publishers in Europe. They are known for their high-quality components and innovative game mechanics. Another prominent publisher in Poland is Portal Games. Founded in 1999 by Ignacy Trzewiczek, Portal Games has become a leading publisher of board games in Poland and beyond. Some of their most popular titles include Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island, Imperial Settlers, and Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game. In addition to these larger publishers, there are also a number of smaller publishers who are making a name for themselves in the industry. These include companies like Awaken Realms, Lucky Duck Games, Lucrum Games, Muduko, Granna, etc. Every year, dozens of new games are published in Poland, covering a wide range of genres and themes. Many of these games are created by Polish designers, who are gaining recognition both in Poland and internationally. And it's all thanks to the culture of Game Designer Camps like this one (in my opinion). Of course, when everything was started, an initiative like this did not exist. The first Polish game designers were self-taught: they played a lot, read, and playtested. But thanks to the pioneers (if I'm not mistaken, REBELatorium was the first event of this type), this event has been developing for about ten years, changing organizers, teams, training models, etc. But everyone who takes part in events like this starts to be part of the game designers community and this community grows every month. Most of these books are available in Polish and this also gives an incredible advantage in the self-development for Polish game designers.
(c) Slawomir Czuba
As a game designer myself, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to playtest my game prototypes for hours on end. This was a unique and valuable experience, as I was able to receive feedback from a diverse group of people and make necessary adjustments to improve my games. I take 2 prototypes to the Game Design Camp: the "Solo" game (which was playtested nearly 10 times in different groups) and another one is a game that was selected by a few publishers for Speeddating. It's games from my list here. I regret that I didn't take the prototype of the dueling game "Old New" with me, as it turned out in private conversations that there were an incredible number of fans of good dueling games and this could also help the prototype to become even better. And as a publisher (KOZAK GAMES always looks for small games to publish) I was also very surprised to see great prototypes in a minimalist format and with a small number of components.
The evening program was a great way to unwind after a long day of playtesting. I particularly enjoyed the quizzes and integration games, which were a lot of fun and provided a nice break from the intensity of playtesting. It was also exciting to compete for prizes and add an extra layer of motivation to the event. These activities build excellent relations between the participants of the event (and this is something that will not be possible to repeat by organizing such events online). The only thing I would probably like is to watch some thematic movie and discuss it afterward. Although, the program included incredible lectures, discussions of the possibilities of Artificial Intelligence (in particular, ChatGPT), exchange of experience, etc. The logistics of the camp were fantastic. Everything was well-organized and easy to navigate, which made the overall experience much smoother and more enjoyable. I appreciated the effort that went into making sure the event ran smoothly, as this allowed me to focus on playtesting and networking with other participants.
(c) Slawomir Czuba
One of the highlights of the camp for me was the opportunity to receive feedback on my games from other participants and industry professionals. This was incredibly valuable, as it helped me identify areas for improvement and refine my game designs. It's more than a month after the event, but I can say the feedback I received is priceless, and for that reason, I'm pretty sure I'll try to plan to take part in future events too. Oh, they also created a fantastic notepad, something that everyone tries to use for his playtests, but here you have everything in just one small gadget. And I also appreciated the chance to network with other game designers and publishers, which could potentially lead to future opportunities in the industry. Throughout the event, I was impressed by the positive and engaging atmosphere. Everyone was friendly and supportive, which made it easier to connect with other participants and grow as a game designer. Having common hobbies, like video games or mobile games, or cinema, you felt that you were surrounded by geeks just like you.
I left the camp feeling inspired and motivated to continue developing my games and pushing myself to new heights. The experience was truly unforgettable, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for my games and my career as a game designer.
Where you can find more information?
Designer Camp (in English)
Designer Camp (in Polish)
Pamper (organizers)