Follow similar game companies, people, and influencers

The development of any product requires some level of market research — that is, the process of gathering information about your industry, customers, and current trends. There are a number of ways that you can go about collecting this data, from interviews to surveys to focus groups. But when you’re just starting out and need to get a feel for what’s happening in the tabletop community, it’s best to follow influencers or companies on social media who create games similar to the one you’re making. You’ll be amazed at all the valuable insights you’ll get by observing how these people speak to their audiences, checking out the content they share, and reading through the latest updates on their games. 

The first step is to identify the people you want to follow. You can do this by searching relevant hashtags on Twitter or Instagram, visiting the tabletop games category on Kickstarter, or simply asking the community in any tabletop Facebook group you’ve joined who they’d recommend. Look for people and companies with different follower counts — there are just as many things to learn from someone who has 2,000 followers as there are from someone with 200,000. 

Once you’ve done this, you can start soaking up everything these people are talking about and join the conversation. In doing so, you’re going to gather inspiration, stay up to date with current events, and learn what people in your niche like and don’t like. 

Make sure to always take notes!