The country's best game design conference is coming to Indianapolis!
If you are a game designer looking for professional-level feedback, this is where you want to be. There will be around 50 other designers for you to learn from as they playtest your designs and you playtest theirs. And the friendships you'll make will last a lifetime.
If you're a gamer who likes to try out new things, then Protospiel is amazing. You'll see dozens of new designs in a single weekend. And your input will help shape them before they hit the shelves of stores or the pages of Kickstarter.
Protospiel is a casual event where amateur and established game designers get together to test their tabletop game prototypes in a supportive, cooperative environment. It's a great way to find where your game breaks and how to make it even better.
Don't worry about the appearance of your game: it isn't as important as the functionality. Some prototypes will be polished, others will be pencil scrawls on note cards. Either way, we'll help you make your game great!
The general principle is for designers to reciprocate other designers' time and feedback by playing each other's games. For example, if you need three play testers for your game, you should try to play three other designer's games before the event ends. This is not a hard and fast rule, but the event works best when people try to follow it. If you are looking to promote a complete game and not play anyone else's prototypes, Protospiel is NOT the event for that.
Protospiel Indy is organized by Carl Klutzke. If you see me, please introduce yourself!
The Protospiel Milwaukee website has an informative FAQ page.
The Protospiel group on Facebook is a great place to connect with Protospiel enthusiasts.
Protospiel.events has info about various regional Protospiels. Protospiel.org is the home page of the original Protospiel, held each July in Chelsea, Michigan.
Also, if you're in the Indianapolis area, join the Indianapolis Tabletop Game Creators on Facebook or on Meetup.com! We meet to playtest on the third Saturday afternoon of each month.
Here are the prices for attending Protospiel Indy:
This year we are partnering with Indy Design Week, May 12th-19th, a city-wide celebration of all things design! Use discount code LOVE-INDY-DESIGN when you register at http://2019.indydesignweek.com/. Send us your Indy Design Week receipt for 40% off any Protospiel Indy badge.
Protospiel Indy will be held in the large conference room at Kappa Delta Pi headquarters, on the north side of Indianapolis (near the iconic Pyramids). Outside food is allowed, but there is a strict no-alcohol policy. There are several restaurants nearby. Parking is free.
Hotels nearby include:
The event will run according to the traditional Protospiel structure, which is open design, collaboration, and play testing:
See our attendance policy page for details.
These great companies make sure you have the best possible experience at Protospiel Indy.
The Game Crafter provides print-on-demand services for tabletop game designers. They are a long-time supporter of many Protospiels.
The Game Preserve is a great chain of game stores in Indiana, and they provide meeting space for the Indy Tabletop Game Creators group. They are sponsoring Saturday coffee service again this year.
Indie Boards & Cards publishes great games like Aeon's End, The Resistance, and Flash Point: Fire Rescue. They are a returning sponsor this year.
Kolossal Games publishes great games like Western Legends, Kami-sama, and the upcoming Papillon.
Man vs Meeple is the "go-to" channel for anything and everything you're interested in when it comes to board games.
GravityDrive provides UX research, design, evaluation, and support services to help your products drive a great user experience. They are a returning sponsor this year.
To be announced!
Indianapolis, Indiana
Kappa Delta Pi
3707 Woodview Trace, Indianapolis, IN 46268, USA
800-284-3167
Please park in the lot on the north side of KDP. Overflow parking is available in the lot east of the building or the Kiwanis lot (north across Woodview Trace).
Use entrance #3 on the west side of KDP for direct access to the large conference room.