You know what trend in gaming I absolutely love? Free rules.
It's cropping up more and more these days, as more companies embrace this little thing called the internet. And if you ever want a clear sign that free rules pdfs are the way of the future, look no further than the fact that even Games Workshop has gotten in on it. If you had asked me even a couple years back if GW would ever release the rules for their games, let alone 40k, for free I'd have laughed in your face and called you an idiot.
Looks like I'm the idiot now.
But still, this is a great thing for gaming, which is why I want to talk about it. I feel like my last few editorials have been a little more negative, and I don't want to just be a guy who shits all over the industry all day. I really do love gaming and am passionate about it, but those topics needed to be discussed and it feels like nobody ever wants to discuss them for some reason.
So, let's talk about happy things and how free rules is dope.
I'm not entirely sure who the first company was to offer the rules to their game for free online, and it may even go back to the 90's for all I know. But it always struck me as a little odd that as the internet and things like tablets and smart phones all became more accessible and commonplace that companies were still out here trying to sell physical rulebooks that took up actual space in one's home.
Now, don't get me wrong, I do love me a good rulebook. I have a whole box filled with rulebooks, plus the handful that I use for regular gaming. I get the appeal, I do, and if you only play one or two games then it's probably not so bad. If you're someone like me, however, those books very quickly overwhelm you. I had a ton of rulebooks, plus supplementary books and not enough bookshelf space for them all. I had to start selling some off or giving them to friends who were collectors because they took up too much space in my life.
Digitally, though? Not a problem at all. I can have dozens of books, possibly even pushing upwards of 100, on a single device. Or toss them all onto Google Drive and have access from my phone, tablet and laptop. Digital rulebooks are the way for me 99% of the time these days.
That doesn't cover the cost, though. I did mention free books being a great thing, and I stand by that. I get that some companies maybe can't quite justify giving away their rules for free. Companies like Metal King Studios probably rely on the revenue of rulebook sales just as much as they rely on the actual sales of the models, which is fair given that it's a one man show. But Relic Blade does have a free quick start rules document (at least I think it still does) that lets you get a taste, and the digital copy of the rulebook is usually dirt cheap.
And that's the thing for me: if you can't give away the full book at least have some sort of quick start or demo document so people can get a taste. As a former critic being able to hop onto sites and download entire books for free is a godsend. I can check out a game, read the basics and get the gist of a game and decide if I want to then invest. This is what it means to be consumer focused. Hook us with free rules, give us a little taste, and then reel us in with the models.
Because the models are the real sellers, and where you're making the majority of your money from. A lot of games I stumbled upon by seeing a model, going "that looks fucking sweet" and then finding out more. Now, by offering the rules for free, you can really get people looking. Because a free pdf costs them nothing but a little time to read, and if the person goes "oh, maybe this isn't for me" they can just delete the pdf. For people who love to try new games (i.e. me) and spread the good word of smaller games (again, hi) this is a great selling point.
For example: I fucking love Heavy Gear Blitz. It's one of my favorite games on the market right now, and I don't just say that because they were my last writing client, but I also know it's not a hugely popular game. I managed to get my hands on enough stuff to run some demos and get some friends to try it out. One of the big selling points I used was that the rules were free, so people could check out the full rules and the armies without spending a dime. Being able to dive deeper into the rules if they wanted to, and also look at not just the models but get an idea of how they actually play and function was a big draw. It's a game changer. People could both buy the faction they liked the look of most and also get an idea of what things did and the roles they filled without needing to buy books that could end up out of date.
Living rulebooks are the way of the future, and I'm so happy to see more games getting into it. Heavy Gear, Carnevale, Dropzone/fleet Commander, Bot War, Bushido, Malifaux, A Song of Ice and Fire (although I believe you need to download their War Council app to get the rules, but that's also free), Warcry, Batman and obviously stuff like One Page Rules.
And here's the thing: you don't need to give away the whole farm. One Page Rules is a great example of this. You can get the core rules totally free for their games, giving you what you need to play (plus their army builder is free and dope) and get a feel for the game. Then, should you wish, you can become a patron of their Patreon for $5 and get the expanded rules with all sorts of optional stuff that just enhances the games (or got the $10 route and get the STLs and such as well if you so choose). But none of that extra stuff is necessary, so you can still enjoy the game without spending a dime on rules.
Another example is Bushido. The basics of the rules, and all the stat cards, are right there for free on their website. The only things missing from the rules document are scenario rules. So to try the game you don't even need to buy anything if you have models on the right sized bases, and if you want to get into the thick of it then you can buy the rulebook and get the scenario stuff along with lore and whatnot. And even that might not be totally needed, as the Bushido Companion app has all the scenario stuff right there (insofar as I can tell).
This gives people a chance to see your game, read the rules and get a feel for how it might work before the invest. And then you still offer physical books if that's what someone wants. My buddy Gavin loves him a good physical rulebook, and all the games I've mentioned still offer that, as far as I can tell, should you want it.
I would love to see this trend continue, especially with bigger companies that we know can afford to do so. If you're going to try and sell me a single $200 model then you can damn well offer me the rules to use it free of charge. Like I said: I know some companies probably can't pull this off fully, but a sampler will give people a chance to see your game. People are hesitant to drop $30-60 on a rulebook for a game they may not even end up liking, so offering the basic rules as a freebie with the extras and special stuff locked behind the full rulebook is totally valid for smaller companies like Metal King and Oathsworn (who make the fantastic Burrows & Badgers skirmish game).
So at the risk of sounding like an entitled prick: more free rules, please.
