About two months ago I had an idea while walking my dog. How could I create a board game that felt like an exciting and light-hearted experience for anyone, regardless of skill level or experience. I thought about times in my life that made me feel joyous, awestruck, or swept up in the moment.

What came to me almost immediately was a festival, or a fair. What more could you want for in a setting that will sweep you off your feet? So I started brainstorming what a game about a fair would look like. What era does it take place in? What sorts of people would be there? What would the goal be?

At first I wanted to have players assume the role of fairgoers trying to have the most fun, but measuring fun is subjective and more work that just knowing that you’re having it. Ultimately I decided that the best way to compete and keep the experience concrete would be to play as the shopkeepers. They have a clear goal: make money. That sent me on my way.

I set about narrowing down the options for shops that could exist in the game. The more i thought about it, the more I recognized the shops falling into three main categories: Entertainment, Trinkets, and Food. So I got together a list of the most fun things I could do in those categories and started thinking about how they would make money.

After a few weeks of tinkering and toying with different configurations I settled on the values of each shop, and started to order pieces. The cards were the next step, laying out the drafts and ordering them to fit together with the rest of the pieces.

Finally, about a month ago, the pieces arrived, and the cards were printed. It was finally time to attend the Fair. I got together with some friends and coworkers, ran them through the basics of the game, and off we went.

With cards being played and coins changing hands, it was going well – if not perfectly. Some of the card effects were too narrowly written to be useful, and some of the shops needed to be improved. But when we finished the whole group had fun and were eager to give feedback.

So back to the lab I went, tinkering and adjusting staff cards and shop cards, trying to strike the balance so that each player would be engaged and having fun. My goal is always to keep the rules as simple as possible, without limiting the players’ agency in how they approach the game.

Now we can try it again, with a few new rules and a jingle of coins in our pockets. Let’s see who can make the most of this upcoming fair.