The Indian Tabletop Designer’s Playbook

How to Actually Make Money Designing Games in the Next 3–5 Years

Something unusual is happening in the Indian tabletop game industry.

More designers are emerging than ever before.

More board game communities are forming.

Game nights are spreading across cities.

Conventions are becoming bigger and more ambitious.

And yet, most designers entering this space still ask the same question:

“How do I sell my game?”

It’s the wrong question.

Because in India today, the designers who are finding success are not just selling games.

They are building ecosystems around games.

Over the past several years, through our work with Mozaic Games, conventions like TTOX, workshops, and collaborations with publishers, brands, and film studios, we’ve had the opportunity to explore multiple ways tabletop games can create value.

Some started as small experiments.

Some turned into meaningful collaborations.

And some opened doors we didn’t even know existed.

What became clear to us is this:

The future of tabletop design in India belongs to designers who understand multiple revenue paths.

If you want to build a sustainable career designing games over the next 3–5 years, this is the playbook.

First Rule: Stop Thinking of Games as Products

A tabletop game is not just a box sitting on a shelf.

It can be:

• an experience

• a storytelling platform

• a learning tool

• a community catalyst

• an intellectual property asset

Once you start thinking of games this way, the opportunities expand dramatically.

Instead of relying on a single revenue stream, designers can build what we call a Tabletop Revenue Wheel.

At the center of the wheel is your game design.

Around it are multiple ways that design can generate value.

1. Designing Games for Toy & Game Companies

One of the fastest ways for designers to start earning is by working with established publishers and toy companies.

Instead of carrying the burden of manufacturing and distribution yourself, you focus on what you do best: designing engaging gameplay systems.

We’ve had the opportunity to design games for companies such as Winmagic Toys, where the goal was to create tabletop experiences tailored for their audience.

These collaborations typically involve:

• design contracts

• development partnerships

• work-for-hire design

• royalty agreements (haven't had success here, but is still an option)

For designers starting out, this path provides valuable exposure to the realities of:

• manufacturing

• cost structures

• audience expectations

• large-scale distribution

In many cases, designing games for publishers can financially support your independent projects.

2. Working with Global Game Brands

Another fascinating path is collaborating with global gaming brands.

One of the projects we had the opportunity to work on was designing the Cricket Monopoly edition for Hasbro.

Working with a global brand requires a different mindset.

You are not inventing a game system from scratch.

Instead, you are adapting an existing game framework to fit a new theme, audience, or cultural context.

These projects demand:

• sensitivity to brand identity

• careful design within constraints

• deep understanding of the audience

But they also demonstrate something important:

Indian designers can contribute meaningfully to global gaming brands.

3. Building Your Own Games and IP

While collaboration work is valuable, building your own intellectual property remains incredibly important.

Through Mozaic Games, we’ve been exploring original tabletop experiences inspired by Indian stories, themes, and gameplay styles.

Publishing your own game means understanding the entire pipeline:

• game design

• art direction

• manufacturing

• logistics

• marketing

• community building

It’s not easy.

But the reward is ownership.

When you publish your own game, you are not just selling a product.

You are building an IP asset that can evolve over time.

A successful game can grow into:

• expansions

• new editions

• international releases

• licensing opportunities

• digital adaptations

4. Designing Games for Storytelling Brands

India has some of the richest storytelling traditions in the world.

Brands like Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha have shaped the imagination of generations.

Designing games within these worlds opens exciting creative possibilities.

You are translating beloved stories and characters into interactive experiences.

This kind of work blends:

• narrative design

• mechanical design

• nostalgia

• audience familiarity

When done well, these games connect multiple generations of players.

5. Collaborating with Film Studios

One of the most exciting emerging opportunities lies at the intersection of cinema and tabletop games.

Our collaboration with Hombale Films to design the Kantara card game revealed something fascinating.

Film audiences are deeply invested in the worlds they love.

And tabletop games give fans a way to step into those worlds and interact with them socially.

The interest generated by the Kantara game shows how tabletop games can become powerful fan engagement platforms.

Film studios are constantly looking for ways to extend their IP into:

• merchandise

• interactive experiences

• fan communities

Tabletop games fit naturally into that ecosystem.

More importantly, projects like these help bring games into new Indian homes that may never have bought a board game before.

6. Crowdfunding — But With the Right Approach

Crowdfunding has opened global opportunities for independent game designers.

But it is often misunderstood.

Crowdfunding is not just about raising money.

It is about building belief in your game before it exists.

When our games entered the crowdfunding path, one of the biggest lessons was this:

The campaign actually begins months before launch.

Successful crowdfunding requires:

• community building

• transparent development

• strong visual storytelling

• manufacturing clarity

• realistic logistics planning

Designers who learn this process unlock access to a global player base.

7. Conventions as Industry Engines

Conventions are one of the most underrated tools for tabletop designers.

Events like TTOX have shown how powerful gatherings of players, designers, and publishers can be.

At conventions, several important things happen simultaneously:

• new games are discovered

• prototypes are tested

• communities grow

• partnerships are formed

• games are sold directly

For designers, conventions create opportunities to:

• build loyal fan bases

• meet publishers and collaborators

• validate game ideas quickly

• strengthen brand identity

International conventions take this even further by opening doors to global collaborations and publishing opportunities.

Conventions are not just celebrations of games.

They are marketplaces of ideas and relationships.

8. Corporate Training Through Game-Based Learning

One of the most underexplored opportunities for tabletop designers in India is corporate training through games.

Companies spend enormous amounts of money every year on training programs for:

• sales teams

• leadership development

• negotiation skills

• team collaboration

• decision making

• strategy thinking

Most of this training still happens through slides, lectures, and case studies.

But when people learn through games, something powerful happens.

They experience the lesson instead of just hearing it.

Through game-based workshops, we’ve designed role-playing and simulation games that help sales teams:

• discover their own strengths

• learn from peers

• refine their sales pitch

• practice negotiation and persuasion

Unlike retail games, here you are not selling a box.

You are selling an experience.

A well-designed training game can generate revenue through:

• workshop fees

• corporate training programs

• facilitator licenses

• consulting engagements

In many cases, a single corporate workshop can generate more revenue than selling hundreds of copies of a retail game.

For designers who enjoy facilitation and systems thinking, this space offers enormous potential.

9. Teaching Game Design

As the industry grows, so does the demand to learn how games are designed.

Workshops, university programs, and game jams are becoming increasingly popular.

Designers can create value by sharing their craft through:

• design workshops

• mentorship programs

• corporate creativity sessions

• game design courses

Teaching game design also strengthens the ecosystem itself.

Because the more people understand games as a medium, the more they appreciate them.

The Designers Who Will Win

Over the next decade, the designers who succeed in India will not simply create good games.

They will understand how games can exist in many forms.

One design might become:

• a retail game

• a licensed IP product

• a workshop activity

• a digital adaptation

• a convention experience

• an educational tool

In other words, the winning designers will not just design games.

They will design game ecosystems.