Think Outside The Box And Invite Creativity To Play!
FAQs and Tips
Q: How do I play the game?
A: The objective is to create a series of quickly created comic strip ideas (preliminary sketches) either solo or with a partner and in some situations compete to get your comic submitted on time to be a part of a fictional comic company.
The game can be simple and complex. There is a set way to play it but also alternative ways to play which is why I wrote out extensive intructions on how to play provided with the game. A quick-play rule document is also available for download for free in the description of the complete version of the game @:
https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/comix-the-board-game-the-complete-game
Though if you would like a quick summary, the idea of the game is to either play the game solo (if you want to come up with ideas for creative block) or with a partner or in teams. In a partnership you basically take turns writing or drawing comics with the words picked out by chance on the board. Once your timer has run out you keep the same cards you've just used and switch unfinished comics with your partner. Your partner usually doesn't know what your word is. You keep your assigned job and finish the comic using their unfinished comic and using your words as well. The end product is usually a hilarious comic that often didn't turn out as expected but it's fun to see how a lack of communication between partners can often come up with a silly, surreal or even an original idea.
The game is different each time you play it (and depending on the amount of players you have it can be played very differently) and the more word cards you have the more complex the comic can become. The original game consists of 350 cards all together and there are blank category cards available for customizing your own words. You make quite a few comics in the game and you may play till you get to the Finalist card or you may continue going, depending, as the board is made in a continuous loop. Also, you may land on a Call From The Editor card which you must listen to if you want to compete to get the attention of the company you want to work for.
The game is often about having fun while creating, coming up with new ideas, working solo or in a team and learning about handing in deadlines and how to handle rejection if you happen to still hand things in on time.
It's about storytelling, work ethic simulation and breaking creative blocks all while enjoying your own company or the company of others.
The game is many things. It's different things to different people. Go play it and see!
Q: I can’t draw…why do I want to play this game?
A: Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Sound advice from a well-known artist. All children are born with the ability to be creative. I honestly believe anyone can draw, sometimes we’re just told we can’t or shouldn’t, that being said, yes people can draw “better” than others, but the trick is (and some artists have yet to still master this trick) to not compare your art to others. This may be easier said than done as comparing ourselves to others is a very human thing to do, we get too competitive sometimes (this is not to be confused with being inspired by others, just to clarify). In actuality this game is not really meant to be used to perfect art, but merely loosen up and have fun doing quick drawings that hopefully look like something recognizable; Though if you want to improve upon your art skills I suggest practicing all the time if you want to see progression. Some people think that people are just born with talent, that may be so, but did you know that even your favorite artist is striving to be better every day, and even most likely striving to be like the person that inspired them? Art is a constant struggle but practice can help you out, even by playing this game by yourself or with others the exercises may be quick but you are progressing your skill by physically doing and making. Some people tell me that all they can draw is stick figures and that’s ok, especially for this game, as you only have a few minutes to complete your idea. Anyone from all walks of life can enjoy this game, you don’t have to consider yourself an artist or writer in order to play it, just free your mind of worry, play, have fun, and loosen up! It’s just a game.
Q: I’m kind of a “perfectionist” and find it difficult to draw within the time limit, what do I do?
A: This can be a problem; some people have difficulties starting to draw because they feel they’re not good enough where as others are too detailed and have difficulty doing something simplistically. All of these behaviors stem from lack of self-esteem and is all a matter of how we think. If we can somehow psychologically break away from making something look perfect (because in reality there really is no such thing) and free your mind, laugh at your mistakes and make “happy accidents” we can hopefully overcome this. It is especially difficult to break away from if you have a “stubborn” mindset and sometimes artists that are well-trained have difficulties breaking this habit of drawing something to make it look ideal. I’m going to have to give the same conclusive advice I gave in the previous answer and that is to just free your mind of worry, play, have fun, and loosen up! It’s just a game.
Q: Why is there a time limit on this game?
A: If you’re working solo this may not be a problem unless you want to use the time limits as practice to speed up your deadline skills. The timer is to show you that you have a deadline to complete this comic by a certain time in order to move on and hand in your ideas on time to the fictional company. Not only that but if you’re playing with a partner or against another team your partner may get bored and start twiddling their thumbs waiting for you to finish so they can take their turn. It creates more challenge and excitement when it’s timed.
Q: What is a Panel?
A: A panel is the separate frames that divide the dialogue and scene sequences within comics. Panels are also used in storyboards (for commercials, T.V. shows, film, etc.) and it can play a very important role in the overall layout of an idea. The space between panels is called the “gutters” as stated in Scott McCloud’s book “Understanding Comics” (which is highly recommended reading for those who want to further their comprehension of comics overall) and here are examples of ways to display your panels. We found out the quickest way to draw out the panels is to not use the gutters (as these are rough sketches anyway) and just draw one large rectangle quickly and a couple of lines in between. This technique can be used if you’re also timing the person drawing out the panels, which I personally think is kind of an unfair way to time.The recommended number of panels in this game is 3 to state a beginning, middle and an end within the comic. You can use other panel numbers and may even do so if you get an Editor Card that tells you to do this. In this case you must roll the dice to see how many panels to draw. Also, you can experiment with the panels, you can use other shapes not just squares or rectangles if you think it gives a little more fun or depth to the art. You don’t have to do this in the game but it’s a suggestion if you want to make a more polished comic out of an idea you constructed there.
Q: How do I write?
A: You may use the word/s you’ve chosen in the game right in your writing, however (if you are trying to challenge your partner or the other team by making it even more difficult to guess your word so they don’t collect more points, jump ahead and finish the game before you do) it’s best to allude to your word by either using your word/s as a theme throughout your comic or using other types of words to describe your word chosen. Some people also wonder how to write the comics. In many professional cases a script is sometimes used to think the written idea through, but because this game is so quickly paced that cannot be the case here. The dialogue and sounds, anything that can be heard (or in some cases thought) is what is constructed here. If the writer goes first they may separate the dialogue apart from each other by spacing it out or if it’s too clustered you may draw a balloon around the words. In the case of the writer going first do not draw a word balloon “tail” leading anywhere, allow the artist to do that when they’ve finished placing their characters in the layout of the page. If the writer goes second after the artist is done their half of the comic, the writer may absolutely use a “tail” from their word balloon to indicate where the voice or thought is coming from.
Q: I love how my comic turned out and want to show it to the world! How do I do this?
A: Well, luckily now that the internet is a powerful tool to advertise for free or close to it by using social media outlets you can easily show off your finished comic. Also, don’t forget you can use blogs as a free website to post your comics as you do them. Spread the word show your stuff off! I know some people have difficulty showing their art to people if it’s personal or self-expression, but if it’s a silly little doodle and you want to show people there’s nothing wrong with that.
If you would like to show off comics you made from playing this game to put on this site please send them to: