What is a sell sheet?
A sell sheet is a way to quickly and effectively communicate your game design to a publisher.
Why you need a sell sheet
Publishers need to be able to assess your game without having to read the full game rules.
How to make a sell sheet
A sell sheet should include the following information:
Name of the game
Player count
Play time
Recommended age
Short description of the game setting and mechanisms (1 paragraph of 2-4 sentences)
1-5 USPs/Features
Photos or images of the game in play
Photos or images of any unique features of the game
A full component count
Your contact details
Any other relevant details (such as awards the game has won or other designs you have published)
A sell sheet should NOT include:
A full description of how to play the game
Lots of text and no images
Where to learn more
Here are some more articles about sell sheets:
Here are some examples of some sell sheets
Images on Pinterest (Curated by John Brieger)
Note: This post focuses on sell sheets to communicate between board game designers and board game publishers. Sometimes sell sheets will be used to communicate from publisher to distributor/retailer. Whilst a lot of the advice here remains relevant, it does not cover everything and probably requires a different article to cover it in full.