The Rulebook Project

1. Content completeness

Every component in the box appears in the illustrated component list, with the correct countCount errors are the most common shipped defect (Obsession)Every rule printed on a card, board, mat or player aid also exists in the rulebookRules that live only on a component vanish when the component does (Mage Knight, Triplock)Setup is fully specified for every supported player countPlayer-count deltas are the most re-looked-up fact in most gamesTie-breakers exist for every 'the most / the least / first place' ruleSuperlatives are the classic hole-generatorSolo / cooperative / variant modes have their own complete setup and end conditionsImperium shipped with a missing solo-bot ruleEnd-game trigger AND end-of-game sequence are both stated (does the round finish?)'Finish the round' is assumed far more often than it is written

2. Structure

Goal / win condition appears before the detailed rulesReaders need a purpose to attach rules toNo term is used before it is definedThe single most-cited reader irritationEvery forward reference cites its target section and pageUncited forward references force blind page-flippingExceptions and edge cases sit beside their rule or in a clearly marked section, not inline in the core flowExceptions in the main flow make the core unlearnableEach rule sits under the heading a confused player would actually reach forOrganisation is a retrieval problem, not only a teaching oneOne linear read is sufficient to understand the gameRyan Migalla's quality metric

3. Language

One concept = one term, everywhere, including cards and marketing copySynonyms force readers to hunt for a difference that does not existEffects that behave identically are worded identically (templating)Consistent templating lets players learn a pattern onceConditions precede effects in every conditional ruleReduces misplays and enables skimmingNo sentence fails the one-breath testLong sentences are the main source of parse failure'should' removed; 'exception' and 'remember' reviewed as design smellsStonemaier's editorial passRepeated sets always listed in the same canonical orderSilent, cumulative cognitive load

4. Examples & visuals

Every example covers at least one non-obvious caseObvious examples are wasted printNo rule appears only inside an example, caption or parentheticalPaul Grogan's red flagExamples make clear which details are arbitraryReaders infer unintended rules from examplesThere is a labelled setup diagram of the initial table stateLets readers verify their setup visuallyInformation-dense components have an anatomy diagramConverts a component into shared vocabulary

5. Reference apparatus

Table of contents present (and an index if the book exceeds ~12 pages)TOC and index are different toolsIcon key exists in exactly one place and is easy to findIcon soup without a key is a top complaintBack cover carries turn flow, icon key and/or setup summaryThe most valuable page in the bookA short 'commonly missed rules' list existsHighest value per word availableRulebook carries a version number and dateEnables errata and living rules

6. Typography & print

Body text >= 10pt (12pt preferred); test the smallest text in dim light10pt is the stated floor at Stonemaier; accessibility guidance says 12ptContrast >= 4.5:1 for body text; page still readable in greyscaleWCAG-derived targetNo rules text over art, texture or dark backgroundsRecurring cause of games being shelvedNo colour-only coding anywhere; every distinction is double-coded8% of men have colour vision deficiencyNo underlined rules text; all-caps limited to a handful of critical notesLegibilityShort sections do not break across pages; 2-page sections are on facing pagesPrevents mid-rule page turnsPage count divisible by 4; spreads planned deliberatelyPrint reality

7. Testing

At least one full blind playtest with people who have never seen the gameThe only reliable detector of missing rulesAt least one blind test with non-gamers or non-native speakersExperienced gamers paper over defectsTesters were told not to use how-to-play videosNot every owner will have internet accessDesigner did not intervene except to protect the rest of the testIntervention destroys the dataTimed look-up test on the pre-production copy: can a specific answer be found fast?Slow look-up is a structural defectRulebook read backwards, section by section, as a final QA passPrevents autopilot skimming

8. Handover

A written style guide accompanies the text to the copyeditor and proofreaderCheapest possible consistency insuranceEditing done before layout; proofreading done after layoutLayout introduces its own errorsInstructions to the graphic designer are unmistakably not rules textBracketed notes have shipped as rules beforeRulebook version matches the component version being printedVersion drift is a classic defect sourceSearchable PDF and a public living-rules/errata page are plannedCtrl-F is the index every game already ships with