Building a Prototyping Pipeline
In March of last year, we attended the Unpub developers conference in Baltimore, MD. It was our first real convention where we shared Rescue with other folks in the tabletop industry. Unpub focuses on unpublished games, seeking playtesting and feedback.
We had already been playtesting locally at events and with friends, but Unpub was different. We wanted to make the best first impression possible, so we decided to order a custom-printed deck through The Game Crafter. The project required all hands on deck to get the design built out and our dog database refined in time.
Creating a Database for Card Files
The first step was organizing all of our card data in one place. The core idea is simple: every dog, Foster Family, and Adoption Event becomes a row in a shared card database. We use Google Sheets because it's collaborative, free, and familiar.
Our key columns include card name, size (small, medium, large), personality traits, ability text, Pack Leader scoring, and image filename. This approach lets us leverage references and vlookups inside of Sheets to create primary databases for each aspect of the card. Instead of typing out a dog's ability in multiple places, we have an abilities database with each ability assigned its own key. Then, for the print sheet, we just reference the database with a vlookup, and all the relevant data is pulled in automatically.
Rescue’s print sheet
Every aspect of the card is handled this way, which makes updates more efficient. Each element on the dog’s card has a corresponding column that uses a formula to convert plain text into a markup language used by Component Studio. This markup language pulls in the image file names to convert plain text into its corresponding iconography for the final version.
Syncing Google Sheets with Component Studio
Once the database was organized, we needed to get it into a format Component Studio could read. We built it with naming conventions for columns that map cleanly. We use titles like dog_name, ability_text, and size_icon instead of vague labels.
Before syncing, we run a few checks. No stray line breaks that will break layouts. Ensure all of the variables are being constructed correctly, and we’re ready import. In Component Studio, we create a new dataset and link it to our Google Sheet, where CS constructs a database mirroring our sheet. Once the dataset is created, we can start using the variables we constructed to build out our cards.
Building Component Studio Templates
Now that we’ve created our dataset, we can build templates that automatically generate cards. Instead of creating a separate InDesign file for each card, we built a single template for each card type. For dog cards, we have a template that pulls in background, image, size, ability, etc. All of those variables are created in our spreadsheet and reference file names for elements uploaded to Component Studio.
Since each dog is distinct in size, name, personality, and illustration, this simplifies the whole process. The flow between Sheets and Component Studio is straightforward: link the Google Sheet as a Dataset, bind columns to text and image frames, and generate a merged document.
Uploading and Proofing on The Game Crafter
Once Component Studio generates the merged cards, the next step is getting them print-ready for The Game Crafter. Since Component Studio is owned by The Game Crafter, exporting a project to an order is straightforward. Once your project is ready, you simply export from Component Studio and tell it what Game Crafter project you want to send it to. That's it.
Digital proofing is critical before ordering. We check that Pack Leader text is correct and confirm that personalities and icons match our dataset. Catching these issues digitally saves money and time compared to discovering them when the physical prototype arrives.
Lead Times
Each time we’ve ordered from The Game Crafter, the wait is about three to four weeks from order to delivery, so we need to plan ahead. For conventions like Unpub, that means placing the order over a month in advance. Leading up to last year’s Unpub, we had to make multiple rush orders, costing us $75 to skip to the front of the production queue.
If you continue to playtest while waiting for delivery and want to make changes, you're out of luck. That's just the nature of designing games and hitting milestones like ordering custom decks. You'll continue to iterate and always find things you want to fine-tune.
Wrapping Up
Despite the complexity, this pipeline transformed how we prototype for large events. The flow looks like this at a high level: Google Sheets → Component Studio → The Game Crafter → playable deck.
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