The Production Process

The production process for a game follows a number of steps. The best guide to how long it is until a game will be released, is the stage of the production process it has reached.

The length of time each stage takes varies a lot from game to game. The variation is caused by a number of factors, but the main one is the size and complexity of the game.

The stages are as follows:

Stage	Description	Time
Development	JKLM Games works with the game designer to finalise the design of the game. The amount of work required for this stage varies greatly, as some games are received by JKLM Games in a state where they are ready to produce, while others need significant amounts of development work before they are ready for production. This is of course always done in conjunction with the designer.	Variable
Graphic Design	The artwork for the game is produced by a Graphic Artist. This can include the game board, cards, player aids, rulebook, box top and bottom, and anything else the game requires.	4 - 12 weeks
Foreign Language Sale	The game, including the full graphics, are shown to publishers from countries which don't use English as their first language. They decide whether they want to be a partner in the game's production.	2 - 8 weeks
Translation	The game is translated into all the languages in which it is to be produced.	2 - 6 weeks
Graphic Translation	The graphic artist creates versions of the graphics which use the translated text. Generally we try and design the games so that this affects as few components as possible, but this is easier in some games than others.	1 - 6 weeks
Printing preproduction	The graphics are laid out, and converted into printing plates, ready for printing.	1 - 2 weeks
Queued for production	The game waits for a slot to be available in the printer's schedule for printing. This is usually very short, but can be several weeks if the printer is busy (e.g. just before Essen).	0+ weeks
Printing and Finishing	The game is printed, and the printed components are cut, folded, glued, mounted, etc.	3 - 6 weeks
Collation	The components are all counted into the boxes.	1 - 2 weeks
Game Release