"I told him what we were doing, and he was very interested. He said Rio Grande would sponsor a contest and pick one game to publish. That lit a fire under us. Rio Grande wants to foster this kind of development in the U.S. In Europe the game culture is so strong," says Jones.

So, representatives of Rio Grande met with the guild last summer. "We presented them with 12 games," says Jones. After looking them over, "they told us that four were good enough to be published but that they could only take one at that time. But they are coming back next year."

The game they selected is called "Heavens of Olympus," designed by Mike Compton. Guild members also have some games pending publication with other companies, and they have games ready to enter into some of the big-game competitions in Europe, such as the Hippodice, held in Germany.

So, what exactly makes a good game? That's the question. Obviously, if it were easy, everyone could design a good game.

Basically, says Jones, "a good game accomplishes what it sets out to be."

"There are so many types of games," says Compton. "Some are designed for social interaction, some for deeper strategy. But a good game will keep you interested, will be fun the whole time. Monotony can outstay its welcome in a hurry."

Some games are designed for short play; others for longer. The key is being involved the whole time, says Jones. "A four-hour game can a success if it is engaging all the time."

Some games are built around luck; others around skill. Some people prefer one kind, some the other. Party games are all about social interaction.

And then you have to think about design, says Jones. "It has to be functional. But you don't want the design to get in the way. We spend a lot of time critiquing design. We have to fix things that are confusing." That's a big part of the game-design process, he says: play, revise; play, revise. Revise, revise, revise. "Sometimes you just take baby steps, but the effect is cumulative. Games aren't born, they evolve."

The graphics of a game should be like cinematography in a movie, says Compton. "If it's good enough, you don't think about it, but if it's bad, it gets in the way of the story."

Compton's "Heavens of Olympus" is built around a Greek theme. "Each player is an unknown god, building the universe. You get points for constellations and planets and such."

At a recent meeting of the guild, other members brought games to try out. Ryan Laukat has one called "Radio Active Cities." You build cities and try to persuade people to come live in them. Laukat is known for his design work and, in fact, has been the artist/designer for a couple of other games published by Rio Grande Games.