
In The Real Salt Road
March 10, 2026Restart Components
How important are board game components for gameplay? Are they just for show, or do their size, material, colors, and thickness really matter? At Restart, we considered many factors to improve both the visuals and the gameplay. Here are a few things we would like to share.
When we play board games, we focus on the gameplay and interaction with other players because that's the fun part, right? Anything else required of us can sometimes feel overwhelming and ruin the fun. Picking up and assembling pieces, trying to grab small parts, and placing and moving them can be difficult when the components are not designed with the player in mind. Not to mention that every player reacts differently to these actions. For example, a child's grip on a meeple is different from an elderly person's, and a color-blind person sees colors differently in resources and markers. We took all of this into serious consideration when developing the game components.
Although it is not a component, I will start with the rulebook, which is probably the most important part of the game since it introduces everything else. It must be written in a way that is straightforward and easy to read, and that describes the game flow sequence smoothly. To achieve this, we partnered with Paul Grogan from Gaming Rules! and Phil Pettifer, the designer of the Mage Knight Ultimate Edition. They both provided assistance and edited the rules to create the best version possible. As for the components, here are a few things we carefully planned. Wooden or plastic materials were needed to make components more durable, steady, and easy to grab. Some resources have the same shape but different colors to remind players that they work similarly but not identically. We made the markers and resources used often in the game bigger to avoid fiddling and allow players to handle them more easily. We designed the board with clever layering so that it can be used in multiple ways, helping players to organize their playing area better.
Do all of these sound interesting and make sense to you? Would you change or add anything? Share your thoughts in this BGG community thread. Of course, you can also follow to learn more about Restart's components. We will be posting more information soon.
RESTART
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Embark on a thrilling time-traveling adventure with Restart, a tactical engine-building game that challenges you to change the past to save the future.
350+ Multipurpose Cards
12 Detailed Miniatures
4 Unique Dystopias
1-4 Players






