The designer as auteur is a concept that works better in board gaming than in most collaborative creative fields. Vital Lacerda's games are recognizable across the catalog — complex interlocking systems, high production quality, narrative themes, economic mechanisms at their core. Elizabeth Hargrave's Wingspan and Mariposas share design DNA that is immediately recognizable. Cole Wehrle's games all grapple with political economy and asymmetric conflict.

Following designers rather than publishers or themes has improved my acquisition decisions. When a designer I trust announces a new game, I have an accurate prior for what the experience will be like. When a designer I do not connect with releases a critically acclaimed game, I feel less FOMO about missing it.

Designers worth following: Lacerda, Rosenberg, Wehrle, Hargrave, Gil Hova, Ryan Laukat, Jamey Stegmaier. Each has a recognizable voice and a coherent body of work.