I've written a lot on my own experiences with paper prototyping for boardgames (which I need to condense sometime), and I would like to mention some materials that jammers may use. If you are making a game that's more free-form you may still be inspired by something on this list, but it's mostly catered for a tabletop experience
I write this list for those who want to know a good starting point, as sometimes you really just want to get going on game creation and focus on that. Sometimes it's worth the time to explore materials, but sometimes you would rather spend time on something like player dynamics or the perfect mechanic or multiple games. So below you will find my personal checklist:
# The usual suspects
– Paper, including origami or colored papers, Post-its
– Cardboard (ask coffee shops or supermarkets for free cardboard)
– Paper glue (sometimes you need universal glue too)
– Masking and/or cellophane tape
– Scissors and a box cutter
– Cutting mat (self-healing, A4/A3 sized), a stack of newspapers kinda work if you're careful
– Drawing materials (pencils, markers, erasers, (metal) rulers, compass, protractors)
# Optional materials
– Dice and/or standard card decks (I recommend at least two)
– Cardstock OR index cards OR blank business cards AND/OR Card sleeves
– X-acto knife (usually a box cutter works fine for free-form)
– Rotary (or Guillotine) paper cutter
– Spray adhesive
– Any inspirational materials (may be anything from magazines to videos)
– Creative materials (decorations, washers, poker chips, lego, other game pieces, clay, boxes, candy, string)