An in-depth discussion about “mean” games: Can games be mean, or just let players be mean? And is there a difference from a design perspective? (video)

https://youtu.be/X8OOnZ_wU2Y

Thoughts on what makes a game “mean”—and the times when that’s either a good thing or a bad thing:

https://lestmyopinions.com/2025/03/19/thats-just-mean/

Want to design a family game? Here are some mistakes to avoid:

https://www.thedarkimp.com/blog/2025/03/10/mistakes-to-avoid-when-designing-family-games/

A short thread on when failure can be fun for players:

https://bsky.app/profile/carlrobinsoncrusoe.bsky.social/post/3ljd5ipohz22v

When a player says “don’t make me think,” here are three things they might mean (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gy46e7b7Xw

What are game designers for?

https://www.sjgames.com/ill/archive/2025-02-28

What makes a game “cozy”? A Bluesky board game designers discussion:

https://bsky.app/profile/senfoonglim.bsky.social/post/3ligalnsa6k2z

What does “fun” mean? Here’s a list of 20 types of fun:

https://bsky.app/profile/carlrobinsoncrusoe.bsky.social/post/3likfdx4uos2q

Understanding your game’s audience: how knowing the key characteristics and desires of the demographic can help you make a game that satisfies the core consumer by design (audio):

https://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-335-whos-this-for

How various modern board games approach handicap systems that allow players of different skill levels to compete—a Bluesky board game designers discussion:

https://bsky.app/profile/gengelstein.bsky.social/post/3lgwlcoulc22j

Game arcs: why they matter and some common types of arcs in board games:

https://www.skeletoncodemachine.com/p/game-arcs

How to prevent players from ending up with the same few scores, with a little help from quantum physics:

part 1: https://www.instagram.com/p/DEryopmqaq5/?img_index=1

part 2: https://www.instagram.com/p/DE-g9fgM6LS/?img_index=1

Triangular numbers and why they show up so often in game designs:

https://gametek.substack.com/p/2025-triangles-and-you

Digging into a fundamental question about games: What are rules? And what kinds of rules come into play with board games? (audio):

https://decisionspace.podbean.com/e/the-5-types-of-rules-what-we-talk-about/

How can tabletop designers make games that are less likely to trigger analysis paralysis in players?

https://www.skeletoncodemachine.com/p/analysis-paralysis

Player failure: considering what kind of penalties make sense with the game’s theme (audio):

https://ludology.libsyn.com/thinking-beyond-mechanisms-ep-14

Board games where the box is integral to gameplay:

https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/11/26/box-clever-board-games-where-the-box-is-integral-topic-discussion/

Useful for designers making a game for kids: developmental milestones for game play:

https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8517750/black-canyon

Board game designers share their game design theories in less than 300 characters:

https://bsky.app/profile/ross-esmond.bsky.social/post/3lbhlcbjdsk2m

What attributes make for an outstanding co-op board game? A Bluesky board game designers discussion:

https://bsky.app/profile/jeffgrisenthwaite.bsky.social/post/3lba375gkcs2q