Cardboard Edison
  • Cardboard Edison
  • Houdini's Last Act Quad Squad Cobras Retail Rejects More Games Prototypes
  • Blog Industry Reports Playtest Groups Virtual Tabletops Contests Interviews Game Design Checklist
  • Publisher Directory
  • Tariffs Report
  • Newsletter
  • Podcast
  • Award
Cardboard Edison
  • Cardboard Edison/
  • Our Games/
    • Houdini's Last Act
    • Quad Squad
    • Cobras
    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
    • Prototypes
  • Free Resources/
    • Blog
    • Industry Reports
    • Playtest Groups
    • Virtual Tabletops
    • Contests
    • Interviews
    • Game Design Checklist
  • Publisher Directory/
  • Tariffs Report/
  • Newsletter/
  • Podcast/
  • Award/
board+game+bits.jpg
Cardboard Edison

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

Cardboard Edison
  • Cardboard Edison/
  • Our Games/
    • Houdini's Last Act
    • Quad Squad
    • Cobras
    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
    • Prototypes
  • Free Resources/
    • Blog
    • Industry Reports
    • Playtest Groups
    • Virtual Tabletops
    • Contests
    • Interviews
    • Game Design Checklist
  • Publisher Directory/
  • Tariffs Report/
  • Newsletter/
  • Podcast/
  • Award/
featured
theory
playtesting
prototyping
process
rules
licensing
publishing
industry
Bright Ideas RSS

Receive exclusive board game design tips and resources in your inbox by subscribing to our weekly Omnibus newsletter


December 04, 2025 December 04, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Considering the differences between maps that use hexes vs. maps that use connected points:

https://www.skeletoncodemachine.com/p/everything-is-pointcrawl

December 04, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

December 03, 2025 December 03, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Answers to a bunch of questions about designing and publishing board games (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncobd6xxT2Q

December 03, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process, publishing, industry

Cardboard Edison

November 29, 2025 November 29, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

What do you do with your old prototypes? A Reddit board game designers discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1ozz02m/what_do_you_do_with_old_prototypes/

November 29, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

November 24, 2025 November 24, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Experts in crowdfunding, manufacturing, and fulfillment offer tips and tricks for how to navigate the publishing process (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZLGW1x5jo4

November 24, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

November 20, 2025 November 20, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Career paths in the tabletop industry: how to gain work experience that’s attractive to publishers and other gaming companies (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcjh97TFETE

November 20, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

November 19, 2025 November 19, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

When should you start talking about your board game idea? A Reddit board game design forum discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1ozjd9o/when_to_start_talking_about_ideas/

November 19, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

November 17, 2025 November 17, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

This panel discussion about pitching board games to publishers covers every step of the process, from finding companies to preparing to the pitch itself (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1csZDlGVOo

November 17, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

November 17, 2025 November 17, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

When shipping a crowdfunded game to backers, here are some problems you might run into—and the opportunities to provide great customer service that come with them:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/shipping-your-games-to-backers-and-following-up-on-any-issues/

November 17, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

November 15, 2025 November 15, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Steps to take to make a great rulebook:

https://stonemaiergames.com/what-makes-a-great-rulebook/

November 15, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
rules

Cardboard Edison

November 15, 2025 November 15, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Tips and tricks for making a small print run of your board game by hand (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72RlygLm11g

November 15, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

November 14, 2025 November 14, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Why the first play of a board game is the most important one—and what designers can focus on to make it count (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rboNxr1KCc

November 14, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting, industry

Cardboard Edison

November 13, 2025 November 13, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Publishers answer a wide range of questions about how they run their board game business (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxQnMstW-hQ

November 13, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

November 08, 2025 November 08, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

An introduction to casino games: how common gambling games are designed, the odds behind them, and how casinos use them to their benefit (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDrisK5N6l8

November 08, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

November 08, 2025 November 08, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Suggested terms to discuss different types of “randomness” in games:

https://keithburgun.net/randomness/

November 08, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

November 08, 2025 November 08, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Here’s a small, free set of game icons for use in tabletop games:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1op44ua/i_made_a_free_set_of_game_icons_for_tabletop_games/

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rq33CJSQkiFXCjALAke6CKnd4mNfkocG

November 08, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

November 06, 2025 November 06, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

How to start, run, and grow a playtest group—finding people and the right location, handling disputes, scheduling games, and balancing in-person vs. digital testing (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqnmPAd11dA

November 06, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

November 04, 2025 November 04, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Leveling up as a board game designer: signs that your skills and practices are becoming more like an experienced designer rather than a beginner (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPWgQCNkRsM

November 04, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process, playtesting, industry

Cardboard Edison

November 01, 2025 November 01, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

What’s your best playtesting advice? A Bluesky board game designers discussion:

https://bsky.app/profile/gregisonthego.bsky.social/post/3m4j56fvbvs2q

November 01, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

October 31, 2025 October 31, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Inka and Markus Brand on designing games as a couple and as a family:

https://thegenerationsgames.substack.com/p/inka-and-markus-brand-our-minds-are-always-buzzing-with-ideas-for-games

October 31, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

October 31, 2025 October 31, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

The Daniel.games game design advice website has been updated with new and revised articles:

https://daniel.games/

October 31, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, process, playtesting, industry

Cardboard Edison

  • Next