The rise of cozy games—everything you need to know about how they’ve taken over such a big part of the tabletop industry:

https://www.meeplemountain.com/articles/the-rise-rise-of-cozy-board-games/

This system aims to standardize colorblind-friendly iconography:

https://colorsym.com/

news coverage: https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2026/07/06/designer-pair-launch-colorsym-giving-publishers-a-free-tool-for-colourblind-friendly-board-game-creation/

Arguing that frustration is an essential part of games, neither inherently bad nor good:

https://lestmyopinions.com/2026/07/05/right-in-the-bad-feels/

10 board game publishers who are seeking submissions—a walkthrough of their processes and requirements (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92eIywsY6YY

What one board game designer wishes they knew when they started making games 12 years ago:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/what-i-wish-i-knew-about-board-game-design-12-years-ago/

A strong hook is important for getting publishers’ and players’ attention. Here’s a process for coming up with strong game hooks (video):

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

Thoughts on some unspoken assumptions in board game design discourse, and how the way a game is framed for the market can lead to design choices that run counter to common wisdom:

https://www.hawkanddovegames.com/blog/on-design-discourse

How the Spiel des Jahres organization earns—and spends—money:

https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/30/spiel-des-jahres-following-the-money-topic-discussion/

Want to come up with new ideas for board game designs? This acronym gives you several methods of generating game ideas (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXqMoRvWrf4

Tips for using Affinity Studio to design components and make rulebook updates for your board game prototypes:

https://rossongames.com/affinity

Game designer Phil Walker-Harding on balancing games, inspiration, the design process, players’ negative experiences, and more (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaG_iAwxG4g

Accuracy vs. authenticity: How to assess what’s “real” in historical games? And why do some games feel “authentic” while others don’t? (video)

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

What kinds of things should you look for in a publisher before signing a game with them? Here are 5 things to consider:

https://www.benrosset.games/designer-advice#h.a85tfbdoyed0

A reminder about how the best time to start designing your board game is right now:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1ub5kuz/the_best_time_to_start_designing_your_board_game/

Tips for prototyping your board game more quickly (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zNw8T-EqLU

How many times should you playtest a game before pitching it?

https://pamwallsgamedesign.substack.com/p/how-many-times-should-you-playtest

Advice for playtesting your board game at a convention—a Reddit board game designers forum discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1u7kmdm/having_people_play_test_your_games_at_cons_whats/

How the Spiel des Jahres jury selects games:

https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/16/spiel-des-jahres-how-the-jury-chooses-games-topic-discussion/

Generating content such as effects and player powers for your game: a process for creating it, games that do and don’t need it, “free” design space, and more (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1oeWTSz26M

What do Americans think about board games? This poll digs into which games are played most often, the age groups that love games the most, and more:

https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/54943-what-americans-think-about-board-games