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

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

Cardboard Edison
  • About Us/
  • Our Games/
    • Houdini's Last Act
    • Quad Squad
    • Cobras
    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
    • Prototypes
  • Free Resources/
    • Blog
    • Industry Reports
    • Tariffs Report
    • Playtest Groups
    • Virtual Tabletops
    • Contests
    • Podcast
    • Interviews
    • Game Design Checklist
  • Publisher Directory/
  • Award/
  • Newsletter/
  • Sign InMy Account
featured
theory
playtesting
prototyping
process
rules
licensing
publishing
industry
No results found
Bright Ideas RSS

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


June 27, 2026 June 27, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

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

https://rossongames.com/affinity

June 27, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

June 27, 2026 June 27, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

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

June 27, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, process, industry

Cardboard Edison

June 27, 2026 June 27, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

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

June 27, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 26, 2026 June 26, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

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

June 26, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

June 25, 2026 June 25, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

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/

June 25, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
process, prototyping

Cardboard Edison

June 25, 2026 June 25, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

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

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

June 25, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

June 19, 2026 June 19, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

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

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

June 19, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting, licensing

Cardboard Edison

June 17, 2026 June 17, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

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/

June 17, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

June 17, 2026 June 17, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

How the Spiel des Jahres jury selects games:

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

June 17, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

June 16, 2026 June 16, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

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

June 16, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, process

Cardboard Edison

June 13, 2026 June 13, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

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

June 13, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

June 12, 2026 June 12, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

A process for figuring out what it is about your game that’s going to hook publishers and players (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGMGdiar1J0

June 12, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing, industry

Cardboard Edison

June 12, 2026 June 12, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Are there too many board games? This piece tackles the question from various perspectives, including designers, game quality, gamers, and more (scroll for English):

https://faidutti.com/blog/blog/2026/06/12/trop-de-jeux-too-many-games/

June 12, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

June 10, 2026 June 10, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

The Spiel des Jahres is the best-known award in the board game industry, but its goals aren’t exactly what many people think they are:

https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/09/spiel-des-jahres-the-award-that-was-never-really-about-awards-topic-discussion/

June 10, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

June 09, 2026 June 09, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Here’s a database of free game art that people have posted to Itch.io:

https://jeremiahb.raindrop.page/database-of-free-art-69909172

June 09, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

June 06, 2026 June 06, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Game designer Cole Wehrle on player agency, emergent storytelling, and what it's like to make and play long, heavy games (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Dz5rUUUBY

June 06, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 05, 2026 June 05, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Turning a bad sell sheet into a good one (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uew1LKp3Mwo

June 05, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

June 04, 2026 June 04, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Why crowdfunding campaigns fail after funding—and how to avoid it:

https://updates.kickstarter.com/why-kickstarter-campaigns-fail-after-funding-and-how-to-avoid-it/

June 04, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

June 02, 2026 June 02, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

10 product design mistakes that cause the most replacement parts requests:

https://stonemaiergames.com/10-product-design-mistakes-that-cause-the-most-replacement-parts-requests/

June 02, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

May 30, 2026 May 30, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

What is a eurogame? (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h8ZDJPVrkI

May 30, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

  • Next

2026 Cardboard Edison Supporters:

Alley Cat Games
Back Office by Naylor Games