Matt Leacock discusses his process designing Pandemic, in this talk from 2008

Best Advice - Game Design & Design Process Principles

A broad collection of advice for new board game inventors. A great starting point: 

http://boardgamegeek.com/article/7372503

“Make sure your game has a solid central tension in its core mechanics. The best tension tends to involve other players.”

— Spoiled Flush Games

“Empathy is one of the game designer’s most important assets. Can you read the fun in a room?”

— @eric_lang

Ten Exciting Designers Doing Exciting Things
 
http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/10013/ten-exciting-designers-doing-exciting-things-on-i

Andrea Chiarvesio (designer of Kingsburg) on the risks and rewards of playing others’ designs, why less is more, artisans vs. artists, games as cars, and why he’s Robert Zemekis:

http://opinionatedgamers.com/2012/05/02/the-art-of-design-interviews-to-game-designers-18-andrea-chiarvesio/

General conclusions about risk-taking in multiplayer games, drawn from strategic analysis of a simplistic case:
 
http://www.benefactum.ca/?p=241
 
From Alex M Weldon (@benefactumgames)

“Don’t allow players to circumvent your game’s strategic focal point.”

— Visible Hand Games (@vhgames)

“I don’t enjoy designing “safe” games. If a game of mine doesn’t worry me on any level, IMO I’m doing something wrong.”

— Eric Lang (@eric_lang)

“The trick to a great Kickstarter video is making a fun, fast and fresh video that gives viewers a bit of entertainment and a bit of gameplay”

— Crash Games (@Crash_Games)

How to turn a prototype into something a publisher would want to produce:

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/h77k26

By Seth Jaffee (@sedjtroll)

“If game designers just spent 10% of the time they invested on fiddling with graphics on writing complete and structured rules, the world would be a better place, not only for editors and publishers. Playtesting outside your peer group might be helpful, too.”

— eggertspiele (@eggertspiele)

Calibration: Trial & Error or Dark Alchemy?

A BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion about tweaking the math:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/796433/calibration-trial-error-or-dark-alchemy

The Ludology podcast tackles questions from listeners in the latest episode. Topics covered include:

–Patents and intellectual property rights for games
–Rules terminology and clarity in design
–When table politics can have a place in a design
–“Constructive vs. destructive games” as an alternative to the Euro vs. Ameritrash debate

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-30-listener-spectacular

“Take it slow. A late game is only late until it’s released. A bad game is bad forever.”

— Grant Rodiek (@HerrohGrant)

“Game design is as frustrating and difficult as it is enjoyable and rewarding. I do it because I have to. It is my outlet.”

— Brad D. Fuller (via whyidesigngames)

“

The best way to be able to get into a career in the gaming world is to get started. Blog, podcast, create print and play copies, design, market, whatever.

By this, I mean getting out there and doing something in the community. Be the go to guy. If you have an audience you have power.

”

— Michael Mindes of Tasty Minstrel Games

How to create better board games for mobile devices:
 
http://hyperbolegames.com/2012/04/27/developing-better-digital-board-games/
 
By Grant Rodiek (@HerrohGrant/@HyperboleGames)

An interview with the designer of the newest best-selling game on The Game Crafter:
 
http://news.thegamecrafter.com/post/21901010552/we-decided-it-was-high-time-we-interview-the

The rules hierarchy for tabletop games. Graphic by Daniel Solis.