Mechanics that enhance replayability

The Secret Cabal (@thesecretcabal) discuss what aspects of games make them want to play again, starting at about 1:51:00:

http://www.thesecretcabal.com/2012/05/02/episode-17-malifaux-playing-the-table-and-mechanics-that-enhance-replayability/

A few ways to implement secret positioning or secret movement:

http://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/7492/how-can-you-have-secret-units-on-the-board

First playtest disaster: The BoardGameGeek designers forums share their trainwreck stories and how to get past them:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/810189/first-playtest-disaster-breathe-deeply

The Toy Industry Association’s “Toy Inventor & Designer Guide” has some general information about how to introduce a new toy or game into the market:
  
http://www.toyassociation.org/AM/PDFs/TIA/TIAToyInventorDesignerGuide2ndEdition.pdf

“As board game designers, we have to make our own magic. But it also means we’re free to.”

— Paul Saxberg, quoted by Gavan Brown (@roosterjuice)

Notes from a game design class using The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design:

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/10866/1st-game-design-class

“Never give up. Rejection is part of the process.”

— Chevee Dodd (@cheveedodd)

“Failing to trim your game into a lean mean fun machine will almost invariably cost you publication because extra parts make the game more expensive, extra rules make the game less accessible, and the combination makes a game no one wants to take a chance on.”

— Jay Treat (@jtreat3)

“If you are going to design a successful game, you may need to cut one of your favorite aspects of the game, in the interest of flow, pacing, and fun.”

— Clint Herron

The Plaid Hat Games guys discuss their design processes, starting at about 49:00:

http://plaidhatpodcast.libsyn.com/episode-45

How to design an expansion?

Richard Garfield discusses creating his King of Tokyo expansion, as well as playtesting methods and navigating the publishing process, on the Games With Garfield podcast:

http://www.threedonkeys.com/blog/archives/722

SEE ALSO: Lessons learned designing an expansion, by Grant Rodiek (@HerrohGrant)

http://cardboardedison.tumblr.com/post/19177839103/lessons-learned-designing-an-expansion-by

It’s hard to make a living as a professional game designer. Kim Vandenbroucke (@TheGameAisle) talks about how she does it, on the Game Whisperer’s Funding the Dream podcast:

http://www.buzzsprout.com/4646/41870-funding-the-dream-ep-33-with-kim-vandenbroucke

“Go to the store and look at what is out there first. If you already have a design, could it stand on the shelf with the other products? If you don’t, try to design something new that could be on the shelf with the other products.”

— Brad Ross

Panda Game Manufacturing (@panda_gm) visits the Ludology podcast to discuss the board game production process and the general industry:

http://ludology.libsyn.com/webpage/ludology-episode-33-pandamonium

Game Evaluation Criteria

A feedback form you can modify, print and ask playtesters to fill out:

http://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/24600/game_evaluation_criteria_v1-2-doc

“Praise doesn’t help me make my game better, it only serves to reassure me that I make awesome decisions and that hampers my ability to change those decisions later.”

— Chevee Dodd (@cheveedodd)

Playtesting: For how long, and how much input do you incorporate?

A BoardGameGeek forum:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/808606/playtesting-for-how-long-and-how-much-input-do-you

“[Push] a game’s limits when the game seems fine.”

— Olivier Lamontagne

Getting your board game reviewed. Two posts:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/808503/getting-your-game-reviewed

http://www.bgdf.com/node/6559

“If you never make mistakes, you are not working on challenges that move you further. And that’s a BIG mistake.”

— Reiner Knizia (@ReinerKnizia)