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Cardboard Edison

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

Cardboard Edison
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June 23, 2012 June 23, 2012/ Cardboard Edison

Richard Launius (Arkham Horror) discusses his process for creating cooperative games in this interview from 2010:

http://www.mechanics-and-meeples.com/2010/11/25/co-op-interviews-richard-launius-arkham-horror/

June 23, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

June 23, 2012 June 23, 2012/ Cardboard Edison
“Any game that claims to get better with repeated plays needs to be fun enough that players want to get to that point.”
— UndeadViking, as quoted by Games & Grub (@GamesAndGrub)
June 23, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 23, 2012 June 23, 2012/ Cardboard Edison
“People who wish to design games should play games. Lots of them.”
— Richard Garfield, in The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design, quoted by Brett Myers (@brettspiel)
June 23, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

June 23, 2012 June 23, 2012/ Cardboard Edison
“Frustration is an excellent spice, but a very poor main ingredient.”
— Chris Maka (@chrismaka)
June 23, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 22, 2012 June 22, 2012/ Cardboard Edison
“My trick to simplify my designs is to write the rules in an early stage. If I can’t describe a feature in a few sentences, it’s too complex.”
— Reiner Knizia (@ReinerKnizia)
June 22, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
rules, process

Cardboard Edison

June 22, 2012 June 22, 2012/ Cardboard Edison
“Don’t worry too much about making your rules clever and funny. The purpose of the rules is to teach the game, hopefully quickly. Instead, put your focus on making your game clever and funny. Let your mechanics tell a story. Don’t muddy your rules. Write great rules first, then add humor.”
— Grant Rodiek (@HerrohGrant)
June 22, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
rules

Cardboard Edison

June 22, 2012 June 22, 2012/ Cardboard Edison

Fred Hicks (@fredhicks) reveals how Evil Hat Productions designed the pledge levels and rewards for their “Race to Adventure” Kickstarter campaign:
 
http://www.deadlyfredly.com/2012/06/in-the-red/

June 22, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

June 21, 2012 June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison

Designing Games With the Publisher in Mind

http://www.otb-games.com/?p=2567

June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

June 21, 2012 June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison

Tips for how to generate interest for your board game:

http://boardgamegeek.com/article/9444941#9444941

June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing, industry

Cardboard Edison

June 21, 2012 June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison

Designer question of dread: Do we need any more games?

Put another way: What keeps you inspired?

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/11335/designer-question-of-dread-do-we-need-any-more-gam

June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
industry, process

Cardboard Edison

June 21, 2012 June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison

Some considerations when creating a board game’s economic system:
 
http://www.suntzugames.com/1/post/2012/06/the-money-flow-and-economy-in-board-games.html

June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 21, 2012 June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison
“Games create stories. Rules imply the stories that a game can tell.”
— Darrell Hardy (@HardyTales)
June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, rules

Cardboard Edison

June 21, 2012 June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison
“Don’t confuse depth with complexity.”
— Grant Rodiek (@HerrohGrant)
June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 21, 2012 June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison
“One point that cannot be stressed enough: Complexity creates problems, simplicity solves problems.”
— Reiner Knizia (@ReinerKnizia)
June 21, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
process, theory

Cardboard Edison

June 20, 2012 June 20, 2012/ Cardboard Edison
“Game-sense: Got a practical problem with your board game? Don’t add more stuff. First, try using what you already *have* in a new way.”
— Brett J. Gilbert (@55cards)
June 20, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

June 20, 2012 June 20, 2012/ Cardboard Edison

An essay on “different scoring approaches that designers can employ, and how those choices manifest in the game’s dynamics and the kind of decisions and tensions facing players”:

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/11324/the-choices-we-make

June 20, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 19, 2012 June 19, 2012/ Cardboard Edison
“If you have an idea, do not give up on it. Fight for it. You will eventually win and I promise you, it will be an amazing victory.”
— Chevee Dodd (@cheveedodd)
June 19, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/ /Source
process, industry

Cardboard Edison

June 19, 2012 June 19, 2012/ Cardboard Edison
“When a game has a rulebook section called “Commonly Overlooked Rules”, you have to ask yourself why are they overlooked and are they needed.”
— Grim Tree Games (@grimtreegames)
June 19, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
rules

Cardboard Edison

June 18, 2012 June 18, 2012/ Cardboard Edison

Need a single copy of a game printed, or a small print run?

Here are some recommendations:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/817156/print-on-demand-board-games

June 18, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping, publishing

Cardboard Edison

June 18, 2012 June 18, 2012/ Cardboard Edison
“Your game is always more difficult and complicated than you think. Always.”
— Eric Lang (@eric_lang)
June 18, 2012/ Cardboard Edison/
process, playtesting, rules

Cardboard Edison

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