“Rules have rules: All things being equal, fewer words is better. All things being equal, fewer words is also harder. And more work.”

— Brett J. Gilbert (@55cards)

The Bamboozle Brothers outline the final step of the publication process on their blog Inspiration to Publication:

Step 33: Promoting Your Game

http://inspirationtopublication.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/step-33-promoting-your-game/

“

Unfortunately, a game that’s personally satisfying isn’t necessarily commercially viable.

And it gets worse: a game that plays very well for its intended audience, might not be one that can easily be marketed.  Two different things.

”

— Lewis Pulsipher (@lewpuls)

Emergent game design tips from Daniel Cook (@danctheduck):

Every object in the game has both a utility and a cost.

Make as many objects as you can have secondary or tertiary uses via interactions with other objects.

Put the player under pressure (time, resource, space, etc) so that they are always forced to choose between

Loosely couple object interactions using generic interfaces or resources. Objects become generalized tools.

Brett J. Gilbert (@55cards): “Word of the day: Authenticity. The best games require this, I think, more than anything else to succeed. Question: What is it?”

Lukasz M. Pogoda (@LMPogoda): “Unique mix of new and reused ideas, atypical blend of mechanics and theme, a sincere proof a designer tried to deliver something new”

One designer’s path illustrates how much of the board game industry works:
 
http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/how-a-board-game-is-born-prototyped-and-ultimately-sold-the-story-of-crows

On imbalance as a pre-requisite for interesting negotiation in games:
 
http://paintedwoodencubes.com/2012/07/11/balance-issues/

Gen Con 2012 will feature a playtest area for prototype testing:
 
http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=2f77d2f8c77398c0b064223ba&id=ef381ea5d4#three
 
Application form: http://community.gencon.com/files/folders/pmg/entry324634.aspx
 
Policies: http://community.gencon.com/files/folders/pmg/entry324633.aspx

“It is the sparkle in your eye that will sell your game. If you don’t believe in it first no one will.”

— Michael Coe (@Crash_Games)

Why it’s important to ask: “Does my game really need that rule?”

by Ignacy Trzewiczek (@trzewik)

http://boardgamesthattellstories.blogspot.com/2012/07/you-have-to-have-guts-to-ask-this.html

Some recommendations for dice manufacturers in the U.S.:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/826682/dice-question

Michael Coe and Patrick Nickell of Crash Games discuss their development process, the value of a professional prototype, handling playtesters’ feedback, and achieving balance:  

http://goforthandgame.com/2012/07/11/a-conversation-with-crash-games-michael-coe-and-patrick-nickell

A Discourse on Gaming: Random Elements: Dice vs. Cards→

adiscourseongaming:

I’ve been kicking around a board game idea for a while which uses both cards and dice as elements of randomness. I recently had the idea to remove dice entirely and only use cards, which has gotten me thinking about how each affects the random elements of a game.

Every game requires some lack of…

Pros and cons of cards as a game component:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2012/07/09/handful-of-fun/

Cardboard Edison’s Favorite Tips & Resources – June 2012

Every month, we revisit the board game design tips and resources we’ve found, and we pick out the best, most useful ones to spotlight. Here are our choices for June 2012:

#process:

• “There’s a lot of information out there, but the best advice that tends to get repeated over and over is this: Design a game you’d like to play.”
• “Got a practical problem with your board game? Don’t add more stuff. First, try using what you already *have* in a new way.”
• Richard Launius discusses his process for creating cooperative games

#rules:

• “Your game is always more difficult and complicated than you think. Always.”

#theory:

• Things to avoid in game design. Thou shalt not…
• “Don’t confuse depth with complexity.”

#playtesting:

• How to effectively playtest and iterate your board game design
• “Gamers gonna game, and your game can’t break when they do.”

#industry:

• “Spend some time creating games just for the fun of it before you decide it’s the right choice to make it into a business venture.”
• Every BoardGameGeek Designer Diary

#prototyping:

• “Make the prototype quickly from anything you can find. Once you have a game, improve the prototype enough to interest playtesters. Once you get a finely-tuned game, make it shine.”

How to prevent one player from dominating a co-op game? Some ideas from Richard Garfield:
 
http://www.threedonkeys.com/blog/archives/748

Unpublished-games fest Unpub 3 by Cartrunk Entertainment (@CartrunkEnt) is shaping up for Jan. 18-20 in Delaware:
 
http://us4.campaign-archive.com/?u=555654fce7a68d736c015d4ec&id=be97f17954

“Making games is like sports or music, you have to practice and you really need to beware of what’s been done already if you want to be the best.”

— Matt Nuccio (@MattNuccio)

The Paper Money podcast reveals “All About Boxes.” It’s not the most interesting stuff, but it’s essential knowledge if you’re going into publishing:
 
http://www.purplepawn.com/2012/06/papermoney-64-all-about-boxes/

Half Plug Games has launched a new marketplace where designers can offer print-and-play versions of their games:

http://www.halfplug.com