Viticulture co-designer Jamey Stegmaier (@jameystegmaier) crunches the numbers to learn where his Kickstarter backers came from and make conclusions about how to reach them:

http://stonemaiergames.com/2012/10/16/how-to-overfund-your-kickstarter-campaign-part-1/

“Quality comes from taking time with development and production and not forcing things out into a market quickly.”

— Days of Wonder cofounder Eric Hautemont

“If you believe in a design, keep pushing. You may just find someone who shares your vision.”

— Stephen Glenn (@spielfriek)

Why your actions are more important than your intentions. A warning for new game designers from Lewis Pulsipher (@lewpuls):

http://pulsiphergamedesign.blogspot.com/2012/10/intentions-versus-actions-in-game.html

Win the chance to pitch your game on the Building the Game podcast

Deadline: Oct. 31, 2012

Unpublished game designers can email BTGcontest@gmail.com saying why you deserve the chance to pitch your game

Full contest rules at the 29-minute mark:

http://www.buildingthegamepodcast.com/2012/10/14/episode-20-aint-no-shame-in-a-contest/

Board game industry players discuss their favorite game mechanisms:

http://goforthandgame.com/2012/10/13/question-of-the-month-september-2012-what-is-your-favorite-game-mechanism/

An open offer to answer your game probability questions:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/869326/post-probability-questions-here

What are some best practices for writing good copy on a Kickstarter or other Crowdfunding project?

http://www.quora.com/Kickstarter/What-are-some-best-practices-for-writing-good-copy-on-a-Kickstarter-or-other-Crowdfunding-project/answer/Michael-Mindes?srid=5wfw&st=ns

“DESIGNERS: Problems in your games can often be golden opportunities. Some of the best ideas I’ve ever had were solutions to a problem.”

— Stephen Glenn (@spielfriek)

Publishing in the U.S., overcoming manufacturing setbacks and more on the Funding the Dream podcast (@FundtheDream):

http://www.buzzsprout.com/4646/62242-funding-the-dream-on-kickstarter-ep-90-eric-salyers-and-printing-in-the-us

Joshua Balvin (Oktoberfest, Salem) shares what he’s learned about the process of designing board games:

1. Don’t get attached to your game/mechanics.
2. When you think the game is done… think again.
3. Be willing to let go of a game idea.
4. Learning the process takes time and rigor.
5. Keep playing new games and have discussions about what worked/didn’t work and why.
6. Remember why you’re doing it.

Read the full post here:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/867790/followup-to-design-a-board-game-part-2

A simple exercise to inspire creative thinking about your components:

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/13848/game-design-101-a-few-card-tricks

Cardboard Edison's Favorite Tips & Resources - September 2012

Here’s our monthly roundup of the board game design tips and resources that we’ve found the most useful.

This month, we’ve got guides for navigating the industry, surviving the design process, pitching potential publishers and more.

Industry:

• What publishing and distribution options are available in today’s board game industry, and what are the pros and cons of each?

Process:

• “Get the game on the table. You can tweak the rules forever, but it’s meaningless unless you print the game and play it.” - Benjamin Rosset
• “The single hardest lesson I learned is not letting perfectionism become a roadblock to success.” - Doug Bass
• “Game designers need to have courage to throw ideas to the bin and start right from the beginning. That what game design is - no mercy.” - Ignacy Trzewiczek
• James Ernest on the biggest obstacle to becoming a game designer
• “You can absolutely NEVER predict the reaction of the public! So, it’s important to never forget this and to continue designing with your own pleasure in mind.” - Serge Leget
• What components, themes, complexity levels, and marketing tactics should you use to reach your game’s target audience?

Playtesting:

• “Call all the local game stores in your town and find out which ones have a ‘board game night’ and then go to it. Having a community of game-lovers at the ready that gather on a regular basis makes playtesting with a wider range of individuals a whole lot easier.” - Ian Steadman

Licensing:

• Some unexpected advice from an industry veteran for pitching your game

How to Make a Good Expansion–tips from a designer of Alcatraz:

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/12605/designer-diary-alcatraz-maximum-security-or-how-to

SEE ALSO:

http://cardboardedison.tumblr.com/post/30466346166/some-principles-for-creating-an-expansion-from

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

How to make a game box:

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/13766/how-to-make-a-game-box

The two most common pieces of advice that Jamey Stegmaier (@jameystegmaier) received from his Kickstarter backers:

1. Convey Your Passion
2. Communicate Consistently, Honestly, and Openly

http://jameystegmaier.com/2012/10/what-i-learned-from-my-kickstarter-backers/

Lewis Pulsipher (@lewpuls) discusses economies in war games:

http://pulsiphergamedesign.blogspot.com/2012/10/maintenance-based-economies-vs.html

“I think the key for any game is that you have people try to break the game at every step of the way. Once you get to the point that it can’t be broken, you’re golden.”

— Jamey Stegmaier (@jameystegmaier)

Dave McEnzie of Clever Mojo Games (@CleverMojoGames) talks about running a board game publishing company, learning from Kickstarter campaigns for both board and mobile games, and more on the G*M*S Magazine podcast (@gmsmagazine):

http://www.gmsmagazine.com/podcasts/the-gms-magazine-podcast-episode-59-clever-mojo-games-with-dave-mckenzie

“Know your weaknesses and find or hire people to help you overcome them.”

— Marc Aranha of WarSpider Entertainment