Board Game Design Forum’s November 2012 Game Design Showdown

Theme: “Crossover Appeal”

Deadline: Nov. 9, 2012

http://www.bgdf.com/node/7313

A new website, TableTested.com, is accepting games for review:

http://www.tabletested.com

Eric Lang, the designer of Star Wars: The Card Game, discusses how to create a “cinematic experience” in a card game:

 http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=3717

“Make a game for yourself and you’ll be more successful.”

— Grant Rodiek (@HyperboleGames)

Cardboard Edison's Favorite Tips & Resources - October 2012

Once a month, we put together a list featuring the board game design posts that we found the most useful.

October was a slow month overall, but there were still plenty of excellent tips and resources to be found. Here are our favorites:

#industry:

• A 17-step guide to getting your game published
• A warning for new game designers: Why your actions are more important than your intentions

#process:

• Reaffirm your motif: Do one thing and do it well
• “Save all your bad ideas. Sometimes tiny good ideas are hidden inside them. They add up.” – Stephen Glenn (@spielfriek)
• A simple exercise to inspire creative thinking about your components
• “You need to be able to be honest with yourself. You need to be able to take a knife, axe, or even explosives to your game to make it better.” - Chevee Dodd (@cheveedodd)

#theory:

• Flowcharts for what makes a decision interesting
• Benefits and drawbacks of including a board with your game

“Theme matters but is mutable. Don’t let your mechanics suffer for your theme. Iterate toward symbiosis.”

— Jay Treat (@jtreat3)

“You’re the worst person to judge the complexity level of your game because you grew up with it.”

— James Ernest (@cheapassjames) at Metatopia 2012

“If you have to bribe your testers to play your game, maybe you shouldn’t finish that one.”

— James Ernest (@cheapassjames) at Metatopia 2012

“Note to self: Include multiple copies of the rules when submitting prototypes.”

— Jay Treat (@jtreat3)

Carlos Moreno Serrano, the designer of Kalua, discusses commissioning artwork, writing rules, dealing with manufacturing delays and more:

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/1255/designer-diary-kalua-from-the-tundra-of-self-publi

Google+ Hangout on Indie Game Design

Monday, Oct. 29, 7PM-9PM EST

http://danielsolisblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/indie-game-design-panel.html

Geoff Engelstein (@gengelstein) on how to raise game-designer children:

“Play lots of games. We started playing games with them at an early age, taking them to cons, and just introducing them to that world. … It’s been nice to show the kids that you can have a project, sketch it on a piece of paper, and turn it into a product on store shelves that people can buy. It’s a great lesson to show them that this sort of thing is possible in your life, whether you want to design a game, write a book, etc. You don’t have to wait for something to fall in your lap, you can just go ahead and do it.”

http://geek-news.mtv.com/2012/10/26/space-cadets-interview/

Raph Koster (@raphkoster) revisits his “Theory of Fun” 10 years later

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/179928/Video_Raph_Koster_revisits_his_Theory_of_Fun_10_years_later.php

What it means to include a board with your game: some benefits and drawbacks to consider:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2012/10/23/benefits-of-the-board/

Why does it take publishers so long to respond to designers? Designer Lewis Pulsipher (@lewpuls) explains by describing the state and setup of the board game industry:

http://pulsiphergamedesign.blogspot.com/2012/10/can-we-characterize-tabletop-game.html

Three ways to promote your Kickstarter campaign, on Funding the Dream (@FundTheDream):

http://www.buzzsprout.com/4646/63379-funding-the-dream-on-kickstarter-ep-95-3-ways-to-promote-your-kickstarter-campaign

75 board game ideas, free to use or peruse for inspiration:

http://overboardblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/75-board-game-ideas-in-tweets/

Reaffirm your motif: Do one thing and do it well:

http://exampleofplay.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/game-design-secrets-2-reaffirm-your-motif/

The Tao of Board Gaming III - Chapter VIII. The True Nature of the Award

http://www.mechanics-and-meeples.com/2012/10/22/the-tao-of-board-gaming-iii/

Flowcharts for what makes a decision interesting:

http://www.dinofarmgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=187&p=930

HT Keith Burgun (@keithburgun)