Some advice for dealing with contradictory feedback from playtesters:
http://www.reddit.com/r/tabletopgamedesign/comments/12epqb/advice_on_taking_playtesting_advice/
Ideas for overcoming designer’s block:
http://www.reddit.com/r/tabletopgamedesign/comments/12fjsl/when_the_idea_store_runs_dry/
Some places to find professional playtesters–and a few words of warning about them:
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/878872/is-there-a-market-for-professional-playtesters-org
Lewis Pulsipher (@lewpuls) looks at economic production cycles in games:
http://pulsiphergamedesign.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-economic-production-cycle-in-games.html
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:
- A 17-step guide to getting your game published
- A warning for new game designers: Why your actions are more important than your intentions
- 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)
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.”
