What causes board game Kickstarter projects to fail? A BoardGameGeek forum discussion:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/956531/kickstarter-epic-fail

Board Game Designers Forum: April 2013 Game Design Showdown - “Let’s Get Kickstarted”

Goal: Pitch a game inspired by crowdfunding

Deadline: April 11

http://www.bgdf.com/node/8105

Reaching out to bloggers, podcasters and reviewers–tips for finding complementary outlets, requesting coverage, doing interviews and more:

http://www.stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-27-bloggers-podcasters-and-reviewers/

“There is truth in all feedback. That doesn’t mean you have to change your game… rather, it means that you get to the source of the truth, look at it from the feedbacker’s perspective, and decide what you want to take away from it.”

— Jamey Stegmeier (@jameystegmeier)

“The best playtesters are the ones that ask the right questions. It’s the designer’s job to solve their problems, not the other way round.”

— Brett J. Gilbert (@55cards)

Mice & Mystics designer Jerry Hawthorne (@mice_guy) discusses getting into the board game industry, designing for solo play, preparing for success and more on the NPC Cast (@NPCcast):

http://npccast.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/episode-13-jerry-hawthorne/

A survey conducted by Lewis Pulsipher (@lewpuls) reveals the gaming habits and career paths of game designers:

http://pulsiphergamedesign.blogspot.com/2013/04/2012-13-game-designer-survey-results.html

“There are no rules so short and clear that everyone will follow them as intended. In fact, the shorter rules are just as prone to misinterpretation.”

— Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis)

The designers of Viticulture discuss paid advertising for a Kickstarter campaign and whether it’s worth it:

http://www.stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-26-paid-advertising-and-how-backers-find-your-project/

Cardboard Edison's Favorite Tips & Resources - March 2013

Our monthly roundup gives us a chance to spotlight the board game design tips and resources that we’ve found to be the most useful over the past month.

Here are our picks for March 2013:

#process:

• Don Eskridge shares advice for aspiring designers
• Getting past your moments of doubt: advice from the BoardGameGeek designers forum

#theory:

• James Ernest (@cheapassjames) and Jason Morningstar (@jmstar) discuss the right way to use randomness in game design
• Richard Garfield discusses skill vs. luck in games
• Ways to keep players engaged in your game–and ways not to

#playtesting:

• Michael Keller (@vhgames) joins the On Board Games podcast (@OnBoardGames) to discuss best practices for playtesting
• The way to know when you’ve made the greatest game you can
• Tips for playtesting events, from Brett Myers (@brettspiel)

#publishing:

• Suggestions for getting people invested in the success of your project

#industry:

• “If you’re a game designer, give away your game to people you think will like it, no strings attached. You never know what will happen.” - Dave Chalker (@DaveTheGame)

Tips for getting attention for your Kickstarter campaign on Reddit:

http://www.stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-25-reddit/

Jeremiah Lee, designer of Zombie in My Pocket and Zombie House Blitz, discusses the design process and shares design advice he’s received and learned:

http://pizzagamesandzombies.com/post/46505814646

Level 99 Games (@Level99Games) is accepting submissions for its next Minigame Library:

http://www.lvl99games.com/?p=1952

Pointers for interface design in games, from a panel at PAX East. Rob Daviau (@robdaviaugamer) handles the board game side:

http://threemovesahead.libsyn.com/episode-211-worth-a-thousand-words-the-pax-east-panel

“If you’re a game designer, give away your game to people you think will like it, no strings attached. You never know what will happen.”

— Get Bit! designer Dave Chalker (@DaveTheGame)

Suggestions for getting people invested in the success of your project:

http://www.stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-24-backer-engagement/

Ways to keep players engaged in your game–and ways not to:

http://nothingsacredgames.com/?p=828

“Don’t just come up with a bunch of ideas and then never get to playing them. Designers, real designers, make playable games.”

— Jeremiah Lee (@Jeremiah042)

The Ludology podcast discusses negotiation in board games:

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-52-let-s-make-a-deal

Misunderstanding rules during the first play–useful for making your own game’s rules clearer:

http://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1az0t3/what_has_been_your_biggest_misunderstanding_of/

HT @RubyCowGames