Grant Rodiek (@HerrohGrant) joins the On Board Games podcast (@OnBoardGames) to discuss working as an indie designer:

http://onboardgames.libsyn.com/obg-109-indie-gaming

“Hire talented professionals and manufacturers. This is not a place to cut costs. This is not the time to have a friend do your graphic design or art for free. If they’re good enough to do your graphic design or art, you’ll know it because they’ll charge you.”

— Jamey Stegmaier (@JameyStegmaier)

Things to consider when determining your game’s play time:

http://pulsiphergamedesign.blogspot.com/2013/06/is-15-minute-game-too-short.html

“The #1 thing I learned from playtesting was to pay attention to frustrations that players were having, even when better strategy could wash away those frustrations.”

— Jamey Stegmaier (@JameyStegmaier)

Tips for pitching to publishers at a convention:

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/20220/10-tips-for-demoing-and-selling-your-games-at-game

Blunt advice from the BoardGameGeek designers forum for finding and engaging playtesters with your print-and-play:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/988451/i-will-pay-you-geekgold-to-playtest-my-game

1,078 free icons for prototyping:

http://www.reddit.com/r/tabletopgamedesign/comments/1fv0g5/1078_free_icons_which_could_be_useful_for/

A guide to area-control games:

http://www.islaythedragon.com/2013/06/all-under-control-guide-to-area.html

A short sample script and pointers for pitching a game to a publisher:

http://boardgamegeek.com/article/12480060#12480060

24-Hour Contest - June 2013

Design a board game in just 24 hours

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/810436/24-hour-contest-june-2012

David Sirlin (@Sirlin) joins the Game Design Round Table podcast to discuss the design process, balancing a game, running a game company and more:

http://www.buzzsprout.com/7928/96098-30-design-lessons-sirlin-games-with-david-sirlin

Albino Dragon Games (@TheAlbinoDragon) shares the top 12 lessons they’ve learned about making a Kickstarter campaign successful:

http://www.unboxedtheboardgameblog.com/2013/06/so-you-want-to-do-kickstarter.html

The Plaid Hat Podcast (@PlaidHatGames) discusses the growing pains that face an up-and-coming game publishing company:

http://www.plaidhatgames.com/podcast/94

The Ludology podcast discusses objectives, and what types of objectives work well:

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-57-goal

Some features of great games, and tips for how you can add them to your games:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2013/06/03/the-great-game-molecules/

Board Game Design Forum’s June 2013 Game Design Showdown

Theme: “Everyone’s a Villain to Someone”

Deadline: July 9, 2013

http://www.bgdf.com/node/12506

What can we learn from the board game Kickstarter campaigns that fell the furthest short of their goals?

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/19963/kickstarter-analytics-biggest-losers

Be sure to check out the rest of the series of “Kickstarter Analytics” posts here:

http://boardgamegeek.com/blog/1424

The Designer, Indie & Small Publisher’s Guide to Gen Con Indy

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/984519/the-designer-indie-small-publishers-guide-to-gen

Cardboard Edison's Favorite Tips & Resources - May 2013

This month’s roundup of board game design tips features down-to-earth advice for meeting with publishers, some insights into the human brain, a reminder about playtesting (hint: playtest!) and more…

#theory:

• Ten (or so) things every game designer needs to know about people
• How theme and mechanics are more tightly connected than commonly assumed
• “The simpler your design, the fewer decisions you give players, and the more weight each of those decisions needs to carry. It’s challenging.” - Grant Rodiek (@HerrohGrant)

#playtesting:

• “By now you know that you need to playtest, playtest, playtest, but it is worth mentioning again because it is that important.” - Danny Devine (@3ddevine)

#industry:

• Best practices for all levels of the board game industry

#licensing:

• Down-to-earth advice for setting up meetings with publishers

#publishing:

• The On Board Games podcast goes in-depth on planning, running and fulfilling a Kickstarter project
• “Don’t make it all about the money”: making the most of a Kickstarter campaign

#process:

• Two pieces of advice from Matt Worden: (1) Talk with Folks, and (2) Finish Something
• “My most given piece of advice is to start small and get something playable. Make the simplest form of your game playable and try it.” - Chevee Dodd (@cheveedodd)
• “SLOW DOWN. When you have that first idea you think ‘Gosh I am brilliant! This is going to be easy. I will be a millionaire sensation!’ Don’t feel like you have to get a game out the door in a month.” - A.J. Porfirio (@VanRyderGames)
• “Keep going, keep going, keep going! Never stop. If you believe in it, you have to put the work into it. The difference between an idea in your head and product in stores is perseverance.” - Isaac Vega (@IsaacVegaDesign)

The Dice Tower’s Top Ten Tips for Game Designers