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Cardboard Edison

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

Cardboard Edison
  • About Us/
  • Our Games/
    • Houdini's Last Act
    • Quad Squad
    • Cobras
    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
    • Prototypes
  • Free Resources/
    • Blog
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    • Tariffs Report
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theory
playtesting
prototyping
process
rules
licensing
publishing
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July 22, 2013 July 22, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

“Unfair randomness” and the difference between games and gambling machines:

http://keithburgun.net/mastery-vs-hoping/

July 22, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

July 22, 2013 July 22, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

Different ways to make prototype cards–pros and cons:

 http://boardgameben.com/in-which-i-seek-out-the-best-way-to-make-prototype-cards/

July 22, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

July 19, 2013 July 19, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

A guide to the pick-up-and-deliver genre of board games:

http://www.islaythedragon.com/2013/07/special-delivery-guide-to-pick-up-and.html

July 19, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

July 19, 2013 July 19, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

Making a language-independent game, and important points about iconography:

http://exampleofplay.wordpress.com/2013/07/19/language-independent-games/

July 19, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

July 19, 2013 July 19, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

A wide-ranging, hour-long panel–featuring Robert Burke, Richard Launius, Bryan Pope and Colby Dauch–with lots of advice for aspiring board game designers:

http://boardgameuniversity.libsyn.com/board-game-university-episode-9-dice-tower-panel

July 19, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
process, playtesting, prototyping, licensing, industry

Cardboard Edison

July 19, 2013 July 19, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

Battle Merchants designer Gil Hova (@ingredientx) discusses auctions, mixing theme and mechanics, rounds vs. turns, overvaluing your ideas and much more:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2013/07/18/interview-with-gil-hova/

July 19, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, process, playtesting, prototyping

Cardboard Edison

July 19, 2013 July 19, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis) discusses open design, life as an indie game designer, exploring mechanics and more on the All Us Geeks podcast (@AllUsGeeks):

http://www.allusgeeks.com/2013/07/all-us-geeks-interview-with-daniel-solis/

July 19, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

July 18, 2013 July 18, 2013/ Cardboard Edison
“Designers: Always make sure you’re on BGG to answer questions and help the community with your game. Holy smokes it can pay off.”
— Grant Rodiek (@HerrohGrant)
July 18, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/ /Source
industry

Cardboard Edison

July 18, 2013 July 18, 2013/ Cardboard Edison
“Get your game out there. Make the call. Set up the pitch. Go! Go! Go!”
— Corey Young (@C_M_Young)
July 18, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/ /Source
process

Cardboard Edison

July 18, 2013 July 18, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

Tips for how to interpret feedback from playtesters and apply it to your design:

http://boardsandbarley.com/2013/07/18/game-design-process-applying-feedback/

July 18, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

July 18, 2013 July 18, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

10 tips for writing board game sell sheets:

http://andrewfederspiel.com/myblog/?p=226

July 18, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

July 17, 2013 July 17, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

Anatomy of a great Kickstarter project page:

http://www.stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-39-anatomy-of-a-greater-kickstarter-project-page/

July 17, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

July 17, 2013 July 17, 2013/ Cardboard Edison
“Best advice for new designers? Design games. Plural. The first game you get published will more likely be the sixth game you design.”
— Corey Young (@C_M_Young)
July 17, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/ /Source
process

Cardboard Edison

July 17, 2013 July 17, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

Observations on resource systems in games: what they are and how they can be used:

http://www.lvl99games.com/?p=2472

July 17, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

July 17, 2013 July 17, 2013/ Cardboard Edison
“Keep a journal and write down every game idea you have… there are truly no bad ideas because what seems like a terrible idea for a game when you first think of it can sometimes months later lead you to a great idea when you go back and read it in the journal.”
— Jason Slingerland (@JASlingerland)
July 17, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/ /Source
process

Cardboard Edison

July 17, 2013 July 17, 2013/ Cardboard Edison
“Learn to fail. Game design is all about trial and error.”
— Kevin Kulp (@TheKevinKulp)
July 17, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/ /Source
process

Cardboard Edison

July 17, 2013 July 17, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

A reminder of the potency of ritual, theme, narrative, and atmosphere in games:

http://www.mostdangerousgamedesign.com/2013/07/come-out-and-play-2013-reminder-that.html

July 17, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

July 16, 2013 July 16, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

A roundup of the most common advice given to board game designers:

http://themetagame.blogspot.com/2013/07/most-common-feedback-for-board-game.html

July 16, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
process, theory, playtesting, prototyping, industry

Cardboard Edison

July 16, 2013 July 16, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

The Ludology podcast on what makes for a good set of rules: What are some common pitfalls? How should they be structured? What should be highlighted?

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-60-how-to-how-to-play

July 16, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
rules

Cardboard Edison

July 16, 2013 July 16, 2013/ Cardboard Edison

Creating “goal chains” that guide players through the decision-making process:

http://www.lvl99games.com/?p=1101

July 16, 2013/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

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