“Obviously, the goal in the end is a game that’s both fun and fair. But fun is the hard part. You can figure fair out in playtesting.”

— Gil Hova (@ingredientx)

Cognitive Biases in Players and How to Leverage Them, via Michael Keller (@vhgames)

What makes some games “easy”–simplicity in choices, execution and evaluation:

http://oakleafgames.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/game-theory-making-an-easy-game/

10 big lessons about designing board games:

http://www.stonemaiergames.com/the-top-10-things-i-learned-about-game-design-in-2013/

“A simple design is a good design.
A simple design is a good design.
A simple design is a good design.
A simple design is a good design.”

— Ben Rosset (@BenRosset)

Thoughts on what makes secret information interesting in games:

http://drwictzboardgames.blogspot.com/2013/12/classics-lecture-series-secrete.html

Tom Lehmann discusses designing and co-designing, economics, victory points, iconography and more on the Game Design Round Table podcast:

http://thegamedesignroundtable.com/2013/12/23/episode-59-race-for-the-galaxy-with-tom-lehmann/

Rob Daviau (@robdaviaugamer) presentation on “legacy” games and game balance

Byron Collins (@CEWargames) offers advice for creating a Kickstarter project:

http://www.slimgamer.com/16388/two-out-of-three-kickstarters-succesful-and-running-spearpoint-1943-eastern-front/

How marketing works in the board game industry

Jason Tagmire (@jtagmire) compares using Kickstarter as a self-publisher versus through a publishing company:

http://www.allusgeeks.com/2013/12/aug-the-game-of-crowd-funding-jason-tagmire-interview-12-18-2013/

Tips for how to go about designing scenarios for your game:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2013/12/23/the-mission-editor/

Lessons from the What the Food?! Kickstarter:

http://www.stonemaiergames.com/3-wrongs-2-rights-and-1-who-knows-lessons-from-the-what-the-food-kickstarter/

Advice for making game boards and setup rules intuitive and smooth:

http://thefarsightlens.com/board-game-component-design/

Some changes that a publisher might want to make to your game:

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/25850/changes-publishers-might-make-to-your-game

Corey Young (@C_M_Young) discusses pitching publishers, playtesting events and more on the Little Metal Dog Show:

http://littlemetaldog.podbean.com/2013/12/19/episode-72-friendship-is-spacecraft/

Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis) on small games, playtesting with family, non-violent themes, elegant designs and more:

http://www.mofbg.co.uk/2013/12/daniel-solis-interview-part-1-of-3.html

http://www.mofbg.co.uk/2013/12/daniel-solis-interview-part-2-of-3.html

http://www.mofbg.co.uk/2013/12/daniel-solis-interview-part-3-of-3.html

How do you get strangers to help you with your board game? Help them first:

http://www.stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-74-help-them-first/

Anatomy of a $631,230 Kickstarter video:

http://www.danshapiro.com/blog/2013/12/anatomy-of-a-631230-kickstarter-video/

“Four essential questions” to ask playtesters:

http://drwictzboardgames.blogspot.com/2013/12/lessons-learnt-on-what-to-ask-on-blid.html