Global Game Jam 2014→

tgcnews:

Have you ever heard of a game jam? There are many kinds and many different types of game jams all over the world. The biggest one is called Global Game Jam and it happens all over the world at the same time, hosted in many different cities.

A game jam is an event where you show up and they give…

“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/