Cardboard Edison's Favorite Tips & Resources - March 2014

Our monthly roundup of links and quotes for board game designers is here! This month features some important information for first-time designers, a useful tool for making grid paper, a valuable list of things that should be in a licensing contract and more:

#industry:

• Designing your first board game? Stop and read these six tips first
• The tools to create a niche game are available to you

#process:

• “You want to design games? You should be playing games. If you have not experienced great games it is doubtful that you will create one.”–Don Lloyd (@knightworks)

#prototyping:

• Make and print your own grid paper

#playtesting:

• The Impressions Vidcast discusses attending unpublished-games events, and setting one up yourself

#licensing:

• What to look for when signing a contract with a publisher

#theory:

• Recommended reading for game designers
• Tips for reimagining well-established game genres
• The Winner’s Curse: a primer for board gamers

Know what to expect before going into a playtesting event:

http://www.buildingthegamepodcast.com/2014/03/30/episode-96-milwaukee-blues-and-another-hailstorm/

Ways to add complexity to enhance a game for experienced players without increasing the difficulty for new ones:

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/293

The merits and limitations of using icons on cards:

http://kevingnunn.com/2014/03/28/icons-vs-text-part-2/

What causes analysis paralysis, and how can you limit it in your designs?

http://hyperbolegames.com/2014/03/28/analysis-paralysis/

“While many designers may not want to admit it, the theme, art, and setting of a game can really add to the fun factor. Players have a much easier time getting into and enjoying a game when there’s strong thematic consonance.”

— Seth Jaffee (@sedjtroll)

“Dear playtester, the more negative your feedback, the more I need to hear it. Don’t sabotage my game to spare my feelings. That hurts more.”

— Jay Treat (@jtreat3)

“Development is working with people who teach you things about your own game that you never would have noticed or were incapable of seeing.”

— Ben Pinchback (@pinchback21)

Using mechanics that enhance the world your game creates for players:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/the-world-of-the-play/

The Game Design Round Table discusses playtesting and the challenges of getting good feedback:

http://thegamedesignroundtable.com/2014/03/25/episode-72-playtesting-2/

Kickstarter lessons in humility: reminders about setting your goal, defining the target audience, offering add-ons and more:

http://www.albinodragon.com/blog/too-big-to-fail-a-kickstarter-lesson-in-humility/

The merits and limitations of putting text on cards:

http://kevingnunn.com/2014/03/25/icons-vs-text-part-1/

The value of agonizing over your Kickstarter project page:

http://stonemaiergames.com/live-blogging-lesson-4-the-value-of-agonizing-over-your-project-page/

Five mistakes that will kill your Kickstarter project:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/4646/160570-5-mistakes-that-will-kill-your-kickstarter-project-ep-191

“Having limitations and guidelines helps focus a design. Boundless design can be good, but it can also cause designs to wander.”

— J. Alex Kevern (@AlexWithIdeas)

What makes a game easy to teach or hard to teach?

http://www.gamesprecipice.com/teachability/

The stages of game development:

http://www.houseofslack.com/the-stages-of-game-development/

Narratives in board games, the value of story-rich games, and ways to design games with stronger fictions:

http://www.mostdangerousgamedesign.com/2014/03/crafting-games-with-immersive-narratives.html

Making Games 101: answers to some basic questions that first-time game creators have about manufacturing:

http://www.admagic.com/blog/2014/03/24/making-games-101/

Tips for notifying a previous project’s backers about a new project:

http://stonemaiergames.com/live-blogging-lesson-3-updating-previous-projects/