“Game designers, look past “Mechanics First” or “Theme First.” There is also “Components First,” or “Emotion First,” or even “Art First.””

— Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis)

A few reminders about how to fail:

http://themetagame.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-greatest-teacher-you-will-ever-know.html

10 ways to survive and thrive on BoardGameGeek:

http://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-94-the-top-10-ways-to-survive-and-thrive-on-board-game-geek/

“Playtest a billion times.”

— Scott Almes (@Scott_Almes)

Should designers solicit playtesters’ suggested solutions to problems? A debate:

http://kevingnunn.com/2014/05/02/using-playtester-feedback-part-1/

http://www.3dtotalgames.com/give-problems-solutions/

http://kevingnunn.com/2014/05/07/using-playtester-feedback-part-2/

An overview of how to refine your game: playtesting, blind testing, events and more:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/refining-your-game/

Haggis designer Sean Ross discusses climbing games:

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/29585/sean-ross-and-the-haggis-memoirs

“Fail often. We learn so much more from our failures than we do our successes. It’s hard to know why something works, it’s easy to spot why it’s flawed.”

— Chevee Dodd (@cheveedodd)

Chevee Dodd (@cheveedodd) on open-source design, trying and failing, preparing for a Kickstarter and more:

http://boardsandbarley.com/2014/05/01/im-pulling-for-him-an-interview-with-chevee-dodd/

“Make time for family and friends. Easy to get over-run, or over-excited about a project.”

— @MVPBoardgames

“Releasing a game is like having a baby, except there’s no taboo on folks saying your baby is hideously ugly. ;-) “My! What an ugly baby!””

— Daniel Cook (@danctheduck)

“Rulebook Layout Tip: You can usually combine your components overview and setup example into one diagram to save room.”

— Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis)

“Consume knowledge and experience as though starving. Then, go by your gut.”

— Eric Lang (@eric_lang)

Game design exercises that aren’t designing games:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2014/05/04/design-exercise/

“Design tip: do whatever works because people will bitch one way or the other!”

— Adam McIver (@ad7m)

A guide to playtesting events like Protospiel:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/do-you-protospiel/

“Icons are fine for shorthand, but long-form rules text should have words with icons in parentheses. We read and speak words, not pictures.”

— Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis)

The Cardboard Jungle (@CBJPodcast) discusses what–and what not–to do with your rulebook (discussion begins 58 minutes in):

http://thecardboardjungle.libsyn.com/ep35-breaking-the-rules

Cardboard Edison's Favorite Tips & Resources - April 2014

This week’s roundup of useful links for board game designers features tips for being a good playtester, a look at classic games from the present day, an entire hour of discussion about board game design, and more…

#featured:

• The 5 W’s and 1 H of Good Playtesters

#process:

• Advice to those dreaming of designing a game: You will fail.

#industry:

• A recent #BoardGameHour was all about game design—lots of knowledge was shared
• “So You Wanna Be A Game Designer”: Ben Rosset (@BenRosset) on getting started as a board game designer and how to get published

#theory:

• Glossary of common board game terms
• What can modern designers learn from the mechanics of classic board games?

#prototyping:

• When to make ugly prototypes and when to make pretty prototypes

“Game design is a skill like any other and practice hones that skill and keeps it sharp.”

— Chevee Dodd (@cheveedodd)