“When a game company makes the decision to look at your game, they’re going to read the rules and playtest it at least once. It’s going to cost them a few hundred dollars in labor costs, if not more, just to look at your game. So it’s not a decision they make lightly when they read your email and decide whether to look at your project.”

— Tom Jolly

How to approach publishers–via email or in person at conventions:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/how-to-approach-a-manufacturer-with-your-game/

“Remember that a good design discussion, one filled with disagreement, is not necessarily a sign of discord, but one of passion.”

— Grant Rodiek (@HerrohGrant)

“A playtest where your game breaks? Whether it’s truly a bad playtest is up to you. It could be the most important test of your game’s development.”

— Gil Hova (@gilhova)

A playtest that breaks your game isn’t necessarily bad. Here are some examples of genuinely bad playtests:

http://gil.hova.net/2014/05/12/what-is-a-bad-playtest

A prototyping hack to get perfect cut lines from your paper cutter:

http://mvpboardgames.blogspot.com/2014/05/dtow-2.html

“It really helps to have a short game at Unpub. Players get a tantalizing taste of gameplay and sometimes want to play a second or third time.”

— Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis)

10 ways to address a Kickstarter’s mid-campaign slump:

http://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-95-the-top-10-ways-to-address-the-mid-campaign-slump/

“A critical skill you must develop is the ability to gather test input regardless of what your testers say or do not say.”

— Grant Rodiek (@HerrohGrant)

How can repeated game elements be improved by thinking of them as background music?

http://oakleafgames.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/background-music-in-board-games

A reminder to look up from your design efforts once in a while:

http://mvpboardgames.blogspot.com/2014/05/dtow-1.html

John Coveyou of Genius Games (@GotGeniusGames) on lining up early Kickstarter backers, searchable titles, turning critics into allies and more:

http://stonemaiergames.com/how-to-form-and-strengthen-bonds-with-backers-a-guest-entry-by-the-creator-of-linkage/

“Make sure you have enough fans, friends, family, or followers to provide the first 30% of your project’s funding in the first weekend. People ignore ‘losing’ projects, so do the word-spreading, money-asking thing.”

— Chris Henderson, creator of What?!? Oh… The Game of Couples Banter

How several designers use playtesters’ suggestions:

http://kevingnunn.com/2014/05/09/using-playtester-feedback-part-3/

“The argument “because it makes the game easier to balance” is not compelling. Our job is to make the game easier for players, not us.”

— Eric Lang (@eric_lang)

“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/