Chevee Dodd (@cheveedodd) joins the Board Games and Beer Podcast (@BGBpodcast_game) to discuss what it takes to launch a Kickstarter:
http://bgbpodcast.com/2014/05/11/episode-4-pull-with-a-hopdevil-or-chew-on-hop-flowers/
Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers
Chevee Dodd (@cheveedodd) joins the Board Games and Beer Podcast (@BGBpodcast_game) to discuss what it takes to launch a Kickstarter:
http://bgbpodcast.com/2014/05/11/episode-4-pull-with-a-hopdevil-or-chew-on-hop-flowers/
“Meet people. Network. Ask questions. You will be so surprised at how willing people are to help you.”
“New game designers: Relax. NOBODY is going to steal your design. Not another designer and not a publisher.”
“First rule of “design club”: You design a game for the people (players)–you don’t design it for your ego.”
“It’s ok to be disappointed if someone doesn’t like your game…it’s not ok to get mad at them for not liking it.”
Resources for public-domain images:
http://www.reddit.com/r/tabletopgamedesign/comments/252yr7/resources_for_public_domain_images/
Working with new reviewers:
“Always pursue interests outside your job. I strongly feel that my best contributions to board game design come from my outside interests.”
How to brainstorm new ideas–a BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion:
What to pay attention to during a playtest, what questions to ask and what notes to take–a BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion:
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1170252/how-do-you-run-a-play-test
A method of generating game ideas that combines creativity and rigor:
http://nickbentleygames.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/the-100-10-1-method-for-game-design/
On the relationship between theme and mechanics:
http://playdatenh.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/mechanics-theme-other
“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.”
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.”
“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.”
A playtest that breaks your game isn’t necessarily bad. Here are some examples of genuinely bad playtests:
A prototyping hack to get perfect cut lines from your paper cutter:
“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.”
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/