“Failing hurts every time but it’s always worth it if you persist until the game is completed.”

— Andrew Federspiel (@KnapsackGames)

“Protip: put some thought into your responses to feedback and you’ll net very loyal testers. Writing rationale also forces you to think a bit.”

— Mike Mullins (@bluedevilduke)

Looking at the “shape” of gameplay experiences–how they unfold for players:

http://exampleofplay.com/2014/05/23/the-shape-of-games/

Exploring Games discusses the history and development of worker placement games (starts at 32 minutes):

http://gamerchris.com/2014/05/23/exploring-games-episode-24-exploring-worker-placement.aspx

“It is important to not make too many changes at once, and to playtest any changes you do make thoroughly, with different types of players. Take notes on what works and what doesn’t, make adjustments, and try again.”

— Doug Bass of Meridae Games

A treasure trove of articles about game design from 2000 to 2005:

http://www.thegamesjournal.com

Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis) on component-first design:

“Grab some dice or cards and just play with them, the old-fashioned way. Explore their physical properties, see what they can do on the table. How heavy are they? How do they fit together? What combinations are possible?”

http://danielsolisblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/3-simple-steps-of-component-first-design.html

“You will significantly increase your chances of success on Kickstarter if your clear vision about why you’re there is directly related to your backers.”

— Jamey Stegmaier (@jameystegmaier)

Thoughts on leadership for Kickstarter project creators:

http://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-98-creation-is-leadership/

Something From Nothing offers lots of advice for putting out a print-and-play

The Game Design Round Table on engaging players before they play: hype, expectations, packaging, unboxing, learning rules and more:

http://www.buzzsprout.com/7928/175705-80-anticipation-and-expectations

Ways to lower your Kickstarter funding goal:

http://meltdowngames.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/how-we-lowered-our-funding-goal/

The Ludology podcast discusses the most influential games of the 20th century and looks at the 21st so far:

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-80-influenza

Tips for living up to your estimated Kickstarter delivery date:

http://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-97-delivering-on-time/

Korea Board Games Design Contest 2014

Deadline: July 31, 2014

Cash prizes

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1174850/kbg-design-contest-2014-s1600-prize-pool

Captivating players through approachability:

http://www.gamesprecipice.com/captivate-the-audience-2/

Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis) discusses rulebook layout, self-publishing, working with a publisher and more on the 20 Minutes of Filler podcast:

http://www.buzzsprout.com/20526/174998-episode-16-the-double-life-of-daniel-solis

“It’s easy to get complacent in a design. You’ve played it a bunch, your friends all seem to enjoy it, folks who are friendly to you are encouraging, and you start thinking that it’s pretty locked up. Having another designer there to ask questions, to keep the team restless, [can be] handy.”

— Joshua Buergel (@JoshuaBuergel)

Two posts with tips for a productive design collaboration:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2014/05/19/josh-and-i-discuss-collaboration-in-design/

http://mvpboardgames.blogspot.com/2014/05/dtow-3.html

“Like any creative endeavor, creators shouldn’t chase awards. Create something authentic and awards will come.”

— Adam P. McIver (@ad7m)