“Don’t be afraid of making your first prototype and showing it to your friends and colleagues. After this step is done, everything will be easier.”

— Nikolay Pegasov

Pros and cons of different end-game conditions:

http://www.mostdangerousgamedesign.com/2014/06/game-over-game-end-conditions.html

A tip for creating a simple prototype for a hex-tile game:

http://www.bgdf.com/forum/game-creation/prototyping/tip-building-prototyping-hex-tile-game

“Make, play, test, learn, repeat. Tenacity and stamina help, as does a little luck.”

— Matt Leacock (@mleacock)

Effective ways of showing your passion to Kickstarter backers:

http://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-102-passion-is-contagious/

A look at the Spiel des Jahres winners from 1990 to 2000:

http://boardsandbees.wordpress.com/2014/06/11/0361/

“The key to being a game designer is to design games. Just wishing really hard doesn’t cut the mustard.”

— Kevin Wilson (@KevinWilson42)

“The road to success is a toll road. Our failures are the toll. Accept them and keep always moving forward.”

— Kevin G. Nunn (@kgnunn)

A process for adapting other media to tabletop games:

http://kevingnunn.com/2014/06/11/writing-effective-adaptations-part-3

The biggest challenges facing independent game designers–and advice for overcoming them. A BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1180369/independent-game-design-question

Tom Lehman joins The Long View podcast to discuss his design process, playtesting, publishing, collaboration, expansions and more:

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepodcastepisode/120244/the-long-view-tom-lehman-interview

The importance of early momentum for a Kickstarter campaign:

http://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-101-momentum-breeds-success/

JT Smith of The Game Crafter (@thegamecrafter) shares lessons learned from the Village in a Box Kickstarter:

http://www.allusgeeks.com/2014/06/the-game-of-crowd-funding-jt-smith-interview-06-04-2014/

What questions do you always ask playtesters? A Reddit tabletop designers forum discussion:

http://www.reddit.com/r/tabletopgamedesign/comments/27bhf4/what_standard_questions_do_you_ask_when_you/

Different ways games have used the “pay to pick” mechanism:

http://danielsolisblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/pay-to-pick-conveyer-belts-progressive.html

Does randomness in games limit skill?

http://nickbentleygames.wordpress.com/2014/06/09/random-games-and-skill

Common pitfalls in licensing contracts for board games–and how to avoid them:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/game-contract-pitfalls/

Scott Almes (@Scott_Almes) discusses various aspects of working with publishers, on the Happy Mitten podcast (@HappyMitten):

http://www.happymittengames.com/33/

The Game Crafter’s 5th Street Challenge

Deadline: Sept. 1, 2014

Prize: publication by 5th Street Games

http://news.thegamecrafter.com/post/88284183617/5th-street-challenge

“Persistence matters. Show a good game to enough people and you’ll eventually sell it. Remember that every company’s needs are different.”

— Kevin Wilson (@KevinWilson42)