Cardboard Edison's Favorite Tips & Resources - August 2014

Our monthly roundup of useful advice and links for board game designers features the latest in our Meaningful Decisions interview series, lots of tips for pitching to publishers, a solid lesson on probability in games, and more…

#featured:

• Meaningful Decisions: Ben Rosset on Design Choices in Mars Needs Mechanics

#industry:

• “When someone takes a shot at a game you created, smile, thank them for their time, and say that you hope they like your next game better.” - Kevin Wilson

#licensing:

• How to quickly and effectively pitch your game to a publisher
• Chris Kirkman of Dice Hate Me Games joins the Creators Cast to offer tips for how to pitch to a publisher
• “The best advice I could give to designers seeking publication is when pitching your game, don’t forget to sell the publisher on YOU!” - A.J. Porfirio

#prototyping:

• Icons for prototyping, many free

#playtesting:

• “Get new playtesters after working on your game a while – if you always use the same playtesters your game will be developed only for experts, not for new players as well – and new players are, if anything, more important to a game.” - Richard Garfield

#theory:

• Basic probability for game designers

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Board Game Design Forum’s September 2014 Game Design Showdown

Create a game where the players must move about the room as part of the game

Deadline: Sept. 8, 2014

http://www.bgdf.com/forum/game-design/game-design-showdown/gds-september-2014-stand-games

Designing scenarios: drawing conclusions from an analysis of five games:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2014/09/01/the-scenario-framework/

How to formulate innovative game-defining concepts by asking the right questions:

http://www.gamesprecipice.com/building-gdc/

The theme for the BoardGameGeek 24-hour contest for September 2014 is “sheep”:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1228083/24-hour-contest-september-2014

What do you wish you knew about game design that you know now? A Card & Board Game Designers Guild discussion:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/320445024722916?view=permalink&id=533098313457585

Some common pitfalls of typography and graphic design:

https://twitter.com/DanielSolis/status/505373748237971456/photo/1

“The more you design games, the better you get at figuring out what makes a game special. I strongly encourage new designers to design two dissimilar games before pitching any. Creating your second game gives you such a different perspective on the whole process.”

— Randy Hoyt (@randyhoyt)

The types of people you should seek out for feedback on your Kickstarter campaign page before launch:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/this-one-tip-could-make-or-break-your-kickstarter/

Collapse Cards 10-Day Game Design Contest

10 designers will receive a prototyping kit

http://collapsecards.com/game-design-contest/

Is crowdfunding right for your project? Ten reasons to use Kickstarter, and some reasons not to:

http://stonemaiergames.com/top-10-reasons-to-launch-a-product-via-crowdfunding/

“If something doesn’t feel quite right, it probably isn’t, even if you can’t identify what specifically is wrong. Following that intuition is crucial to game development.”

— Nat Levan (@OakLeafGames)

Two reasons why third-party reviews are important for a game on Kickstarter:

http://blog.lanternsgame.com/2014/08/22/third-party-reviews/

How to run a big event for your game at a con:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/go-big-or-go-home-running-an-awesome-event-at-a-con/

Lessons on stretch goals and backer updates from the Shadow Throne Kickstarter:

http://nothingsacredgames.com/shadow-throne-kickstarter-campaign-periphery/

10 daily actions to build your crowd:

http://stonemaiergames.com/10-daily-actions-to-build-your-crowd/

“In the rush for balance, don’t strip the screw, as they say. Leave a little roughness that translates to pure fun for your players.”

— Grant Rodiek (@HyperboleGrant)

How to balance an asymmetrical game:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2014/08/25/balancing-the-asymmetry/

Why the effort it takes to run a Kickstarter campaign equals the effort it takes to make a game:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/liftoff/

Should you offer multiple copies of your product at a reduced bundled price:

http://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-111-should-you-offer-multiple-copies-of-your-product-at-a-reduced-bundled-price/