Cardboard Edison's Favorite Tips & Resources - September 2014

In this month’s roundup, we have an in-depth interview with Matt Leacock, a thoughtful post on exoticism in board games, a new source for prototyping icons, Kickstarter advice for before, during and after the campaign, and lots more!

#featured:

• Meaningful Decisions: Matt Leacock on Design Choices in Forbidden Desert

#theory:

• What gives a game a rewarding moment for players?

#industry:

• Bruno Faidutti on board games and the exoticism of other cultures and other times

#prototyping:

• A new source of icons, under Creative Commons license

#publishing:

• The right way to get ready for a Kickstarter—specific things you should do to lay the groundwork for a successful campaign
• A giant post packed with Kickstarter knowledge, from James Mathe of Minion Games (@MinionGames)

#playtesting:

• “During the creation and development process, don’t hesitate to change it if it is for the best, and refine it the number of times you feel it needs. Talk to people about it, and change it until it clicks. It will, don’t worry. You will know when it does.” - Vital Lacerda (@vitallacerda)
• “If you’re looking for specific feedback, you need to ask specific questions. Develop them before each session.” - Sen-Foong Lim (@SenFoongLim)

#process:

• 10 steps to design a board game
• “ALWAYS be making games! Make bad ones, make worse ones, make better ones, make good ones, make great ones. Just keep making games.” - Chris Renshall, TGIK Games

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“When you create a game, be proud of it, and want to show it off. If you’re not excited about your own game, why would a publisher or potential customer be interested in it?”

— Nat Levan (@OakleafGames)

The benefits of ego to a game designer:

http://oakleafgames.wordpress.com/2014/09/30/ego/

When to use penalties instead of rewards:

http://kevingnunn.com/2014/10/01/penalties-over-rewards/

The Meeple Syrup vidcast discusses designing “Ameritrash”–or thematic–games

10 steps to design a board game

The Building the Game podcast (@PodcastBTG) discusses when and how to cut from a design:

http://www.buildingthegamepodcast.com/2014/09/28/episode-122-cutting-and-cyber-cybers/

“No idea is ever wasted. You can always repurpose it into something awesome.”

— Jason Slingerland (@JASlingerland)

Tips for creating a better Kickstarter video:

http://stonemaiergames.com/the-project-video-research-storyboarding-animatics-and-more/

BGG.CON Designer/Publisher Speed Dating 2014

Deadline for submission: Oct. 12, 2014

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lg2j26PZ92iIhmYOpqMdWIqoYfCXRc3zGNV6izWkFKQ/viewform

A giant post packed with Kickstarter knowledge, from James Mathe of Minion Games (@MinionGames):

http://www.jamesmathe.com/dead-men-tell-no-tales/

BoardGameGeek has a new Board Game Playtesters Guild:

http://boardgamegeek.com/guild/2049

Rewards vs. penalties in games:

http://kevingnunn.com/2014/09/27/rewards-not-penalties/

The right way to get ready for a Kickstarter–specific things you should do to lay the groundwork for a successful campaign:

http://meltdowngames.wordpress.com/2014/09/26/gothic-doctor-wrap-up-part-1

“It’s always going to be a sub-optimal time to make your idea, so just do it now. Get it out there. Get people playing it. If it’s awesome, it’s your job to share it with the world.”

— Timothy Fowers (@tfowers)

The Something From Nothing vidcast discusses playtest groups, the design process, contests and more

How different tabletop games have implemented an “artificial intelligence”:

http://www.reddit.com/r/tabletopgamedesign/comments/2hg284/you_get_ai_in_tabletop_games/

SEE ALSO: http://cardboardedison.tumblr.com/post/96619717581/meaningful-decisions-matt-leacock

How to boost the perceived popularity of your game–and hopefully its actual popularity as a result:

http://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-119-release-with-a-boom-not-a-whimper/

“During the creation and development process, don’t hesitate to change it if it is for the best, and refine it the number of times you feel it needs. Talk to people about it, and change it until it clicks. It will, don’t worry. You will know when it does.”

— Vital Lacerda (@vitallacerda)

“Just love your project, put all your passion into it. Work a lot, breathe and dream with your design and believe in it, really believe in it. There is nothing worse than a design which is not loved by its creator.”

— Vital Lacerda (@vitallacerda)