“Self-doubt is my first play tester.”

— Grant Rodiek (@HyperboleGrant)

“You can not let negativity exist in your campaign. You can’t be the only positive one. You have to ask your Backers to help.”

— Christian Strain

Responding to a feeling of defeat among your Kickstarter backers:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/reflections-3-the-face-of-success/

“As you make your way through the design process, designers should be looking for the one thing that makes the long hours and months-long development process awesome.”

— Chris Renshall (@TGIK_Games_CR)

Designing a trick-taking game: variations on the basic rules of the genre:

http://kevingnunn.com/2014/10/18/tricky-tricky-part-2/

Thoughts on exceptions in rules:

http://oakleafgames.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/making-an-exception/

How to build a following online before launching a Kickstarter:

http://indieconquest.com/2014/10/11/ksc4-when-and-where-should-i-advertise-my-kickstarter/

What a first-time board game designer can expect from the process:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/toys/stop-reading-this-and-go-build-your-own-board-game-17314604

The Game Design Round Table (@TGDRT) and Kristín Guðmundsdóttir of Kvasir Games (@KvasirGames) discuss game jams, flexible rules, publishing, working within a team, and more:

http://thegamedesignroundtable.com/2014/10/14/episode-101-kvasir-games/

An argument against “output randomness” in strategy games:

http://keithburgun.net/randomness-and-game-design/

2014 Dexterity Game Design Contest

Deadline: Dec. 31, 2014

Prizes: GeekGold

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1252248/2014-dexterity-game-design-contest

Plaid Hat Games (@PlaidHatGames) and Stephen Buonocore (@StrongholdGames) discuss themes that sell:

http://www.plaidhatgames.com/podcast/153

How to approach reviewers professionally:

http://clubfantasci.com/approach-board-game-review-blogs/

“If your gut instinct tells you that your game is missing something, it usually is.”

— Christopher Chung (@FlashForwardCo)

A method for quickly pitching your game to a possible customer:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/pitch-slap-your-game-to-a-customer/

Designing beginnings: Why so many games start players off with resources:

http://www.wiltgren.com/2014/10/13/medias-res-designing-beginnings/

“Game designers aren’t the only ones who find it hard to let go of clever mechanics. It affects early playtesters, too.”

— Charles Beauvais (@the_FlyingSheep)

A massive post touching on lots of legal issues facing board game designers and publishers:

http://www.jamesmathe.com/dammit-jim-im-a-publisher-not-a-lawyer/

Elevator pitches: even more important than you think:

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/34744/how-build-game-9-work-your-elevator-pitch

The top 10 things aspiring board game designers need to know