“You can sit and tweak forever, or you can start to get it out there. It’s a tough and fuzzy line, but you start to gauge it a little better with each go.”
Challenges in designing a 4X game:
http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/38580/snowball-and-steamroller-fundamental-challenges-4x
The Ludology podcast discusses the use of heuristics–mental shortcuts–in board games:
http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-97-rules-of-thumb
The Kickstarter Effect: Signing a Game in the Age of Crowdfunding (full-resolution version)
What to do when your design efforts hit a wall? A BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion:
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1314410/how-get-past-brainstorming
Lessons learned from a failed Kickstarter campaign: the importance of reviews, marketing, engagement and more:
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1314899/lessonsobservations-my-failed-kickstarter-crop-cyc
Michael Keller (@vhgames) discusses modeling economics and markets in games:
http://hyperbolegames.com/2015/02/04/interview-with-michael-keller/
Answers to common questions about public playtesting events:
http://kevingnunn.com/2015/02/04/getting-ready-for-protospiel-2015-part-2/
Different ways that games have handled character death without player elimination:
http://www.reddit.com/r/tabletopgamedesign/comments/2umpmw/games_that_handle_death_interestingly/
The theme for the February 2015 24-hour contest is “fairy”:
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1313781/24-hour-contest-february-2015
Pros vs. Newbs: Experience Counts When Signing a Game (full-resolution version)
Two videos on promoting a game:
The Impressions vidcast on building a network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgjsS-t8soU
The Forbidden Limb on promoting a Kickstarter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr7sg75O0a0
Designing for the colourblind?
Avoid picking two colours on the same line.
more wonderful graphics at the owner’s site:
http://www.color-blindness.com/2009/01/19/colorblind-colors-of-confusion/
Welcome To The Rodney's!→
/What are the Rodneys? Great question. They are the name for our just launched Gamehole Con game design award. If you look at any of our annual logos, you will see an armored fellow squaring off against some foe. At Gamehole Con command central, we have always called that guy, Sir Rodney….
Cardboard Edison’s Favorite Tips & Resources - January 2015
/This month’s roundup of board game design links features data on Kickstarter trends, advice for finding a publisher and a reminder about loving your designs. Plus, the first installments in our series of reports on licensing contracts and our new series of publisher interviews.
- Signing a Game: Board Game Licensing Contracts - Part 1: Pre-Publication Terms
- Signing a Game: Board Game Licensing Contracts - Part 2: Post-Publication Terms
- The Publishers: Q&A With Chris Kirkman of Dice Hate Me Games
- The Meeple Syrup vidcast discusses licensing contract terms with David Short and Cardboard Edison
- Tips for building relationships with publishers and getting published through the back door
- Adventures in pitching—lessons learned from a year of shopping a design to potential publishers
process:
- “If your own designs aren’t among your very favorite games, then you might need to work harder to design games you like.” - Alf Seegert
playtesting:
- “The goal of playtesting is to make it suck a little less each time.” - Ben Begeal
Cardboard Edison Omnibus is supported by our patrons on Patreon.
- SENIOR INVENTORS: Steven Cole, Richard Durham, Jeff Johnston, Matthew O’Malley, Isaias Vallejo
- JUNIOR INVENTORS: Stephen B Davies, Luis Lara, Behrooz Shahriari, Aidan Short, Jay Treat
- ASSOCIATES: Zachery Cook, Doug Levandowski, Nathan Miller, Marcel Perro
- APPRENTICE: Brad Price
