“The best feedback doesn’t come from asking someone a question and hearing their response. It comes from just sitting back and watching them play.”

— Michael Keller (@vhgames)

Michael Keller (@vhgames) on economic games, auctions, player interaction, the design process and more:

http://ninjavspirates.libsyn.com/s9e07-lets-play-mayor-for-a-day

“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.”

— Jason Tagmire (@jtagmire)

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

“Make your prototypes look as finished as your game is.”

— Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis)

The Kickstarter Effect: Signing a Game in the Age of Crowdfunding (full-resolution version)

What to do if you receive a cease-and-desist letter about your Kickstarter:

http://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-136-what-to-do-if-you-receive-a-cease-desist-letter-concerning-your-kickstarter/

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

Lessons about variable player powers learned from other games:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/variable-player-powers/

Michael Keller (@vhgames) discusses modeling economics and markets in games:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2015/02/04/interview-with-michael-keller/

“Get your ideas on the table. Do it every chance you get. Make new chances and test it then too.”

— Kevin G. Nunn (@kgnunn)

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)

The Meeple Syrup vidcast (@MeepleSyrup) discusses scaling games for different player numbers

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

gamedesigngraphically:

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/