How players’ associations with certain components can affect their experience of a game:

https://paxsims.wordpress.com/2015/02/28/not-just-bits-and-pieces-culture-praxis-and-aesthetic-in-game-design/

Methods of creating tension:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2015/02/27/great-tension/

After the Kickstarter ends: lessons on communication, manufacturing, fulfillment, shipping and more:

http://theinquisitivemeeple.com/2015/02/27/designing-meeples-after-the-kickstarter-ends/

What makes choices in games meaningful, and how games can use them to their full advantage:

http://ruddygam.es/tabletop-lessons-for-digital-designers-pt-1-meaningful-choices/

“Not all problems have easy, perfect solutions, and you shouldn’t be afraid to try something unusual when all the solutions are messy anyway.”

— Teale Fristoe (@teale)

“Don’t worry about throwing what you feel may be a dumb theme on a game, it may just work better than you think.”

— Jon Gilmour (@jongilmour)

“If you find that the current game is just frustrating, throw it in the pile and start working on something else. It’s okay to make a bad game. It’s not okay to release a bad game.”

— T.C. Petty III (@PuppyShogun)

Ignacy Trzewiczek (@trzewik) on why playtesters are liars, pitching to publishers, making beautiful prototypes and more

Advice for how many different designs you should work on at the same time

The Meeple Syrup vidcast (@MeepleSyrup) discusses print-on-demand and prototyping services such as The Game Crafter and Print & Play Productions

Graphic design advice for tabletop game designers, from Daniel Solis at Unpub 5

At Unpub 5, Richard Launius and Mike Fitzgerald offered advice on playtesting, the design process, finding a publisher and more (starting at 1:19):

http://www.thegeekallstars.com/?p=425

“It’s easy to get attached to a style, or to rules or simply to lose sight of everything that is possible – so it’s worth periodically doing something that pushes your comfort zone a little to expand your horizons.”

— Greg Carslaw (@3DTotalGames)

The Game Crafter’s Killer Gamer’s Remorse Challenge

Create a game with player elimination

Deadline: May 4, 2015

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/contests/killer-gamer-s-remorse-challenge

Randy Hoyt (@randyhoyt) of Foxtrot Games joins the Game Design Round Table (@TGDRT) to discuss the art of publishing: refining a design, changing themes, finding a design to publish and more:

http://thegamedesignroundtable.com/2015/02/24/episode-119-foxtrot-games-with-randy-hoyt/

“Focus on 1. Fun, 2. Decisions, 3. Interaction. If they aren’t enjoying themselves, nothing else matters.”

— Matthew O'Malley (@BlackOakGames)

Richard Garfield joins the Ludology podcast to discuss the evolution of the board game industry, design philosophy, types of players and more:

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-98-gathering-the-magic

Jay Cormier of the Bamboozle Brothers (@bamboozlebros) on games designers should study, prototyping, managing multiple designs, questions for playtesters, pitching publishers, considering manufacturing, rulebook structure and quite a bit more:

http://theinquisitivemeeple.com/2015/02/23/designing-meeples-with-jay-cormier/

“Play a lot of other people’s games. It will give you a lot of insight into how other designers work, and may help you build up a good network of people to help you in your process.”

— Matthew O'Malley (@BlackOakGames)

“Don’t be afraid of getting your designs stolen. Your games won’t be any good if you don’t openly share them with as many strangers as possible to get honest feedback.”

— Ben Rosset (@BenRosset)