“Just a good concept will not work. The concept and theme are important but be sure you’ve really thought out the game play. Playtest and be open to feedback!”

— Heather O'Neill

What makes a “thematic” game thematic:

http://islaythedragon.com/featured/thematics-knizia-and-evocative-mechanics/

Philip duBarry (@pdubarry) joins the Gaming Careers Podcast to discuss the process of making a board game, from concept to publisher pitch:

http://www.thecompanybard.com/tgc-029-philip-dubarry-homerun-hitting-game-designer-shares-his-process-for-game-creation/

A guide to using public domain and Creative Commons art in your games:

http://www.robindavid.info/2015/03/thepublicdomain.html

What should be in a licensing contract:

http://theforbiddenlimb.com/2015/03/24/publishing-contracts/

SEE ALSO: http://cardboardedison.tumblr.com/tagged/contract-terms

Ways to speed up your design process:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2015/03/24/design-muscle-memory/

The right way to use player elimination:

http://matthewgravelyn.com/designing-for-player-elimination/

“Be careful listening to what play testers say. The most valuable information I get from play testing is from watching the play testers. What part of the game are they having the most fun with? What part are they frustrated with etc. They will show you this in how they play the game.”

— Mike Fitzgerald

Detailed information for how to request a quote from a manufacturer:

http://www.jamesmathe.com/the-art-of-the-rfq/

Teale Fristoe (@fristoe) on blind playtesting, game jams, iterating rules, your first design and more:

http://meeplemechanic.com/foxhole-fiver/teale-fristoe-on-designing-birds-of-a-feather/

Preliminary steps to take before moving into board game publishing:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2015/03/20/some-start-up-thoughts/

Panda Game Manufacturing (@pandagm) answers questions about manufacturing board games

Michael Coe (@Gamelyn_Games) on preparing for a Kickstarter campaign, salability, using BoardGameGeek, director’s cuts and game design, and more:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/a-tiny-epic-interview-with-michael-coe/

“If you’re designing a family filler, just keep it as simply as possible. Trim out every rule you can. Get to the bare bones of your game. Eliminate components. Find the most streamlined version of your game that is still fun.”

— Scott Almes (@Scott_Almes)

The post hoc fallacy in playtesting: why happy players might not be enjoying your game:

http://nerdstable.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-post-hoc-fallacy-in-playtesting.html

“Pay more attention to the ideas that return to you. They strike a chord for a reason.”

— Jay Treat (@jtreat3)

“The game you’re working on is not the last game you’ll ever work on. There’s an impulse to make the current project contain every clever idea you have, but really I think you can get by with just one or two.”

— Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis)

Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis) on exploring games, using your clever ideas, eloquent design, layout, fighting players’ instincts, print on demand and more:

http://theinquisitivemeeple.com/2015/03/18/designing-meeples-with-daniel-solis/

“It’s important for game designers to try all kind of games, because it will not only provide inspiration, it will give you a better idea of what you DON’T want to do in your designs.”

— Chris Leder

“Designers can especially become attached to clever parts because we want to do really original mechanics. But you have to be ruthless. If it slows the pace of the game too much, makes things too confusing, messes up other parts of the game somewhat, or anything like that — it’s a candidate for the chopping block. A good pace is a virtue unto itself.”

— Dan Schnake