What to expect from a Protospiel playtesting event:

http://thegamecrafter.libsyn.com/attending-protospiel-events-with-the-game-crafter-episode-12

The theme for the April 2015 24 Hour Contest is “Grey Ghost Of The Himalayas“:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1346900/24-hour-contest-april-2015

How to avoid wasting a publisher’s time when reaching out to them:

http://www.wiltgren.com/2015/04/01/submitting-your-game-101-dont-waste-the-publishers-time/

How to find a publisher that’s a good match for your design–a BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1345896/finding-publisher-how-do-i-find-good-match

Ways to ease a game’s learning curve:

http://matthewgravelyn.com/learning-a-new-game-painful-vs-painless/

A primer for making the best use of BoardGameGeek as a designer:

http://matthewgravelyn.com/utilizing-boardgamegeek/

“Don’t let the permanence of design decisions plague you. There’s always a new project on the horizon for your forever-growing mind muscles!”

— Andrew Federspiel (@KnapsackGames)

Lessons on pitching from Tabletop Deathmatch:

http://danielsolisblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/5-pitching-lessons-from-tabletop.html

“Don’t over complicate your ideas. Maybe you are designing a complicated game, and that’s legit, but be really honest with yourself about whether or not you need all of the elements you’ve included.”

— Heather Wilson

“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/