How to make standees:

http://mvpboardgames.blogspot.com/2015/05/design-tip-of-week-28-how-to-make.html

Strategies for solo testing:

http://www.reddit.com/r/tabletopgamedesign/comments/35as34/what_are_your_strategies_for_early_testing_a_game/

Helpful Kickstarter campaign data: new backers and old ones, international numbers, video length and more:

http://stonemaiergames.com/statistics-from-the-new-treasure-chest-2-4-kickstarter-project/

The importance of aligning the player‘s experience with their expectations:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/41802/losing-player-failing-align-expectations

Five tips for taking playtesters’ feedback:

http://danielsolisblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/this-soup-is-awful-cake-5-tips-for.html

“If you have to explain your theme, then your theme isn’t working.”

— Andrew Federspiel (@KnapsackGames)

The Dice Hate Me Games/Greater Than Games Design Challenge

Design a game featuring a dexterity element

Deadline: Aug. 31, 2015

Prizes: cash, Unpub designer table, possible publication

http://dicehateme.com/2015/05/the-state-of-games-ep-84-the-one-about-ever-expanding-games/

Ideas for how to make a complex design user-friendly:

http://kevingnunn.com/2015/05/05/user-friendly-games-part-2/

John J. Coveyou of Genius Games (@GotGeniusGames) on running a crowdfunding campaign: building buzz, setting the goal, making a pitch and more:

http://tinkerbotgames.com/tt-ep-16

Reddit reviews of prototyping services:

http://www.reddit.com/r/tabletopgamedesign/comments/34fffq/people_who_have_ordered_a_prototype_of_your_game/

May 2015 Game Design Showdown

Pitch a game that has opaque containers as a key component

http://www.bgdf.com/forum/game-design/game-design-showdown/gds-may-2015-black-bag

A primer for using Google Analytics with your Kickstarter campaign:

http://www.spellforgegames.com/kickstarter-and-google-analytics-a-guide-for-kickstarter-campaigns/

Cardboard Edison’s Favorite Tips & Resources - April 2015

This month our list of top links for board game designers includes a new Meaningful Decisions interview, a wide-ranging panel by indie designers and publishers, great inspirational quotes and more.

featured:

• Meaningful Decisions: Adam P. McIver on Design Choices in Coin Age

industry:

• Independent board game designers and publishers discuss a variety of topics at Unpub Protospiel San Jose

licensing:

• In-depth advice for pitching to a publisher: preparation and presentation
• Board Games Insider offers advice for pitching to publishers

process:

• Time management tips for board game designers
• “Don’t be afraid of failure, instead run at it and find what you can learn from failure.” - Daryl Andrews
• “It’s important to not only play a lot of games, but to play a different assortment of games. Even ones you may not like. Each game you play is an opportunity to learn something new.” - Isaias Vallejo

playtesting:

• How to learn to accept playtesters’ feedback
• “If you ignore all feedback and advice, you will fail. If you twist and contort your designs to follow all feedback, you will fail. Listen to your advisors, and weigh their words of wisdom. But you have to make the final decisions, you have to provide the vision.” - Kevin Wilson

Cardboard Edison is supported by our patrons on Patreon.

SENIOR INVENTORS: Steven Cole, John du Bois, Richard Durham, Matthew O’Malley, Isaias Vallejo

JUNIOR INVENTORS: Stephen B Davies, Luis Lara, Behrooz Shahriari, Aidan Short, Jay Treat

ASSOCIATES: Robert Booth, Zachery Cook, Doug Levandowski, Nathan Miller, Marcel Perro

APPRENTICE: Gino Brancazio, Scott Gottreu, JR Honeycutt, Brad Price

Advanced game development strategies: asking why, interpreting feedback, handling aberrations, subversive strategies and more:

http://whoseturnisitanyway.com/design-advanced-game-development/

How to make a long-distance collaboration work:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/distributed-design/

The theme for the May 2015 24-hour contest is “Knight”:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1363214/24-hour-contest-may-2015

Advice for how to go about balancing your game:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2015/04/30/balancing-the-balance/

Independent board game designers and publishers discuss a variety of topics at Unpub Protospiel San Jose

Data on Kickstarter backers’ opinions about shipping costs, fulfillment methods, early-bird options and more:

http://www.jamesmathe.com/survey-says-ks-usage/

Board Games Insider (@bgipodcast) offers advice for pitching to publishers:

http://boardgamesinsider.com/2015/04/episode-5-mars-prototypes-and-newness/