/
“Designing a game is an exploration. Guess to start. Seek to learn. No decision is final that isn’t informed by play.”
— Jay Treat (@jtreat3)
/
“The ending of a game should feel consistent with the rest. Once the middle is fun, try different ways to end it.”
— Randy Hoyt (@randyhoyt)
/
“Listen intently to your playtesters, but rarely do what they say. You must filter the info to deduce the real problem.”
— David Short (@dshortdesign)
/
“There are types of gamers, know which type you are designing for and remember, it’s not always you.”
— Luke Peterschmidt (@LPeterschmidt)
/
“Test your Minimum Viable Game. Don’t work on a broken game longer than you need to.”
— @AndHeGames
/
“Note which rule or mechanic players always get wrong the same way. Try to make it actually work that way.”
— Darrell Hardy (@HardyTales)
/
““Perfect” is the enemy of improvement. Stop searching for the perfect mechanism and focus on making your design better.”
— Matt Wolfe (@mattwolfe)
/
“Playtest playtest playtest - when you think you’re done, do it more. Blind tests are even better.”
— JR Honeycutt (@JayAhre)
/
“Get a prototype on the table ASAP. One minute of table time is worth an hour of solitary noodling.”
— Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis)
/
“Determine your target audience early, and tailor your design choices with them in mind.”
— Seth Jaffee (@sedjtroll)
/
“Consider removing rules that take too long to explain for what they add to your game.”
— Meeple Syrup (@MeepleSyrup)
/

Tips for playtesting late-stage design tweaks

/

The Meeple Syrup Show (@MeepleSyrup) on working with–and as–a publisher

/
“Find fulfillment in the design process, and seek out others who are engaged in game design in order to avoid traveling down that path alone.”
— Yves Tourigny (@yvestourigny)