Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers
“Think about why your tester said something, not just what they said.”
“Make it smaller. Then make it smaller again. Until you can’t anymore.”
“Surround yourself with people who will encourage you and will never, ever let you get by with subpar work.”
“Don’t start with what players do, but rather what you want players to think about. Then focus the mechanics from there.”
“Don’t add something to your game just because it should be there. Add it because it can’t be left out.”
“If you want your game to be published, consider the publisher part of the audience.”
“Designing a game is an exploration. Guess to start. Seek to learn. No decision is final that isn’t informed by play.”
“The ending of a game should feel consistent with the rest. Once the middle is fun, try different ways to end it.”
“Listen intently to your playtesters, but rarely do what they say. You must filter the info to deduce the real problem.”
“There are types of gamers, know which type you are designing for and remember, it’s not always you.”
“Test your Minimum Viable Game. Don’t work on a broken game longer than you need to.”
“Note which rule or mechanic players always get wrong the same way. Try to make it actually work that way.”
““Perfect” is the enemy of improvement. Stop searching for the perfect mechanism and focus on making your design better.”
“Playtest playtest playtest - when you think you’re done, do it more. Blind tests are even better.”
“Get a prototype on the table ASAP. One minute of table time is worth an hour of solitary noodling.”
“Determine your target audience early, and tailor your design choices with them in mind.”
“Consider removing rules that take too long to explain for what they add to your game.”
David Somerville (@thisistrove) joins The Game Design Round Table (@TGDRT) to discuss using the gaming community, pitching your game, handing things over to a publisher, and more:
http://thegamedesignroundtable.com/2015/08/21/episode-131-david-somerville-and-trove/
Tips for playtesting late-stage design tweaks
10 recommended books on game design:
http://meeplemechanic.com/specials/chip-beauvais-10-favorite-game-design-books/
