“If you don’t ever come up with bad mechanics, you aren’t taking enough risks. Designers need to always push the envelope and try new things, and discovering things that don’t work out is part of that process. The important thing is how you react to those problems.”

— Teale Fristoe (@fristoe)

What to do about a broken game mechanic?

http://nothingsacredgames.com/broken-mechanics/

Fortunately for me, I don't encounter "designer's block" (game design equivalent of writer's block) very often, but some people may. Here are some ways to overcome it.

Overcoming "designer's block"

How to name your game:

http://thegamecrafter.libsyn.com/naming-your-games-with-the-game-crafter-episode-41

Lots of pointers for creating the print-and-play version of your game:

https://convergentgamesblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/21/print-and-play-explained-in-10-questions-2/

Scott Almes (@Scott_Almes) on breaking into the board game industry:

http://breakingintoboardgames.libsyn.com/episode-2-scott-almes

Richard Garfield on early and late playtesting, making a good design great, the "complexity budget" and more:

http://gamasutra.com/blogs/PierreAlexandreGarneau/20151019/256711/Interview_Richard_Garfield_on_Getting_Design_from_Good_to_Great.php

View From a Deal: The board game industry as seen in publishing contracts

“Don’t be afraid to give up on an idea if it isn’t working. You can always come back to it later or put it into another game. Don’t try to force a game together. It won’t be fun.”

— Jonathan Bouthilet (@jonnyboardgames)

Uses for set collection: 

https://m.facebook.com/groups/320445024722916?view=permalink&id=700823533351728 

Advice for sustaining your design vision during the design process: 

https://m.facebook.com/groups/320445024722916?view=permalink&id=700892346678180&refid=18&_ft_=qid.6207507054898563376%3Amf_story_key.700892346678180%3Atl_objid.700892346678180&__tn__=%2As

Aspects of scoring:  hidden scoring, point salads, granularity, point curves, multipliers and more:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/game-elements-scoring/

The Game Designers of North Carolina Podcast (@GDofNC) on making prototypes: 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/48513/316629-episode-4-making-prototypes

Ludology on chaos and randomness in games:

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-114-the-butterfly-effect

Understanding the flow of decisions in a game: 

http://theinquisitivemeeple.com/2015/10/15/understanding-the-flow-of-decisions-in-a-game

What to watch for when running a stress test of your design: 

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/design-playtest-tactic-the-stress-test/

Lessons in board game design from Space Invaders:

http://lawofgamedesign.com/2015/10/14/theory-everything-i-needed-to-know-about-game-design-i-learned-from-space-invaders

Experiences from pitching to 16 publishers at Essen:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1453364/my-experiences-pitching-publishers-essen-spiel-201

Board Game Design Time is back and we are talking about those first playtests of your game! It's an exciting/stressful time, but remember to follow these tips and REMAIN CALM!!!!!!!!

What to do in early playtests

Daniel Solis (@DanielSolis) on playtesting, your first design, publishing finances and more:

http://goinglast.net/special-interview-with-daniel-solis/