The Game Design Round Table (@TGDRT) on when to move on to balancing, royalty-free art, asymmetry and more:

http://thegamedesignroundtable.com/2015/12/08/episode-137-once-more-into-the-mailbag/

“Whatever you think games should accomplish, it’s always better for games to enable players to accomplish that thing instead.”

— Jay Treat (@jtreat3)

A discussion of the importance of location to a game's theme:

http://dicehateme.com/2015/12/the-state-of-games-ep-97-the-one-about-location-location-location/

Root cause analysis and determining problems in your designs:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/48513/331444-episode-7-what-s-wrong-with-my-design

10 things every game needs:

Goal: http://podbay.fm/show/580709168/e/1416586800?autostart=1

Rules: http://podbay.fm/show/580709168/e/1418403000?autostart=1

Interactions: http://podbay.fm/show/580709168/e/1423844400?autostart=1

Catch Up: http://podbay.fm/show/580709168/e/1427473200?autostart=1

Inertia: http://podbay.fm/show/580709168/e/1431706500?autostart=1

Surprise: http://podbay.fm/show/580709168/e/1435335300?autostart=1

Strategy: http://podbay.fm/show/580709168/e/1438359300?autostart=1

Fun: http://podbay.fm/show/580709168/e/1441988100?autostart=1

Flavor: http://podbay.fm/show/580709168/e/1445012100?autostart=1

Hook: http://podbay.fm/show/580709168/e/1449245700?autostart=1

Lots of tools to make game design easier:

http://cardboardarchitects.libsyn.com/episode-15-tools-of-the-trade

“If an idea excites you, get busy and develop it into something unique. Something yours. Most things have been ‘done’ at the genetic level.”

— Grant Rodiek (@HyperboleGrant)

Designing with accessibility in mind: color blindness, typography and ergonomics: 

http://playdiabolical.com/2015/12/usability-and-accessibility-in-board-games/

Learning Game Challenge

Design a game where a playful environment creates an opportunity for understanding real world problems and issues.

Deadline: Feb. 29, 2016

Prizes: cash, potential publication, and more

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/contests/learning-game-challenge

What you should know about forming and running an indie game company:

http://legalmovespodcast.com/2015/12/03/episode-23-starting-indie-game-company-brian-henk/

Lessons learned from shipping Bad Medicine: Amazon Fulfillment, street dates, distribution consolidators and more:

http://gil.hova.net/2015/12/02/lessons-learned-from-shipping-bad-medicine/

The requirement for the December 2015 24-hour contest is "angel":

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1483296/24-hour-contest-december-2015

What makes a good theme? A discussion of family-friendly themes, getting into a big-box retailer, overused and underused themes, and more:

http://theforbiddenlimb.com/2015/12/02/what-makes-a-good-theme/

December 2015 Game Design Showdown

Pitch a game that starts with as minimal a learning curve as possible, and ramps up as the game progresses

Deadline: Dec. 9, 2015

http://www.bgdf.com/forum/game-design/game-design-showdown/gds-december-2015-learning-game

2016 Cardboard Edison Award

Deadline: Jan. 31, 2016

http://cardboardedison.com/award/

Cardboard Edison's Favorite Tips & Resources - November 2015

This month's roundup of great board game design links includes several new entries in our Meaningful Decisions interview series, advice for working with publishers, lessons from a first-time designer, and lots more.

featured:

• Meaningful Decisions: Jason Tagmire on Design Choices in Maximum Throwdown
• Guest Post: The Hidden Work of Game Design
• Meaningful Decisions: T.C. Petty III on Design Choices in VivaJava Dice
• Meaningful Decisions: Donald X. Vaccarino on Design Choices in Dominion

licensing:

• Reasons why a publisher might reject a game even if it's very good
• Publishers answer the question: How do you decide what games you want to publish?
• “Don’t pitch a game to a publisher until you envision it on the store shelf as-is (design-wise), and are happy with that. Then also don’t be surprised or upset if a publisher wants to do some development changes.” - Seth Jaffee

process:

• Lessons from a first-time designer: selecting ideas, delegating authority, defending without getting defensive, killing your darlings and setting deadlines
• Getting your indie tabletop game made: notes from PAX Australia

theory:

• Take-that games: When does this mechanism work and when does it fail?
• The Game Designers of North Carolina podcast on melding theme and mechanisms

playtesting:

• Advice for creating and running a board game design group
• “Playtesting is often that balance between ignoring both the worst criticism and the highest praise to hone in on the juicy middle.” - Dave Chalker

Cardboard Edison Omnibus 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, Doug Levandowski, Aaron Lim, Nathan Miller, Marcel Perro

APPRENTICES: Kevin Brusky, Kiva Fecteau, Scott Gottreu, JR Honeycutt, Scott Martel Jr., Marcus Ross, Diane Sauer

Generating ideas and turning them into final products: 

http://www.justingary.com/nobody-cares-about-your-idea/

Data on player preferences of game length:

https://medium.com/@stbowden/what-s-in-a-game-length-7bc6102a04eb#.d099x710x

Publishers answer the question: How do you decide what games you want to publish?

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-117-publish-or-perish

Lessons learned from failing twice on Kickstarter: 

 http://stonemaiergames.com/third-times-the-charm-lessons-learned-from-failing-twice-on-kickstarter-a-guest-post/