Gamehole Gauntlet

Deadline: Aug. 29, 2016

Prizes: cash & more

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/contests/gamehole-gauntlet

The Meeple Syrup vidcast on math in game design

Industry survey on liked and disliked game themes and mechanisms:

http://dailyworkerplacement.com/2016/03/21/survey-results-5-the-games-we-play/

Advantages of co-designing:

http://goplaylisten.com/games/board-game-design-five-reasons-to-co-design/

Unsatisfying victories your design should avoid:

http://www.mechanics-and-meeples.com/2016/03/21/the-dissastisfaction-of-victory/

Matthew Dunstan on finding a community, collaborating on designs, coming up with game ideas, working with publishers, different philosophies of game design and more:

http://theactionpointspodcast.com/2016/03/19/victory-pointers-009-design-philosophies-and-collaboration-with-matt-dunstan/

Designers share their design tenets:

https://twitter.com/HyperboleGrant/status/711275778130882560

Tim Fowers on making board games independently, going full-time, direct sales and more:

http://thegamedesignroundtable.com/2016/03/17/episode-142-tim-fowers/

How to steal game mechanics

“Playtest every game regardless of the intended audience with gamers, families, kids, grandparents, and drunken college kids.”

— Dominic Crapuchettes

How to reboot a design:

http://hyperbolegames.com/2016/03/14/the-54-card-guild-10/

How to handle criticism:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/i-survived-my-worse-playtest-and-review-ever-and-so-can-you/

5 mistakes to avoid when manufacturing in China:

http://stonemaiergames.com/top-5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-manufacturing-in-china/

How to design games for non-gamers, or gateway games:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1541868/how-design-games-non-gamers

2016 Canadian Game Design Award

Deadline: May 31, 2016

Prizes: cash and plaque

http://www.fallcon.com/design-contest/rules/

http://www.fallcon.com/design-contest/enter-for-2015/

Creating unpredictability for an AI opponent in a solo variant:

http://theinquisitivemeeple.com/2016/03/14/predictable-unpredictability/

Part 1: http://cardboardedison.com/blog/guest-post-the-basic-elements-of-solo-variant-design

Where to find groups for playtesting

Button Shy Wallet Game Contest

Deadline: May 8, 2016

Prizes: cash and possible publication

http://buttonshygames.com/pages/button-shy-wallet-game-contest

“When playtesting with a group your goal is not to win but watch the other players for signs of confusion, happiness or dislike & where.”

— Peter Gousis

The five things you must do when designing a board game: 

http://galvanizedstudios.com/2016/03/07/five-things-you-must-do/