“Don’t give up on a game just because you aren’t doing anything with it. Let it sit, let it collect dust (literal and/or figurative dust), or even forget about it for a while. But don’t give up on it. Don’t be afraid to let the game sit while you think of how to improve it. Games aren’t created overnight, and they sometimes need a chance to grow.”

— Nat Levan

Gamehole Gauntlet

Deadline: Aug. 29, 2016

Prizes: cash & more

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

We bring Matt Loomis & Isaac Shalev on the show to talk about math in game design. Fun stuff!

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/

For more, check out the blog post: http://bit.ly/StealingMechanics In this episode of Board Game Design Time, Chris talks about the idea of "stealing" mechanics from games? What do you think?

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

Just what it says, folks.

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