“If a rule doesn’t add to the fun of the game, get rid of it.”

— Byron Collins

Tips for shipping a Kickstarter board game worldwide: 

 http://stonemaiergames.com/how-to-ship-stuff-worldwide-2016-edition/

Tips for attending a publisher speed dating event:

https://castledevblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/27/tips-on-publisher-speed-dating-and-pitches/

“Unless you know for sure that a suggestion isn’t going to pan out, then it’s worth doing due diligence and testing it out. You never know which decent-sounding suggestions will be right for the game, and which just won’t pan out, until you try them.”

— Seth Jaffee

“Designers, challenge yourself to streamline. Simplicity is harder than kitchen sink.”

— Byron Collins

The Lady and the Tiger Game Design Contest

Design a game using 18 specific cards and 25 tokens in five colors

Prize: $250 and publication offer

Deadline: Jan. 23, 2017

http://www.jellybean-games.com/contest

Why complexity, depth and balance are as important as difficulty:

https://davidmullich.com/2016/11/21/designing-a-good-game-is-about-more-than-making-it-difficult-complexity-depth-and-balance/

Ways of achieving the level and type of player interaction you want in your game:

https://www.reddit.com/r/tabletopgamedesign/comments/5efht6/player_interaction_and_its_importance/

Advice for very new board game designers to keep in mind:

https://www.reddit.com/r/tabletopgamedesign/comments/5ec3oe/helpful_advice_on_taking_the_next_steps_in/

Four approaches to starting a new design:

https://boardsandbarley.com/2016/11/23/different-approaches-to-game-design/

Graphic designers on how to make a board game more user-friendly (audio):

http://nerdfountain.libsyn.com/nerd-fountain-83-power-to-the-meeple-53-metatopia-2016-ui-and-ux-in-tabletop-games-presented-by-laura-simpson-chris-oneill-anthony-amato

On bluffing games (audio):

http://passportgames.libsyn.com/bluffing-future-splotter-and-vertical-transportation

Analysis paralysis and how to reduce it in your designs (audio):

https://www.buzzsprout.com/48513/444304-episode-24-reducing-analysis-paralysis

Advice for being creative in a group setting (audio):

http://podbay.fm/show/580709168/e/1479492900

“Remove anything you can that will delay you getting the first prototype to the table – that is where you will learn the most about the game, not on your computer or in your head.”

— Matthew Dunstan

Prototyping advice for new board game designers:

http://pixygamesuk.blogspot.com/2016/11/prototype-board-game-design-diy-special.html

How to ship a Kickstarter project on time (audio):

http://www.sirlin.net/posts/sirlin-on-game-design-ep-17-shipping-kickstarters-on-time

Thoughts on sources of tension in board games:

https://curiocardboard.wordpress.com/2016/11/17/tension-board-games/

What to consider when deciding where a game should start:

http://www.3dtotalgames.com/in-the-beginning/

My course "Playtesting: the Heart of Game Design" is 6.5 hours of advice and discussion about playtesting. For a discount use the URL https://www.udemy.com/game-playtesting/?couponCode=PT25 ($25)

12 things you need to know about playtesting (video)