“Reviewers can tell when a game has been blind tested, and when it has been playtested with just friends. Hint: better ones are blind tested.”

— Cassie Maccabee

4 mental exercises to stretch your game design muscles:

http://casualgamerevolution.com/blog/2017/01/mental-exercises-to-stretch-your-game-design-muscles

Board Game Design Forum's 2017 Game Design Showdown:

http://www.bgdf.com/annual-game-design-showdown

A discussion of "ludological arcs" (audio):

https://www.buzzsprout.com/48513/464898-episode-27-ludological-arcs

Advice for participating in board game design contests (audio):

http://www.thecompanybard.com/tgc-076-chris-susanne-zinsli-cardboard-edison-game-design-contests/

Examples of designing games with dilemmas for players:

https://davidmullich.com/2017/01/16/dilemmas-in-game-design/

Calculating and paying value-added tax (VAT):

http://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter-lesson-212-calculating-and-paying-value-added-tax-vat/

Ways to foster creativity when making games--a BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1711138/what-do-you-do-foster-your-creativity-when-making

“Your game design will have good points and bad points. Make sure the good outweigh the bad. For the record, every rule is a bad point.”

— Stephen Glenn

“There’s a difference between randomness and uncertainty. A game may not need the former, but it needs some of the latter.”

— Daniel Solis

Board game development: what it is, why it’s important, and how you can become a developer (audio):

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/why-development-work-is-so-important-with-jr-honeycutt/

“Don’t be afraid to change any of what you consider to be a core mechanic, because if it’s not working then it can’t be a core mechanic.”

— Richard Launius

Richard Launius on how to make games that create epic experiences that stand the test of time (audio):

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/advice-cthulu-and-how-to-create-an-epic-gaming-experience-with-richard-launius/

How different player counts affect the design process (audio):

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-143-two-players-three-players-four-players-bwahahah

How to use randomness well (audio):

http://www.buildingthegamepodcast.com/2017/01/15/episode-242-your-moderator-chris-in-the-house/

Tips for commissioning artwork: 

https://collinsepicwargames.wordpress.com/2017/01/16/the-art-of-commissioning-art

“If, as a creator, you cannot finish the thing as you are unable to decisively agree to the finality, you need a publisher. They’ll do that.”

— Grant Rodiek

Shipping a Kickstarter from your home (video)

How to build your board game industry network (audio):

http://theforbiddenlimb.libsyn.com/top-10-ways-to-build-your-board-game-industry-network-ep-49

Ways of describing your game effectively and enticingly:

https://davidmullich.com/2017/01/09/ways-to-describe-your-game/