“I believe that the best possible skill you can develop as a designer is the ability to ‘read’ people well - to know if they’re having fun or not, regardless of what they may tell you.”

— Behrooz Shahriari

“You don’t have to know where a game will end up when you start designing. Leaping into a design with only minor preparation can lead to fantastic discoveries!”

— Emma Larkins

Different ways of thinking about depth in games:

https://www.northstargames.com/blogs/secret-fun/deep-games-are-legacy-games

Geekway to the West 2018 Game Design Contest

Entrants must attend the convention

Deadline: Feb. 28, 2018

Prize: publishing offer from Indie Boards & Cards

https://geekwaytothewest.com/home/events/game-design-contest/

Jamey Stegmaier tackles a variety of topics related to crowdfunding (video):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8FIBt9V_Bnv1m3Hlesorj7O4gQ_-eY1O

“Sit down and work out why people like a game that you hate. Try to make a game that taps into that reason, but solves your problems with the game.”

— Peter C. Hayward

How board games can integrate role-playing (video)

Techniques for designing low-interaction games--creating engaging experiences without conflict (audio):

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-168-kumbaya

“You probably have an idea of how you want players to play your game, and if you have good incentives, players should generally follow your plan. But be aware of other things players could do and if those things would be a dominant strategy.”

— Chris Anderson

Ways that wargame designers can give players the experience they want to:

https://katiesgamecorner.com/2018/01/25/who-are-you-by-geoff-engelstein/

“It’s not inherently a problem if your game involving doing the same thing each turn. It’s only a problem if it doesn’t feel different as the game progresses. You can accomplish this in a few ways; the two most common are escalation and a changing game state.”

— Peter C. Hayward

Balance and asymmetry in game design (video)

Three podcasts discuss what to expect when working with a publisher:

http://www.buildingthegamepodcast.com/2018/01/21/episode-295-robs-gone-and-the-worst-guest-ever/

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/how-a-publisher-develops-games-with-alan-emrich/

http://thegamecrafter.libsyn.com/a-publisher-perspective-with-chris-leder-and-the-game-crafter-episode-159

A discussion of the challenges and opportunities presented by the legacy game format (video)

Bringing an unusual game design to a playtest event? Advice for some common "uncommon" games:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1924953/and-now-something-completely-different-other-types

“If you don’t want to play your game 100 times, no one else will want to play it 10 times.”

— Peter C. Hayward

What to do before reaching out to reviewers:

http://brandonthegamedev.com/how-to-get-your-board-game-reviewed/

Things to consider when using an unusual theme for your game:

https://dzayas.com/advice/alternative-themes-andrew-russell-birkett/

Why a publisher isn't going to steal your game:

http://blog.nskn.net/we-aint-stealin-your-game/

Game Pieces Only Challenge

Design a game without any printed components

Deadline: April 20, 2018

Prizes: cash, The Game Crafter points and shop credit, and more

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/contests/game-pieces-only-challenge