Cardboard Edison
  • About Us
  • Houdini's Last Act Quad Squad Cobras Retail Rejects More Games Prototypes
  • Blog Industry Reports Tariffs Report Playtest Groups Virtual Tabletops Contests Podcast Interviews Game Design Checklist
  • Houdini's Last Act
  • Publisher Directory
  • Award
  • Newsletter
  • Sign In My Account
Cardboard Edison
  • About Us/
  • Our Games/
    • Houdini's Last Act
    • Quad Squad
    • Cobras
    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
    • Prototypes
  • Free Resources/
    • Blog
    • Industry Reports
    • Tariffs Report
    • Playtest Groups
    • Virtual Tabletops
    • Contests
    • Podcast
    • Interviews
    • Game Design Checklist
  • Houdini's Last Act/
  • Publisher Directory/
  • Award/
  • Newsletter/
  • Sign InMy Account
board+game+bits.jpg
Cardboard Edison

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

Cardboard Edison
  • About Us/
  • Our Games/
    • Houdini's Last Act
    • Quad Squad
    • Cobras
    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
    • Prototypes
  • Free Resources/
    • Blog
    • Industry Reports
    • Tariffs Report
    • Playtest Groups
    • Virtual Tabletops
    • Contests
    • Podcast
    • Interviews
    • Game Design Checklist
  • Houdini's Last Act/
  • Publisher Directory/
  • Award/
  • Newsletter/
  • Sign InMy Account
featured
theory
playtesting
prototyping
process
rules
licensing
publishing
industry
Bright Ideas RSS

Receive exclusive board game design tips and resources in your inbox by subscribing to our weekly Omnibus newsletter


April 11, 2018 April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

The right and wrong ways of including examples in rulebooks:

https://hollandspiele.com/blogs/hollandazed-thoughts-ideas-and-miscellany/e-g

April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
rules

Cardboard Edison

April 11, 2018 April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

The causes of analysis paralysis, and ways of addressing them:

https://www.tricorngames.com/designer-blog/2017/12/5/breaking-the-chains-of-analysis-paralysis-the-black-box-part5-of-7-nftna-tdmbf-233ds-fb3jw-m2bhc-42l9m-ldjk7

April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

April 11, 2018 April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

Comparing several pledge managers that help with Kickstarter fulfillment:

http://www.jamesmathe.com/story-of-the-3-little-pledge-managers/

April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

April 11, 2018 April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

Advice for writing rulebooks that are understandable, consistent, and usable:

http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/following-rules-is-hard-writing-rules-is-harder/

April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
rules

Cardboard Edison

April 11, 2018 April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

An overview of playtesting--what it is and how to do it:

https://geekandsundry.com/how-to-make-a-game-playtesting-advice-from-game-designers/

April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

April 11, 2018 April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison
“The real danger with making rulebooks is that if the wrong rule is more intuitive than the right one then your players will never open the rulebook again.”
— Eric Yurko
April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
rules

Cardboard Edison

April 11, 2018 April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison
“When you design a game, 1. Start with something innovative. This is your best chance to end up with something innovative.”
— Reiner Knizia
April 11, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

April 09, 2018 April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

Advice for designing cooperative games from fans of the genre (audio):

https://soundcloud.com/user-318456537/coop-cast-episode-27-design-discussion-with-matt-leacock

...and from a skeptic of it (audio):

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/the-two-types-of-cooperative-games-with-peter-hayward/

April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, podcasts

Cardboard Edison

April 09, 2018 April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

A list of different kinds of playtesting you could perform:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/75551/defining-playtesting-part-2

April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

April 09, 2018 April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

How to make your game more accessible to more people (audio):

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/how-to-make-your-game-more-accessible-with-brandon-rollins/

April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing, industry, podcasts

Cardboard Edison

April 09, 2018 April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

Kickstarter advice from Pandasaurus Games:

https://tompetgames.wordpress.com/2018/04/09/kickstarter-tactics-with-the-creators-of-dinosaur-island/

April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

April 09, 2018 April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison
“Go meet other designers. Play their games, have them play yours. Talk about design.”
— Chris Anderson
April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/ /Source
process

Cardboard Edison

April 09, 2018 April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

The role of progression in a game design:

http://makethemplay.com/index.php/2018/04/09/progression/

April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

April 09, 2018 April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

A list of goals you might have in mind for any given playtest:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/75622/why-are-you-playtesting

April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

April 09, 2018 April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

How "design patterns" can be used to guide a game toward the experience you want (audio):

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-173-patternity

April 09, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, podcasts

Cardboard Edison

April 05, 2018 April 05, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

More than 780 free emojis, useful for prototypes:

http://emoji.streamlineicons.com/

April 05, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

April 05, 2018 April 05, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

Board game design sessions from GDC 2018 (video):

https://www.gdcvault.com/search.php#&category=free&firstfocus=&keyword=%22board+game%2Bdesign%2Bday%22&conference_id=175

April 05, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

April 05, 2018 April 05, 2018/ Cardboard Edison
“It doesn’t really matter how good your game is if nobody can understand the rulebook. Clear rules writing is important - unclear rules can sour the entire experience.”
— Robin David
April 05, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
rules

Cardboard Edison

April 05, 2018 April 05, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

How much should you listen to playtesters?

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/75454/how-much-should-you-listen-playtesters

April 05, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

April 05, 2018 April 05, 2018/ Cardboard Edison

The theme for the April 24-hour contest is "egg":

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1969684/24-hour-contest-april-2018

April 05, 2018/ Cardboard Edison/
contests

Cardboard Edison

  • Previous
  • Next

2026 Cardboard Edison Supporters:

Alley Cat Games
Back Office by Naylor Games