“Peers, persistence, passion. All contribute to success as a designer. They support and reinforce one another, forming the base of your practice. The stronger your base, the better you can roll with the highs & lows of a creative field. ”

— Emma Larkins

Uses of event decks in a game design:

http://makethemplay.com/index.php/2018/05/07/four-uses-of-event-decks-in-board-game-design/

Potential "performance indicators" to help you set a goal for your design:

http://hyperbolegames.com/blog/kpis

Four card layout design tips:

https://medium.com/@dylanmangini/4-layout-tips-for-designing-card-games-17cc98b89b96

For the May 2018 24-hour contest, design a game about slowing or delaying development of something:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1988484/24-hour-contest-may-2018

“When contacting a publisher about meeting up at a playtest convention, make sure to specify if you want to pitch to them, if you want to meet them, or if you just want their feedback on the game. It’ll make sure to set expectations appropriately and not waste time.”

— Carla Kopp

How to use skill and luck effectively in your game designs (audio):

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/luck-vs-skill-with-richard-garfield/

World Original Design Contest of Board Game

Sponsored by Yoka Games

Deadline: June 22, 2018

Prizes: $3,000 and possible publication

http://wodc.yokagames.com/en/index.html

For absolute beginners, advice on the game design process:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/76568/designprocess-tips-absolute-beginner

Cardboard Edison’s Favorite Tips & Resources - April 2018

This month's roundup of great board game design links and quotes includes ways to encourage innovation in your design work, wide-ranging videos on board game design, a new resource for when you need specific kinds of help, and more.

theory:

• Board game design sessions from GDC 2018 (video)
• How "design patterns" can be used to guide a game toward the experience you want (audio)
• Triangular scoring and its uses in game designs
• How to use arcs in a board game design
• Advice for designing cooperative games from fans of the genre and from a skeptic of it (audio)

process:

• A thread offering ways to foster ideas and innovation in your designs

playtesting:

• A list of goals you might have in mind for any given playtest
• “Playtesting is the lifeblood of game design. No matter how experienced you are, you must feel the fun.” - Reiner Knizia

publishing:

• Two threads outlining the economics of board game publishing: one, two

industry:

• A database of business consultants for areas including design, playtesting, Kickstarter, social media, marketing, law, accounting and more

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Cardboard Edison is supported by our patrons on Patreon.

ADVISERS: 421 Creations, Black Letter Games, Peter C. Hayward, Aaron Vanderbeek

SENIOR INVENTORS: Steven Cole, John du Bois, Chris and Kathy Keane (The Drs. Keane), Joshua J. Mills, Marcel Perro, Behrooz Shahriari, Shoot Again Games

JUNIOR INVENTORS: Ryan Abrams, Joshua Buergel, Luis Lara, Aidan Short, Jay Treat

ASSOCIATES: Stephen B Davies, Marcus Howell, Samuel Lees, Doug Levandowski, Nathan Miller, Neil Roberts, Mike Sette, Matt Wolfe

APPRENTICES: Cardboard Fortress Games, Kiva Fecteau, Guz Forster, Scott Gottreu, Aaron Lim, Scott Martel Jr., James Meyers, Tony Miller, The Nerd Nighters, Matthew Nguyen, Marcus Ross, VickieGames, Lock Watson, White Wizard Games

Jellybean Contest

Design a game using a specific set of components

Deadline: July 1, 2018

Prizes: cash and publication

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

How to create a sense of exploration in your board game:

http://makethemplay.com/index.php/2018/04/30/how-to-create-a-sense-of-exploration-in-your-board-game/

Musings on plagiarism, copies, influences and coincidences in the board game industry:

http://faidutti.com/blog/?p=9370

A reminder to write rules in the active voice:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/76421/boardgame-rulebooks-be-active

“Be prepared for a long iterative process. Going forward, going backward, taking many detours along the way.”

— Reiner Knizia

Phase Shift Dimensions Challenge

Design a game that exists in non-standard dimensions, such as 3D, multiple rooms or across time

Deadline: Sept. 17, 2018

Prizes: cash, The Game Crafter shop credit and more

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/contests/phase-shift-dimensions-challenge

“Playtesting is the lifeblood of game design. No matter how experienced you are, you must feel the fun.”

— Reiner Knizia

Two threads outlining the economics of board game publishing:

https://twitter.com/TheOneTAR/status/989351776661848065

https://twitter.com/TheOneTAR/status/989642207874318337

A list of some good game design habits to adopt:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/76291/aqs-what-are-some-game-design-habits-i-should-cons

A database of business consultants for areas including design, playtesting, Kickstarter, social media, marketing, law, accounting and more:

http://www.jamesmathe.com/hitchhikers-guide-to-business-consultants/