"It doesn’t matter how many contests you win, or games you sign to publish, or even games you design. If you design a game, you are a game designer. Go have fun and enjoy your game." - Cassie Friedman

Brief outline for how to start a local designer playtest group: 

https://twitter.com/emmalarkins/status/1007437829251612672?s=21

"Faster you get your game design to the table the faster you can identify the problems that any first design iteration will inevitably have. Don't spend too much time building the first prototype or you risk becoming too attached to what you've built and unwilling to tear it down." - Joseph Z Chen

Visualizing various tiebreaker mechanisms: 

https://twitter.com/danielsolis/status/1005084307554291715?s=21

Small things that make a difference in a manufactured game's quality: 

https://stonemaiergames.com/a-few-manufacturing-secrets/

Takeaways from the 2018 Tabletop Network conference: 

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/77936/tabletop-network-recap-part-1

We meet with Isaac Shalev, Logan Giannini, and Jay Cormier to talk puzzles in games!

How puzzles can be incorporated into games (video)

Game design contests aren't uncommon, but there are many possible pitfalls. I probably should have said more about what rights you want: you shouldn't give up ANY rights to your game for a contest; at most, give the contest organizers exclusive time-limited right to negotiate a publishing agreement with you if they choose, so you cannot submit the game elsewhere during that time.

An important step to take before entering any game design contest (video)

How to start out as a publisher with $1,000:

http://hyperbolegames.com/blog/1000-test

Tips for researching games that might be similar to your design (audio):

http://thegamecrafter.libsyn.com/finding-similar-games-with-the-game-crafter-episode-176

Six ways to recover from a failed endeavor:

http://brandonthegamedev.com/6-ways-to-avoid-despair-and-move-forward-after-failure/

“A rule makes the game 15% more complicated, but only 2% better. Cut it!”

— Floyd Pretz

#GenCant2018 Game Design Contest

Design a microgame of 18 or fewer cards

Deadline: July 12, 2018

Prize: publication by Button Shy Games

http://www.gencant.com/contest-2018/

Cardboard Edison’s Favorite Tips & Resources - May 2018

In this month's roundup of great board game design links and quotes, you'll find advice for what to do before and after entering a contest, reminders about the realities of the design process, industry resources, and more

contests:

• Contest winners discuss what to keep in mind when designing a game for a contest (audio)

• How to take feedback from design contests (audio)

theory:

• Pros and cons of designing a game with multi-use cards

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

prototyping:

• How to improve public-domain artwork for your game

process:

• Finding time to design while working a full-time job--a BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion

• “Understand that a good idea may take as little as an instant, but a good design may take as long as a decade.” - Reiner Knizia

industry:

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

• How to take a licensed property and turn it into a board game

• Information on scores of board game reviewers and content creators

• “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

• “One of the most important parts of game development is helping new devs. Mentoring makes the mentor better too.” - Brandon Rollins

---

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, Adrienne Ezell, Marcus Howell, Thiago Jabuonski, 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

Source: @DanielSolis

"Watch for players taking actions that they find really fun, but don't help them win the game. Can you align your incentives so that the fun things to do are also paths to victory?" - John Brieger

"Corollary: Watch for players doing things that help them win the game but they don't find fun. Either make those fun, remove them, or make them weaker than the fun things." - Jay Treat

The requirement for the June 2018 24-hour contest is "queen":

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2002412/24-hour-contest-june-2018

Answers to questions about finding playtesters, creating multiple paths to victory, and more (audio):

https://www.theboardgameworkshop.com/2018/05/episode-39-contributors-6.html

“Ask other designers about the tools and methods they use to make their games, even if you’re happy with your own processes. Then actually test out their way of doing things. Saving large amounts of time and stress is good for creativity! ”

— Emma Larkins

“One of the most important parts of game development is helping new devs. Mentoring makes the mentor better too.”

— Brandon Rollins