A discussion of the development process and working with an IP-based game (audio):

http://onboardgames.libsyn.com/obg-320-ip-everywhere

“I cannot stress enough that if you are a first time designer you should try to start small & simple rather than big & complicated. Larger designs have many interacting systems that are much harder to design, troubleshoot, & playtest. Then try something bigger after.”

— C.M. Perry

“The more I create, the more I develop the skill of persistence. I see people “give up” so easily, convinced that a problem is unsolvable, resigning themselves to a flaw in their work that they see as unavoidable. With very rare exceptions, there’s ALWAYS a solution. Find it.”

— Peter C. Hayward

“You’re going to have bad playtests, bad feedback, lack of solutions to problems, and especially lack of time. Take feedback for what it is and try something different. Most importantly: Don’t stop trying.”

— Lock Watson

A board game idea generator focused on accessibility:

http://meeplelikeus.co.uk/board-game-idea-generator/

Things to consider when setting a price for your game:

https://brandonthegamedev.com/how-to-price-your-board-game/

“Theme can inspire game design, but you have to be sure it doesn’t tie your hands. During development, you might discover that you need to alter a mechanism to make the game better. It’s hard to make that change if it goes against the theme.”

— Vladimír Suchý

A board game critic’s view of what makes a game memorable (video)

Tips for getting a design from idea to published—concept, testing, pitching and more (audio):

http://breakingintoboardgames.libsyn.com/breaking-into-board-games-episode-78-alice-davis

Using components in innovative ways (audio):

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/innovative-uses-of-game-components-with-julio-nazario/

2018 Mint Tin Design Contest

Design a game that can fit inside a mint tin

Deadline: Jan. 11, 2019

Prizes: GeekGold

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2074640/2018-mint-tin-design-contest

Ways games can be designed to prevent players’ analysis paralysis (audio):

http://theforbiddenlimb.libsyn.com/designing-around-analysis-paralysis-ep-73

“You don’t need to have a deep store of knowledge to be a game designer. In fact, not having it might even make for more interesting and innovative designs.”

— Tom and Mary Russell

How to make a budget for a Kickstarter board game project (video)

A discussion of “soft” and “hard” incentives in game design (audio):

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-185-soft-boiled

Advice for developing a middle-weight euro-style game that sticks around:

http://sedjtroll.blogspot.com/2018/10/games-are-more-than-main-mechanism.html

Lots of links to useful prototyping resources:

https://twitter.com/beardedrogue/status/1046159097895120896

Thoughts and approaches to working on an asymmetric game design (video)

How to make sure a game feels balanced to players (audio):

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/balancing-a-game-with-isaac-vega/

Lessons from a failed Kickstarter campaign:

Staying calm: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2065861/lessons-failed-kickstarter-1-how-keep-your-head-st

Costs and shipping: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2067957/lessons-failed-kickstarter-3-costs-logistics-shipp

Canceling a campaign: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2069152/lessons-failed-kickstarter-4-cancelling-project

Takeaways: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2070866/lessons-failed-kickstarter-5-12-verdicts