“If you want a good game, get used to feedback. Listen to play testers. Make changes. Revise, test, revise again. If you’re so enamored with what you’ve created that you can’t do this, you’re not making something for an audience of more than one.”

— AnnaMaria Jackson-Phelps

For this week's League of Gamemakers video, I interview Mike Paschal. We talked about game distribution, game distribution, and a bit more game distribution.

How to work well with distributors (video)

Reflections of a full-time board game designer after a year on the job:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/85810/viability-game-design-full-time-job

A design discussion about rest actions in games (audio, starts at 58:15):

https://soundcloud.com/user-318456537/episode-70-heroes-of-terrinoth-and-design-discussion

Game loops and how they can be designed to accomplish a variety of goals (audio):

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-192-loops-i-did-it-again

How to make programmed-action games (audio):

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/programmable-action-games-with-bill-lasek/

Design a game to fit on a "Fun Sized" Cereal box

Deadline: Feb. 18, 2019

Prize: $20 Amazon gift card

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2141501/design-game-fit-fun-sized-cereal-box

Lots of pointers for how to iterate your design through playtesting:

http://jtreat.tumblr.com/post/182403959687/success-through-iteration

“Making a good boardgame and a sellable game are not always the same thing. Sometimes you make a great game that cannot be sold. That’s ok, you made a great game. Sometimes you make an ok game that sells like hotcakes. That’s ok because somewhere you are making someone happy.”

— Dr. Wictz

4 lessons from Sagrada for aspiring board game designers:

https://brandonthegamedev.com/4-lessons-from-sagrada-for-aspiring-board-game-designers/

Looking at two common game mechanics: bidding and take-that (audio):

http://thegamecrafter.libsyn.com/bidding-and-take-that-mechanics-with-the-game-crafter-episode-184

A discussion about good design for tabletop escape-room games (audio):

http://onboardgames.libsyn.com/obg-333-hint-system-and-bottlenecking

The Board Game Workshop Design Contest 2019

Deadline: April 21, 2019

https://theboardgameworkshop.com/design-contest-2019/

A discussion about push-your-luck games and how they work (audio):

http://meeplenation.libsyn.com/mn-0251-press-your-luck-games

Geekway Game Design Contest 2019

Deadline: Feb. 28, 2019

Prizes: publication offer from Indie Boards & Cards

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

“if there’s something in your game design that causes confusion or leads to complicated explanations to justify, try cutting it and seeing if you miss it. you can always add it back in if it winds up necessary, but in most cases it’s probably fine to remove it.”

— Daniel Newman

Pointers for board game graphic design (audio):

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/board-game-graphic-design-with-james-van-niekerk/

How to become a better game designer—a BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2136559/how-do-you-improve-designer

How to get your prototype played at a smaller convention (audio):

http://theforbiddenlimb.libsyn.com/getting-your-prototype-played-at-smaller-conventions-ep-77

Tips for writing better rules for your game:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2135819/quick-tips-writing-awesome-game-instructions-instr