The 2019 Northwest LUCI Award

Deadline: May 19, 2019

http://playtestnw.com/2019-luci-award

Panda Game Manufacturing’s Kickstarter Guidebook details the scope of crowdfunding a board game:

https://pandagm.com/images/downloads/KickstarterGuidebookV1web.pdf

Will a niche theme help or hurt a game’s chances? A BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2178818/theme-question-do-i-hurt-myself-if-my-theme-too-ni

How does fulfillment work? Questions answered:

https://brandonthegamedev.com/12-questions-about-board-game-order-fulfillment-shipping-answered/

“Recognize that not every playtester is in your target audience, but don’t dismiss their feedback because of that.”

— John Brieger

Pitching advice from Jon Gilmour of Pandasaurus Games:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/cubed-champaign-urbana-boardgame-engineers-and-designers/jonathan-gilmour-qa-notes/1138557326324500/

Gioco Inedito Contest for Emerging Game Designers

Theme: Leonardo da Vinci

Deadline: June 24, 2019

https://www.luccacomicsandgames.com/it/lcg/games/premi-concorsi-tornei/gioco-inedito/

Visual accessibility in game design (audio):

https://playability.fireside.fm/16

“If you’re struggling with a design, don’t be afraid to shelve it and work on something else. Listen to your heart. If you find yourself not wanting to play your prototype, take some time away to refocus.”

— Nikki Valens

“Magic” questions to ask playtesters to get the information you need:

https://twitter.com/DanielSolis/status/1111639037008322561

A collection of gorgeous agricultural watercolors is now available for free in the public domain:

https://usdawatercolors.nal.usda.gov/pom/about.xhtml

Tips for writing better rulebooks:

https://twitter.com/jackson_pope/status/1111174594717732864

Tips on how to avoid game designer burnout (audio):

http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/e/1/b/e1b7da942eb31caa/PretentiousGameIdeasQuickplay-6-AvoidingBurnout.mp3?c_id=36511091&cs_id=36511091&expiration=1553824583&hwt=93a88b212966f8f4f6c52afc2595a353

A discussion of the many different ways of adding value to resources (audio):

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-episode-195-value-added

Several ways to make a prototype game board (video)

Is a unique mechanic or interesting twist necessary for a design to succeed? A BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2173601/unique-mechanic-or-interesting-twist-absolute-must

“Everyone knows the first poems you write are bad, but you’ve got to get them out of your system. It’s true with game design too. Poets don’t get attached to their first efforts, and neither should you.”

— Chip Beauvais

4 unexpected benefits of using Kickstarter to launch your game (audio):

https://www.buzzsprout.com/4646/975077

Signs it is time to give up on a design (audio):

http://theforbiddenlimb.libsyn.com/signs-it-is-time-to-give-up-on-a-design-ep-79

Suggestions for how to get started making your game simpler:

https://twitter.com/emmalarkins/status/1109300914119032832?s=11