“At the end of the day you can do as much theorizing in your head as you want, but the players are where the rubber meets the road. No matter how much you like something, if the players have an issue it is your job to figure out why, and to correct it.”

— Caleb Compton

A look at trends in the industry from one of its top leaders (audio):

https://www.buzzsprout.com/4646/1024743

“Watch body language during play. Players leaned in toward the the game signals engagement. Leaned out = bored.”

— John Brieger

How to do research for a game and why your local library is one of your best resources (audio):

https://indieboardgamedesigners.com/brian-compter/

Tips on how to manage your day job and hobby board game business (audio):

http://theforbiddenlimb.libsyn.com/top-5-tips-for-managing-your-day-job-and-hobby-board-game-business-ep-81

What does it take to define the worker placement mechanic in a game? (audio):

http://ninjavspirates.libsyn.com/who-what-why-s20e08-worker-placement-and-more

Notes on the difficulties of making a narrative-based board game:

https://spacebiff.com/2019/04/08/joshua-buergel-on-storytelling/

How and why to create science-based games that are educational and fun (audio):

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/fun-and-educational-games-with-john-coveyou/

How one retailer decides what products to get and keep in his successful game store (audio):

http://breakingintoboardgames.libsyn.com/breaking-into-board-games-episode-90-travis-severance-millenium-games

“Try changing a rule, adding something to your game, or taking something away. Even one small tweak can make the difference between a game that’s good and a game that everyone can’t wait to play again.”

— Joe Slack

Three wrong reasons to try to publish a board game, and three right reasons:

https://brandonthegamedev.com/6-right-and-wrong-reasons-to-make-a-board-game/

Handy tools for making prototypes (video)

“don’t just do whatever other people suggest but also don’t completely disregard proposed answers just because you think they won’t work. think about what it is they’re addressing and come up with something that fits better.”

— Daniel Newman

A collection of vintage illustrations and icons available in the public domain:

https://www.rawpixel.com/board/539757/vintage-illustrations

“You haven’t tested your game enough. You can never test your game enough.”

— John Brieger

Techniques for getting in the right headspace for game design:

http://design100.org/10-headspace/

Get the full story of Unpub 9 from those that organized it (audio):

https://www.buzzsprout.com/3256/1012249

How do you know when a design is ready to show to strangers?

https://twitter.com/CerebralCellar/status/1114183069886550017

Video talks from the Game Developers Conference 2019 Board Game Design Day (video):

https://www.gdcvault.com/search.php#&category=free&firstfocus=&keyword=%22Board+Game%2BDesign%2BDay%22&conference_id=

A handful of quick tips for writing clearer rulebooks:

https://twitter.com/DanielSolis/status/1114500462294835200