Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers
Dr. Lauren Woolsey, host of the Playability Podcast and professor of astronomy joins the Breaking Into Board Games Cast and offers tips on pitching, contests and playtesting (audio):
http://breakingintoboardgames.libsyn.com/breaking-into-board-games-episode-96-dr-lauren-woolsey
Rules can make or break a game. Here are some tips for including rules on your components for ease of play (audio):
http://thegamecrafter.libsyn.com/rules-on-components-with-the-game-crafter-episode-196
“It’s natural for players to want have discussions or make comments midgame as issues emerge. Develop a sense as a moderator for when to cut off those conversations and refocus players back to gameplay.”
A look at competitive games that feature collective challenges that players must jointly overcome:
http://www.kindfortress.com/2019/07/15/design-patterns-this-is-bigger-than-all-of-us/
How to incorporate feedback into a design, even after receiving conflicting opinions:
Takeaways from a large survey of tabletop gamers and their preferences:
https://www.manchestergamestudies.org/blog/2019/7/9/the-games-we-play
“If you’ve never signed a board game publisher contract before, before you do, show it to someone who has. Blur the names, whatever, but don’t get screwed over and lose your idea because you’re a novice.”
Motivating players by setting up goals for them to achieve:
https://twitter.com/KevinWilson42/status/1148392478564847616
“Playtesters sometimes suggest changes because they want to contribute, not because you need to change anything.”
How to make an AI player’s difficulty level feel satisfying:
https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/92303/how-make-ai-difficulty-levels-feel-satisfying
How to improve your odds of impressing a publisher at a speed-pitching event:
https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/how-to-win-over-publishers-at-a-speed-dating-event/
Why educational games aren’t more fun, and how that might be changing:
Designers discuss various types of player interaction and how to encourage it:
More than two dozen board game design books published over the past 10 years:
https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/257970/board-game-design-books-2010-2020
What an independent publisher wants a box cover image to accomplish:
https://hollandspiele.com/blogs/hollandazed-thoughts-ideas-and-miscellany/box-covers
“Don’t ask irrelevant questions – know where you are in your process and tailor questions for your test.”
“Do not be dismayed when your brand-new unique game mechanism has ‘been done’ already. Look at it as someone doing free research and development for you! You now have a head start. Your game’s true novelty comes from the alchemy of theme, presence, components, AND mechanics.”
“Every time I think of an idea; I try to place it into a game night of the past...Would everyone have had fun – even those who were losing? Who would have complained and what would they have complained about?”
“Players often suggest fixes that add complexity. Search for the root issues & find fixes that reduce complexity.”
Notes on games with low levels of competition and interaction:
http://www.kindfortress.com/2019/07/03/design-pattern-winning-and-goals/
