“There’s a difference between providing players advice and taking their moves for them / telling them what to do.”

— John Brieger

How do retailers feel about Kickstarter?

https://stonemaiergames.com/the-current-state-of-retailers-and-kickstarter-2019/

Some tips on attending and starting local game design guilds and how those groups help designers (audio):

https://www.buzzsprout.com/7928/1330495

Tips on making a worker-placement game (audio):

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/designing-worker-placement-games-with-luke-laurie/

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.”

— John Brieger

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:

http://design100.org/24-feedback/

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.”

— Grant Rodiek

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.”

— John Brieger

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:

https://mavengames.co.uk/why-are-educational-games-so-bad/

Designers discuss various types of player interaction and how to encourage it:

http://design100.org/23-interaction/

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.”

— John Brieger