“If your game has a long and complicated setup procedure, it helps if you can break the steps up into labeled groups: common setup, player setup, etc.”

— Dustin Schwartz

“When writing game rules, be wary of VAST COSMIC FORCES that occupy the negative space when you don’t identify the actor in a sentence. Example:

”The deck is shuffled.”
BY WHOM?...
BY VAST COSMIC FORCES!

Try “Shuffle your deck.” or “Each player shuffles their deck.””

— Daniel Solis

Thoughts on making games easier for players to learn through rules, components and presentation:

https://hollandspiele.com/blogs/hollandazed-thoughts-ideas-and-miscellany/thoughts-on-making-games-easier-to-learn

A discussion on the psychology of cheating in board games (audio):

https://boardgamersanonymous.com/engn-episode-146/

“As a game’s inventor, I’m the LEAST qualified to have final approval on its rulebook. Always get multiple eyes on it before going to press, especially if it’s a small rulebook.”

— Daniel Solis

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

“Take notes every time a player forgets a rule. Figure out if it was the #gamedesign or your teaching/instructions.”

— John Brieger

Game designers share their tips and tricks for writing rules:

http://design100.org/20-rules/

Stonemaier Games’ rulebook style guide:

https://stonemaiergames.com/the-stonemaier-games-style-guide/

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

A handful of quick tips for writing clearer rulebooks:

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

Tips for writing better rulebooks:

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

Notes on the importance of proofreading your rulebook:

https://mavengames.co.uk/proofreading/

Cardboard Edison’s Favorite Tips & Resources - January 2019

This month, our list of favorite board game design links and quotes includes lots of advice for playtesting, pitching, and entering contests, in-depth discussions about various kinds of games, industry trend data, and more.

featured:

• Cardboard Edison’s new podcast, Immersed, takes listeners deep inside the world of a different game each episode

contests:

• 5 benefits from participating in board game design contests

theory:

• Designing games with non-traditional themes (audio): Part 1, Part 2

• Two discussions about designing party games: Ludology, CoOp Cast (audio)

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

playtesting:

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

process:

• Tips for becoming a better designer and pitcher to publishers and contest judges

rules:

• “Consistency in language is one of those small things that makes games so much easier to play. Refer to the same actions, components, and game sections by the same terms every time in rules, card text, reference materials, etc." - John Brieger

licensing:

• A publisher shares red flags they look for when a designer is pitching

publishing:

• Reasons why a retailer might pass on carrying a game

industry:

• Data and charts on Kickstarter games in 2018

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Cardboard Edison is supported by our patrons on Patreon.

ADVISERS: Rob Greanias, Peter C. Hayward, Robin Kay, Andrew Young

SENIOR INVENTORS: Steven Cole (Escape Velocity Games), Calvin Johns, Chris and Kathy Keane (The Drs. Keane), Joshua J. Mills, Marcel Perro, Behrooz "Bez" Shahriari, Shoot Again Games, Nick Thacker

JUNIOR INVENTORS: Ryan Abrams, Luis Lara, Neil Roberts, Jay Treat

ASSOCIATES: Dark Forest Project, Stephen B. Davies, Thiago Jabuonski, Doug Levandowski, Nathan Miller, Matt Wolfe

Tips for writing better rules for your game:

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

“Consistency in language is one of those small things that makes games so much easier to play. Refer to the same actions, components, and game sections by the same terms every time in rules, card text, reference materials, etc.”

— John Brieger

Cardboard Edison’s Favorite Tips & Resources of 2018

Our huge annual roundup of great board game design links and quotes is here!

featured:

• The Process: Beta Colony by Matt Riddle and Ben Pinchback

• Meaningful Decisions: J. Alex Kevern on Design Choices in World’s Fair 1893

• Meaningful Decisions: Benoit Turpin on Design Choices in Welcome To...

• Meaningful Decisions: Bruno Cathala on Design Choices in Kingdomino

theory:

• A board game critic’s view of what makes a game memorable (video)

• A discussion of “soft” and “hard” incentives in game design (audio)

• A discussion about the assumptions we make about games—and how to design games that challenge them (audio): Part 1, Part 2

• Board game design sessions from GDC 2018 (video)

• “What is the goal of your game? It’s impossible to make decisions in the void, but if you know your audience, your game’s weight, the focus of the decisions, and the tone of your game (your goals), you can use that to hem in your decision.” - Grant Rodiek

process:

• Ideas aren't worthless: the important role they play in making a game

• A thread offering ways to foster ideas and innovation in your designs

• Tips for researching games that might be similar to your design (audio)

• “Who are you designing your game for? You? Go wild with weird mechanics. Friends? Listen & tune the game to suit them. A publisher? Learn to pitch a product to a business - you’re B2B. The world? It’s a product in the market that you will need to sell.” - Emma Larkins

• “The more I create, the more I develop the skill of persistence. I see people ‘give up’ so easily, convinced that a problem is unsolvable, resigning themselves to a flaw in their work that they see as unavoidable. With very rare exceptions, there’s ALWAYS a solution. Find it.” - Peter C. Hayward

rules:

• 9 tips for writing better rules

• 10 ways of making your rulebook clearer

• Rulebooks that nail it—a BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion

• “Don’t blame the reader for misreading the rule book. Ask how you can improve the rule book.” - Dr. Wictz

prototyping:

• Free art assets for independent board game designers

• Graphic design references for tabletop game cards

• Free library of icons for board game prototypes

playtesting:

• Ways to get people to playtest your prototype: from designer groups to print-and-plays to conventions and more (audio)

licensing:

• The essential elements of pitching your design to a publisher (audio)

• Questions you should ask yourself before submitting a game to a contest or publisher

• Charlie Hoopes on the design process, finding a publisher, recovering from disappointment, replayability, playtesting early and often, and more

• “If I ask ‘What makes your game different from other games of the same theme and weight?’ and you can’t answer me? don’t make the game.” - Avonelle Wing

publishing:

• Board game fulfillment logistics, and companies that do the work

• A Kickstarter "launch sequence": the steps to take immediately after launching a project

• How to make a budget for a Kickstarter board game project (video)

• A crash course in board game manufacturing (video)

contests:

• How to win a game design competition (audio)

• Lots of pointers for making a pitch video

industry:

• Tips and tricks for networking in the board game industry (audio)

• Industry veterans offer advice to designers at Dice Tower Con 2018 (video)

• On dealing with criticism as a board game designer

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Cardboard Edison is supported by our patrons on Patreon.

ADVISERS: Rob Greanias, Peter C. Hayward

SENIOR INVENTORS: Steven Cole (Escape Velocity Games), John du Bois, Chris and Kathy Keane (The Drs. Keane), Joshua J. Mills, Marcel Perro, Behrooz "Bez" Shahriari, Shoot Again Games

JUNIOR INVENTORS: Ryan Abrams, Joshua Buergel, Luis Lara, Neil Roberts, Jay Treat

ASSOCIATES: Dark Forest Project, Stephen B. Davies, Marcus Howell, Thiago Jabuonski, Doug Levandowski, Nathan Miller, Mike Sette, Matt Wolfe

“When you write a rulebook, explain the goal, then explain how I reach the goal. If you tell me all the things I can do but not why I want to do them, it’s confusing.”

— Ken Grazier

Cardboard Edison’s Favorite Tips & Resources - November 2018

In this month's roundup of great board game design links and quotes, we have useful guides for writing rulebooks, a new source of art for prototypes, thought-provoking articles on game design theory, and more.

theory:

• A detailed look at objectives and victory conditions: how players can win a game

• Ways of making a dice-rolling system that feels thematically appropriate

• “Every rule, every component, every aspect of your game must solve a problem or provide an experience that is essential to your game. Everything else compromises quality.” - Jay Treat

rules:

• 9 tips for writing better rules

• How to structure a rulebook (video)

prototyping:

• Free art assets for independent board game designers

licensing:

• How to make your game sound interesting in a pitch

publishing:

• What it takes to get a game into retail (audio)

---

Cardboard Edison is supported by our patrons on Patreon.

ADVISERS: Rob Greanias, Peter C. Hayward

SENIOR INVENTORS: Steven Cole (Escape Velocity Games), John du Bois, Chris and Kathy Keane (The Drs. Keane), Joshua J. Mills, Marcel Perro, Behrooz "Bez" Shahriari, Shoot Again Games

JUNIOR INVENTORS: Ryan Abrams, Joshua Buergel, Luis Lara, Neil Roberts, Jay Treat

ASSOCIATES: Dark Forest Project, Stephen B. Davies, Adrienne Ezell, Marcus Howell, Thiago Jabuonski, Doug Levandowski, Nathan Miller, Mike Sette, Matt Wolfe

APPRENTICES: Cardboard Fortress Games, Kiva Fecteau, Guz Forster, Scott Gottreu, Icarus Must Burn, Aaron Lim, Scott Martel Jr., James Meyers, The Nerd Nighters, Matthew Nguyen, Marcus Ross, Rosco Schock, VickieGames, Lock Watson, White Wizard Games

How to structure a rulebook (video)