“Play everything you can… The more you widen your knowledge of styles and mechanics, the easier you’ll come to see how to improve your developing game.”

— Andrew Harman

Things board game designers can learn from Root:

http://makethemplay.com/index.php/2019/11/06/learning-board-game-design-from-root/

How to make the most of players’ time:

http://www.phantasiogames.net/2019/11/time-is-precious.html

The importance of diversity in game design (audio):

https://media.wizards.com/2019/podcasts/magic/drivetowork680_diversityingamedesign_KmD2eeUT.mp3

How and why you should create a minimum viable prototype:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/step-1-create-a-prototype-quickly/

“The better your rulebook, the less people will need it. (And vice-versa) ”

— Peter C. Hayward

“If you have trouble writing a rule, it may be best to remove it from your game.”

— Jesse Catron

Three kinds of questions to ask at a playtest:

https://twitter.com/DasBrieger/status/1189889514715729922

Tips for standing out and doing well in a game design contest:

https://buttonshygames.com/blogs/news-1/18-card-challenge-like-x-but-y

“There’s one tip for rules writing I want to impart on every designer, young and old:

🔥 Stop interrupting yourself. 🔥

Parenthesis? Make it the next sentence.

Clauses and commas? Break them into separate sentences.

Forward page-ref? Move that content earlier.”

— Daniel Solis

Rules are bad: Why you should generally try to have fewer rules in your game:

http://www.phantasiogames.net/2019/10/rules-are-bad.html

Four lessons from Everdell for aspiring board game designers:

https://brandonthegamedev.com/4-lessons-from-everdell-for-aspiring-board-game-designers/

Tips for starting a playtest event (audio):

http://thegamecrafter.libsyn.com/starting-a-playtest-event-with-the-game-crafter-episode-209

Tips for novice and advanced social media users to help you gain a following (audio):

http://thegamecrafter.libsyn.com/using-social-media-with-the-game-crafter-episode-213

If a game isn’t “groundbreaking,” is it worth working on? A Twitter board game design discussion:

https://twitter.com/senorbaub/status/1186080140092153858

Takeaways from a Protospiel playtesting event:

https://twitter.com/fairway3games/status/1186703497544323072

Tips for making a pitch video:

https://buttonshygames.com/blogs/news-1/18-card-challenge-lights-camera-action

How board game designers get started with making the first prototype of a new design:

https://design100.org/38-start/#

“If you attend a group regularly, you might get more of your stuff tested on some days, but it should balance out in the end. People will be much more supportive and friendly to you if they feel you are doing your fair share!”

— Emma Larkins

“Proper etiquette for designer meetups is likely spending 2-4x the time playing/critiquing for others as you do running your own games.”

— John Brieger