“One of the best things you can do as a designer, beyond simply finding a publisher who likes your idea, is to find one who has an actual opinion about how to improve it and fashion it into the right game for the right market.”

— Brett J. Gilbert

“A great sell sheet is marginally better than a good one. Don’t spend more time on your sell sheet than your game.”

— Gil Hova

“I think that to be a good boardgame designer, it’s useful if you actively enjoy criticism.

Divorce your self from your actions/creations. You are more.

Have a proper discussion about your failures and mistakes. That way you can learn to be better.”

— Bez

“After the initial stages of your design, 1 test with strangers is worth a dozen games against your codesigner / with your design team.”

— John Brieger

Designers share the questions that they like to ask playtesters, and some that they avoid asking:

https://design100.org/43-questions/#

Lessons for board game designers from escape rooms:

https://brandonthegamedev.com/6-reasons-escape-rooms-will-make-you-a-better-board-game-designer/

What makes board game box art both beautiful and functional:

https://brandonthegamedev.com/how-to-make-a-beautiful-board-game-box/

Three simple (but not obvious) tips on playtesting:

https://mojo-nation.com/three-simple-not-obvious-tips-playtesting/

Industry figures say what makes a game a 10/10 for them:

https://tbgd.blog/2019/11/21/whats-a-10-10-game-to-you/

“Falling in love with your ideas is about the daftest thing a game inventor can do.”

— Maureen Hiron

“Take time to review and synthesize your notes at your notes after playtest sessions, before you make changes. It’s shocking how often my instinct when I get home is to just start changing things without really analyzing the feedback.”

— John Brieger

A look at games such as roll-and-writes where all players make use of the same random results:

http://www.kindfortress.com/2019/11/18/design-patterns-random-reactions/

“Don’t defend your #gamedesign, even if players are factually wrong. Capture their experience and reflect on cause.”

— John Brieger

Shelves are small: Ways you can decrease the size and component count of your game:

http://www.phantasiogames.net/2019/11/shelves-are-small.html

How to figure out what’s working in your game, and what isn’t:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/how-to-figure-out-whats-working-in-your-game-and-whats-not/

Social issues in game design (audio)

http://www.buildingthegamepodcast.com/2019/11/17/episode-390-social-issues-and-carnival-games/

Considering innovative game design as innovative scoring design:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/96968/winning-game-design-designing-winning

When offering more decisions to players is bad:

https://remptongames.com/2019/11/16/designing-interesting-decisions-in-games-and-when-not-to/

Musings on hex grids and the poetry of game design:

https://hollandspiele.com/blogs/hollandazed-thoughts-ideas-and-miscellany/the-rhythm-of-hexes-1

An update on how game manufacturing has changed over the past several years and a discussion on the importance of components (audio):

http://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-211-pandamonium-redux