“Every game designer has dozens (if not hundreds) of ideas, and I bet every designer has several perfectly functional designs. The ability to look at all of those functional designs, pick only the best one, and make it 10x better is something that takes dedication, patience, and humility.”

— Jamey Stegmaier

The basics of blind playtesting:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/blind-playtesting-your-game/

How designers split their time between prototypes and just-for-fun play—a Twitter discussion:

https://twitter.com/tableflipsyou/status/1206366981865328640

Statistics for what makes an “evergreen” game:

https://stonemaiergames.com/the-magic-formula-for-publishing-an-evergreen-tabletop-game/

Designers share their thoughts on making great “hooks” for games:

https://design100.org/46-hooked/

Instagram strategies for board game publishers:

https://stonemaiergames.com/20-instagram-strategies-and-my-recommendations/

Convention strategies for board game publishers:

https://www.alderac.com/2019/12/12/unconventional-convention-thoughts/

Game designers share which software tools they use to make prototypes:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2328726/what-software-are-you-using-making-proto-cards-pla

How to find playtesters even if you live in the middle of nowhere:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/how-to-find-new-playtesters-even-if-you-live-in-the-middle-of-nowhere/

How to form good game-design habits:

http://www.justingary.com/how-to-10x-your-game-design-abilities/

Misconceptions about game design:

https://design100.org/45-misunderstood/#

“I still have to constantly remind myself that when playtesting, it’s more important to identify and describe issues than brainstorm possible solutions.”

— Jeff Tidball

“If players don’t provide feedback at the end of a test, you messed up. It’s your job as the moderator to ask the right questions and create an environment where people will give you feedback.”

— John Brieger

How to create a killer board game media kit, with a checklist:

https://www.meeplemountain.com/articles/how-to-create-a-killer-board-game-media-kit/

How finished should a design be before pitching it to publishers?

https://design100.org/44-development/

Advice on shipping, logistics, and saving money by a warehouse owner (audio)

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/fulfillment-shipping-and-logistics-with-toby-truman/

Discussion of highs and lows from Deep Water games and different distribution models (audio)

http://breakingintoboardgames.libsyn.com/breaking-into-board-games-episode-106-el-whitcombe-deep-water-games

Step-by-step instructions for getting feedback from playtesters:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/getting-good-feedback-and-what-to-do-with-it/

“As a designer play your game a ton. Then have your friends do the same. Then strangers. Take in all the data, iterate and repeat. There is no shortcut, and skimping in this process really shows long term.”

— Ben Pinchback

Notes on “perpendicular constraints” in cooperative games, or game systems that pull players from their core mission:

http://www.kindfortress.com/2019/11/29/design-patterns-perpendicular-constraints/