Are there any qualities that make a game objectively “good”? A Twitter board game designers discussion:

https://twitter.com/stuffByBez/status/1225751728743731200

“I don’t work on any contract that says “Payment upon publication.” NO ONE EVER SHOULD. I don’t care if you’re trying to break into the industry, I don’t care if you really, really trust the publisher. DON’T DO IT.”

— Kevin Wilson

“When we start making games we quickly realize that the game we made is NOT VERY GOOD! This is ok and this is normal. This is called experience. Unfortunately too many people stop trying around this stage because they feel like they are not good at it. Guess what? Neither was anyone at anything when they first started. It’s only through the experience of doing something that you get better at it.”

— Jay Cormier

How to avoid “overdesigning” your game so much that it becomes unplayable by newcomers:

https://subsurfacegames.ca/2020/02/06/sen-foong-lim-on-his-roadblock/

Three tricks for keeping backers engaged during the mid-campaign Kickstarter slump:

https://tabletopbackerparty.com/3-old-but-good-engagement-hacks/

Lessons from Quacks of Quedlinburg for aspiring board game designers:

https://brandonthegamedev.com/4-lessons-from-quacks-of-quedlinburg-for-aspiring-board-game-designers/

Five questions to help you get at what playtesters really think about your game:

https://subsurfacegames.ca/2020/02/04/my-go-to-questions-to-playtesters/

Glossary of terms related to playing cards and card games:

https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/all-in/terms-you-should-know-about-playing-cards-and-card-games

Industry figures weigh in on how electronic components can be used in board games:

https://design100.org/51-hybrid/#

Thoughts on various methods of choosing a start player:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/99956/starting-conditions-attempt-break-down

What attributes make a civ game feel like a civ game?

https://twitter.com/GAMElemental/status/1221961310889545728

“Even if a project is abandoned, the time you spent working on it was never wasted. The lessons learned help you hone your skills.”

— Bez

Play styles can have a big effect on what happens at a table, here is a quick rundown of some different kinds (audio)

tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/28/play-styles-topic-discussion/

How to estimate shipping costs and how that affects the cost of a game (audio):

http://ninjavspirates.libsyn.com/who-what-why-s21e08-shipping-charged-after-podcast-episode

An example of a preliminary pitch letter to a publisher:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/the-exact-letter-i-sent-to-a-publisher-that-got-my-first-game-signed/

Keith Matejka of Thunderworks Games on world-building, staying on track with a project, pushing through after the initial spark, and more. (Meeple Syrup, video)

An overview of several board game design contests and where to find more (video)

Tips for identifying the “core” of your game and strengthening it during playtesting:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/getting-to-the-core-of-your-game/

“Geoff’s Law: Your game is more complicated than you think it is, even when you take into account Geoff’s Law.”

— Geoff Engelstein

Notes on the importance of setup and teardown times:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/99739/industrial-musings-part-v-importance-setuptear-dow