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Cardboard Edison

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

Cardboard Edison
  • About Us/
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    • Quad Squad
    • Cobras
    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
    • Prototypes
  • Free Resources/
    • Blog
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    • Tariffs Report
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playtesting
prototyping
process
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February 29, 2020 February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

An overview of how to collect, interpret, and use playtesters’ feedback:

https://www.universityxp.com/blog/2020/2/26/applying-feedback

February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

February 29, 2020 February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

A look at one small publisher’s creative process, from concept through release:

http://rockmanorgames.com/2020/02/24/games-are-ready-when-theyre-ready/

February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

February 29, 2020 February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

How to solo test more designs than you ever thought possible:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/99518/how-solo-playtest

February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

February 29, 2020 February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Board game designers share what part of playtesting they do differently from everyone else:

https://design100.org/54-playtesting/

February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

February 29, 2020 February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison
CHSDM-3A0CC5FA79612-000001.jpg

Smithsonian Open Access contains millions of high-res public-domain images that are free to use:

https://www.si.edu/openaccess

February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

February 29, 2020 February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

A thread about playtesting videogames that also applies to tabletop games:

https://twitter.com/kchironis/status/1232720225700732928

February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

February 22, 2020 February 22, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Thoughts on what makes a game “playful”—deep and expressive but also low-stress:

http://keithburgun.net/achieving-playfulness-in-strategy-game-design/

February 22, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

February 22, 2020 February 22, 2020/ Cardboard Edison
“You want people to have a moment so exciting that they can’t wait to share it with their buddies.”
— Devin Low
February 22, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

February 22, 2020 February 22, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

What should be on your Kickstarter launch-day checklist:

https://medium.com/@fantastic.factories/what-should-be-on-your-kickstarter-launch-day-checklist-and-why-you-should-have-one-b95d15cc6e45

February 22, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

February 22, 2020 February 22, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Principles for designing a game system that’s built to last:

https://level99games.tumblr.com/post/190810837571/designing-to-last-core-principles-in-game-design

February 22, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

February 22, 2020 February 22, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Thoughts on some conventional wisdom for board game designers:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/98792/cutting-room-floor-episode-2-conventional-wisdom

February 22, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

February 22, 2020 February 22, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

The challenges of designing a game for a mass-market audience:

https://design100.org/53-mass-market/

February 22, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, industry

Cardboard Edison

February 16, 2020 February 16, 2020/ Cardboard Edison
“Is there a skill more important for a game designer to master than empathy? To be able to see when someone is confused or frustrated or excited without them telling you will keep you on the right path during design iterations.”
— Brian Henk
February 16, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

February 15, 2020 February 15, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Designing games to make them more visually accessible:

http://www.weirdgiraffegames.com/carla/wordpress/2020/02/14/interview-with-sarah-reed-visually-accessible-games/

February 15, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

February 15, 2020 February 15, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

How a mismatch between theme and mechanics can mislead players—a Twitter board game design discussion:

https://twitter.com/Drawnonward/status/1228198679573495808

February 15, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

February 13, 2020 February 13, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

How the “payday effect” impacts Kickstarter campaigns depending on their launch day:

https://stonemaiergames.com/the-astounding-payday-effect-on-kickstarter/

February 13, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

February 13, 2020 February 13, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

A beginner’s glossary of board game genres:

https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/board-game/how-to/board-game-types-explained

February 13, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

February 13, 2020 February 13, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

The benefits of working on multiple designs at once—and why your excuses not to aren’t any good:

https://subsurfacegames.ca/2020/02/11/multi-tasking-is-actually-the-best/

February 13, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

February 09, 2020 February 09, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

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

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

February 09, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

February 09, 2020 February 09, 2020/ Cardboard Edison
“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
February 09, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

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2026 Cardboard Edison Supporters:

Alley Cat Games
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