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Cardboard Edison

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

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March 23, 2020 March 23, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Board game designers on how they know when a game is “done”:

https://design100.org/57-done/#

March 23, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

March 21, 2020 March 21, 2020/ Cardboard Edison
“Ignore all tips for ‘getting started in game design.’ Make what you think you want, fail a lot, learn to be motivated by embarrassment, and don’t be afraid to drop it if pain exceeds pleasure beyond your threshold.”
— Eric Lang
March 21, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

March 21, 2020 March 21, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Advice on a wide range of Kickstarter-related questions, from posting updates and dealing with slumps, to fulfillment and failure:

https://level99games.tumblr.com/post/613132111004762112/brads-board-game-kickstarter-advice

March 21, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

March 19, 2020 March 19, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Games with interesting tile- and token-drafting systems—a BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2390750/interesting-tiletoken-drafting-mechanics

March 19, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/

Cardboard Edison

March 19, 2020 March 19, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Considering the ways certain players are fulfilled by games, and ways games can be designed to cater to them:

https://www.cameronartgames.com/post/maslow2

March 19, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 14, 2020 March 14, 2020/ Cardboard Edison
google roll dice.png

Google “roll dice”

(HT/@emmalarkins)

March 14, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

March 14, 2020 March 14, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

A thread second-guessing the common wisdom that “lose a turn” mechanics should always be avoided:

https://twitter.com/tomandmary/status/1238220877935804428

March 14, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 13, 2020 March 13, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Some ways of speeding up auctions:

https://subsurfacegames.ca/2020/03/12/avoiding-the-count-up-auctions/

March 13, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 13, 2020 March 13, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

A look at the psychological and self-fulfillment needs that games satisfy:

https://www.cameronartgames.com/post/maslow1

March 13, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 13, 2020 March 13, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

In-depth discussion of several mechanics (audio):

https://www.buzzsprout.com/48513/2973043

March 13, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
podcasts, rules, industry, theory

Cardboard Edison

March 08, 2020 March 08, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

How to enter a BoardGameGeek print-and-play game design contest (video)

March 08, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
contests

Cardboard Edison

March 08, 2020 March 08, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Advice one designer wishes he had when working on his first game:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/advice-i-wish-i-had-when-i-was-working-on-my-first-game/

March 08, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

March 08, 2020 March 08, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Tips for putting together a better “elevator pitch” for your game:

https://www.alderac.com/2020/03/06/alderac-design-center-elevator-pitch-contest-lessons-and-thoughts/

March 08, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

March 08, 2020 March 08, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

Ways families can get started in board game design (video)

March 08, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

March 08, 2020 March 08, 2020/ Cardboard Edison
“If your game has rounds, sometimes you can move some of the game setup procedure to round preparation procedures instead. This often prevents exceptions where a given rule applies to all rounds *except the first.*”
— Dustin Schwartz
March 08, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
rules

Cardboard Edison

February 29, 2020 February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison

One way of letting players ramp up their abilities without it feeling like an illusion:

https://subsurfacegames.ca/2020/02/25/the-caverna-effect/

February 29, 2020/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

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

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