“Wargames aren’t really about ‘recreating’ history, but about engaging with it; not about what happened when and in what order, but why and how it happened, and why and how it could have happened differently.”

— Tom Russell

“Watch for how players interact with the physical components of the prototype. Identifying the tactile experiences people find rewarding or engaging can help inspire new component designs.”

— John Brieger

Board Game Brothas on creating a brand, networking and community-building, working in board games, and more:

https://www.backerkit.com/blog/rap-godz-omari-akil-interview

Richard Breese on designing worker placement games, co-designing, playtesting, and more:

https://www.diagonalmove.com/interview-richard-breese-key-series-creator-and-founder-of-rd-games/

Wood vs. plastic: comparing the price, consistency, flexibility, and environmental impact of different board game token materials:

https://stonemaiergames.com/wood-vs-plastic-the-facts-about-custom-tokens/

“The most important skill for boardgame developers is communication — more important than design chops, math, research, or games knowledge. None of those matter if you can’t tell the publishers and designer WHY a change is necessary or align on product vision.”

— John Brieger

How simultaneous decision-making and bluffing give players the illusion of control:

http://www.phantomknightgames.com/news/the-illusion-of-control-part-1-the-ellen-degeneres-slot-machine/

Storytelling mechanics: how various games incentivize players to tell stories:

https://twitter.com/emmalarkins/status/1282790983353069568

“By far the best playtesting advice I’ve ever learned is to make your 1st priority creating a safe space for your testers. No one’s going to test your game or give you honest feedback if they don’t feel safe & welcome. Make sure they know their voices matter & that you value them.”

— Sara Perry

Essential board game pieces for use in Tabletop Simulator:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2163372496

4 lessons from the Exit games for aspiring board game designers:

https://brandonthegamedev.com/4-lessons-from-exit-games-for-aspiring-board-game-designers/

Designer and publisher Carla Kopp on making games during a pandemic, working with other creatives, online playtesting, and more (video)

Eric Slauson on designing party games, colorblindness considerations, working with publishers, and more (video)

When and how to pursue a new direction with a game design:

https://brandonthegamedev.com/how-to-know-when-to-pivot-on-your-board-game-design/

Notes on making board game business decisions, weighing others’ advice, and doing what’s best for your company:

https://stonemaiergames.com/retailers-filtering-feedback-and-making-sense-of-your-business/

How the design of a game based on history will change depending on its scope:

https://hollandspiele.com/blogs/hollandazed-thoughts-ideas-and-miscellany/scale-and-historicity

Instead of asking if your game is too complicated, ask whether it’s too complicated for its target audience:

http://bagamesco.com/2020/07/is-your-board-game-too-complicated/

“When designing a cooperative game, it can be good to deter quarterbacking with the design, but make sure you aren’t removing mechanics that encourage teamwork and interesting team discussions!”

— Evan Gibbs

Introduction to wargame design (video)

Some of the many ways that games can make players feel great:

http://www.weirdgiraffegames.com/carla/wordpress/2020/07/05/games-that-make-you-feel-good-with-eric-slauson/