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
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
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
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