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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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December 26, 2021 December 26, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

A short thread on when to capitalize terms in rulebooks:

https://twitter.com/lackingceremony/status/1473099353153699842?s=11

December 26, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
rules

Cardboard Edison

December 26, 2021 December 26, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

Procedural generation in board games: how various titles have tackled a task that’s much more easily handled by computers:

https://www.getrevue.co/profile/gengelstein/issues/gametek-12-generation-p-904023

December 26, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

December 18, 2021 December 18, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

How intellectual-property rights work in different parts of the board game industry: patents, copyrights, trademarks, legal agreements, and more (video)

December 18, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

December 18, 2021 December 18, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

Board game industry veterans answer common questions that new designers are often too afraid to ask, about pitching, rejection, ideas getting stolen, and more (video)

December 18, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

December 18, 2021 December 18, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

How some games create interesting decisions through “dualities” that tie two different considerations together:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/126078/dualities-core-gameplay-loops-tough-accessible-dec

December 18, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

December 18, 2021 December 18, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

This simple Excel template lets you easily create and print basic cards for a prototype:

https://roboticduckdesigns.com/2021/12/12/design-tool-printable-card-design-spreadsheet/

December 18, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

December 14, 2021 December 14, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

How to go about handling a difficult topic in a game design—engaging with a thorny subject without endorsing it:

https://twitter.com/AmabelHolland/status/1470612806273806341

December 14, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

December 11, 2021 December 11, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

Some ways that board games can make use of “entangled decisions” to create even more interesting choices for players:

http://sedjtroll.blogspot.com/2021/12/entangled-decisions.html

December 11, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

December 09, 2021 December 09, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

The ultimate guide to cardstock: card dimensions, cores, weight and thickness, finish, borders, and more (video)

December 09, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

December 09, 2021 December 09, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

How many choices should a game have? Thoughts on when more or fewer choices would be appropriate:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/124522/tasty-choices

December 09, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

December 09, 2021 December 09, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

A way of thinking about different types of randomness, and how safe or risky they are to use in a game design:

http://keithburgun.net/good-randomness/

December 09, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

December 06, 2021 December 06, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

How to understand all the common passages and boilerplate language you might see in a typical contract in the board game industry (video)

December 06, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

December 06, 2021 December 06, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

Notes on getting your game tested and certified for safety:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/getting-your-game-tested-and-certified/

December 06, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

December 06, 2021 December 06, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

An overview of the different kinds of people involved in the board game business (meant for journalists covering board games, but good for anyone getting into the industry):

https://stonemaiergames.com/an-open-letter-to-journalists-who-recently-learned-of-the-existence-and-popularity-of-modern-tabletop-games/

December 06, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

December 06, 2021 December 06, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

Lore that’s more than fluff: pointers for designing worlds and characters that resonate mechanically and thematically:

https://shippboardgames.blogspot.com/2021/12/non-narrative-characters.html

December 06, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

December 03, 2021 December 03, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

Cool math things that tabletop game designers should know about (video)

December 03, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

December 01, 2021 December 01, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

Why it’s hard for a board game to create an immersive experience, and three different ways they can accomplish it anyway:

https://cardboardmountain.com/can-board-games-be-immersive/

December 01, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

December 01, 2021 December 01, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

Two sites for creating AI-generated artwork:

https://www.artbreeder.com/

https://www.wombo.art/

December 01, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

December 01, 2021 December 01, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

Your board game design fell off the rails—now what? A discussion about what to do when a design just isn’t working. (video)

December 01, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

November 29, 2021 November 29, 2021/ Cardboard Edison

Final steps to take before finalizing your print run with a manufacturer:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/getting-your-game-manufactured-after-locking-in-your-orders/

November 29, 2021/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

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